A supernatural romance anime, called The Duke of Death and His Maid, whose third season is currently simulcasting on Crunchyroll has been going strong – and for good reason. Its main premise naturally justifies its ongoing use of a trend that saturates the romance genre, which is a classic for a reason, but normally wears out its welcome halfway through the first season of most series. However, The Duke of Death‘s unique spin on this trope not only successfully maintains but increases its overall appeal the longer it lasts, which the anime delivers both comically and tragically, to incredible effect.
Namely, the eponymous duke was cursed by a witch to kill anyone and anything he touches, making it difficult for him to be in a real relationship with his love interest, Alice Lendrott.
The trope that this anime therefore justifies is the one where the guy gets flustered every time a beautiful girl gets close to him, which naturally prevents him from also kissing her. In addition to the pervasive male befuddlement trope that’s been used in series like My Hero Academia with Deku and Ochako, most rom-coms save “the kiss” for season finales to build excitement and anticipation. After a while, romance critics get annoyed the longer this dynamic persists, and even those who appreciate the trope eventually lose steam, but that’s not the case in The Duke of Death and His Maid.
The Duke of Death and His Maid’s Incredible Depiction of Love, Tragedy and Comedy
Produced by J.C. Staff & Shogakukan Music & Digital Entertainment; based on the original manga by Koharu Inoue
Aside from the series’ now-iconic opening that alluded to their true feelings from the beginning, the seriousness of the duke and Alice’s relationship isn’t officially solidified until mid-way through the first season, allowing their relationship to steadily grow. This is somewhat uncharacteristic of most rom-coms, since almost every couple seems to be frustratingly stuck in a perpetual static state.
The Duke of Death and His Maid is still uplifting, made possible in part by the many other heartwarming relationships they form with family members and other witches… that’s what makes this Crunchyroll series so special and also so hauntingly beautiful.
Initially, their relationship is portrayed as a superficial one, where Alice’s main shtick is akin to most hiyakasudere types. As a hiyakasudere, she enjoys and tries to get the duke befuddled whenever possible, and the duke reacts the way he does for classic rom-com reasons and since he doesn’t want to kill her. However, it soon becomes apparent that Alice truly loves him, which adds a whole other depressing layer to her actions and status as a hiyakasudere.
This is especially the case because the reactions she makes in private or when the duke is able to cut through her exterior prove that her unshakable pleasant demeanor she exhibits as though she’s just aiming to please as a maid, along with both the coy, playfulness and sometimes almost nonchalant, matter-of-fact efforts she makes to tease him are ostensibly just a facade, most likely for his benefit; and possibly, even for hers. Sometimes, her “real” emotions slip through.
Remarkably, this whole dynamic is implies, and only occasionally takes center stage, allowing the humor to drive the tone for the majority of the series, even though the dramatic premise remains at the back of everyone’s minds. Similarly, it eventually becomes clear that the duke isn’t just physically attracted to Alice or just intimidated by her overbearing nature, but that he legitimately loves her, compounding this duality between drama and humor even further.
The fact that both Alice and the duke not only love each other but have actually expressed their true feelings out loud so that there are no misconceptions between them is a rarity in rom-coms. However, the curse creates yet another unique situation out of this already rare occurrence. Once a rom-com couple finally admits to each other how they feel and drops an official love confession, a kiss is typically not too far behind.
If one doesn’t take place, it gets increasingly difficult to convince an audience why it hasn’t. In The Duke of Death and His Maid, it isn’t just justified, but turns out to be even more depressing and tragic. And yet, the Duke of Death and His Maid is still uplifting, made possible in part by the many other heartwarming relationships they form with family members and other witches, and that’s what makes this Crunchyroll series so special and also so hauntingly beautiful.
