Review of Love of Kill
Koroshi Ai had such an unsatisfying ending and looked like a simple ad for the manga that tells you "this is a bad adaptation. We know. Just go read the manga for the answers." There was no payoff were it looked there was going to be after it all. It is an anime that feels like the source material is good but was cursed by this adaptation. The premise is very interesting and had me hooked despite the majority issues. I can't deny I liked this and loved the story's potential among all the discussions cursing it and hating it. It's a romantic mystery storyabout two people with a connected past.
Chateau is an incompetent bounty hunter that can't do anything right. She's awkward and angry much at the time while putting up with a man that reminds her of "something." Song Ryang-ha is a competent assassin of great skill who takes an interest in her. He makes the show. He's a great character and can be both funny and horrifying. Maybe it's just the terrible way the adaptation executes it, but many times when he kills someone I laughed at how they portrayed it. No matter how much she tries to push him away, smack him, and overall try to avoid and turn him down, he always comes back around to try and woo her. She's too innocent to realize what she really has.
Even though I could easily score this so much lower, I did enjoy it. And yet, this makes it even more frustrating because the manga must be so much better than this. Song felt too goofy in his portrayal in this adaptation. It feels like he should have come off as more sinister, and I am sure the manga does this.
After a rough start, the mystery aspect starts to kick in, and this at least made it much more better and interesting. During the later half, their pasts get explored, and their connection gets somewhat explained. For the most part, Song's past is catching up to him, and Chateau gets dragged into it. Still, no matter how much Chateau turns him down and overall sees him as a roach, he protects her and seems sincere about caring about her. Chateau, because she's clueless, oblivious, and has the personality of a lamp post, doesn't get it. Yet, there is a charm to this that made me look forward to each episode despite that the coloring in this anime is ugly.
The only character I didn't like is Jim. Why won't they draw his mouth? that kept annoying me throughout. The animation isn't even strong or that good to begin with. At least the music seemed good with it's piano and mystery tracks. By the end, I'm internally yelling at Chateau who is much too clueless about what Song wants.
At least this shameless ad converted me. I do want to read the manga and see where this goes. A season 2 sounds like a mistake, but I'd shamelessly watch it and continue supporting it.