As the elegant, frail flower petals wither away into lifeless ashes, the young duke is tragically reminded of the despicable power forced upon him—the ability to kill anything he touches. Scorned by his family, he is sent away to live in near isolation. Fortunately, he is not entirely alone, as the manor's staff—his dutiful butler Rob and the flirtatious maid Alice—keep him company and make his life less miserable.
As the duke's romantic feelings for Alice grow, so does his continued frustration for the limits set by his unfortunate ability. Therefore, he resolves to break the curse cast upon him all those years ago, not only for his sake, but Alice's as well—for he is painfully aware of how difficult it is to avoid the touch of a loved one.
[Written by MAL Rewrite]
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Comentários
Stark700
Imagine living with a beautiful maid everyday who serves you, pleases you, and wants to be with you at all times. The only problem? You can't touch her. It almost sounds appaling but that is the fate of Bocchan, a noble man who suffers a curse where he kills anything he touches. When I heard news of the manga getting the anime adaptation, it wasn't a bit surprising. It's one of the most popular manga from Sunday Webry and contains a premise that is suitable for a fantasy rom-com. With the manga running over 190 chapters, it also seems clear the anime doesn't have enoughtime to cover everything. Yet here we are, with a 12-episode adaptation. Created by Koharu Ikami, it is their only work yet shows that the author wanted us to experience the life of a noble and his maid.
Watching The Duke of Death and His Maid is about as simple as it sounds. At its core, it's about the relationship of the duke (Bocchan) and his maid, Alice. As a timid man lacking social experience, Bocchan has difficulty making friends or expressing his thoughts around others. This becomes a troubling experience and running gag throughout the show. Why? That's because his maid Alice just absolutely loves to tease him at every single chance she gets. With her lascivious body and flirtious personality, Alice tests the limits of his curse. In various episodes, she often gets Bocchan to the point where he ends up being speechless. While most of these scenes are lighthearted and humorous, we have to remember that this is also a punishment for him. Remember, Bocchan can't touch Alice or anyone due to his curse. And it's a traversty.
As we learn to understand more of Bocchan and Alice's relationship, we also meet others such as Rob, Viola, Walter, Zain, and Caph. These characters are intergrated into the show as a way to show the aristocratic lives of the cast. Most of them are protrayed in a Victorian way that adheres to the show's common themes. Characters such as Rob and Walter represents the gentleman stereotype. Others such as Viola and Caph has a more self assertive personality who speaks their thoughts confidentally around others. But perhaps distinguishable character is Zain. He has the head of a bird with a playful personality, who can easily get around others. It's an unorthodox addition to the cast who perhaps represent freedom. He always behaves with an open mind and freely expresses himself around others. From the show's viewpoint, you'll soon realize these characters exist there to be themselves and their roles. They're not there to further the duke and his maid's relationship. To me, that's an example of creative writing in establishing characters in their own unique roles. Unfortunately, this season didn't prepare enough to fully develop them. Let's face it, the anime is only 12 episodes and 190+ chapters is far more than a 1-cour show can handle.
But the more I watched this anime, the more I realized why this show is a fantasy rom-com. It aims to flesh out Bocchan and Alice's relationship as much as possible without them becoming an official couple. Of course, this has a valid reason because of the curse. However, Alice's personalty goes deeper than just what we see. She truly cares about Bocchan beyond her flirtious facade and through some flashbacks, we can see that she was a vulnerable young girl. What's also fascinating about Alice is her lack of fear despite knowing Bocchan's curse. This is due to her immense trust in him. In fact, their relationship is built on trust from the very start. She never fears to be near Bocchan and always puts on a happy smile. If anything, she is perhaps Bocchan's savior and his personal hero.
Admittedly, I did approach this show with a sense of trepidation. That's because the promotional material contained CGI quality material. And for a rom-com like this, that hardly qualifies as encouraging news. Luckily I believe the CGI ultimately doesn't deteriorate the quality of the anime although I do wish J.C. Staff took a more traditional approach at animating the show. On the other hand, Alice is decorated with an alluring figure. Dressed as a maid in goth-like clothing, she has lavish blonde hair and crystal blue eyes representing her beauty. It's no wonder why Bocchan gets so nervous when she comes near him.
It's a not uncommon trend for a maid and her master to fall in love in fiction stories. From this story, we witness the unorthodox relationship of Bocchan and Alice. It's easy to accept their relationship but hard to understand it completely. That's where the anime needs improvement and it became obvious the length of the show isn't enough. Still, I do recommend The Duke of Death and His Maid, especially if you're a fan of rom-coms. This is a show that just loves to be what it is.
Garbagepickles
This show, though it appears to be tragic, at its heart it is just another romcom(that will make us smile and feel good for the rest of the day) with a nice premise. I'm saying this, because I'm sure some of you came to this show after hearing it's premise, and though it was gonna be a tragic show with complex characters. (APPROACHING SPOILERS) So, I'm gonna make this short, this anime is really good. The premise is very interesting; so close, yet so far. Tragic, yet wholesome, and I think it would make an interesting story. And they absolutely nailed it. Let's get the smallstuff out of the way, like everyone says the cgi, is very icky and emotionless, but its not that bad, it doesn't drag down the other elements and tbh I'm ok with watching this cgi (because the story is beautiful). Music, very fitting for the theme and setting, and the op SLAPS.
Ok, so the characters. Let's talk Bocchan, his character is pretty interesting, a curse that was put on him, which made his life miserable, that would make interesting interactions and room for growth. And they did it, his growth wasn't really shown in the first few episodes, only implied, but in the later episodes they fixed the problem. In the flashback he grows, he finds resolve to live and actually looks forward to his future. He also shows growth, in the part when he asked Zain to destroy the journal, that's him putting his friends, which he didn't want before, over his own goals. And the part where he stands up and defends his love for Alice, not caring about status or pissing of his mom. So basically, the main reason he changed, is because of Alice.
Speaking of Alice... Ok some may say she's bland and emotionless and only being a tease to make Bocchan happy, but in the later episodes she starts to show her true emotions, which was great to see. Speaking of being bland and emotionless, isn't that the image of maids, she needs to not show her true emotions, but that cold image is warmed by Bocchan throughout the series.
Next, is Rob, nothing much to say, which may seem bad, but imo I like it that way. He keeps this image of a cool old guy, with wisdom and skills, but that's not the extent of his character. In the Rob backstory-ish segment, it's shown that he really is a wonderful servant, that focuses on his duty. And the part where he hires Alice, it really shows his resolve to make Bocchan's life better. Then there's Cuff and Zain, both have complementing, personalities. Cuff being the clumsy, short-tempered, aho girl and Zain being the composed, carefree, perverted dude. But though out the series, they break out of character for each other, Cuff wanting to be responsible, and Zain, being very overprotective and willing to sacrifice his friends for Cuff.
Then there's Viola, who serves as Alice's friend and a perspective in the main house. Her liking Rob was really fun to watch and her giving and failing to use her advice was hilarious. As the show progressed, it is stated that she wants praise and to be herself, this gave the idea that Bocchan's life is a happy one, compared to his siblings. Speaking of that idea, the one that is openly implied is for Walter, he lives in Bocchan's shadow and is just the "spare", the ironic thing, is Bocchan's main priority isn't to become king. Anyway, his growth is shown as he meets his brother and agrees to help him, this may seem like it's to take the achievement of lifting the curse, but I think it's because he genuinely wants to see his brother happy, after seeing him. Last, is their mom, well she is a scary power figure, and it is shown that she is absolutely ruthless. However, in is implied that she actually cares for her son, and in the last episode, she is happy to see her son stand up for himself. I really think that was a powerful moment.
So, the story, I won't say much. The first act, gives exposition and embodies the spirit of Takagi-san, where the Alice teases Bocchan in a lot of situations and that gives us the feel of the show, classic romcom wholesomeness. The end of the first act also, gives us a possible solution to the curse. The second act, shows backstories and the growth of most characters, it shows that Alice is actually in love with Bocchan and not just being a good maid. They face challenges, and moments where they want/need to embrace, but can't.
So overall, this anime is fantastic for a romcom enjoyer like me, it has it's flaws, but I'm very satisfied with this show. Can't wait for next season!
KANLen09
Me: "Oh hello, busty Takagi-san. Is that you trying to entice the love of your life, if in an alternate world where Nishikata was cursed and he cannot touch you?" Takagi: "Nope, my dear male MC Nishikata is trying to be Code:Realize's MC Cardia Beckford, a lady whom can decay anything at the slightest touch. He's trying his very best to break out of his curse, just like Cardia. And thank god that he's not in a harem." Nishikata: "Yes, I'm cursed, so busty Takagi can only do her teasing through sexually harassing me to the best of her abilities and make that her usual running gagjoke. So get those soft boobs outta my face please, for the love of God!"
In a typical relationship between a boy and a girl, there're many works that display the kind of teasing that is similar or akin to Souichirou Yamamoto's Karaki Jouzu no Takagi-san, arguably the most popular work of all if ever there was a credited influence from. A lot of mangakas whom thereafter created similar works like it don't really credit this back to Takagi-san because of the overt similarities that it shares, while making theirs stand out in a special way (see Uzaki-chan and Nagatoro-san). And now there's one more to add to the mix: newbie mangaka Koharu Ikami's Shinigami Bocchan to Kuro Maid a.k.a The Duke of Death and his Black Maid. A fun fact that these 3 works were released around the same time in 2017, just a month separate from each other, with Shinigami Bocchan in October, Nagatoro in November, and Uzaki in December (yet the anime adaptation airing is in the reverse order, fate much?).
I need not mention the story (or rather, its plot) itself because it's just that: the Duke of Death Bocchan getting cursed by a witch, which makes everything he touches decay, and moving into this mansion where that is the limit of his extensive reach, being shunned by friends and family alike. Thankfully though, he's not alone, with the maid Alice and butler Rob, and the sole goal of Bocchan is to find a way to get rid of the curse and be a normal boy again through all means, even engaging with the supernatural. Sounds simple, but it works really well. The story expands over time and makes your time well worth spent, because as much as the Duke Bocchan wants it done and dealt with, that also gives way for his black maid Alice to poke her fun towards him, because they're in a relationship right off the bat. The dialogue sometimes can be a little dis-interesting and forced when compared to Takagi-san as one-trick ponies, but as a sole work, I'd say that it checks all the boxes if you're willing to relax on a rom-com like this.
The comical part is when the material dives in on the sense of contact a.k.a touch, because Bocchan literally CANNOT touch anything, not even his sexually alluring maid Alice, even if he wants to. It sounds kinda dumb when a curse is what literally holds you back from doing everything but anything that concerns your hands, but it's a miserable life indeed for Bocchan. To make matters worse (or better), it presents itself in a black gothic, Transylvania feel that complements the setting, so it services as the gateway between Bocchan, Alice, Rob and the other characters in their midst. Concerning the other beings, there's the red-haired witch Caph (because why the hell would you mistranslate that as Cuff) and bird wizard Zain, and just like Bocchan and Alice, they're in love with each other...but wiith a caveat: neither would sound out the confession. And try as the child-like Caph and the pervertic Zain would mingle amongst each other, their character dynamic adds to the dark tones of the duo's balance like yin and yang. In addition, Bocchan's family of their harsh mother Gerbera, youngest sister Viola (who has a thing for old men like Rob) and the younger brother Walter (which laments being 2nd, as if he's accursed by the number 2) makes the whole character complement work very nicely, I must say.
And then there comes the CGI part. Whenever 3DCG studios like Shirogumi or Sanzigen uses complete CGI to produce anime, it raises hairs for it being bad, but it's not really that bad, hell I'd say that we've come a long way from getting used to fully CG-produced anime like Orange's Beastars or Houseki no Kuni a.k.a. Land of the Lustrous (which is still the undisputed king of 3DCG anime done purposefully right). In hindsight of J.C.Staff, director Yoshiki Yamakawa directed High Score Girl, which is the first J.C.Staff show to ever be produced in full CGI that's aided by SMDE (Shogakukan Music & Digital Entertainment). Since that and Shinigami Bocchan are serialized under the Shogakukan banner, it makes sense why Hi Score Girl (though not originally planned to be one) and this show would be fully animated in CGI, and it's quite the look. And this will be a hot take, but it's a subtle improvement over Hi Score Girl in the CG sense that I'm quite accustomed to now.
There are also some nice things in the music department. VA Hanae Natsuki is a mainstay giving that child-like tone to Bocchan, but this is VA Ayumi Mano's first lengthy break playing the main character after doing support roles, and her voice suits Alice's teasing demeanor of a charm. Also, the OP is kinda of a sweet touch where it gets interactive between both characters with that playful-ish feeling of singing, teasing and having just a good time together, honestly, it's a nice song all wrapped up together to serve that light-hearted ambience together with the ED, which is presented in a ghost-like solemn manner to complement the song.
All in all, as someone whom reads and watches way too much AniManga that uses the now famous teasing trope to entice and keep the relationship going, I can say that I leave this show being pleasantly surprised. Sure, it isn't quite as polished as Takagi-san is when it comes to the rom-com rhetoric, but as a standalone material, it is one fun ride that I can recommend if you're searching for more shows that aren't so much Takagi-san lookalikes for changes in settings, but you get my drift.
TheUnholySausage
Pain. An unpleasant feeling that everyone has experienced once in their life. Be it a small cut while doing geometry homework or getting rejected by your first crush with a small letter that she didn’t even hand deliver herself, it’s a feeling that no one wants to experience, but they don’t have the liberty of choice. Now imagine living a life, completely isolated, with no interactions with friends or family and an inability to touch or feel anything. It sounds like a nightmare, a fever dream that you want to quickly wake up from. Unfortunately for our favorite duke, it’s a harsh reality. The duke ofdeath and his maid, is a story that follows…well a duke and his maid. The duke was cursed when he was a kid, taking away his ability to touch less feel anything, as all things living perishes from his wicked touch. Abandoned by his family, and forced into isolation due to his curse, his only shining light is his maid who was accepting enough to live with him. We then follow the troubles of the duke as he finds his life withering away because of the curse but simultaneously finds solace in the warmth of the maid he adores….well not really.
The show tricks us into thinking it’s going to show us the painful side of being isolated and abandoned. A feeling of helplessness, a growing resentment towards the people that made your life miserable. All the anger, hatred and sorrow that grows in you as your life withers away all alone. The show had such an ambiguous and indecisive plot to work with. It could have displayed so much emotion and human drama, the chances of visual imagery in this show was indefinite. It’s a show that had honestly one of the most equivocal plots to work with, but they throw that shit down the drain cause why not.
Instead we get a show of this mortified, helpless duke, being teased by a hot big tiddy anime maid. It contradicts its whole point of expressing the lonely and depressing life of an ostracized duke, as it moves towards making the show seem like a shitty fan animated Takagi-san, yet not nearly as good. The majority of the plot is taken up by the maid teasing the duke through sexual scenarios, enough for you to honestly wish you were in that dukes place. It makes for a laugh from time to time, but honestly leaves you feeling empty, as you realize you just watched 20 mins of basically nothing.
The problem with the show is its direction. Reading the synopsis, you think it’s going to be a drama with extreme exposure towards human emotions. But you see it slowly turn into nothing more than a maid sexually harassing a socially awkward and super childish duke. I don’t think the maid is the problem, it’s just the role she plays. She isn’t the saving grace or the comforting persona for the duke. We don’t see her act as someone who’s empathetic towards the duke when he’s down and out, rather as an obnoxious and quirky character who risks her life for a 10 second teasing session for her personal enjoyment.
Speaking of characters we have the duke. I’ve never seen a characters backstory have this less of an impact in their life. As previously told, cursed, abandoned boy living with his maid. You expect him to be heartless, emotionless, filled with anger and resentment. But nah, that’s too deep. Well formulated character who expresses a darker side of the human persona? Nah too rooted in reality, might scare the kids away. Make him awkward, childish and clumsy and have him blush while getting harassed by his maid for the 50th time as if it doesn’t become commonplace by them, that’s enough to keep the brain dead people’s attention in this show.
The maid is no saving grace either. She was set up to be the light to the dukes darkness filled life. Unfortunately the duke is more cheery than I was receiving my Nintendo DS when I was like 5. Her character could have been an detrimental part of the show if played out correctly, but since the main focus of the show (the duke) is completely contradicting his own personality, the maid loses her integral reason for being In the show, and just turns into a quirky and outlandish character.
Coming on to the art, its CGI, that sentence alone is enough to put the fear of god in you and make you avoid this show like its Voldemort, "he who shall not be named". It’s not like Beastars CGI rather more like windows movie maker levels of CGI. It’s abhorrent. It doesn’t do the characters any favors. There movements are so robotic. The characters move in like 2 frames per second. I can hear the whole dialogue being said before the characters even finish moving their lips. I’ve said before and I’ll say it again, CG and hand draw animation do not mix, like at all. It should just be illegal. This show proceeds to go against that and use hand drawn backgrounds with CGI characters. What we get is two cartoonish, stupid looking characters, interacting in the pace of a sloth, in an actually well drawn background. It looks dumb, something out of a children’s picture book if the picture book was made by a man who snorts 10 bags of crack every day.
Its super unnatural and a real immersion breaker. What started off as acceptable levels of CG takes a massive nosedive in quality in the later episodes. As someone whose not opposed towards CGI in anime (after AOT & Beastars), I went into the show with a high remark for and a new found appreciation for CG. Unfortunately after watching this Im going back to the phase of thinking CGI was the creation in humanity.
The sound is not really anything to be touched upon. The duke’s hobby is playing piano, so a lot of the tracks are piano, violin, percussion instruments in general. It adds to the whole classiness of the duke’s lifestyle. Piano is also a great instrument to produce sounds that are eerie and uncomforting, which could have been a great expression of musical imagery. The eerie music could have really complimented the dukes horrifying life. I personally was too distraught by the CG to pay attention to the sound, so I’ll give the show the benefit of the doubt and assume it was good,
The problem with the show lies mostly on the direction that it took its story. The CGI could be overlooked or could have been bared with. Unfortunately there’s no saving when it comes to the plot. What could have been an amazing show filled with drama and emotions, turned into...you know what, I honestly can’t be asked to write all that again. The story, instead of going towards its destination, does a complete 180 and goes the other way. Im honestly disappointed with the show. Initially I thought the teasing was just a short term gag, and it’ll pick up its actual plot later on. I was left completely dispirited. Extremely displeases how this show turned out to be. Yeah it’s not the worst thing to come out, but it sucks to see a great show with a plot that has insane potential to be something beautiful, be left redundant and to die in the pit of generic shows. The only reason I finished it was because I put too much time into it. If I could describe the show in one sentence, it’s Youtube Clickbait. I feel like I got cucked and now I have trust issues. There honestly is nothing unique about the show. Besides the CG and abhorrent plot, the shows pretty average. Be it characters or storytelling, it takes a super safe route to a goal that’s nonexistent. Give it a shot, if you don’t despise CG and don’t care about wasting 4 hours of your life. Veterans advice, take those 4 hours and go play Bloodborne, BASED.
AnimeEnjoyer420
Recommendation: A low-quality adaptation of very good source material. I highly recommend reading the manga, but I would not bother with the anime. Story: The main story follows the titular Bocchan, the eldest son of a powerful noble family, who has been cursed to kill any living thing he touches. His mother has banished him to a separate estate and told him he will be disinherited if he is unable to break the curse by spring. He is joined only by his maid, childhood friend and love interest Alice, as well as his elderly one-eyed butler Rob. Despite the title and generalnature of the curse, this is first and foremost a lighthearted romantic comedy. There is very little here that could be described as dark or serious, and the series doesn't dwell on the few parts that are. It's funny and just generally enjoyable to see the different combinations of characters interacting while trying to break the main character's curse.
Audio/Visual: Good voice acting work all around, especially from Bocchan and Alice's VAs. They're also handed the duties of singing a duet for the OP, which is pretty solid, and they sing during the show as well, with a duet of The Owl and the Pussycat between the two late in the season being a highlight scene.
Unfortunately, the visual aspect of this series is a major letdown. Even by CG standards, the animation is very poor and cheap-looking. In some parts, such as a brief scene of Cuff flailing her arms while getting excited about Santa, it looks downright embarrassing. As a layman, I have no idea what went into the decision to use CG animation rather than doing it the traditional way, but it was a huge misfire creatively. This is a series that would probably have double the score I gave it if it had even minimally competent 2D animation, but I can't in good conscience recommend a show that looks this terrible. The disappointing part is that there is an interesting sense of style to everything that isn't CG. The backgrounds are textured to look like paintings on canvas, and a few brief sequences use hand-drawn characters and animation and they look great. If they had put resources into this project instead of cranking out a cheap, low-effort CG adaptation, it could have been really good. As it is, they did a terrible disservice to the elegant and creative artwork in the manga, especially the Witches World, which is gloriously spooky and weird in the manga and just looks goofy in the anime.
Characters: The characters nearly make this thing watchable in spite of the CG visual mess. Alice's interactions with Bocchan are funny and charming even if they don't always totally make sense (for example, why is she doing things like asking for a kiss or a hug when she's fully aware that she would die from it?). More importantly, the show is completely stolen by Zain and Cuff, a witch duo that tries to help Bocchan break his curse. Zain is a very horny birdman and Cuff is a complete and total idiot but very lovable. Their relationship is explored more in the manga, but they are highly entertaining even in the anime. You could easily spin off an entire series about these two and it would probably be better and funnier than the original. My one criticism here is Viola, and in particular her gross crush on Rob, who is old enough to be her grandfather. Thankfully, it's entirely one-sided and acknowledged by everyone else to be just her going through a phase, but it's uncomfortable and unnecessary either way.
RegalFlare
I generally really enjoy the story. The manga is amazing, but this is an odd adaptation. The intro and outro songs are really good. Will add to music play list later. The thing that kills it for me is the animation. It is unfortunately CGI and it's a bit garring at times. Its feels like I'm waiting for the cutscene in a video game to be over. The CGI is distracting. The movements of the characters are sometimes really uncanny and not normal. How is it that the background characters are animated in 2D, and the main characters are in CGI? Its normally the otherway around, but ok. The backgrounds are really odd too. They are trying to give the backgrounds a texture like an oil painting on and canvas. While it can work in other shows, it doesn't work here. It clashes with the CGI characters.
Honestly if you like the story, just read the manga. It's so much better.
Side note- At least the CGI is better than RWBY's. This was way more palatable than that hot garbage.
JiangHaoyi1979
Tick Tock although it is impossible to hold hands , Tick Tock the more time it goes by..... Now that was a very soothing anime, where one can truly say that love conquers all and that true love never abandons the one they truly desire, now that this rom com anime has ended, it was kinda sad that we were never told as to why an innocent boy like Bocchan would have to bear the curse that he doesn't deserve, so here are my ratings for this rom cam anime. Story-fair 6: Ok, so the plot covers the romance between the curse Bocchan and his maid lice,thought it was a nice rom that the original creator that Koharu Ikami conceive it wasn't an original plot, since we see it a lot in any anime and manga with a romcom genre, but as one would have it, how the such genre applied differ. There was also the relationship with the Bocchan and his immediate family members were we see that the Bocchan only has problems with his Okasan and not with his siblings....Now I don't know about you , but IMAO the original creator was playing a bit safe with the relationship with the Bocchan has with his siblings to which there is no Sibling rivalry that exist to which the middle bother would treat the eldest like shit.....Also, the original creator and studio J.C Staff didn't paly naughty with Alice's allure by limiting the amount of ecchi we only see Alice in a few fanservices and the rest was more on her figure. In my conclusion the romcom genre was well applied but unfortunately the series' plot depends too much on the said genre.
Art-Good 7: One would thing that this would be one part CGI and 1 part 2D and it might look that way, but nevertheless studio J.C Staff never added any lewdness' on Alice, but rely mostly on her being downbloused and no panchra, even if there were some fanservices around it was very limited also Viola's attire of wearing that Zettai Ryoki with a garter belt was just too over the top when it come to her fashion, cu'z it kinda makes look like a loli whore....Also, if any of you notices something about the characters wardrobe, one would notice something Voodoo in it like the witches' color, white, Deleth's mask , Zain having a bird head, Fire, Bocchan's top hat which a Voodoo's symbol of death, and Alice's attire which can be interpreted as someone to be sacrificed, now IMAO the original creator Koharu Ikami may have had some inspirations with Voodoo in Louisiana or in Haiti where such religion is practiced to which if one was observant enough it wouldn't be that hard to see.
Sound-Good 7: Ok that score was for the opening theme "Mangetsu to Silhouette no Yoru " by Bocchan (Natsuki Hanae) & Alice (Ayumi Mano) which has that appeal as to what the anime is.......which the lyrics says
Tick Tack Although it's impossible to hold hands , Tick Tock the more time goes by, Tick Tock the bond between the two, Tick Tock the stronger will connect.
the lyrics of the song does fit well with the anime , cu'z as one reads the lyric one will have the idea as to what this anime is so the song itself has that romcom feel as for the seiyuu who did the character's voices, I simply have no qualms as to who did who so:
Tick-Tack te to te wa muri demo Tick-Tack toki wo kasanete
Tick-Tack futari no kizuna wa Tick-Tack tsuyoku tsunagaru...
Sorry about that I just really like the song.....
Character-Fair 6: Ok so for the most part this is all about Bocchan and his ever trusting and loving maid Alice, as we can see Bocchan given that he has an estrange relationship with his mother to which he himself has no idea as why can his mother love him the way he is and why does he have to bear the burden of being left alone in another mansion with only his maid and butler, throughout the series Alice herself though was orphaned at an early age performed the duties as both friend , servant and a mother figure to the character in which we see her do something beyond that like teaseing the Bocchan, Viola as we can see despite of her Onichan's curse still does her role as a doting little sister to her Onichan which isn't bad but when 2 new side characters arrive like Caph and Zain it was a bit disgusting that the 2 can't do anything to remove the Bocchan's curse despite the fact the both were also witches...Now fair as it is, the relationship between Bocchan and Alice was very obvious from the start , but as to Alice's mom Sharon, well hypothetically she could be the witch who placed a curse on Bocchan and hypothetically she could still be alive , just put on statis by Daleth and if there will be a season 2 we could only hope that she will removed the curse from Bocchan, there is also that possibility that Alice may have the power to removed the curse or she can touch Bocchan and not die, but hey, that just a hypothesis, so chill.
Enjoyment-Fair 6: It was enjoyable , but as one goes further in watching this anime it some how becomes monotonous since little was happening around and there wasn't much of nay climaxes if there were , then it was good only to an extend.
Overall-Good 7: The series itself wasn't a ripped off, the song itself describes the anime well, but iMAO this deserves a 2nd season. so.
Tick-Tack te to te wa muri demo Tick-Tack toki wo kasanete
Tick-Tack futari no kizuna wa Tick-Tack tsuyoku tsunagaru...
Destron
I really enjoyed watching this season. I honestly find the premise to the anime to be very interesting. A young boy being cursed by a witch and forced to live out his days devoid of any contact with anything and anyone or else they will die. Thinking back I can't think of any anime that has come close to that plot point and I do think it's an interesting one. I will say I do wish though there was more of an explanation of why he was cursed in the first place as all we know from the end of the first season is "witchjust came up to me and did it" - It kinda just feels like they don't know themselves as to why they decided to have the witch do it.
Animation is fine in my opinion. I've seen complaints about the use of CGI and how bad it is. Whilst I don't think the CGI was bad, I can admit it can be a little jarring at times, especially when they're doing something as simple as sitting down. Character designs are lovely. Alice especially.
My only complaints really stem from Viola as I find her to be a little bit annoying at times. Her entire personality is just being in love with the old butler Rob and she has a really irritating voice. My review stems from the English Dub version so perhaps it's not an issue in the sub.
The other characters are pretty interesting and especially the last episode of season 1 really makes you put into perspective as to why the other 2 children are so bitter and envious of The Duke's life. At first my impression was they hated him because their mother out-casted him and that's their way of siding with their mother. However, as more information comes to light and you see how they're living and how they're treated. You can put it together their brother is free to do whatever he wants whilst the other 2 siblings can't even choose their own clothing.
I'm really enjoying this anime so far and I will be watching season 2 next
9/10
TheEtherea
At first I was skeptical of CG used to make the show but eventually it really didn't matter much and with the budget they had, they did a very good job of using it properly not to show the imperfections it would otherwise bring. And that would be my only real negative thing to say about the show really. I really enjoyed the kind-hearted nature of the show which at first makes it obviously unsettling for the whole reason of MC being capable to destroy anything living by touch, and it develops characters and their relationships quite nicely with an appropriate cliffhanger by the end ofseason 1. I feel like with the ideas they brought, there will be some interesting plot line developments going on during season 2.
Main star of the show is of course Alice, who is just sweet and playful and her VA sounds appropriate to her character, she is fun to follow.
Several of the musical episodes of the show were tastefully done and had a nice chemistry between characters.
I wonder of course if they might go dark by the end of the story itself, but so far I expect it to go the way it already is - a kind romantic story which should end in an obvious way with likeable characters involved in it.
To be honest I enjoyed it way more than I thought I will and as I've said in the beginning I do wish they will get a bigger budget to improve the quality somewhat, because it's quite clear that they could do a better job with the proper tools.
GakutoDeathGlare
Shinigami Bocchan to Kuro Maid, a charming series that focuses on a relationship between a Duke that kills anything he touches and his maid who is solely devoted to him. Rather slept on this Summer season IMO. The first thing one would take notice of in this series is it's use of CGI. IT IS NOT THAT BAD. Too many shows get unfairly criticized for it's animation when CGI is in use, I understand, we all know about Berserk 2016 and the most recent Ex Arm and so on... I get it. However, this show's CGI is levels above the quality of said infamous anime, anddoes not hinder enjoyment whatsoever as the episodes roll on. Yes, the character movements can be a little jaded at times, it's not the end of the world.
The story's premise is a simple one. The Duke (Bocchan) lives away from society and family in a big Victorian Gothic mansion with his butler and his maid. Cast away thanks to his death touch which was placed onto him by a witch when he was a child, he grows up expressing disdain for most things in life and displays nihilistic traits, a true Debbie downer, that is until his childhood friend maid is brought back into his life. She helps break his shell, things are finally looking up and now the plan is to stop mucking around and find a way to lift his curse.
Now I think fans of Teasing Master Takagi San would like this, I certainly did, there is a whole bunch of flirting and teasing going on between the maid and Bocchan, amplified by the fact that they both develop feelings for each other and cannot touch one another. There's a certain charm to it, but also some sadness involved. Some might say it gets a little repetitive or it's just plain cruel, that's an honest complaint, though I have no qualms with this aspect of the show.
The sound is well done, plenty of piano pieces play throughout the show, companied with excellent vocals. The soundtrack fits the scenes well, upbeat music employed in comedic scenes, eerier pieces for a more serious vibe, etc. It does it's job well. The OP is also catchy.
An enjoyable watch, there was something more to look forward to on a Monday :)
Elo-taku
Although its animation is CGI that did not prevent the anime Shinigami Bocchan to Kuro Maid from being one of the best of the summer season 2021. The story, the suspense and the comedy (also the ecchi) combine very well with this anime being well loved despite its CGI animation, who is the witch who cursed Bocchan and why did she do it? How will they break the curse? Will Bocchan give Alice like a drawer that doesn't close when she breaks the curse? These are some questions that this anime leaves you (the last question I said as a joke xd), a love story thatyou cannot miss. And his second season was confirmed at the end of the first season
rowanblack
"The Duke of Death and His Maid" offers a refreshing take on the romance anime genre, providing viewers with a unique and engaging story. The series introduces us to interesting characters who add depth and charm to the narrative. One of the standout features of the anime is its ability to balance romance with a touch of ecchi. The show teases the audience with playful moments without crossing into explicit territory, keeping the tone light-hearted and entertaining. This approach adds a layer of humor and anticipation, making it suitable for a wider audience. The animation in "The Duke of Death and His Maid" is commendable, showcasing qualityvisuals that bring the characters and their world to life. The unique aesthetic adds to the overall charm of the series, setting it apart from other romance anime. The attention to detail in character design and backgrounds contributes to the overall immersive experience.
The chemistry between the main characters is a highlight, creating a delightful dynamic that keeps viewers invested in their relationship. The emotional depth explored throughout the series adds substance to the romance, making it more than just a surface-level love story.
In conclusion, "The Duke of Death and His Maid" is a standout romance anime that successfully combines interesting characters, a unique aesthetic, and a playful approach to ecchi. Fans of the genre will appreciate the well-executed balance between romance and humor, making it a worthwhile addition to their watchlist.
krispygabu
Story: 5/10 Undoubtedly the best romance of this season because its competition is just another typical harem show. Fair share of comedy, romance and drama that makes the story dazzling. At first, it seemed to me like the quintessential slice of life comedy that would have a pretty shallow plot expansion. I was right. Fundamentally, it is structured much like "Teasing Master Takagi-san", and their relationship seems to be written like a Romeo and Juliet type of love which I can appreciate. Art: 6/10 If you do not enjoy CGI at ALL, this show is going to be the death of you. In all honesty, the CGIisn't terrible, not bad enough for you to drop the show , maybe. There were various moments where the CGI used was actually alright.
Sound: 7/10
The music is wholesome, and it was quite heartening to hear the various tracks in the show being sung by the VAs themselves. It made it more endearing, perhaps enhancing the immersion of the show itself. Sound design is okay.
Characters 5/10
Characters make up most of the story, it is part and parcel. I have absolutely no complaints about the characters involved in the story. But they aren't anything special either.
Overall 6/10
Might not be anything special but I still enjoyed this season and eagerly looking forward to the next!
HIROZAX
I am so happy that it will get a 2nd sequel. After seeing the story i was so happy but as well sad that it ended very early in some moment i almost cried so thank you for giving us the sequel. and if you are a grow up kid you will definitely like the anime because it such a lovely story and always give him the hope. .. i really want to see together and wat see his expression and the best part is that he always confess his love and that need some courage to say it again again .. Bocchan you willbe always together with Alice.
Gregory_Senpai
So let’s talk about the elephant in the room first, so I can spend the rest of this review convincing you to forget about the elephant, and watch this anime. The characters in this series are done in CGI, using what appears to be the same kind of process that was used in one of J.C. Staff’s other series: “Hi-Score Girl.” You’re either going to let that bug you, or you won’t. For some people CGI is a complete turn-off, and means an instant drop. For others, they don’t care. I’m kind of in the middle. I much prefer standard animation, not too big afan of CGI, so when I saw the trailer for this, I was initially really disappointed; I’d read some of the manga, before the announcement that this was coming out, so I was pretty excited when I heard it got picked up, but when I saw the trailer I was crestfallen. I’m sure a lot of people had the same reaction. But, if you can, be a bigger person, and see beyond the CGI, you’ll find something pretty special.
Since we’re already on the topic of visuals with the CGI I’ll start by saying the art in this series is fantastic. The backgrounds are done with incredible detail, even given texture to make them look like they’re paintings on canvas. It gives the entire series a glorious fairy tale vibe, like you’re watching an anime that’s come to life right out of a pop-up book. I caught myself, at times, just fascinated by all the little minor things that decorated each frame. So, despite the fact that the characters are CGI and move around a bit weird, it somehow comes together pretty well and I didn’t find myself overly bothered by it.
From art, the next obvious thing that needs to be talked about, is the sound. This series had probably the best sound track of the year I think. It was enchanting. There were multiple vocal performances by the main VA’s Mano Ayumi (Alice) and Hanae Natsuki (Bocchan); they sang not only the opening theme song, but also did several other insert pieces that popped up within the show as well. There were also a number of classical songs featuring beautiful piano arrangements which were a joy to listen to. I’d say “glorious,” is a pretty good word to summarize my feelings for the music of “Duke of Death”. I may end up hunting down a copy of the OST if I can find one.
Also, Hiroshi Kamiya (MAL’s #1 Person) is in this. He plays a bird-faced witch. Anytime I get to hear him play anything I count that as a win.
Witches and magic are pretty central to the story of “Duke of Death”. The plot revolves around the titular duke, who was cursed by an unknown witch, when he was just a boy. The curse causes him to kill anything he touches – plant, animal, or even people. It’s honestly a very, very dark plot hook, but it’s used in an extremely creative, fun way, through the antics of the character Alice. She’s the (black) maid of the moment, who’s favorite past time is getting as close to the duke as she can, without touching him, in a cute/sexy kind of “I’m not touching you, I’m not touching you,” playful way, while also sexually harassing him every opportunity she gets. She delights in his adorable, embarrassed reactions (which are done extremely well on both an animation level and acting one). This dynamic is the core of the show, turning it into essentially a rom-com with a strange, slightly morbid kink to it.
With that being said, it’s quite a bit more than just your standard romantic comedy though, because the plot hook of the show, the duke’s curse, is actually quite intriguing; the more we learn about it, the deeper the mystery surrounding it gets, but that’s something you can enjoy yourself watching the series. I don’t wanna spoil anything.
All in all, the flirting between the Duke and Alice is really entertaining to watch, making for a fun little SOL/rom-com with a unique premise, so I’d be happy giving this series a 7 or an 8 on just those merits alone, but as it turns out, by the end of the series, I was genuinely invested in the characters, their futures, and the answer to the mystery of the curse, thankfully, after the credits, they announced that the story will continue in season two, so hopefully we’ll get to find out then, because the season ends with all the big questions still up in the air, which is to be expected because the manga for this has been going for near 200 chapters now, and expecting to cram all that into just twelve episodes is asking much too much.
This all leads me to say that this was a perfectly enjoyable watching experience. Not even going to take off points for the CGI characters and wonky animation because after about episode 2 I had completely gotten over it, forgetting all about the elephant, and just enjoying the ride.
Masterpiece, round of applause, etc. 10/10 from me.
Cutepid
first of all, lets give a applause to the 3d animation in this anime :> alittle spoilers please be aware! when watching the few episodes of this show, it will make you think of depression, but as the show goes on its actually very wholesome in a way i think is very fascinating so we have our main character, the duke, who got cursed by a witch when he was young, the curse is that if he touches any living thing they will die. abandon by his family, life withour friends. we got the maid, alice, who has known the duke since they were young, we also havethe butler who i think his reactions are really funny, zain and cuff is so cute together!
anyways so what i think is wholesome is that, the duke and alice from ep 1 to the end were falling in love more and more and alice seduced the duke everyday with them big titties trying to make him touch with, she even knows he cant-, also making him wanting to break the curse which is thoughtful of her, thanks to her the duke doesnt have to live a lonely life :)
one part of this this anime that bothers me is, why the fuck does the dukes sister has a fuckin crush on the butler?! thats like weird and if they do actually date wont it make the butler a pedo?
i love musical instuments like violin, piano, etc
this show did a amazing job bring out the classical music vibe
this anime is so cute even thought he didnt break the curse
EDOSHINRATENSEI
Alice in Bocchan-land Summer anime season is in its last week, so it’s time to binge as many as possible. A gloomy teenager with the curse of killing any living things he touches lived with his maid, who was his childhood friend, while trying to find the way to lift the curse. The worst aspect of this anime was the CGI animation. The problem with this new animation style is that the movements and facial expressions are very unconvincing. However, after three or four episodes, I got used to the animation style and just rolled along with it. But other than that, this was a wholesome romcomdrama that I had a great time. The relationship between the duke and the maid was cute. There’s some light naughty stuff, but the care they had for each other was real and heartwarming. I loved how they made each other overcome the pain of isolation. It’s nothing new, but the execution still hit the point. The drama could have been stronger in tone, but it was still investing enough. The animation didn’t help the characters to show their emotions much.
Although the side characters mostly added the comedic value to the show, they were still relevant to the story. Towards the end, it’s clear that a lot of the story was setting up for the second season.
Overall, a wholesome season despite its problematic animation style. 7.5/10
Gustavo_Decim
I'm going to start my review about this work. [6] Story: Duke (protagonist) is cursed by a witch as a child, who gives him the ability to kill everything and touches. Dispatched By His Mother He Is Sitting To Live Isolated In A Mansion With The Staff Being First The Butler (Rob) And Sometime Later His Beloved Companion Who Made Him A Better Person (Alice) Alice teases him sexually and at the best of times, romantically making the duke very happy. Seeing the duke crazy to touch her, kiss her, creates a good situation, highlighting the beginning ofeach episode with that mini story of the couple in love who cannot touch each other.
Anyway, Alice took the final step for duke to grow up to be a man but I don't see something so complex or that tells me "this story of this is another level!" just in that. It's actually quite basic.
[7] Characters: Highlighting rob/alice, they are very charismatic and cool characters.
Rob, a mature and gentle gentleman always taking care of a duke, with the viola sister of duke taking on her foot and she is in love with him for his way of being her.
And ZAIN, another incredibly cool and charismatic beautiful piece with her caph pair, a clueless woman, and blatantly in love with him. (Zain knows she likes him) and that's a little differentiator of this work.
And compared to other works there the pairs are very nice even if some don't work like viola and rob but as a mature man he is aware that he is too old for her.
[7Animation: It's a nice cgi, it's no big deal compared to the dorohedoro one, but the jc staff has been doing a good job with the cgi compared to the older ones (A sign of evolution by the studio)
I think in 2d It would be better, but 3d gave a nice charm to the work. (I notice at times the animation getting shitty or the character looking to one side that doesn't make sense while the focus is on the other side.
[7] General Songs:
Soundtracks, op and end were awesome, highlighting the episode that Alice sings with the duke, that was sensational and touched me, it's certainly a very positive point of this work.
giraffenanime
I can't believe I binged this in one night... I sat on my couch and barely moved for six hours! Let's get right into the anime basics. Story; Stuck inside the family Villa, Bocchan (the young Duke, heir to his family) lives alone with his two servants. Although he was born into as the first son into a wealthy family, sadly at a young age a witch cursed him, not letting him be loved ever. Although it sounds straight forward, it actually affects living organisms around him. Plants, animals and especially humans can't be touched by him or they die right away. Although his life seemsgrim, he thankfully has trusty butler Rob and his beautiful maid Alice (where they are VERY open about their relationship and how they feel about each other). Although the two can't be physically intimate, they always find some way to show affection for each-other. I LOVE THEM!!! I want more of the Duke and Alice <3 Art; The animation was pretty good, but also iffy at some parts. My favourite scene was them singing the Owl and Pussy Cat song at the piano (waaahhh, such warm feelings!) Sound; I wasn't into the OST at first, but after a few episodes I was looking forward to the sweet opening and slightly sappy ending. Character; The family concept, wacky friends and forbidden relationships... what more can you ask for from this cast?
Overall, I really enjoyed this anime, I was worried about the CGI at first but it actually looked good and sometimes enhanced the experience (except when Caph uses her fire... let's not speak of that). The anime was a little slow the first two episodes because of the introductory, but it was needed that way we could understand Bocchan's positions, feelings and how his ambitions slowly grew throughout the anime.
I'm so excited that Shinigami Bocchan to Kuro Maid has OFFICIALLY ANNOUNCED that the second season is coming out! This might end up like a Demon Slayer situation for me... MEANING, I'll pick up the manga and finish it before the whole series gets animated (-_-) it'll be worth it.
