Hatenkou Yugi Episode 1 – "Spunky girl, cool man and pretty cute interaction"

I have been quietly anticipating the coming of this show due to extremely favorable feedback from some of the commentators and the reading of the source material. The main female lead is Rahzel. Her father threw her out of the house after stating that it will be interesting to explore the outside world. When she wished that she has a companion, she bumped into a silver haired man named Alzeid. Alzeid is a person who is trying to find his father’s murderer and cannot care less what his methods are to survive, be it to rob people in the alleyway. She asked him to tag along, saying that the journey she is embarking will have tons of fun. They are also joined by Baroqueheat, who is a womanizer, but openly states that he likes Rahzel.

With such a cute premise, how can I not watch such a series?

Episode summary

Rahzel met up with Alzeid after being unceremoniously kicked out by her father. Alzeid was holding someone at gunshot but the “thug” escaped with Rahzel’s callout for Alzeid. He asked what she wanted, and she proudly proclaimed that she would spark his life with happiness and excitement, hence forming a strange companionship to explore the world. While they traveled around and ate, their finances are running low. Alzeid threatened yet another person at the alleyway, but Rahzel urged him to find a more legal way to earn fast money. Alzeid threatened the guy to find a job that gets more money in the wallet, and the man recommended them to find the mayor of the village nearby for a lucrative job.

The job was to get rid of a spirit that was haunting the woods, but it seemed harmless. The spirit wanted to chase them away as they are not the first to try exorcising her. The spirit said that she is fulfilling a promise with her lover, who promised to run away with her. However, while she waited in the forest, she hit herself on the head when she fell and died. It has been twenty years since she died. As she accounted the tale, the two were playing some stick game to decide the tabs on dinner. When the spirit finally finished her tale, Alzeid told her that she is simply waiting for a man who do not bother about her promise at all and it is a weak promise. That annoyed her and she warned them that she will not be so nice the next time they meet as she disappeared in a strong gust of wind.

Rahzel decided to find the man who held the promise with the spirit. They landed up in a bar and Alzeid said that she could say she is hungry rather than hunting for the man. Rahzel said that the man will find them, and the “mayor’s men” actually found them. They returned to the mayor’s house and Rahzel pointed out that the mayor is the lover of the spirit as she is harmless and only the man who has guilt in his heart will want to eliminate her. He said that his family empire is more important than puppy love. Rahzel said that he simply cared about his future than a promise and the mayor told her to do her job like how an underling should. When the two left, the mayor gave orders to his underlings to eliminate Rahzel and Alzeid.

They wondered why the spirit did not attempt to kill the mayor, and Rahzel said she would make sure the person who betrayed her would live a life worse than hell. Alzeid asked if she experienced being truly betrayed and a flashback appeared of her abandoned in a forest. However, she said no and Alzeid told her not say such things. Baroqueheat also beat off the two thugs sent by the mayor and is instructed to buy some sparkling things from Rahzel. Rahzel and Alzeid met up with the spirit in the forest, and she attacked them only for Rahzel to reveal that she is a magician. Rahzel repelled the attack, but the spirit had a stranglehold on Alzeid. The spirit said that Alzeid would also break their promise to be together, and it would be better for her to kill him right now.

A cut scene is shown when the spirit met the mayor for the last time before she reincarnated. She then left him with the message that bombs are set all around the house, and she will be waiting for him. As she left him screaming for help, the spirit told Rahzel that she will probably reincarnate to someone who will fall in love and promise once again as she disappeared. Fireworks started to shine as we realize that Rahzel’s answer in the forest is that they have no promises but simply a companionship. Even if they are separated tomorrow, there are no hard feelings. As they left, Alzeid asked if she wanted a promise, in which she answered, “that we spend all our days having fun”.

Thoughts

Wow, I definitely did not plan to blog such a long summary for the first episode of the series. Anyway, I find that the interaction between Alzeid and Rahzel to be excellent. They are like complete opposites, with Rahzel the spunky and law obliging citizen (of sorts) and Alzeid the street smart guy that does not hesitate to rob someone in the alleys to get money. I find that the two, one warm and one cold is a classic example of how opposites attract very well. The introduction of Baroqueheat, the flirting third member of the team, is also great to have a balance. Being a lolicon of sorts always creates some good laughs.

I am often attracted to female leads that are strong, rather than the classic damsel in distress. That is why I am so glad for Hatenkou Yugi, which is a series where the female lead can really kick some ass with her magician skills. I mean, she actually saves the guy from trouble (even though Alzeid looks like he does not really care). The shoujo element, as few have mentioned in their previews, is actually not that strong because it feels like an episodic type series that might actually work. I have enough of episodic type series that fails due to poor character dynamics.

On the first episode, I do have complains about how the characters are introduced, particularly to Alzeid. It feels really random and forced, as though they are too lazy to explain why the two get on together. Still, it might be how the story style is supposed to go, since she is being absolutely random and picking due to good looks. I also like the scene when the spirit is talking about her previous love life, and they are playing a stick game to decide their dinner. I mean, that is complete nonchalance and ignoring the quest that they are on since they cannot care less. Now, that is some funny storytelling since the ghost even asked whether they are listening. One more thing I must add is the OP. I adore the OP because it is really nice to listen, and it’s probably something you will not get sick of for quite a while.

Who should watch this?

If you are a sucker for extremely good graphics to the level of Kyoto Animation, it might not be found here as Studio Deen does not seem to have a very huge budget in the graphical area. However, do not let this deter you because the graphics are actually average compared to the normal anime of this age. The characters are colorful, and seems to have a really nice unique feel to them compared to the boring damsel in distress, shining knight and stereotypical characters in such a journey-type series.

I do hope that this show manages to keep on this standard of cheeky and funny plots, and this might turn out to be an absolute winner. I am definitely keen to watch the next episode and I hope you do too!