Recently, a widespread belief about anime was subverted when Kaguya-sama: Love is War – Ultra Romantic surpassed Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood as the most popular anime ever on MyAnimeList. The idea that shojo titles could never be as popular as shonen ones — arguably supported by the popularity of Naruto, Dragon Ball and more recently, My Hero Academia and Demon Slayer — was surprisingly proven erroneous. 2022’s Romantic Killer, with its focus on an anti-heroine protagonist and an action-driven narrative, has come to reaffirm that shojo can be just as good as shonen, if not even better.
Romantic Killer isn’t as popular as Kaguya-sama, whose latest season currently holds third place overall on MyAnimeList, but its rebellion against shojo tropes makes it a refreshing show that could potentially revolutionize the genre. Exploiting the reverse-harem concept, Romantic Killer subverts audience expectations by giving them more than what they are used to getting. Instead of a trite romance, the show turns out to be a careful exploration of friendship, teenage life and even trauma. It manages this through the scrupulous creation and development of interesting characters who are far from typical shojo anime protagonists.
Anzu’s Transformation in Romantic Killer
The first step that the show takes to distance itself from other reverse-harem shows is to make its protagonist an anti-heroine. Romantic Killer gives Anzu an unconventional personality — she is totally disinterested in love, her only concerns being her cat Momohiki, chocolate and video games. The goal of the show is therefore to make her finally fall in love. Riri, a magical creature from another world, is tasked to transform her into the protagonist of one of her otome games, surrounded by pretty boys that she will ultimately have to go out with.
The show, however, doesn’t stop here. Anzu’s character would be pretty flat — even too familiar — if that were all there was to her. While the first episode wants to trick the audience into thinking exactly that, as the series goes on, Anzu is revealed to be a generous friend, as well as a kind and thoughtful person who never backs down in the face of injustice. It was her support when she was in middle school that gave her friend Saki the courage to speak up after being sexually harassed by another student.
As a consequence, Anzu’s metamorphosis, which still occurs, is more complex than usual. While her encounter and growing friendship with Tsukasa, Junta and Hijiri allow her to grow out of her childish attachment to an antisocial lifestyle, she also proves that she has always been a great person. Naturally, the new Anzu enjoys going out more and looking after her appearance, but her change is a revelation and reinforcement of the beautiful qualities that she already possessed.
The Characters That Populate Anzu’s Harem are More Than Just Bishonen
Perhaps following the example of Ouran High School Host Club, which holds up even now after 16 years, Anzu’s ‘reverse-harem’ is completely transformed by their friendship with her. Even Junta, her childhood friend who needs very little change to blossom, is forced to grow. Once an overweight kid with little social status, Junta is now an accomplished athlete and handsome teenager, but his insecurities still hold him back. It’s his newfound bond with Anzu, as well as the competition he finds in Tsukasa, that pushes him to take risks and give his chances with Anzu a real shot.
Hijiri, the spoiled rich kid whose first encounter with Anzu involves running her over with a car and then forcing her to go on a date with him, is perhaps the least interesting character but still worth mentioning. Despite his unlikeability, Hijiri turns out to be more than just a ‘tsundere,’ as Anzu immediately defines him. His willingness to recognize and work on his arrogance and entitlement shows Hijiri’s hard-working spirit and open mind. Although he is initially spurred on by his desire to go out with Anzu, in the end, he simply accepts that he needs to change and doesn’t ask for anything in return.
Nevertheless, it’s Tsukasa’s character development that leaves the strongest impression on the audience. Cold and aloof, he appears from the very beginning to be the typical brooding type that shojo heroines fall in love with — a sort of evolution of Kodocha’s Akito Hayama. However, his aversion to social interactions is revealed as coming from unresolved trauma. Terrified by an older woman who became his stalker, his every action is an attempt to prevent something similar from happening again. In his case, Anzu’s disinterest in him becomes his chance to actually open up and bond with a person for the first time since the incident. Little by little, he overcomes his fears and learns to trust people again.
Riri’s Ultimate Sacrifice Shows True Growth
In a remarkable twist, another character goes through a deep change thanks to their relationship with Anzu: Riri, the magical creature in charge of Anzu’s love life. As they fight to overcome Anzu’s resistance to romance, Riri learns that they don’t know anything about human experience or love. When, at the end of the series, Anzu is in real danger, Riri realizes that they care about Anzu’s well-being more than their mission. It’s their sacrifice — saving Anzu in exchange for their freedom — that shows their growth. Riri has finally become human. In the end, they get to stay with Anzu and become part of her ‘reverse-harem,’ in a surprising twist that makes Romantic Killer even more original.
It’s been noted that Romantic Killer almost resembles a shonen anime more than a shojo. One could argue, however, that the show exploits the tropes of the genre and elevates them by giving them new meaning. The bishonen are still bishonen, but they have personalities and struggles to overcome, and the heroine still falls in love, but on her own terms and at her own pace. Romantic Killer proves that there is no set way to write romance; in fact, it challenges future anime to rewrite their stories and characters to make them more extraordinary than ever.
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