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EP. REVIEW: Engage Kiss

This is also anime original, so unlike most adaptations we are likely to see an ending rather than a holding pattern in perpetuity. That definitely contributes to my cautious optimism.

b-dragon wrote:

This is also anime original, so unlike most adaptations we are likely to see an ending rather than a holding pattern in perpetuity. That definitely contributes to my cautious optimism.

This show is part of a project which includes a smartphone game, so there's no guarantee we get a conclusive ending rather than setup for the game. Just look at Takt Op

The first is Kisara dangling like a helpless cat stuck suspended in the middle of that traffic mirror. I don't have anything to add to that beyond it being a perfect image.

I don't trust the detective character. He comes off so much more artificial and clinical compared to all the other characters, and his interest in Shu and commitment to helping comes off as suspicious.

I'm actually happy with how this show has been holding back it's cards and not giving us this info upfront. A tactic Maruto used in White Album 2 (the VN, not the anime) was that clearing certain routes added new scenes to the interductory route. Those scenes completely changed the context if the whole story. Engage Kiss sort of does something similar, and going back and checking out the earlier episodes you noticed all kinds of stuff that was hidden in plain sight.

I don't trust the detective character. He comes off so much more artificial and clinical compared to all the other characters, and his interest in Shu and commitment to helping comes off as suspicious.

09jcg wrote:

I'm actually happy with how this show has been holding back it's cards and not giving us this info upfront. A tactic Maruto used in White Album 2 (the VN, not the anime) was that clearing certain routes added new scenes to the interductory route. Those scenes completely changed the context if the whole story. Engage Kiss sort of does something similar, and going back and checking out the earlier episodes you noticed all kinds of stuff that was hidden in plain sight.

Yeah, I figure it as a deliberate storytelling device. It's a pretty gutsy move. First impressions count, and once you've established your lead as a jerk it takes a lot of time and effort to walk that back. It rewards those who stick with it, and pay attention. But you do risk losing your audience early.

And he's still kinda a jerk, but he's totally aware of what he's sacrificing in pursuit of his goals. He knows he's trashing all his relationships. I'm pretty sure he expects only death awaits him at the end (Can anyone see him investing in a retirement plan?)... And that makes him a very different sort of creature to the one from the first episode that looked like an idiot riding the tails of two much more competent women.

MFrontier wrote:

I don't trust the detective character. He comes off so much more artificial and clinical compared to all the other characters, and his interest in Shu and commitment to helping comes off as suspicious.

I don't know... I'm leaning towards "genuine but likely to end up dead soon". But you could easily be right.

And I don't have anything original or insightful to add on the sex, other than to add my agreement that it was done with a level of maturity and genuine emotion rarely seen in anime.

MFrontier wrote:

I don't trust the detective character. He comes off so much more artificial and clinical compared to all the other characters, and his interest in Shu and commitment to helping comes off as suspicious.

Certainly the storytelling expectation would be that he's either the demon collaborator of blondie-dead-guy or closely related to said demon (or else he's about to bite it). I really doubt a show like this would let the character reaching out to our lead to convince him he can trust others be an older male. But I've been surprised before, and I'm hoping to be again.