The Beautiful Romance Anime No One Is Watching

The Duke of Death and His Maid is a beautiful and cleverly written romance anime where the two main characters are cursed to never touch.

Sometimes life is frustrating, unfair and just outright baffling. Currently, the second season of The Duke of Death and His Maid is airing, and once again, it's failing to reach the audience it deserves. For example, on the aggregator website animekarmawatch, The Duke of Death and His Maid has consistently ranked outside the top 20 anime for the season, and it's a crying shame. The Duke of Death and His Maid is a deftly written anime that carefully balances humor, romance, and the sad backstories of the two lead characters without ever veering toward melancholy.

Viktor and Alice, the anime's two lead characters, make a perfect couple but are fated to never touch. Viktor, the titular Duke of Death, was cursed at a young age so that anything he touches dies. Alice, his romantic interest, continually pushes boundaries, teasing and trying to close the distance between them. Their relationship is both unique and heartwarming and, along with an array of other well-developed characters, makes The Duke of Death and His Maid an anime worth watching.

Viktor and Alice Are a Perfect Couple

Alice and Viktor are perfect for one another. In a way, they are akin to an older and more mature Takagi and Nishikata from the anime Teasing Master Takagi-san. Viktor is a soft-spoken, caring man who is always respectful, and Alice, while sweet and respectful, regularly finds ways to push Viktor's boundaries whenever she is around him. Viktor never complains, feels angry, resentful, or develops any feelings of hostility. They are a rare example of a healthy, emotionally balanced couple who accept their own shortcomings and work together to overcome any difficulties they may face.

While Viktor is bashful and romantically immature, he's been denied the opportunities to have emotional closeness that most people experience throughout their lives. At a young age, Viktor was forced to move into a mansion away from his family. His only social contact was with his butler, Rob, and later, Alice. For Viktor, this isolation must have been traumatizing, feeling that his existence could only bring pain and suffering. Alice's actions of closeness may not only be driven by a romantic interest but also as a way of showing him that he deserves to be loved. Viktor knows this, and it's clear they are a perfect couple for one another.

The Touch of Death is a Killer Concept

One of the bigger issues that concept anime faces is balance. If the theme is pushed too hard, the creators run the risk of the idea becoming stale or overwhelming; on the other hand, if creators underutilize it, viewers may feel they have strayed too far away from the core concept. The Duke of Death and His Maid navigates this issue with aplomb. While the touch of death concept always lingers in the background, directing the overall flow of the story, it isn't always the focus during any given episode.

The Duke of Death has a wonderful array of characters to draw upon. Rob, Viktor's butler, has cared deeply for Viktor all of his life. Viktor's two younger siblings, Viola and Walter, are portrayed as products of their family environment. Walter's dislike of Viktor stems from an inferiority complex toward his older brother. Viola, on the other hand, doesn't have a complex but has an entitled attitude that stems from a life of having servants attend to her every need. Throughout the series, the two siblings grow and adapt, coming to terms with some of their misguided or immature qualities. Eventually, they begin to grow closer to their older brother in their own unique ways, even though they had been taught from a young age to keep a safe distance between themselves and Viktor.

During slower moments, Alice will often do something unexpected yet completely in character. Heavier dialogue is often offset by light-hearted moments of humor. If the lights go out, Alice will use this as an opportunity to move closer to Viktor. If he is asleep, she might poke his face with a pen. The Duke of Death draws humor from a harmony of disharmony; Viktor displays his love at a safe distance, and Alice does the opposite. Fortunately, while the story is driven by this melancholic theme, the series somehow uses darker undertones to emphasize the warm and caring personalities of its main characters.

The Duke of Death is a CGI Anime Done Well

When most people think of CGI anime, it usually doesn't paint a positive image. The reason for this is that CGI animation is an inherently different style to 2D animation, creating a style that often has an unnatural, synthetic quality as well as lacking the fluidity of 2D animation. Recently, though, there has been a spate of well-done CGI anime, such as Trigun Stampede, Baki, and Beastars. Similarly, The Duke of Death and His Maid shows what CGI can achieve when it's used right. The combination of bright colors and 3D animation gives it a unique style that stands out from other anime. This, combined with the 2D backdrops, enables the focus to naturally be drawn toward the characters on screen.

This effect seems to enhance the mood in every scene. When a character shows emotion such as shock, the unique style, focus on the characters, and bright colors all work in tandem, making any reaction feel more dramatic and humorous. Rather than holding The Duke of Death back, the effective usage of CGI gives it a fresh look that stands out from other anime in the romance genre. However, that isn't to say that some fans will require a period of adjustment. Watching 3D anime, regardless of how effective a style may be, can be distracting at first due to the style being unfamiliar. After a few episodes, though, the strengths of the animation style will become more apparent.

The Duke of Death's continued lack of popularity is surprising, especially since this is now the second season and, once again, it's failing to find a wider audience. The main themes of the anime, such as love, acceptance, and overcoming life's challenges, are relatable ones. The storyline is interesting and engaging, weaving humor, romance, and darker themes into the narrative.

Unfortunately, even though this is the most wholesome anime of the season, The Duke of Death and His Maid won't appeal to everyone. While the CGI animation may be initially unappealing for those who are unfamiliar with the style, most viewers will grow comfortable with the style after a few episodes and, potentially, may even like it. This anime, just like Viktor, deserves to be loved.