The course of true love seldom runs smoothly, but at Yagami High, where the teen comedySchool Rumble(2004) is set,the road to romance is littered with potholes. Perky sophomore Tenma Tsukamoto nurtures a gritty crush on classmate Oji Karasuma. But Karasuma is so oblivious, he wouldn't look up if Tenma set off firecrackers under his desk. Her general klutziness doesn't help the campaign to his win his heart: she leaves a novel-length love letter in his locker, then forgets to sign it. Johnny Depp-esque bad boy Kenji Harima is smitten with Tenma, but he's even more maladroit than she is. Class representative Haruki Hanai ("he's like a walking encyclopedia, only more boring") falls for Tenma's younger sister, Yakumo, the only sane member of the cast. Surveying the situation, one of Tenma's friends presciently observes, "This doesn't bode well for the rest of the school year." The filmmakers keep the characters appealing although they remain terminally clueless teenagers. For all his bad boy posturing,Harima shows talent and discipline as he works to become a manga artist. But when an editor suggests having a friend review his story, Harima sulks, "A delinquent like me doesn't have any friends--not any who can read, anyway!" Director Shinji Takamatsu provides lots of laughs by turning everyday mishaps into outrageous spoofs ofInu-Yasha,Dragon Ball Z,Night on the Galactic Railroad,Close Encounters of the Third Kind,and theMatrixmovies.School Rumblewas followed by a second broadcast season and the OVASchool Rumble:  Extra Class. (Rated TV PG: suitable for ages 12 and older: comic violence, risqué humor, nudity, alcohol and tobacco use)--Charles Solomon(1. Love Letter Mayhem! 2. Tough Test! 3. See and Sketch! 4. Pigs Go Oink! 5. Burning Hot First Love!)