Engage Kiss #05 — Lockdown Blues
July 30th, 2022
That sure was… a random monster and a quickie, wasn't it?
Impressions:
The recitation of Shu's backstory is better than endless boardroom meetings, but it still wasn't delivered all that well, and the big piece of the puzzle that they're still missing is making Shu not be such a mooch and loafer. Not to always bring up Futakoi Alternative, but Rentarou's coming of age and romance was still full of him supporting his underaged girlfriends and taking joy in life and being with them and life in general. Shu, however, continues to largely be a sad sack that the girls throw themselves at for no adequately explained reason. I'm not looking forward to that inevitable backstory either, but he should be currently doing that, not just popping up to throw a little fang for a critical hit at the end.
They could absolutely be playing up Kisara's manipulation of him through his memories and taking away his attemps to do the right thing by Ayano, instead of just his sex memories. Hell, she could be using him and taking advantage of it as well, but all of his interactions with her are leering, stammering, and then she keeps throwing herself at him anyway. I'd even be fine with Kisara starting to get her mind and feelings about Ayano mixed up from pulling in all of Shu's happy memories of her. Make this a really messy and weird romantic triangle instead of one just centered on a walking, barely talking sex doll.
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At a certain point, the only way to understand this era of popular Japanese animation is to believe that the advertising executive in charge of mass art do not simply hate art, but you personally.