Engage Kiss – 01
After watching Engage Kiss, I can’t help but feel that it falls short compared to Fumiaki Maruto’s previous work, White Album 2. While the premiere of Engage Kiss is competently staged and produced, it fails to captivate me with its story and characters. Initially, I had a slight interest for about 10 minutes, but after that, my attention started to wane.
The story revolves around a slacker named Shu, who shamelessly relies on the women in his life to support him and prevent him from starving. One of these women is the daughter of the company’s president, whom he had more or less quit, and the other is a high school girl with yandere tendencies and seemingly supernatural powers. We discover Shu’s “job” involves teleporting to another dimension to fight demons. When he finally becomes desperate enough to bid on a job for the company, the yandere girl named Kisara comes to their rescue when the demon proves to be stronger than anticipated.
While the premise is not necessarily cringe-worthy, I found myself disliking the characters and the light-novel elements infused into the story. There might be a faint glimmer of something mildly interesting here, but if I already find it boring, my hopes for its improvement are slim.
Lycoris Recoil – 01
The only reason I decided to watch the premiere of Lycoris Recoil was because of Imigu Muru, the talented mangaka behind the delightful Kono Bijutsubu ni wa Mondai ga Aru. Muru’s involvement was limited to character designs, unfortunately, as the narrative aspect of the series failed to impress me.
Technically, the animation by A-1 Pictures was solid, with fluid movements and interesting art design. Director Adachi Shingo’s experience shines through in the execution. However, the script, written by Asaura (known for Ben-To), left me with a feeling of disappointment. I quickly grew to loathe Ben-To after a couple of episodes, and Lycoris Recoil managed to grate on my nerves even quicker. The concept of a moeblob as a noble murderer is not only overdone but also twisted and disturbing.
In conclusion, I have to admit that I disliked Lycoris Recoil. While it may have had a suitable budget allowing for competent execution, the overall idea falls flat for me. I won’t waste any more of your time or mine discussing it further, as there are numerous recaps and sources available for those interested.