#i don't think riri actually likes anzu romantically

[2salty4snails]

Just watched Romantic Killer and I hope she ends up with Riri

[natsspammityspamspamham]

Why You Should Watch Romantic Killer

This is the new anime series that premiered on Netflix a few days ago! Before you inevitably cancel your subscriptions, give this show a go! Trust me, it'll all be worth it! (I'm personally riding on my sibling's Netflix, so I got to watch it officially!)

Edit: I think it’s important to mention since it’s in the very nature of the show that nobody is actually forced to fall in love with Anzu or vice-versa. It’s all purely consensual in terms of that even though the wacky circumstances are not.

I even made gifs for this post just to convince you, reader of this post!

Story

A high schooler named Anzu Hoshino is living the life. She has games, chocolate, and a cat named Momohiki. One day, her life is turned upside down by the devil-- I mean wizard, Riri. Riri confiscates her three most prized possessions with the ultimate ultimatum: Fall in love or live life without your most cherished commodities. Living in this awful world, Anzu swears to not fall in love out of pure spite for this arrangement and for Riri, but unfortunately, Riri has plans in store that might make things harder than they seem. (source: me)

For such a nonsensical story, it fricking works. I like it. As someone who's aroace, I feel this. I really do. I don't object romance, but I sure am not looking for it, and I would be pissed and spiteful too if my belongings were taken.

Characters

Anzu is so much fun. She has got to be my favourite reverse harem protagonist of all time. Her reactions to everything are absolutely priceless, and I love how they incorporate random references. I never thought I'd see Kazuo Umezu face incorporated into a fricking romcom! Characters like her and Bakarina make the genre worth watching (even if Bakarina is too... baka at times). I want everyone to experience this anime without me giving too much away.

The side characters are good in their own right. Sure, Riri is annoying, but that's kind of the point. They canonically don't have a gender so the "they/them" pronouns were used in the subtitles I'm pretty sure. Tsukasa is pretty cold, and I felt indifferent about him until I found out his reasoning for being like that in the last few episodes, and let me just say, whatever you're expecting, it's probably not going to be that. I've never seen a show handle that type of situation for men quite like this RANDOM ROMCOM did. It puts its male characters into situations where they don't need to be strong, and they aren't criticized for it. That right there is positive masculinity. I like it. It diverts the idea of traditional macho masculinity, especially those of archetypes in dating sims. The characters and their dynamics actually seem pretty natural for such an unnatural situation and setting.

Music

Yooo, that soundtrack fricking fits. I like it. Sure, it doesn't stand out, but with the absurdity of this series, I'd be lying if I didn't laugh when a certain string track came on. I don't even think that was the point (I think it's supposed to be when the audience swoons).

That ending theme fricking slaps harder than it needs to. I watched the opening once. Look, that opening skip button is so tempting. I only watched the ending once, but it was the background music for the voice actor interviews, so I got to know it better.

Voice acting

YOOOO, THIS IS THE PART I WANTED TO TALK ABOUT. Sure, they hired your local "ikemen" to play the "ikemen" characters, but can we talk about Rieri for a second? She makes this show good. Her and Mikako Komatsu apparently auditioned in a pair, and you can see, hear, and feel that chemistry. It is absolutely fantastic. Not many anime have had me laughing out loud, but I kid you not, I laughed a few times watching this. And yes, Umehara and Gakuto did sound good. I will give them credit where it's due. They did fulfill the ikemen part really well. Almost too well.

Art

You know what? Even though the art was pretty mediocre, I'm going to give it a pass. It's hard to make a coloured manga. And it's hard to make an anime look good. Plus, they probably spent all of the budget on Anzu's face to the point where the guys look mediocre at best and can only be given "ikemen status" based on their voices alone.

Conclusion

I get why this anime might be a bit mixed in the aroace community, but I think we should enjoy media as it's handed to us. And what was handed to us is a genuinely good show that requires zero brain cells until the last half! Zero brain cells? That's me too!

Unlike most of the shows that I watch, I will rewatch this. Without a doubt. I'm rewatching it as we speak. Even for specific moments that made me laugh.

[tartrazeen]

One thing I didn't like about Romantic Killer is something that could still be changed in a future season:

Making Tsukasa be Subject 0

The first or second episode has Riri specifically saying that whenever Anzu's talking to them, everyone else will see an 'illusion of something normal'. And the little daydream bubble shows us Anzu just looking super zoned out - as an example, but definitely so specific wheeeeen...

... they tell us Tsukasa's really quiet and cold and reserved.

What I thought was gonna happen was a reveal that Tsukasa had been given the same deal. Originally, I thought his was just to become a hot guy, and that's why he was uncomfortable with all the attention, but now I'm thinking it'd make more sense that he wanted someone who loved him for him. Which - uhhhhhhhhhh - could've ended with a meet-cute with his yandere stalker. 🫠

It would've helped explain why he was so serious all the time and why they made such a big deal of Anzu being hidden by a Normal Illusion while talking to Riri: he'd have his own wizard he's talking to in those moments. Instead, this whole concept never comes up again in the story, other than the indirect mention of it no longer being a thing when Riri takes a human form. But the actual illusion doesn't really propel the narrative forward on its own.

And that's fine! Technically, if it was just a handwave, I'm okay with it. But I really liked the potential of foreshadowing that explanation right as we return to interacting with a character who makes "long, silent, stoic staring" one of their main traits.

Actually, I like that I called Katie a yandere. Everything about Romantic Killer is supposed to be a big cliché, right? And these wizards don't know humans too well? So, what's more devoted than someone who's completely and totally obsessed with you? That's romantic, right? Yeah? She keeps saying she loves him! why does she have a knife

It even fits with the gaming theme. Tsukasa could've had a 'demo' of just one girl (the super obsessed yandere) for the wizards to see how it played out. They picked a guy because 'obviously' most Lonely Romance Gamer Noobs are men (hm - I think that could evolve into a greater commentary about Japan too, based on what some other Japanese media touches on and with how this show keeps talking about Japan's low birth rate). But after the Yandere Simulator was a bust, the wizards decided:

Maybe have a girl as a protagonist instead

Recycle the guy from the demo as a full-blown love interest for the Early Release version

Tone down on the obsessiveness and find someone who doesn't want a relationship at all (aka: maybe just stick with the tsunderes this time)

... After the tsundere is doing okay, explore recycling the yandere love interest from the demo, too 🫠

I don't think that's the direction it's gonna go, if it ever continues. But it would be cool. :)

[vilapollo]

SPOILERS

just finished watching Romantic Killer and ngl I think Riri is the best suited endgame. i feel like the orange-haired guy needs more time to heal bcos let's be real just bcos the stalker lost her memories doesn't mean that the trauma disappears along with it. but he is most definitely gonna be the endgame if I'm being honest. the whole silly little accidents that turned out to be Anzu actually saving him??? 10/10. Junta, my boy, my baby boy, you're a childhood friend. your friend was right. childhood friends in romance, they tend to stay in that zone lmao. don't get me wrong there's nothing i adore more than childhood friends to lovers but I'm gonna be realistic here. and then that spoiled guy....I feel like he's just....he's just there. he's just meant to be a friend. Riri, this bitch sacrificed her/his job and erased the stalker's memories. have you seen her face when she met the stalker right before erasing her memories? that was fucking hot. she looked like she would kill that bitch if she could. honestly, I thought she did lmao. and that basic ass line that Rio said "I want to be by your side"?? it squeezed my fucking heart even tho i saw it coming. it's so cliche I. LOVE. IT.

[oatbrew]

finished romantic killer on netflix. really enjoyed it and i like how it handled issues of stalking and boundaries in relationships. i think romance as a genre is great to satirize not just because of the comedic potential but for its ability to comment about the genre and our relationship with it and to a larger extent, romantic dynamics as a whole.

usually im not a fan of work that is so self-aware and self-referential it borders on navel gazing or work that claims to subvert the weaknesses of its genre but doesn't really commit to it substantially. however i think this show (nearly) sidesteps that by being very earnest and sincere in portraying its relationships.

and i say nearly because my one criticism centers around anzu, who i think is such a relatable and enjoyable mc. however, as self-aware as the show is, it falls into the same trap of many in the romance genre by using anzu strictly as an audience conduit rather than a complex character that can exist outside of her relationships. what i mean by this is that we learn a lot about anzu but we don't really end up truly knowing her by the end of the season.

we learn about her otaku interests and that she's disinterested in a romantic relationship. we learn about her protective streak over her friends and her oddball and competitive tendencies. we learn she is clever and has a very strong will and integrity. however, the show never delves further than that. why is anzu so averse to romance in real life and opts for fictional characters instead? is she on the aro spectrum? if not, is her aversion rooted in something else? we learn what is essentially a checklist but nothing more than that.

i'm not saying the show has to necessarily answer these questions directly (or even at all) but i point this out as examples because we don't really get a glimpse into anzu's true inner world. we see tsukasa's source of trauma and we even see her best friend, saki (a minor character), in a similar fraught and vulnerable moment. we see that junta grew from his insecurity through baseball and that he still struggles with his inability to confess to anzu. anzu doesn't have to have a dark past or a crippling insecurity to be compelling but anzu remains functionally the same from the first episode to the last (like even her child self is indistinguishable from the anzu in the last episode)

and that is the root of the issue: anzu doesn't really have any flaws. the plot is always on her side. any "flaws" she might have is that she is judgmental once (ie when she judged tsukasa for being "cold") but this never really becomes a true conflict between them and it's never used as a point of growth because she's normally not judgmental in the first place with how gracious she can be even with people she disagrees with (like ryuya). another is that she's out of touch with societal expectations (eg her clothing and her interests) but these are all ultimately in service of her likability to us (and her love interests) and if anything, it ingratiates her more with her relationships by portraying how "real" she is (*waves airily* unlike all those other romance heroines). her flaws never engender anything with teeth and she never truly loses anything real or struggles in a way that brings character change. the things that happen to her do bring conflict but they're either inconveniences at best or they're used to explore other characters as she's used by the plot as a device for the others to react and self-actualize.

her only change in the end is purely external: she has a more extensive group of close friends now. and this would be a good resolution if this was something she actively desired but struggled with in the beginning. she's a little more open to a romantic relationship but we could make an argument that that was just purely to force the wizards' hand in letting riri go. she remains adamant in staying romance-averse.

so if (1) we don't see the reasons for why she is the way she is and (2) we don't really see her tested and internally changed in some way, anzu basically receives the same flat treatment as many romance heroines do in the sense that she's no more fully realized than they are. and that's a shame! because anzu is very easy to root for and i enjoy her humor and displays of strength but there's a huge gap between likability and being three-dimensional as a character.

this would be a non-issue if she was part of the supporting cast but anzu's our main protagonist. why do we get a truer insight to her best friend than her? is the show really subverting the genre as much as it thinks it is?

and none of this is meant to detract from how thoughtful and feminist i do find this show to be mainly in its portrayal of female-female relationships and its handling of (particularly male) victims of boundary transgressions. one of its biggest strength is that as absurd as it can get, it's very grounded overall. the two male leads in the love triangle are very honest and respectful of the other. everyone talks to each other like actual friends. and i'm all for melodrama like anyone who's a fan of this genre but sometimes seeing a conflict that's handled maturely can be very refreshing and needed.

anyway long and short of it is that i do recommend it. my criticisms aren't meant to bash anzu but rather highlight the ways in which this show might be actively limiting itself in its function of parody and subversion. none of this is meant to paint the series as "bad" but rather "incomplete" because i know this show could do more

[doorbloggr]

Thursday 11/5/23 - Media Recommendations #47

Girlboss Genre Subversions

Content:

Romantic Killer

Nier Automata

It's been a little while since I've recommended any media, but I have still been consuming. In a lot of my recent recommendations, i've been doing well to group a lot of media under the same theme. But today, I have a less cohesive collection that I can't really justify as a theme. I guess these medias both feature cool girls and some shake up of their genres? Anyway, here's what I've been engaging in recently.

Romantic Killer

Wataru Momose / DOMERICA

The Romance genre of anime/manga is bogged down with boatloads of stereotypes and clichés. The objective of the story is often to throw as many suitors at the protagonist as they can, and put them in situations that will force the development of feelings faster than natural. But what happens when the protagonist knows they are in such a story, and don't want to give the higher powers the satisfaction of a successful infatuation?

The Pitch

Romantic Killer is a Romantic Comedy series, with 4 Manga Volumes, and one season of Anime. We are introduced to Anzu Hoshino, a highschooler who mostly refuses to interact with society at large. Her three favourite things are Chocolate, Videogames, and her pet cat Momohiki. One day, as she loads up what she thinks is a fantasy game, she is greeted by a Cheesy Dating Game, and out of the game emerges a small annoying creature, a Wizard "Love Cupid" calling themselves Riri. Riri explains that Japan's declining birth rates have forced Cupids to brute force youth into relationships.

Riri says that Anzu has been selected for the subject of a Romantic Thriller, and will be exposed to a series of situations typical of a Romance game, hopefully falling in love by the end. To better motivate her to actually participate, Riri removes Anzu's access to Chocolate, Videogames, and her cat Momohiki. What follows is a series of cliché happenstances where Anzu is exposed to prime romance material, but she staunchly refuses to participate in this nonsense .

Anzu is a strong personality, and would never take this hijiacking of her fate laying down. She declares herself the Romantic Killer, and even with her three favourite things on the line and a collection of very charming boys, she will be doing her hardest to not fall in love!

My Thoughts

I liked a lot about this anime, so I think I might actually start with the negatives. Despite the premise of the series being a subversion of the Romance genre, the series still leans hard into the tropes its making fun of. And that doesn't really make it a subversion does it? I feel in a lot of "romantic situations" that are very telegraphed as such, Anzu will acknowledge it is a bad cliché and then mellow out her usually brash personality to just let it happen. Still refusing to fall in love mind you, but I would have rathered more outright "No I'm not doing this" and walking out at some of the clichés she finds herself in. Minor gripe, but oh well.

The strength of this series is the characters. Anzu of course is the star of the show. Anzu is a relatable introvert, but not in a quiet, reserved way, but in a "do not invite me to things, fuck off and leave me alone way". She is funny, and brash, and makes for a welcome change to a romance protagonist. But this attitude changes subtley over the course of the first arc. Still loud and snarky, but more of a friendly person, fiercely loyal to her friends.

The supporting cast are surprisingly deep and complex characters for this genre, but that might be part of the point. We focus on a small group of friends; Anzu being a nerd doesn't have a huge friend group; but every character gets their own focus and exploration into their personal struggles. Each cookie-cutter love-interest character is initially very one-dimensional, but it is soon revealed that each has their own complexities and traumas that shape and are shaped by their romantic personas. I don't want to spoil anything, but some very real and traumatic topics are brought up and covered in a very sensitive manner. Those with triggers for abuse beware.

I have only experienced this series as one 12 episode season on Netflix, but there are several volumes of manga to look into as well. Romantic Killer is a fun, feel good rom-com that has a slight video-gamey feel to it, but also isn't afraid to touch on more human, personal topics. If this recommendation has appealed to you at all, then you 100% should experience it for yourself.

Nier: Automata

Yoko Taro / Square Enix

What does it really mean to be human? Is it our relationships with others? Creativity and the ability to appreciate the creativity of others? Or is the inherent violence that will likely bring our kind to an end? To truly appreciate the uniqueness of humanity, perhaps we need to see it through the lens of beings who are not human. And if they aspire to be human... why?

The Pitch

Nier: Automata is an Action Role Playing Game (ARPG) made by Platinum Studios. The game is based in a post-apocalyptic Earth, several thousand years into the future. Humanity has been wiped from the surface of the planet, and their last refuge is on the moon. Alien Robots, called Machines, have taken over the planet, and Androids created by humans still cling on in secure parts of the world. A new squadron of combat Androids called YoRHa have recently been deployed onto the planet, and it is their mission to destroy the Machine threat once and for all.

The player takes control of YoRHa No.2 Type B (or 2B for short), a combat android who fights with two bladed weapons assisted by a Pod, an attack drone that follows her. She is accompanied by 9S, a scanner android who utilises hacking skills to help 2B overcome her enemies. Combat is not as complex and combo-driven as other Platinum action games, but what it lacks in complexity, it makes up for in customisation. Plug-In Chips can be collected from fallen enemies or purchased from NPCs, and can be used to increase 2B's skills in certain abilites ranging from Movement Speed, and Attack Power, to the the ability to Heal over time, or by killing enemies. But since there is only a certain amount of space for chips, the player will have pick and choose their abilities, and re-customise them for new situations.

The gameplay loop is that of an open-world with quests. Very early into the game, you can explore most of the available world, and as your character grows in power and completes more of the main story's objectives, you will be meet more characters with quests to complete. The ability to customise your weapon load-out, availability of plug-in chips, and even alternate Pod Turrets depend on the player's willingness to go out and explore the world.

The world is broken and ruined, but in a kind of beautiful way. The landscapes are vast and set-pieces are enormous, and the soundtrack only makes the journey all the more epic.

One of the most intriguing or intimidating aspects of the game, depending on your outlook, is the multiple endings and story arcs. The first time you see the credits is only partway through the greater narrative. There are 26 endings, each named for one letter of the alphabet. Most of these endings are making a mistake in certain plot moments, but endings A, B, C, and D are part of the main story. Endings B, C, and D come after you beat the A story, so if you use this recommendation as an excuse to play the game, I would implore you to play until you've reached at least these four endings.

My Thoughts

I am not usually an enjoyer of fast pace combo driven action games by Platinum studios. Games such as Bayonetta and Devil May Cry just seem more stress than fun, and that makes it surprising that I enjoyed Nier: Automata. This game is a bit slower paced in that combat, and given that enemies often attack in troves, the importance of long combos is forgoed for the need to clear a crowd. Enjoyers of Platinums usual style might feel let down by this, but I feel this made the game more approachable.

I played the game on the Normal Difficulty and although there were points that I struggled, there was never a place that I was totally walled by difficulty. For those who are a glutton for punishment, higher difficulties put restrictions on play such as 1 hit=death, so I'm sure there's enough fun for anyone.

However, the gameplay is not the highlight of the game, it is the world, the story. Nier: Automata is part of the larger Drakengard saga, a world with a deep history of magic and science. Nier: Replicant is the only other game in the core Nier series. However, I never felt that I needed the context of previous games to understand the world. As an open world game, parts of the lore are optional to find, so the the story is as deep as you want it to be.

The world is beautiful and vast. And the soundtrack is not what you'd expect from a game of robots in the far future. There are lots of acoustic instruments and rhythmic chanting that help build atmosphere for all types of environments; ruined cities, forests, deserts, and cute little settlements. You could listen to the songs of this game as ambient study/relaxation music for hours.

Playing Nier: Automata endeared me to the characters and world, and as someone who only got to the game on the recent Switch version, I feel like I definitely should've enjoyed the game sooner. I know I'm late to the party, but I'm super keen for a sequel.

If you like the type of post-apocalyptic settings where nature is at the forefront again, or enjoy the feeling of mowing down enemies and becoming powerful. If you are the type to enjoy the perfect blending of high fantasy and sci-fi. If you enjoy cute girl in French Maid outfit. You should play Nier: Automata.