What do you get when you combine an anime from the same guy responsible for the creation of Zetsuen no Tempest with the man behind the writing for Baccano, Durarara and Tonari no Kaibutu-kun? This, apparently.
I don’t really know what I was expecting from Kyokou Suiri/In/Spectre, but whatever it was, it wasn’t this – a romance in which feelings are confessed within literally the first minute, and at the same time, a supernatural title that’s undeniably dark yet approaches its subject matter in a completely matter-of-fact and even often humorous way.
It’s fair to say the hook came late for me – I honestly spent nearly the first half of this opening episode mildly amused yet also politely bored. It’s a very dialogue-heavy show, and since the most interesting parts came dispersed in scattered flashbacks, the storytelling felt oddly-paced and for the most part not particularly exciting. Meanwhile, the second half of the episode was stuffed with all of the action, most of which were far more compelling – not necessarily because of the action in and of itself, but because the show suddenly seemed invested in its own story. It also gave me the chance to admire Kotoko’s character a lot more, as despite her short stature and rather cutesy look, her straight-talking persona and almost laconic attitude towards pretty much everything, from her own physical situation to impending demon attacks, make it difficult to dislike her. The twist with Kurou’s character came as a pleasant surprise and entirely complimentary counterpart to this, and I’d be hard put to name any series, supernatural or otherwise, that even comes close to mirroring the pair.
I have no idea where any of this is going, and I hesitate to put too much faith in the show at this early stage, but Kyokou Suiri is definitely something I’ll be keeping a close watch on. I’d be very surprised if many viewers don’t feel the same.
Rating: 7/10
OTAKU LOUNGE 
I liked this one. It was very dialogue heavy in that first half but I was pretty amused by it and I like the humorous yet dark tone it seems to have going so far. I’m definitely signing up for more though I guess we’ll see whether it ends up being good or not in a few episodes when it has had time to really find its feet.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I did quite like the overall tone, but some of the jokes just didn’t quite land for me. Otherwise, I would’ve been tempted to give this one an 8. Overall, definitely one of the stronger premieres of the season, so I’m happy.
LikeLiked by 1 person
The definitely had something of a slow burn, but arguably so did Blast of Tempest as well – plus I’ve been looking for another supernatural mystery story this season.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Blast of Tempest started off with a bang though – the setup took a while, but at least we already knew it was headed somewhere interesting. It also looked and sounded /amazing.
LikeLike
The show had me when Kotoko compared her crush to goat, whom you should not underestimate. It’s a low-key goofy show, which I find comfortable. There’s also the deferential way in which that little youkai stirred Kotoko’s cocoa. I very nearly gave this a pass, but then clicked play anyway. Glad I did; a pleasant surprise, even if it’s not among the elite of the season (Eizouken & Hanako-kun, for me).
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oddly, that’s one of the jokes that just didn’t work for me. I got that it was supposed to be funny, but to me it just felt weird, like they were trying too hard for that to be a joke. Nonetheless, I certainly liked enough of what I saw to continue with this one.
LikeLike