Shiro Seijo to Kuro Bokushi

Did you enjoy highschool romance? How about workplace romance? Well get ready for fucking church romance. Saint Cecilia and Pastor Lawrance or Shiro Seijo to Kuro Bokushi is a unique romance anime in a mix between a fantasy world and reality featuring a small European village’s pastor and a “lady saint” in a strange marketable Christian show adapted from a 4-koma.

Plot 6/10
The show is extremely simple. It’s a romance show, there isn’t much story. Cecilia is missionary of God who helps the people. After a long struggle to save a community causes her to become exhausted, she ends up in a small village where ... the local community’s backbone, a church’s pastor – Lawrance – takes her in and looks after her throughout the rest of the show. I can’t say I really cared for all the religious references, but the utter overprotective and adorable nature of their relationship really saves what little story was; so, you can pretty much forgive it not existing. The simple nature of the story does allow it to develop slightly and give way to an element of mystery as it explains some concepts such as “divine protection” and a few characters backstories, but unfortunately by the time it does that all you want to see is Lawrance and Cecilia interacting.

Characters 7/10
The show is mainly centred around this lovely close-knit community featuring a few notable characters. Cecilia is absolutely adorable, and all her interactions are the only reason you’d be watching this show. She has a fair bit of depth behind all of the extremely red faces, a “lady saint” – a messenger of God sent to protect the people who can bestow her protection on people and someone who can’t stop lazing around when not having to put on the extreme sparkle-inducing front that is the Lady Saint. Lawrence is the village’s pastor and the backbone of the village, he gives more to the table than the average black haired self-insert but is still dense as ever when it comes to any form of romance. The other main pair – Haiselita & Abel don’t really scream romantic interactions at all but provide a nice straight reality into the romcom problems experienced by the 2 main characters. I quite enjoyed these two as Abel is designed to be a “tutor” but is the stupidest character in the show and Hasielita is some fancy rich noble with an obsessive sister-complex brother; she is pretty much the embodiment of the audience getting irritated at how dense Lawrence is. As a result of such contrast, the chemistry they provide is great. Finally, the cast of side characters doesn’t leave much room for desires. A dress maker and her son, a fortune teller and several other reappearing characters heighten the show and solidifies that close-knit community that gives the show a great feeling to watch.

Art & Animation 7/10
It looks good - It’s not bad, It’s not amazing. Just good. The art style aims to be quite vibrant and cutesy which it does well - quite nice to look at.

Music & Sound 7/10
Still Pretty okay, the intro and outro aren’t Spotify playlist material by any means but they get the job done. I’m not even going to lie to you I did not pick up on the background music as well – I suppose it succeeded on the “background” quite well.

Closing Thoughts
Well I never expected Christianity to be marketed in an anime, but I think they’ve done it well. If you hate romcoms - don’t even try it. If you like romcoms – give it a shot, this could be one of the better shows where you want to punch the main character for being so dense. I personally had quite a bit of fun watching this, the interactions cured my daily depression and the anime resulted in 0 progress between Cecilia and Lawrence.

Score: 7/10 - Good

Title: A Charming Blend of Fantasy and Romance: Saint Cecilia and Pastor Lawrence Review

Saint Cecilia and Pastor Lawrence is a delightful addition to the world of casual fantasy romance anime, offering a heartwarming and consistently charming viewing experience. With average animation, the series focuses on its endearing characters and the blossoming romance that unfolds between them, making it an ideal choice for fans of slice-of-life narratives.

The animation quality, while not groundbreaking, serves its purpose in bringing the fantastical world of Saint Cecilia and Pastor Lawrence to life. While it may not boast the visual spectacle of some high-budget productions, the series compensates with its attention ... to character development and emotional storytelling.

The characters are a highlight of the show, providing an enjoyable and relatable experience for viewers. The titular characters, Saint Cecilia and Pastor Lawrence, are well-crafted and endearing, each contributing their own unique charm to the narrative. However, the male love interest, Pastor Lawrence, may come across as more than a bit oblivious, adding a touch of humor to the romantic elements.

What sets Saint Cecilia and Pastor Lawrence apart is its commitment to maintaining a consistent level of romance throughout the entire season. Viewers looking for a romantic storyline that doesn't waver or lose its momentum will find satisfaction in the unwavering dedication to the central love story.

The series caters specifically to fans of slice-of-life, offering a relaxed and easygoing narrative that immerses viewers in the everyday lives of its characters. The fantasy elements add a touch of magic to the otherwise ordinary world, creating a unique blend that sets it apart from more traditional romance anime.

In conclusion, Saint Cecilia and Pastor Lawrence may not boast groundbreaking animation, but it more than compensates with its endearing characters and a romance that remains consistently enjoyable, but does not develop deeper, from the beginning to the end of Season 1. For those who appreciate a casual fantasy romance with a slice-of-life feel, this anime offers a comforting and charming escape into a world where love takes center stage.

This show started off well enough, but quickly fell off the rails with it's annoying and frustrating moments that eclipsed the more cuter and wholesome acts, and never really got back on track again.

I was quite looking forward to this show, in an already packed Summer 2023 season. As a studio, Doga Kobo is a personal favorite of mine, so I was more than willing to check out Shiro Seijo to Kuro Bokushi. They are the creme de la creme of CGDCT and/or wholesome slow life anime at the moment, the synopsis reaffirming my feelings once again, anticipating another relaxing and funny Doga Kobo ... adaptation. They "heal" you, so to speak, washing away the stress and exhaustion of another day of slaving away at work, unfortunately, there was no such healing this time around.

The sole reason is Lawrence, one of the two main characters in this show and our Male protagonist. He's also voiced by Kaito Ishikawa, somebody that I am so sick of hearing these days, it feels like he's in every 3rd show I watch, it was a double whammy personally, punched in the gut twice.

The reason I didn't like Lawrence, was simply because of how dense he was. Whether it be towards Cecilia's obvious feelings for him, friends throwing hints or questioning him, etc, it just did not matter, this dude took thick-headedness to the next level. Think of any other dense MC you know of and times that by ten, that's Lawrence. As a direct result to all this, Lawrence acts like a worried and overprotective parent all damn season, no matter what Cecilia did or didn't do, it was overbearing and frustrating to watch, which made it difficult to care or enjoy the small sparks of romance that would sporadically happen every now and then. "Seijo Sama, careful where you walk, Seijo Sama, leave some space for dinner, Seijo Sama, time to get up now, Seijo Sama Seijo Sama Seijo Sama", literally a parent taking care of a child.

This sort of density wouldn't usually bother me so much, in such a laid back anime, an anime that lacks a serious plot, and I felt that way in the first couple episodes, but it really just got to be too much. It's more of a threshold thing IMO, some won't care at all, others won't be able to stand it. It seemed so counterproductive to me, you want to relax or laugh, but then Lawrence does something moronic for the 127th time, ruining any chance of relaxation lol...He does show tiny amounts of progress, and you do get something out of it in the final episode, but by then I was already long gone.

It is a very aesthetically pleasing anime, I will give it that. Adorable character designs, simplistic but vibrant artwork, cozy enough soundtrack, it ticks all the boxes there. I don't think I've ever been let down by Doga Kobo in this regard.

Overall, it was a pretty disappointing experience, Hazano Kazutake's first adaptation excluding artwork that they've done for other projects like "The Angel Next Door". I won't say just stick to art, but their first story was a miss for me. 5/10.