Novice bounty hunter Chateau Dankworth never expected to encounter someone capable of overpowering her in combat. Even less so that the mysterious man would take an immediate interest in her—to the point of aiding her missions. However, Chateau makes it clear that she has no plans of entertaining any personal involvement with him.
Chateau's company is soon tasked with eliminating Song Ryang-ha—an expert assassin and a former member of a powerful Asian organization. Coincidentally, Ryang-ha is the man that has been pursuing her. Despite his background, Chateau reluctantly agrees to meet with Ryang-ha as part of a deal: in exchange for going out with him, he will provide her with the locations of current targets, dead or alive.
But when the past begins to haunt both killers, their arrangement may need to come to an end, as their entanglement puts their lives at grave risk.
[Written by MAL Rewrite]
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Comentários
Alice0006
I think it's really obvious this is not the end of story yet from what happen in last episode, so you can check the manga to know about the continuation. I thought they will adapt till next arc because it will put conclusion to Chateau past but they don't so I am pretty disappointed for that. They need 1-2 more episodes honestly. Other than that, it's not so bad adaptation. I will say this again and again that this is psychological manga but as usual MAL doesn't put the genre here. I ever put new psychological manga in MAL and they remove the psychological tagso just check source like mangaupdates because it makes a huge difference if you see this as normal manga vs psychological. It's like this, in romance psychological it's normal if their romance is unusual, so people who read already prepare for it but if you think this is normal, maybe people who is not used to it will think, "wtf is going on" "Why their relationship is weird" "They don't have chemistry", so on. I will explain this more later.
Story:
The story will focus more on the character background and events surrounding them with a bit of action (It's rare for female demographic action manga to have a lot of action like shounen manga). Some people maybe found this story too slow, especially if you are used to watch anime with a lot of shit going on since episode 1 like Demon Slayer, Attack on Titan, Jujutsu Kaisen (Which I can't relate because I am used to slow paced story)
About characters:
What I like about this story is how the character is really mysterious but that's what draw me to them. And when the mystery revealed everything will make sense. (I know because I read the manga). If I may describe, it's kinda like exchange relationship, but they care about each other, there is mix of guilt, sense of salvation, etc. In other words, hard to describe. But their unusual relationship is the thing that make them interesting. But unfortunately they don't adapt next arc so not everything about Chateau revealed and Ryangha's past will be revealed more in the next next arc.
Some people said they don't have chemistry. Well, their chemistry is uncommon for sure. Again, this is psychological romance, usually their chemistry is uncommon. For example: A manipulate B to love A, in the end B is really attached with A and B think he is in love with A. Do you think they have chemistry? Not at all, their love start through manipulation but that's just how psychological romance are. Their romance usually unusual because the way they behave depend on their personality, environment, their value, circumstance, etc etc. It's not as simple as I love you, you love me because they are usually more unique and more human.
Sound:
I really like the OP and ED, OP really match the atmosphere of the anime, ending match sad past of Ryangha and Chateau (which is maybe why the ED have Ryangha and Chateau there). The OST is also match with the anime.
Enjoyment:
I really enjoy the anime, just disappointed they cut the ending there.
This is for people who often misunderstood this anime:
Is this romance anime? Yeah but this is anime adapted from manga and even the manga haven't reach the romance part. There are many manga with slow romance that need to reach so many chapters for them to finally together. Do you know Akatsuki no Yona? Do you know when Yona finally realize Hak feeling despite the genre being romance? More than 150 chapters.
Is this about a girl who fall in love with toxic man? Not really, we don't know yet. The manga is psychological, you can check mangaupdates, don't depend on MAL for genre. What usually happen in psychological romance manga? It's not rare for the relationship to be toxic or unusual to the point you don't even know if it's love or obsession or manipulation or they just need someone to cling. So maybe in the future this manga will be like that but what you need to know for sure is, this anime never try to make their relationship as if it's normal or a good romance. If people think their "chemistry" is a good romance, that's not the anime's fault, that's just depend on how each person think of something they see. Don't blame everything on the author. This anime acknowledge that Ryang-ha is dangerous person. If you don't like the male lead to be a bad person, you don't like psychological romance, then don't watch this but please, that's your own taste so don't leave weird comment pretend this is a bad story just because it's not your taste.
"Some scenes are illogical"
Before you said this, please check first if it really impossible or not. I have met a lot of people like this, they said this is impossible, this is illogical, but truth is, most of them just ignorant because when I search about it, immediately appear in internet that it ever happens. I found someone like this in forum Koroshi Ai. Please don't embarrass yourself by criticize something you don't even know. World is full of surprising things you maybe never heard. Many author also doing their research when making manga. There is a shoujo mangaka who go to fire station FOR YEARS and go to their external activity (Like competition) because she makes manga about fire fighter. She even marry fire fighter in the end. There is shoujo mangaka who interview crazy rich Japanese teenager just because she want to make crazy rich male lead. There is josei mangaka who interview bus company to make 2 chapters story about bus hijack, there is shoujo mangaka who go to Japan southern island just because she want to make 3 volumes manga, etc etc. I know all this just because the mangaka write it in manga, not including mangaka who don't tell reader. So it pissed me off when people just assume they are stupid and not doing research even before try to search the truth.
Stark700
The expression of 'if it's too good to be true' happens these days in the realm of the anime industry. By expression, Love of Kill seemed like a show that looked promising at first glance with its alluring premise. Yet, behind the story, characters, and overall ideas, we get one of the most lazy and lackluster shows of 2022. Based on the manga of the same name, the premise sounds alluring for its appeal of bounty hunting, assassination, espionage, and dealing with the criminal underworld. We really don't see these type of shows too often in an era dominated by isekai, rom-coms, and popular mainstream franchises.Keep in mind, Love of Kill is by no means a mainstream franchise yet did gain enough suppor and popularity for an anime adaptation. So why the disappointment? Why did Love of Kill flop?
The truth is, this show is lackluster with one of the most lazy and forced relationships I've seen this year. Yes, I'm talking about two of the main characters: Chateau Dankworth and Song Ryang-ha. The first episode wastes no time with Song trying to woo Chateau into a date with her. The mysterious hitman offers his services in exchange for companionship. With a cold and stoic personality, you can practically imagine her reactions. It's a recurring gag in the show with Song constantly trying to please Chateau. However, it's also shown that Song is a dangerous individual who managed to exterminate many Hong Kong triads. He has a big target on his back and by being close with Chateau, she too comes into contact with danger. The show makes it clear that the two are targeted after a run-in with a powerful man named Donald. As the story progresses, we are told through background storytelling and narratives that reveals their pasts.
Why do I call this show lazy? The answer is quite simple as the anime takes little effort to develop our main characters. Our two main protagonists' pasts may be important and have depth, but outside of that shows how bleak they really are. To call them mildly entertaining would even be an overstatement. Chateau is way too overfocused on her work while Son displays a pokerface persona to the point of being ridiculous. Their character chemistry appears to be cartoonish from the very start. It drags the overall mood of the show together. Because let's face it, how important is their relationship when there's much more mystery and suspense in the story? Even having the genre tag with 'romance' seems absurd. The romance we get out of this show is forced and feels scripted.
There's one saving grace to this show and that is the adult cast and more mature themes. Dealing with the underworld and criminal organizations offers an refreshing look than a typical school life setting. Some story episodes also takes characters to more exotic places such as on a cruise. If there's one shining hope for this show, it would be for the age of the cast and some of the world settings. Of course, adults have repsonsibilities and that also translates to the supporting cast such as Euripedes, Jim, among others. However, you will be quite disappointed by their overall development for the story. It's a 12-episode adaptation and we're not getting a deep dive into their pasts like our main protagonists.
Now, I admit that I'm not the target audience for this show. It's targeted more towards adult women, or more specifically the josei demographic. However, anyone can practically watch this show as it contains elements of mystery, suspense, and drama. I'm leaving romance out of that list since it's so lackluster, something that holds the anime back from day one. However, Studio Vision did their best to salvage the show by crafting mature looking characters. Almost every character in the show has a masculine look, into Chateau. There's no doubt that they wanted to give the impression of a more mature looking show from the start. Meanwhile, I do applaud some aspects of the show's chereography. It feels like a thriller and sometimes captures the suspenseful atmosphere of the story. Some episodes even feel like mini movies.
After watching Love of Kill's 12 episodes adaptation, this show turned out to be a prime example of medicority. What could've been a stellar thriller turned into a forced relationship with little to no redeeming quality. It's too bad because the promotional material did entice me into accepting Love of Kill as a potential dark horse of 2022. But in the end, we got a show that was too good to be true.
SpRayquaza11
I thought this would be like a spy x family lite. Well, it is just a soap opera josei stalking simulator. The story begins with a CRIMINAL, stalking a girl pretty PERSISTANTLY, Really? josei fans like that? Then comes the following supporting cast 1)A character who fakes an accent like that one tryhard weeb in discord (also has no mouth) 2)Nice guy employer who does cringe comedy bits with the above character and serves as sock factor/damsel in distress 3)Main love interest whose only interesting aspect is she is not a morning person and always a damsel in distress who need saving but still remains Tsundere to aman she owes her life to multiple times.
4)The MC who is “Oh i just stalk her against her will to protect her and also we have a history together”
Then we get a teaser/flashback at a mystery in the making which does hit on the curiosity part of the brain a bit. The Unraveled mystery is quite good NGL but this payoff came rather late , since we keep moving in circles for the first 10 for apparently no good reason, just soap opera BS with nothing of note.
The bad soundtrack is repeated constantly, Their is a recap for three minutes per episode, romance is none existent its mostly just stalking simulator with a bit of mystery and a bit of violence and ofc bishounen (josei anime).
Do not bother with this one unless you have nothing else to watch , a bad production of what seems to be a mediocre source , which makes it even worse :/
KANLen09
It's been a long while since we've ever had a Josei adaptation, which are works targeted at adult women, the last of which was Chihayafuru which wrapped up Season 3 back in Fall 2019. And come this Winter, mangaka Fe's Koroshi no Ai a.k.a Love of Kill (the Japanese title connotation pun for killing each other) is silently a low-key combination of "Kaguya-sama: Love is War" in terms of romance and more like Mr and Mrs. Smith's version of "Spy X Family" in terms of mystery and suspense in the making (before the actual thing coming next season) as a stopgap measure. And for betteror worse, the anime adaptation kinda faltered when compared to the manga of the same name.
How Koroshi Ai was penned by mangaka Fe, it's actually quite a surprise to say the least. Originally published on Pixiv in October 2012 under a very long title (which is quite the mouthful), it gained a huge following so much as to spawn a sequel, then combine them both under Media Factory's Shoujo manga magazine Monthly Comic Gene for serialization, and that's how the series which depicted an assassin couple in love came about. And sure enough, it is the meeting between two assassins: a male and a female. Of course, who am I kidding.
The bounty hunter Chateau Dankworth and professional hitman Song Ryang-ha, both meeting coincidentally due to the professions of their missions, and being assassins they attempt to erase the other in a swift and fast action, to which the latter won. But instead of killing her, he decides to have fun by tagging along with her, even to the point of bounty hunter assassintion missions just to get her attention, to which she constantly rejects his romantic advances. To add things into the mix, Chateau's agency, Ritzland Support, soon finds themselves tasked with taking down a hitman who's wanted across many organizations for single-handledly taking down the Hong Kong Triads, and this hitman is no other than Song Ryang-ha. This, at the very beginning, is where the "show, don't tell" practice comes into play, as we follow both Chateau and Ryang-ha seemingly delving into lots of the practical assassination plots, to only then pick up with the constant flashbacks where both man and woman's past reveal a hideous truth that changes the game's playing field and lets the viewers see how everything from their past comes to haunt them in their present day. It's a very slow burn for sure, and it'll take lots of romantic teasing and deaths by revenge and summons just to reach to that point. The real meat is in the details, and I'm not gonna spoil it here as the central story is what makes Koroshi Ai such a good read from the manga, and the anime adaptation kept it very faithfully, albeit with the constant recaps just to fill in for padding the runtime, which is annoying to say the least.
The female lead, Chateau Dankworth, feels simpler in design. She is somewhat similar to Saber from Fate visually, and being very quiet, stoic, cute, and all the more for not understanding it or caring about romance. But since this is a Josei work, the focus is squarely on the male lead, Song Ryang-ha. If you've noticed a little about his character design, fox eyes are a rare, important feature, since they are essentially like a façade that hides their true colours. In case you didn't know, fox-like characters are impenetrably smiley most of the time, playful, socially adept, and seemingly eager to serve...until they show their eyes, and you know that shit has become real. And for a professional hitman-cum-romanticist, Song Ryang-ha fits the description to a T: he has a murderous identity, he is the nine-tailed fox in the room you have to ignore to appreciate this work, actually. Furthermore, Ryang-ha is like a small sadistic predator, serving tortured bodies as gifts to the female lead (Chateau) and resides in rundown buildings. He mellows pretty fast, always attracts the view, being smooth, sleek, functional, and ever so casually stylish. A low-key dangerous Ikemen because he is for the most part, very natural, and therefore classy as heck if he wants to be glamorous.
The other characters do serve as plot movers, though of one particular interest is with Ritzland Support's secretary Indian, or Jim is as called in the anime. His real identity is a mystery, though he is an immigrant from India. And if you're thinking why doesn't Jim have a mouth, it's not because you're seeing it wrong, as the manga is also drawn this way, it's intentional. Most of the cast derives from Ryang-ha's past such as the spiderweb cheek tattoo Hou to the mastermind that is Donald "Donny" Bachman, and this syndicate forms the basis of the tumultuous downward spiral of which both Chateau and Ryang-ha are involved in. It's a deadly race of revenge and time, and time will only tell how these 2 are connected to one another as the series progresses, which amps the mystery and suspense quite decently.
Some will have issues with the ways and styles of Platinum Vision's visuals as a studio, and this is a problem that I've encountered in a similar show: Devil's Line, back in Spring 2018, also produced by the same studio as one of their first works. The premise and setting of the 2 are almost like one another: dark, gritty and almost at times, condescending. While it gives the sense of mute-ness, it isn't as quite polished as I would've like, and the visuals are almost to the point of being a disappointing adaptation at best given its tense atmosphere. That said, if this was handled by a studio and staff team that understands the literacy of the work, then it could've been better, but this is what we got, and it's frankly kinda mediocre.
On the upside of things, the music really fits the tone and mood of the show, to a T, and yes, that includes the credit visuals. Seiyuu Toshiki Masuda may have a long and extensive discography of his works, but this is the first time that he's going solo, and his debut OP song "Midnight Dancer" is such a dance of a bop that really doesn't disappoint. The one that truly surprised me was Aika Kobayashi with her ED song "Makoto Period", because her past songs were all very cheerful, vibrant and uplifting, and this was a stark contrast with dark and dreary but melancholic tones that had the feels going for it. I might say that this song is really her best effort and foot forward so far, and at times, left me fearful in a claustrophobic manner for what's about to come, in a good way of course. One of the best EDs of the season IMO bar none, and props to sound director Hajime Takakuwa for laying down that atmosphere which has been an integral part of the moving plot.
Even as a straight guy, I can say that Koroshi Ai is an interesting Josei work that you just don't hear quite a lot. Sadly with the somewhat subpar anime adaptation, and with a work like this that demands your fullest attention (because if you blink, you'll miss it), some will love it, others will hate it. But hey, in a niche demographic like this, I have to judge everything the same, and this is a fine (as in decent) adaptation when all is said and done.
I think I will gear to the manga more to continue where the anime left off, and you might have a better experience that way as well.
0Unknown0
First thing first, I have not read the manga yet and will be soon after this. Now, I don't write review that much because it's a pain and the reason I'm writing this is let all of you people understand that this is not a trash anime. Have you ever seen this kind of anime before? I sure have but a different one. Have you ever heard of City Hunter? Yes, this anime reminds me of that and I like it very much. The story is simple but with a twist. I begin to love it after watching episode 1. It is something you don'tsee everyday. The characters are awesome. I like the story and the development between Ryang and Chateau. I won't spoil too much but their interaction is quite funny and nice to watch. It's like a mix of bit of comedy in it which I believe is quite nice. I'm a huge fan of romance so seeing this was refreshing because I was too tired of the same romance I've been seeing lately. There aren't a lot of characters in this anime so if you expecting something like that then it's useless. If you also expecting a backstory of each character then better look else where. The focus is on two main characters which are Ryang and Chateau, obviously. Consider that when you decide to watch it. Don't start writing some sh*t how the anime is missing that or doesn't make sense on such event etc.. The ending ended good but not the end. You will understand once you watch it. Opening is good but I like the ending song better.
In conclusion, I would have given a 9/10 but I decided that 8/10 would be more reasonable since the story is still incomplete. I hope there would be a second season because I want to see more. If you like crime, guns, blood, and some mystery vibe with some romance then give the anime a try or just try it. Again, don't act like sh*t and understand that you might not find what you're looking for.
AeroGunz
“Love of Kill” is what happens when someone wants to write a mystery romance with an adult cast but only knows how cringey, obnoxious kids act. The premise is absolutely awesome. A bounty hunter becomes the target of affection from a professional assassin. He tries to win her over by “helping” her with her work. What’s not to love about something so crazy? Now that I mentioned the good parts of the show, let me tell You ne not so good parts - everything else. Boring cast, lacklustre plot, shitty pacing and fighting scenes so badly cut You have no idea how half of things happen,you only get to see the end effect.
The plot begins slowly, which I don’t really mind, after all I’m a fan of “Gungrave” and that show isn't exactly fast paced, but the main problem is that it’s a rollercoaster. Just when the plot picks up speed You are thrusted into a useless retrospective for a whole episode and when there are only 12 of those, that’s a problem.
Now let me introduce You to the main cast:
Ryang-ha Song - an obnoxious kid trapped in a skilled assassin's body. The way he acts most of the time should get him a court restraining order or even a bullet to the groin. On top of that there is very little that could be called interesting in him. Of course he has to have a tragic, mysterious backstory because of course he has. He’s a bland OP assassin with a fixation on the bounty hunter he, seemingly, wants to woo. Cool idea, terrible execution.
Chateau Dankworth - our resident tsundere, the bounty hunter who was beaten by Song when she tried to apprehend him. She has a tragic backstory because why not? Let’s play tragic story bingo with the main cas. Now let’s not get too hyped, her backstory is only tragic because of plot conveniences and would not happen if the people in her vicinity weren't total idiots. She gives Ryang-ha the cold shoulder for the major part of the episodes only to show something that almost looks like dependency. Strong females lead my ass. She makes Sakura in the original Naruto look like a competent and well written heroine.
Now… those two boring cutouts could still work but… there is absolutely no chemistry between them. Scenes where they interact with each other are painful to watch. The dialogues between them is probably written by a 12 year old. I don’t think I ever saw a less interesting couple ever in any medium.
All in all I don’t recommend this to anyone who gives a damn about stellar writing. This show had so much potential it actually annoys me how bad it turned out. I guess if You turn it into a drinking game and take a sip everytime someone says or acts like an annoying kid You can have some fun with it.
uniDJar
First of, I would like to tell you to watch this series without any prejudice. It is different from the romance tropes that we are used to, since it has a little bit of psychological genre to it as well. But it's exciting at the same time. For me, I really loved this series. The interactions between the male and female MCs are a treat to watch. From how their relationship develops from hate to respect to how the story progresses giving emphasis to their individual yet connected backstories, no time did I question my judgment to binge this in one day. Also I liked that thefemale MC could give some enemies a run for their money and that she wasn't completely head over heels or dependent on male MC from the get-go.
The art is Ok but could have been a tiny bit better in some areas. But we would hardly feel it. The voice acting and music was good.
Hoping for a Season 2 in the future.
louminescence
It’s giving ✨creepy✨ and it’s giving ✨stalker✨ In all seriousness, at the start, it really was. However, my initial raising-an-eyebrow-out-of-confusion-and-worry feelings about the story and characters slowly faded as the story progressed and explained why the two characters were drawn to each other. Ryang-Ha and Chateau were some interesting characters that delighted me with their scenes together. Admittedly, the beginning was a little slow but not painstakingly so. It was still fun. Once the plot did pick up some speed, it became more enjoyable to watch. And yes, the anime does leave us needing (and in my case, wanting) more, making it incomplete. It would have beenbetter if they had finished it all in one go. Regardless, the story did well in that it got me to gasp and gape like an idiot. That’s a good sign.
The art style in the anime is so-so for me. I like it in some angles and don’t like it in others. I can cope with the character design and the animation is good enough. Furthermore, the anime is a nice blend of action, romance, and mystery with little sprinklings of comedy to mitigate the tension and intrigue.
It’s got a small cast, too. It doesn’t have a large cast that requires focus on every other character’s backstory, so that’s a bonus since you get to focus more on Ryang-Ha, Chateau, their relationship, their backstory, and the plot going forward.
If you’re looking for action that involves guns and fighting and crime, romance à la Mr and Mrs Smith (almost), then you should check this out!
Okamii_JA
a good story with average manga adaptation, the first few episodes felt too shoujo for mature theme , it kinda filled with sarcastic expressions and I really think it will fit with this kinda of stories regardless the anime itself has some good moment during the last episodes besides the mysterious vibe from the manga however I believe they can do more than that otherwise I think newcomers will like the anime it's kinda underrated but if you coming here as a manga reader and looking for something good don't expect too much . the animation was good I don't have much to discuss aboutit besides that I felt characters here a bit off comparing to manga but let's not make a comparison here since it's the anime review so what I'm trying to say you gonna feel there is no rythme between all of em Except the main two protagonist because their mysterious past.
lFrogs
From possibly one of the most overhyped seasons of the decade, with shows like My Dress-Up Darling and 86 Part 2 coming out, we get something underhyped, and a JOSEI of all demographics, a typical women's television romance turning out to not actually be so typical after a few episodes, and really evolving from its initial form into becoming something truly admirable. First comment I have to make before getting into the review is that this show has a criminal lack of viewers, which you can blame on the demographic turning most people off. we all have family members who watch anime, and 99% of thetime you'll find that your mum isn't one of them, and this is normal throughout even the likes of Japan, rarely has there ever been any demand for older women's anime and therefore not much attention to the shows quality have been placed and have commonly been looked down upon as 'bound to be bad', which is the killing detail bringing down the ratings and viewership in Koroshi Ai, a show which I know damn well isn't getting a second season, so I bid my wallet a farewell and await the manga to arrive on my front doorstep.
Koroshi Ai is one of the few shows which you can find that not only reach out further than its initial premise, but manages to do it in such an innovative and memorable way that as the story progresses, so does your attention progress further into the show as you slowly sink into the character's developments and turns, watching each characters decisions as though they were your own, and coming to know the characters as though they were your own friends. Having me constantly at the edge of my seat every episode wanting to know the outcome of their controversial actions and moves, Koroshi Ai manages to not only appeal to you with its climactic visuals and animation (which is also debatably poor at times), but also with its excellent displays of spite, trauma, and wit, coming together under two characters to bring the story of the world towards them and to not only be invested in the show but in the characters themselves. This about Koroshi Ai I love, as each of the characters decisions take me aback, and take my mind on a thought provoking journey recalling each action leading up to the present result of their actions and past happenings.
Lastly, the character development, from such an unpopular story in manga you'd expect it to not be anything noteworthy or AT LEAST well executed, but what I got was yet again the opposite of this, leaving me astounded at each episode as the character Chateau progressed and became better as a human and coming to recognize who she is and accepting it, and coming to know and accept her past as it is, the same can also be said for Song, who went from very vibrant and easy-going, to recognizing the importance of other people’s lives and their repercussions, as the series progressed, we saw 2 characters go from as opposite as you can get, even in their careers, to slowly but surely becoming a like and recognizing each other for who they are and getting to know one another.
This show is easily one of the single most underrated shows I have ever watched and I am proud to say that I can understand the appreciate the amazing writing within the show, portrayed in it's extremely well done developing and concept writing, and there most certainly is nothing worth speech that I can say is bad about the show, maybe I can at a later point, but right now I am happy staying ignorant about the show and to view it as character perfection.
Chief_AJ
Love of Kill is what you get when an assassin tries to be in a relationship and it goes horribly wrong, but in all seriousness its a decent romance anime that deals with the psychology of its characters rather than the connections between them. In all honesty, it was a little boring but a fine watch. Art: 6 Animation isn’t exactly amazing considering that there are significant action scenes and the art leaves a little bit to desire. Although I did enjoy a lot of the character designs minus Jim… I still don't understand why he doesn't have a mouth. Nikka’s design is probably my favorite. Sound:6
The sound design wasn’t exactly amazing, I felt like it could've been done better to establish certain moods that scenes of the anime would present, However, the opening slaps won't lie.
Characters: 6
I kind of think that the characters for the most part are kind of forgettable and the main antagonists in general I didn't think were very appealing. However, I do think that the backgrounds of the main duo are interesting and they do a decent job as the animes center point.
Story: 6
The story in all honesty left quite a bit to be desired because it was mostly flashbacks. I dont usually mind this, but I felt like there was very little going on throughout the series to justify some of Chateus's actions and feeling towards Ryang-Ha. However, the partnership between the two was good enough to keep me watching.
Spirit_Chaser
Koroshi Ai had such an unsatisfying ending and looked like a simple ad for the manga that tells you "this is a bad adaptation. We know. Just go read the manga for the answers." There was no payoff were it looked there was going to be after it all. It is an anime that feels like the source material is good but was cursed by this adaptation. The premise is very interesting and had me hooked despite the majority issues. I can't deny I liked this and loved the story's potential among all the discussions cursing it and hating it. It's a romantic mystery storyabout two people with a connected past.
Chateau is an incompetent bounty hunter that can't do anything right. She's awkward and angry much at the time while putting up with a man that reminds her of "something." Song Ryang-ha is a competent assassin of great skill who takes an interest in her. He makes the show. He's a great character and can be both funny and horrifying. Maybe it's just the terrible way the adaptation executes it, but many times when he kills someone I laughed at how they portrayed it. No matter how much she tries to push him away, smack him, and overall try to avoid and turn him down, he always comes back around to try and woo her. She's too innocent to realize what she really has.
Even though I could easily score this so much lower, I did enjoy it. And yet, this makes it even more frustrating because the manga must be so much better than this. Song felt too goofy in his portrayal in this adaptation. It feels like he should have come off as more sinister, and I am sure the manga does this.
After a rough start, the mystery aspect starts to kick in, and this at least made it much more better and interesting. During the later half, their pasts get explored, and their connection gets somewhat explained. For the most part, Song's past is catching up to him, and Chateau gets dragged into it. Still, no matter how much Chateau turns him down and overall sees him as a roach, he protects her and seems sincere about caring about her. Chateau, because she's clueless, oblivious, and has the personality of a lamp post, doesn't get it. Yet, there is a charm to this that made me look forward to each episode despite that the coloring in this anime is ugly.
The only character I didn't like is Jim. Why won't they draw his mouth? that kept annoying me throughout. The animation isn't even strong or that good to begin with. At least the music seemed good with it's piano and mystery tracks. By the end, I'm internally yelling at Chateau who is much too clueless about what Song wants.
At least this shameless ad converted me. I do want to read the manga and see where this goes. A season 2 sounds like a mistake, but I'd shamelessly watch it and continue supporting it.
MeanEYE
It's very hard to describe what's good about this show without comparing it to everything else currently going on. Love story between professional killer and a bounty hunter whose life story we are discovering over these 12 episodes doesn't sound like much but it's definitely not yet another isekai or harem anime. Story is slow to develop but it's never tiring or taking shortcuts. Characters are emotional and well developed. World building is also good. Overall very satisfying viewing experience which for these exact reasons might not be for everyone. At this point I'd place this show higher than 7 but not really at 8, butI gave it an 8 because rating it currently has is way too low in my opinion.
JB-94
Always a pleasure to see an anime that's a bit more unique in terms of concept and genre. Easy to overlook this one, but I thoroughly enjoyable from the start to the end :) Story - 9/10 For some reason, this isn't tagged as being psychological-themed, which is a bit weird, as there are elements of psychology that play a significant role on the story and how it develops. The story itself a bit like an action-film of the late 00's/ early 10's, which was nice to see (thankfully, not too much like one), with mystery being tied in quite nicely. The storytelling order is a bitchaotic but really good, in that the mysteries are kept alive long enough to be engaging.
Art - 8/10
Probably one of the weaker areas of Koroshi Ai, I'll be honest. Not that the art is bad, but it's quite inconsistent; having some impressively accurate depictions of weapons and vehicles and then at other times, similar things being anatomically strange. On balance though, the art is really good though; character designs are all distinct and memorable. On the art front, it's also worth noting that romance/ comedy elements are executed just as well as the action sequences (Jim and irritated Chateau for example XD). One neat thing that I appreciated about Koroshi Ai is the use artboards for intervals; they're always good to see.
Sound - 10/10
Score in this department is largely driven by, but not entirely limited to the soundtrack. In terms of SFX and sounds used during action sequences, Koroshi Ai does a good job of creating a believable atmosphere throughout.
The areas that Koroshi Ai excelled with in terms of sound, were the music and musical accompaniments. The opening music is one of only a handful which you fall in love with within the first five seconds. Masuda's "Midnight Dancer" reflects the sophistication and energy of the anime and the world that the main characters live in, it also reflects Song's personality and situation perfectly as well. Aside from how well the piece works with the anime, it's also a really good salsa/ big band/ J-Pop piece away from the anime. The ending speaks more to elements of Chateua's personality and provides each episode with a soft and beautiful ending - one that I never really wanted to skip, thanks to Makoto Period.
Character - 8/10
A good range of characters here, including some of the more absurd individuals that one would expect from action media. While there's a healthy dose of organised criminals, they are still some sequences here and there, with interesting civilians, who play more to the romance elements of the story. Needless to say, the main characters are the main attraction of Koroshi Ai, both of whom are heavily shrouded in mystery. Psychology definitely plays a big factor in how Chateau develops throughout the story, which I felt was good to watch and see explained out and referenced as things went along. Song felt a bit like one particular, black-suit-wearing, seemingly un-killable character (Mr Wick) for a while, but the romance elements definitely give his character some unique flair, which I really liked. We also get a good selection of characters that contribute to comedy, drama and action, which is always good to see.
Enjoyment - 9/10
Feels a bit like an action-thriller from yesteryear but does really well in being engaging through the use of drama, psychology and comedy throughout, to help keep things varied. While the action and drama sequences were the mainstay of Koroshi Ai, there were still some genuinely funny moments, even if they're mostly along the same line. I presume that the anime only covers a portion of the manga content, because the ending definitely leaves a feeling of suspense and a story still to be told.
Overall - 9/10
A breath of fresh air, blending a number of genres and themes and exploring them in an engaging way, with thrills, occasional laughter, great music and lovable characters at the heart of it all - well deserving of 9/10 rating in my humble opinion.
lezvie
Expectation is part of the storytelling. When you dismiss it, or use it wrong, you may find your work viewed worse than it actually is. If you read this anime synopsis before and after watching it, you will feel like you've been deceived. The synopsis here in MAL is essentially a resume of the first episodes. After said episodes, the show becomes something else. My expectations were that this would be some kind of lighthearted comedy set in a somewhat serious assassin plot. Now that i finished it, i'm not sure what this anime was trying to be. And that's the thing about expectation. It isa powerful two-sided blade. If you promise the viewer some thing, and don't deliver it, you will have a problem. Expectation is not a responsability of the viewer. It is something the artist have to take in consideration, if the plan is to release a well received product. I believe a lot of people dropped this or rated it low after feeling betrayed, and i honestly can't blame them.
This show isn't about a troublesome love between two assassins, as you will be lead to think by watching the first couple episodes. By the last arc, you will see that the main focus is about Chateau's past. And unfortunately, this is the most boring side of the anime. Which means, the show starts like 7~8, but ends like 5~6.
Overall, i don't think you are missing anything by skipping it. It raises a lot of questions you didn't really asked, and even though it does explain some things, it leaves a lot in the air. Did it make me interested in the source? A little. But only enough to seek some threads about it.
Triggerfish124
This anime has a slow start but quickly picks up around the fourth episode. I found the plot to be very interesting. Personally, I generally stick with fantasy genre anime, so this anime, which is a story that takes place in a modern world setting with conspiracies and assassins, was a nice change of pace. The story is centered around the two main characters in a way that they get the majority of the dialogue and the supporting characters kind of get snubbed, both with how the story and how the main characters essentially ignore them. The antagonists have decent character and design, Ifelt like the supporting protagonists could have had more thought put into them. My main problem with this anime is the ending. Nothing major went down in the anime, only small fries were taken out. The story did progress decently, but the anime just stops, without any motivating speech at the end or basically any cliffhanger for what happens next. It felt to me like the anime ended just before the climax and is offputting. Besides for that, I liked the anime and the main characters got a pretty interesting origin story that's worth watching.
meg_lowde
Whilst I did become a little more interested in this as the series continued, ultimately this just didn't really do anything for me. I didn't really care about Ryang-Ha and Chateau's relationship, and whilst I was initially intrigued about how they were connected in the past this wore on with the various flashbacks we got throughout the latter half of the season. For a series about two assassins, this also lacked the tension and excitement that I wanted from it. There was nothing inherently wrong with this that I can immediately pick up on - it just didn't click with me. I found it ratherdull, and my lack of interest in the main pairing meant that it did drag on a little. The narrative style didn't aid in keeping me interested either as things felt overly dragged out or were too confusing for me to follow completely.
