Maji De Watashi Ni Koi Shinasai - 01

Looking at the first episode, Maji De Watashi Ni Koi Shinasai (Please Love Me Seriously, abbreviated Majikoi) reminds me of a combination of Real Bout High School, Bakatest and Dog Days.

Complete with maid army

Each grade in Kawakami High School is split into seven classes, the elites in class S, all the way down to class F, and, due to Kawakami City's long martial arts history, the school uses large-scale battles between the classes to settle disputes.  These inter-class battles have exactly three rules: win by capturing or defeating the opposing commander, an unlimited number of students from other classes and up to 50 non-students can be recruited to fight for you (through any means necessary), and only special weapons that "won't kill you but will make you wish you were dead" provided by the school may be used.

Apparently robots are fine too.

Episode 1 throws us straight into the action: a large-scale battle between Class F and Class S.  Class F is outnumbered 900-500, but numbers don't always decide a match, as they have a strategist and tactician in Naoe Yamato, as well as his close friends, each strong enough to be considered a "hero unit": Kawakami Kazuko, Shiina Miyako, Mayuzumi Yukie, and Christiane Friedrich leading their teams.

Hero units get the AoE attacks.

Thanks to Yamato's ability to predict Class S' movements and adjust his own forces, he is able to repeatedly ambush, wear down and defeat Class S' units, repel a sneak attack on their own base, and almost capture the opposing team's commander.  However, Class S' final trump card comes in the form of the school's ultimate fighter, Kawakami Momoyo, who joined the team opposite her friends because the chance to fight them would make that side more fun.  To hold her off, Class F call in their final two fighters, Kuki Ageha (arriving via air drop), and Matsunaga Tsubame, who, along with Yukie attack Momoyo while the rest Class F attack what's left of Class S.

Three on one isn't fair... for them.

After taking out the last of Class S' elite guards, Class F manages to take out the enemy commander and win the battle, moments before Momoyo finishes off all of her opponents.

Cut to later that afternoon.  Yamato approaches Momoyo as she sits by the riverside, asks if she enjoyed her birthday present of being to go all out against a strong opponent, gives her a ring, and confesses to her for the second time.  She, however rejects the confession, and walks away, leaving the other four girls with the realization that he's now fair game.

One down, four options remain.

Majikoi was the #1 selling visual novel of 2009, which gives some indication on how good of a story it has.  I haven't had the chance to play through it (it's not officially out in English, and the fan translation projects aren't done either), but reading comments from those who have, this episode was apparently the end of the Momoyo path (except for, of course, the rejection)... which leaves all four of the other heroines as potential end points.  I really enjoyed this episode, and although I have no idea what's coming next, I'm looking forward to seeing it.