Le tueur romantique

....could set the standard for the romantically comedic anime genre.

I just finished binge watching the whole 1st series because of they way Romantic Killer kept me wanting more. This is largely due to the comedic talent of the screenwriters' dialogue, which I always find to be a bright spot in anime as long as it doesn't feel overused. Here, some lines do tend to find themselves recycled in and out of each episode, however that's only due to how consistent Anzu, the female MC, and Riri, her personal romantic wizard/demon, get into over-the-top confrontations, which in itself makes for a feel-good type of humor, especially as you progress through the storyline.

As we're introduced to new characters along the way, we get to know more about their backgrounds, which I enjoy as a good anime shouldn't always be centered around the MC, making everyone else feel 2-D to whoever's watching. It does surprise me though how deep some serious topics got into playing a role intertwining amongst each character's backstory. This is a bold move by the writers, and I did feel that it did improve the anime's standards beyond that of a cliché romantic-harem-comedy where fan-service is a painful reminder of how borderline an anime can get to an uncomfortable, hentai-like atmosphere.

I will say though, one thing about the cast did surprise me: The voice actor for the bodyguard, Tsuchiya, for the rich & 3rd possible romantic partner, Hijiri Kokanei, is Kenjirô Tsuda, the same guy who voiced Tatsu, the MC for another Netflix original anime, "The Way Of The Househusband".

It's cool to see Netflix's Anime department feature his character as a little Easter Egg in homage to his original as Tsuchiya seems to embody the skills of Tatsu as well as his calm-&-collected nature when it comes down to serious matters. However, if Netflix even TRIES to make this kind of tweak to further promote the Househusband series further, I will be shaking my head in disbelief as they STILL tend to neglect their original anime, having to produce fewer new anime rather than build up on the handful of well-rounded anime that deserve a second chance/season. It BETTER BE THE ROMANTIC KILLER that DESERVES a 2nd season over that comic-strip-like awkwardness of an anime that should have never even had the characters not move around!!!

Ahem*

Anyway, going back to the Romantic Killer, it has succeeded in producing a variety of animation styles, depending on the scenes, whether comedic or serious. Each act/scene really sets the tone and doesn't tend to eradicate the flow of the anime in general, thanks to the visuals, subtle music, and a well-rounded supporting cast. Besides, by providing each of the characters with different personalities AND background stories, it really transforms the Romantic Killer (AKA Anzu) into a more insightful and more open MC as the story progresses.

One of my few issues about this anime is the pacing of the storylines and of how rushed different {serious} subjects/topics tend to present themselves and leave, especially later on in the anime; hopefully, when Netflix approves of season 2, I won't have to get caught off guard off of the sudden developments that are packed within 2-3 episodes.

Overall, for those who are looking for a good story about love going against the clichés of other romantically-comedic, fan-service-riddled anime, this is one I MUST recommend to you. Because, at the end of the day, many streaming platforms, like Netflix, tend to be hit-or-miss with each individual catalog of their own original series. However, when it comes to anime, I can say for sure that this one shouldn't be missed out on! Give it a try; you'll never know what you might find!

Dry humour, entertaining situations with occasional fluff, and vibrantly expressive animation all combine to make a highly entertaining meta-parody on romcoms and dating-sims.

Being ace myself, I was especially interested in the series' premise. I was pleased to find out that the protagonist is likeable (whose voice actress has impeccable comedic timing), and that the show lives up to its premise without falling into overdone "fanservice" clichés that anime is infamous for.

The last three episodes shifted in tone rather abruptly, from a previously comedic setup to a quite tense dramatic one. Nevertheless, I found these well executed. My only big annoyance comes from the final episode's lack of commitment: instead of having a satisfying answer to "will she, won't she", we conclude with the status quo unchanged and a teaser for a (possible) second season.

This was sort of a mixed experience for me. I did find many scenes funny but the show is a bit unsure about the emotions it's aiming for and the conclusion doesn't feel earned given how serious they made certain matters.

First of all I really liked the main character. Her character designs during comedic sequences were hilarious and Takahashi Rie did a great job voicing her. I think friendships between all characters are nice too. The plot of the show is that a wizard comes to this introverted girl and says that she's selected as a test subject to help her in her romance developments. Naturally, this girl retaliates and that too in a hilarious manner. So this show is at its best when it's a romance parody.

Obviously, with a plot about affecting romance in your life using magic, you don't expect it to get emotionally serious since it won't fit at all. But, from time to time it gets serious and that doesn't work since obviously the romance feels forced. And I'm not a fan of love-triangle drama either. And then the final 4 episodes completely changed the tone into some very serious matters, which felt sudden. And though it's good that they explored a few backstories, if you've seen enough animes you have probably seen the same backstories done before. And after they establish these very serious problems, the way they end them doesn't feel very convincing.

It's been so long since I've watched a rom-com this amazing. I binge watched the whole season in half a day. It has a great opening song and all the characters are just awesome. The heroine is not your typical shoujo girl, and the male leads are all unique with different personalities. I've usually seen such stories mostly in comics, so I was really looking forward to this since I watched the trailer and it didn't disappoint me at all. It has a lot of funny scenes, especially between the heroine and the game Wizard. It's ultimately a fun watch, and I really hope there's a 2nd season, there's so much more to the story. DON'T THINK TWICE, JUST WATCH IT, IT'S WORTH IT.

Such a gem here. Really wasn't sure at first but this sarcastic take on rom-com's is actually hilarious plus in the end we still get some romance like we all want. I am rooting for so many outcomes and I pray that Netflix renews this for a season 2. There is still so much source material they could do. Plus it was left open for more scenarios for a few more seasons. If you like romance, romance comedy, plain old comedy, slice of life type things then you will adore this anime. Just the humor in it was so effortless and I found myself binge watching it over two days. Even my grumpy husband was excited to see what happens next and shipped her with a certain guy. Too good. Keep them coming!!!