Hikikomari kjúkecuki no monmon

The last anime I watched in 2023 left me with some mixed feelings. On one hand, I found Terakomari quite likable; she struck me as cute and endearing. In both design and behavior, she even reminded me a bit of Taiga from Toradora!, a character I really adore. However, on the other hand, I was somewhat bothered by the fact that half of the characters seemed fixated on getting intimately close to the heroine, leading to occasional cheap fan service and various innuendos. Given the physique of the main character and my lack of interest in costumes and maids, it becomes a bit of a hurdle for me, something that doesn't quite resonate. The concept of death, or rather "when you die, you'll be back in a while," doesn't particularly appeal to me either. Thanks to it, there's a lack of fear for anyone, nothing feels final, and I understand the dark organization's motive to break this system – which might not be where the story intended to lead me. At least the characters don't behave entirely irresponsibly, and the series consistently emphasizes that nobody actually wants to die because dying, in general, isn't pleasant. What did work for me was the humor, or simply the whole premise built on the weakest vampire having to behave like the strongest warrior in the world. It brought a smile to my face at the beginning, along with some other gags that revolved around it. The animation surprised me; while it mostly looked ordinary, the creative team clearly put effort into important scenes. As a result, some fights actually looked quite vivid, colorful, and intense. I particularly enjoyed the final one with lots of swords, probably because of Unlimited Blade Works. Overall, it's a slightly above-average show for me. 5.5/10. (31.12.2023)