DESCRIPTION

CAST

MANGA ComedyRomantic Killer

REVIEWS

• 

  fatalgraves

  80/100
  Cute concept, actual good comedy bits and touching character/story plots.

  
  (Some spoilers included at the bottom; but with a warning before.)

  The animation style of this show was so gorgeous and fit my taste in art style. Anzu's different looks throughout the show were simple but effective (a small detail but I just loved the designs a lot.) The character development for everybody was well done too, I originally didn't think most of them would be written with as much depth as they were or that it would take the topic of trauma as serious as it did.

  I was pleasantly surprised to find that this cute show with some actual decent comedy would later touch on some more serious topics as it went on. This caught my eye mainly from the art style and I wasn't expecting much, but I'm glad I gave it a chance. The random events that happen with Anzu and her love interests due to Riri's influence are ridiculous but in the best way.

  As a big fan of dating sim styles games, seeing a show parodies that and a protagonist attempt an "anti" version of that was amusing to see. It's just enough plot and character depth to keep you watching to learn what happens next and care for the characters, but still lighthearted enough to where you won't be completely emotionally drained after finishing it.

  Bonus points for Riri pretty much being genderfluid and the show (at least in the English dub; which is a good one) using they/them pronouns for them in some scenes. Always refreshing to see shows embracing more queer characters without them being a total joke or laughing stock solely because of their identity.

  With the love interest characters, it's pretty easy to see why anybody would personally root for one over the other, each have their own good and bad qualities and depth built onto them... besides the one rich blonde kid. He does have some form of development, but really is just thrown to the back compared to the others. (That was completely fine with me because he's my least favorite by far.)

  Bottom line, I think this is a pretty good romcom anime to throw on and binge.

  A few warnings on the topics/subjects covered for those who might need them; vague spoilers below :

  One of the characters struggles with social anxiety for their own personal reasons and some scenes feature the effects of that anxiety forming into an attack/panic attack. I really liked this addition, and any show that treats these kinds of mental health topics seriously gains some points.

  For those with a trigger toward sexual assault, abuse and manipulation/gaslighting: Be wary that episode 10 introduces a plot involving those topics. The assault scene isn't extremely detailed, but it's there enough to possibly be uncomfortable to those sensitive to it.

  It also features stalking, a character being roofied (typical yandere behaviors, ya know) and victim blaming surrounding these events starting on episode 11. All of these situations are handled with care for the most part; the victims of them have some form of social support around them.

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• 

  Godmeyer

  81/100
  When a fairly average plot meets a fantastic execution.

  Romantic Killer is a 12 episode Netflix-produced anime adapted from an award-winning manga of the same name. The colored manga concluded in 2020 with a total of four volumes, and this animated series sees that content to its very end. Unfortunately, the official English translation licensed by Viz has only just finished the first volume, but luckily the rest is on the way.Romantic Killer came out of nowhere and left me pleasantly surprised. From the main character's menacing dark side, the hilarious faces, and the chaotic yellow behelit that masquerades as a Cupid-esque wizard, there's really something for everyone here. This Rom-com does a lot of things right while straying from what might've been expected. However, not all of its silly charades land flat on their feet and the quality of the writing wasn't always consistent.The plot. With the wizard Riri on a corporate mission from the magic world to abate Japan's declining population, they turn Anzu Hoshino, the "romance noob," into their first guinea pig by filling her life with hot men and taking away her three favorite things; chocolate, video games, and her cat Momohiki. The world of "otome games" become a reality for her and she fights against romance for the sake of having her three favorite things returned. It sounded unique to me, but I didn't feel like it was doing anything special or new going into it. Having finished it, I realize now that the execution and production is what really sells this show, not the plot. Nearly every encounter is either a staple trope or scene taken from otome games and old romance anime that we've seen dozens of times, but it is Anzu herself that takes what should've been cringe to an enjoyable level. The characters. Anzu Hoshino, our female protaganist, undoubtedly carries the show. From her obsession with cats and fear of roaches to her brazen and good nature, she really is an excellent character to tell this story. Unfortunately, a lot of the rest begin to fall flat the further the story progresses. Even though each of the men have their own spot light moments and backstories, it is extremely clear that the author has a favorite. While some of the characters are able to make progress, they mostly stay in line with their original cliches which I think is just an unfortunate result of the source material being short and complete. I often felt that the author had a lot they wanted to say as new characters and dark backstories begin to litter the latter half of the series, but its a shame that they stopped themselves short. Lastly, the production. I watched this show in Japanese and I can say that the cast really shined here. Rie Takahashi's performance as Anzu was incredible and she gave this character so much life. This anime was a textbook example of how studios should adapt a manga, because I found it actually improved upon it in many aspects. From added scenes to exagerated art, I felt it all made for a more enjoyable experience. With teases of a second season but no further source material to adapt, its possible the author wants to make a comeback and continue to expand the world and fix the criticisms I had... Or it was just Netflix baiting us. Netflix has once again dropped an entire show in the middle of seasonal anime releases where anime fans are desperate for something complete, and this was a fairly enjoyable mess of fun that you can binge today. Enjoy!
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• 

  Sakuraplant

  60/100
  Interesting, but not super interesting

  I first saw something about this anime through YouTube. The trailer looked intriguing and so I thought I'd give it a try. The story is about a girl named Anzu. A girl who didn't care much about romance until one day she meets Riri, the magical wizard. Riri decides to help Anzu fall in love but in order to do so, they take Anzu's 3 precious things: Video games, chocolate, and Momohiki.

  SOUNDTRACK

  They were not bad. The Op was pretty catchy, though I think there could've been more exciting things happening in the op, rather than just watching Anzu walk around and open doors. Now for the ep, I think it was solid. It's very energetic and has a fast rhythm. The only problem was Riri's voice. In my opinion, it was annoying. I think the op is better.

  PLOT

  Now for the plot. I think the plot was decent. I did like that we got to meet the male characters ( and Anzu's possible love interests ) and some of the friends of those characters. Most of the episodes felt slow. There was barely any progress made. Not only that, but it wasn't that funny. When Anzu makes the faces when she is thinking or talking to someone, I found it more cringe than funny. It felt like something was missing. What I did like was the last few episodes, specifically episodes 10, 11, and 12. It really pulled me in. I think it was because of the trauma catching up to Kazuki and seeing the friend group help him. It felt like there was an actual plot in the story and I was actually curious on what would happen in the next episode.

  CHARACTERS

  The characters in this series were all unique. Although kinda predictable, they still each had their own personalities and interests. Anzu seems like a good friend, though I wish the writers didn't made her seem like she's "not like other girls" or "quirky". I like how she Saki when she needed it and respected Kazuki for not being interested in a relationship ( at least, was not interested ) Riri was ok, but they were too annoying, which I guess is one way I kinda relate to Anzu. Kazuki was kinda interesting too. Even though he's kinda distant and had gone through a lot, he remained a nice guy. Junta seemed interesting, though he's too obvious about how he feels. Saki is nice, though she did not deserve what happened to her.

  CONCLUSION

  All in all, the anime was decent It wasn't the funniest compared to other rom-com animes I've seen, but it still kept me from being bored to some extent. I think what could be better is the humor part. Maybe if we learned more about the side characters thoughts, it would make the story more intriguing and interesting. Oh yeah, and more romantic scenes because, well, it's a rom-com anime. This is my first time writing a review for an anime on here! Hope you enjoyed reading!

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