Although I haven't finished the series, I have seen enough to recognize its faults.The focus, romance, and characters are its biggest disappointment.
Characters and Romance
Oh my goodness, I don't know where to start with this. I believe that this element is the anime's weakest point. The main protagonists are boring cheap copies of other vampire-human romance.
Taira is an empty shell of a character, whose only purpose is to act as Anzai's love interest. Seriously. A Mary Sue character, just as forgettable as my pending assignments. I would even say that if she was to be taken out, the anime would've still flowed the same way.
Anzai is your typical brooding mysterious vampire. Though it is the cliche, "I am a tortured soul with a dark past", he is far more interesting than Taira.
I can't support the romance between the two at all. I prefer a slow burn romance, and their insta-love story is quite rapey and creepy too. In the first episode, literally probably an hour after they first met, Anzai kisses Taira. You would think that Taira would pull away, probably smack some sense into him and stay the hell away from him. But no! She just sits wide-eyed, and even catches feelings for him! I will at least give her a single clap for hitting him with her bag, but she hits him for using tongue in their kiss! Nope, that's not it. There's more! Anzai is not only a sexual assaulter, he also is a creepy ass stalker! Surprise!
He freaking visits her through her balcony at night, smells her hair while she's sleeping, and get this, he scolds her for trusting a stranger! Haha, as if he was one to talk. I just feel plain uncomfortable in the "cute" scenes. She stares at him wide-eyed, blushing lots, as this rapist-stalker kisses and hugs her. But that's okay, he's hot anyways! Jeez, honestly I find myself laughing most of the time.
I understand that their bond grew slightly as they had been spending time together for 2 months, but it would've allowed for a deeper and more complex relationship if the author allowed it to develop while the mystery was ongoing. But I just can't support a relationship that stemmed from a forced upon kiss on the night they met, and the guy stalking her all the time.
Focus
It's such a shame because this anime had a lot of potential to become more enjoyable. Anzai being a police officer brought a lot of excitement for me, thinking that I will be swept into an enticing mystery. I thought that it had a lot of potential to go into a similar storyline of Death Note, wherein there is a conflict of ideals from both ends. Unfortunately, the writer chose to highlight the lack luster romance more. I almost dropped this series as the first few episodes was dedicated to developing the relationship between Anzai and Taira. (I had to google her name because of how forgettable she is. I will delve into this more in the character section)
I will say, though, that by the 4th episode, the storyline begins to pick up, bringing a thrill for the viewers. However, I believe that the writer could've captivate the viewers by the first episode by developing Anzai and Taira's relationship slowly as the storyline moves forward. I would love to see this being rewritten in this manner.
Final Thoughts
Though the romance and characters are lack luster, I will say, though, that I will continue to watch this anime, and maybe read the manga. Thankfully, the author caught my attention just in time with the introduction of a new character and the thrill of action. I would've wished for less focus, or better yet none at all (please delete Taira from the series, no from existence, and it will become better), romance as I definitely see the potential in this plot. You can't exactly trust me, as I have not watched nor read the whole thing yet. I will be back with a more updated review.
