Review of The World God Only Knows
It’s funny how a parody somehow has license to nab the actual appeal of its subject matter. It’s almost unfair, and that’s exactly what Kami Nomi does. Lets be honest, dating sims are sexist, treating girls like puzzles to be cracked, and those who would never touch such a game can appreciate how this series exaggerates its common character archetypes and lampoons them. The final romantic moments though are completely straight faced, and at times, somewhat touching as they should be in a dating sim. A satisfying romance this is not, but it is riotous, with a few sweet moments onthe rare occasion.
Keima is a high school student dubbed “The God of Conquest” due to his proficiency in beating dating sims. He is popular amongst dating sim players on the net, but his classmates find him disgusting. He is issued a challenge by a mysterious sender and as soon as he hits reply, the demon Elsee comes to him telling him he’s already signed a contract. Keima must displace wandering souls (who only take refuge in high school girls’ hearts?) by inspiring love in the hosts’ heart. If he fails, both he and Elsee will be guillotined. To save his life, Keima must become a real pickup artist, even though he’s never even held a girl’s hand. To avoid complications, the girls he picks up promptly forget about him after the climactic kiss that liberates them, allowing him to move onto the next target without breaking any hearts (except maybe his own…awww).
Oddly enough, all his moves in the dating sims work just as well in real life. Keima isn’t a smooth talker, James Bond type. He uses a somewhat creepy, perhaps slightly endearing earnestness. It’s usually an over the top, “that guy is way too into me” kind of thing. He also has a great talent in that he can say the cheesiest, cruelest, or most socially unacceptable things with a straight face. The girls are all overblown cliché’s with comedic exaggerations or twists thrown in. A wealthy, slightly sadistic ojousama, an athletic girl, a pop idol, and a quiet librarian are the primary story arcs. Keima coldly observes them and calculates the best way to wriggle his sleezy self into their hearts. The girls have some burden that they endure, so Keima tests the waters until he understands their issues, then with his love (bleh!), he resolves it.
The climaxes are similar to those of dating sims. In one instant, the girls’ problems are solved, and the romance is sealed with a kiss. The Ojousama and Idol ones were particularly cute, but the highlight is always the journey itself, which is anything but typical. Keima often gets shot down in the most hilarious ways. Unphased and undaunted, he will continue to proceed with his ridiculous plans. On his very first target, the athlete, he hangs banners of love and praise down the side of the school building, and just stands beside them without the slightest hint of embarrassment. She beats him, insults him, ignores him, but he persists.
The animation is usually solid. The character designs are truly generic (as intended no doubt), but the dancing, singing, and soul capturing sequences are all exceptionally well animated. The playful orchestral piece really adds a lot of romantic atmosphere to the climaxes, and the music overall is good. There are several pop songs (some of them quite funny) written just for the series but they often insist on playing them for the full duration. The idol arc itself contains maybe 3-5 music video sequences. They do drag a bit, but that’s a minor complaint.
Kami Nomi is funny in so many ways. The parody of dating sims and Anime girls in general is just the beginning. Keima’s campy cheese (one example: “You don’t have to worry about rank. You’re already first…in my heart”) is ceaselessly amusing as well. The hilarity of the side characters, Keima’s mother, Elsee, and others is just a plus.