Romantic Killer – Season 1 Episode 2 Recap & Review

It’s Time for Children to Go to Sleep

Episode 2 of Romantic Killer begins with Tsukasa offering Anzu his umbrella to help her avoid getting wet. Anzu believes this is a part of Riri’s plan to get them closer, so she denies his offer. After some bickering, Tsukasa holds the umbrella for her as they head to Tsukasa’s place.

The situation reminds Anzu of a romantic subplot from a video game where girls dream of sharing an umbrella with an Ikemen. Anzu vows not to give in to any romantic temptations. At Tsukasa’s place, Anzu conjures a scheme to dream about attractive video game characters to avoid falling for Tsukasa. However, that attempt fails instantly. Anzu embarrassingly explains to Tsukasa why she fled her home.

Tsukasa can’t help but laugh at her funny facial reactions. Anzu was surprised by his relaxing demeanor and never thought she’d see him smile. She starts falling for Tsukasa but conjures up a mental image of Momohiki to cover up Tsukasa’s charm. Tsukasa asks Anzu if she wants him to get rid of the roach, but Anzu doesn’t want to look needy. Tsukasa assumes she’s avoiding him because she destroyed his phone.

He tells her it’s okay because he’ll replace it anyway. After some convincing, Anzu tells Tsukasa that she wants him to get rid of the roach. Tsukasa gives Anzu his jacket, causing Anzu’s mental image of Momoshiki to fade.  At Anzu’s house, Tsukasa searches for the roach while Anzu’s distraught at the fact that an Ikemen is in her house. Anzu tackles Tsukasa to the ground because she thinks the bug is nearby.

Unfortunately, it was only a lens cover for a camera as she finds herself in a romantic position with Tsukasa. Suddenly, the roach arrives, startling Anzu. She screams in fear as Tsukasa manages to destroy it. As Tsukasa departs, he reveals that they’re both high-school freshmen. He asks Anzu not to ignore him while they’re in school.

As Tsukasa attempts to leave, they discover a severe rainstorm brewing in her city. Tsukasa decides to crash at Anzu’s place for the night. Anzu worries about the situation because she doesn’t want to develop feelings for Tsukasa. The two grow hungry, so Anzu decides it’s best to make her and Tsukasa a meal. Before she starts cooking, Riri arrives and taunts her.

Anzu slams him into the wall with a frying pan and asks Riri if he’s responsible for all of this. Riri confirms he planned everything from the roach to the storm. Anzu tells Riri not to involve the whole city, but Riri promises he’ll adjust the damage. After some bickering, Anzu whips out soup for her and Tsukasa to spite Riri’s romantic dinner plans. 

Anzu knows she can’t escape Riri’s love trap, so she decides it’s best to play along. She asks Tsukasa to stay at her place, and he accepts. Anzu gives Tsukasa her father’s clothes and lets him take a bath. When he’s out of the room, Riri appears and taunts Anzu more. After Anzu finishes her bath, she enters the living room sporting a nerdy get-up.

By looking unimpressive, she can avoid any romantic contact with Tsukasa. She taunts Riri, who finds her strategy bold. The two decide to play some board games to pass the time. They end up playing a competitive board game resembling The Game of Life since it requires no strategy and full-on luck. The loser must make the winner’s school lunch.

Unfortunately, Riri tampers with the game and helps Tsukasa claim victory. While Anzu starts making his meal, Tsukasa asks her if he can help since he lost most of the games they played beforehand. He asks her if she can make him an omelet. Anzu’s omelet doesn’t turn out well compared to Tsukasa’s beef wraps. Anzu loves them.

Tsukasa confirms he works a part-time job as a chef at a bar. Anzu’s amazed at their lunchboxes and starts realizing he isn’t as bad as she thought. Although Anzu’s happy to be friends with him, she’s determined not to fall in love. Riri arrives and is disappointed that Anzu and Tsukasa have taken it up a notch regarding their romance.

Anzu tells him that she’s not falling for any of his tricks. Riri bonks her head with his flower wand, putting her to sleep. Tsukasa enters the room and tries to wake Anzu up. After several attempts, he gives up and decides to leave her resting. He ponders how much fun he had with Anzu. The episode concludes with him staring at Anzu while she’s sleeping. 

The Episode Review

This episode followed up the previous one in a relaxing and energetic manner. This show knows how to make mundane activities feel eventful. This episode gave us more spotlight on Tsukasa, making him feel more wholesome than he appeared previously. Anzu continues to be a delight despite her character feeling too rowdy occasionally.

This episode did spark some red flags regarding Riri’s character. Despite having magical powers, he doesn’t interfere with Anzu’s affairs as much as I hoped. We know very little of what he can do as a wizard due to the series’ lack of explanation of his powers. The fact that he allowed Anzu to participate in game-like activities doesn’t sit right with me.

Furthermore, there were times when Riri could’ve done something to provoke more romantic tension between Anzu and Tsukasa. Otherwise, this episode had some stellar humorous segments and fun video-game-like visuals. Many will adore seeing Anzu conjure up video game-like strategies to avoid getting intimate with Tsukasa.

At the same time, seeing Anzu struggle to make a proper meal and hold a decent conversation may feel relatable to some folks. While there are some issues with Riri’s character, his dynamic with Anzu works to evoke laughter from its audience. Hopefully, the next episode sees Riri step up his game.