Director: Akitaro Daichi
Starring: Shinnosuke Tchibana, J. Michael Tatum, Suzuko Mimori, Tia Ballard, Akemi Okamura, Anastasia Munoz, Akira Ishida, Joel McDonald, Chika Ookubo, Josh Grelle, Daisuke Kishio, Sean O’Connor
Running Time: 325 minutes
Certificate: 12
Kamisama Kiss takes us to a world of gods, but offers up a gentle and enjoyable slice of confused teenage romance. The series starts off with what could have been a very depressing set-up, but instead offers a rather comedic slant on just how quickly we have exposition thrown at us. Nanami becomes evicted from her home after her gambling father runs off having not paid his debts. Nanami soon saves a stranger from a pesky dog and he agrees to give her his house, only for said house to turn out to be a shrine. Having accepted the man’s offer, she is now the god of the shrine.
The idea of having such responsibility thrust upon you is an intriguing concept made all the more enjoyable due to Nanami’s sudden turn of fortune: from fatherless homeless girl to god. The way Nanami reacts to such a change in lifestyle also contributes a lot to the drama and comedy. Nanami also becomes put upon by the likes of the previous god’s familiar, a yokai (demon) named Tomoe. He puts Nanami through her paces and thankfully she comes out on top.
The continuous trajectory of the series is rather formulaic, with each episode generally centered around another god who sees Nanami as unworthy. This of course leads to events in which Nanami proves her worth. Nanami is a very likeable character, and one whom fully deserves the respect she gains throughout the show. However, the constant need for Nanami’s approval also seems to continue for too long. Luckily for us, more intense plotlines do begin to form towards the end of this collection, requiring longer story arcs.
The simplicity of Kamisama Kiss only adds to its charm as do the brilliant vocal performances from both language casts. It won’t add anything to any devoted anime fans’ collections, but for those hoping to delve into a gentle series where you don’t have to think too hard, this is probably a safe purchase.
[usr=3]Kamisama Kiss is released on DVD on 14th July from MVM.
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