In ‘Romantic Killer’, Anzu Hoshino meets a wizard who transforms her life into a dating simulation game. Anzu decides that she must navigate this world and avoid romance at all costs. The anime show is streaming on Netflix.
Story
An ordinary day in the life of Anzu Hoshino is filled with games, chocolates and cats. She has no desire for romance whatsoever.
One day, she decides to play a romance-based game. In a twist, a wizard, named Riri, from inside the game appears in the real world.
It completely transforms Aizu’s world into a dating simulation game where she isn’t allowed access to any games, chocolates or cats.
To make it worse, she will constantly run into attractive men as well as situations that could result in the blossoming of love. She meets Tsukasa Kazuki, Junta Hayami and Hijiri Koganei over the course of the season.
But Anzu isn’t about to give up easily. She vows to beat the game by not giving in to any temptations. She declares herself as the ‘Romantic Killer’.
Positives
The premise of Romantic Killer is extremely intriguing and unique. It is the exact opposite of a rom-com where the protagonist is looking for love. This makes the series interesting at the start. You cannot predict which direction the narrative will go.
The comedy aspect is praiseworthy. The series gets most of it right from absurd moments to slice-of-life humour. Anzu is a likeable character that the viewers are likely to root for. Her reactions to situations are always humorous and a big positive.
Through Tsukasa, it addresses stalking from the male point of view. There is an instance of victim blaming as well. This plot point is important to show that this can happen to anybody. It also highlights the very real problem of the declining birth rate in Japan.
The show’s opening score is nothing short of alluring.
Negatives
The start is rocky and Aizu’s background isn’t established properly. The viewers are thrown straight into the simulation.
At 12 episodes, it is much longer than the premise requires. Especially, the middle batch of episodes, which drags considerably. You start to feel that the narrative is stuck in a loop and repeating itself with the introduction of each new guy.
There is not enough conflict over the course of the season to keep you hooked, only to be suddenly introduced towards the end. More such instances needed to be scattered throughout the season.
Verdict
Romantic Killer is a light and breezy series that is definitely worth a watch. However, the 12 episodes are a bit of a hurdle and stop it from being an easy binge.
Romantic Killer
Director: Kazuya Ichikawa
Date Created: 2022-10-27 20:31
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