I’m Living with an Otaku NEET Kunoichi!?
The setup
Tsukasa Atsumi is an ordinary office worker whose quiet life changes when he’s rescued from a deadly encounter by Shizuri Ideura, a highly skilled female ninja. To protect him from supernatural creatures called Yoma, Shizuri becomes his live-in bodyguard in exchange for food and somewhere to stay.
Despite being an impressive fighter, Shizuri is far less disciplined at home. When she isn’t battling demons, she’d rather lounge around playing video games and leave the everyday responsibilities to Tsukasa. He soon finds himself looking after the person who’s supposed to be looking after him.
What follows is a mixture of supernatural action, domestic comedy and romance, with other eccentric ninjas making their living arrangement even more complicated.
I got sucked into this one more than I expected. For Anime Club, I normally watch three episodes before deciding whether I want to carry on. With this, I somehow ended up on episode nine without really noticing. That probably tells you quite a lot.
The opening music immediately grabbed me. It’s high energy and gets things off to a good start. The animation is good, the comedy works for me, and there’s enough going on to keep me interested without it becoming a demanding watch.
Tsukasa is a bit of a sad sack, but his apparent awareness of it adds some depth to his character. His relationship with Shizuri gives the show a charming centre, even when everything around them gets ridiculous.
Positives
- Easy to keep watching: It’s light, entertaining and kept me watching well beyond my usual three-episode trial. - Funny and charming: The comedy works for me, and there’s a charm to the central relationship. - High-energy opening: The opening music immediately grabbed me and gets each episode off to a strong start.
Negatives
-Familiar character stereotypes: The ninjas tend to have fairly typical personalities. They’re entertaining, but so far they don’t feel particularly original. - Tsukasa doesn’t ask enough questions: Why are the Yoma after him? What does it mean for his life? He accepts some fairly major revelations with surprisingly little curiosity.
Verdict
I went into this expecting to give it three episodes, and now I’m nine episodes in. Despite the heavy fan service and familiar character types, the comedy, charm and fun premise have kept me watching.
It’s a very light, easy watch that has been more enjoyable than I expected. I’m definitely carrying on — I just hope it doesn’t turn weird.
