Elegant Yokai Apartment Life Episodes 2 + 3: This Anime is in Need of a Better Protagonist

Review Episode 2:

Inaba is getting used to the apartment and meeting more of the residents but there are two things that stop me from really getting into this episode early on. Despite all the different kinds of yokai literally floating around the apartment complex the only characters we’re really engaging with are either human or are ghosts with pretty much human appearance. It’s an incredibly wasted opportunity and while Inaba might later on interact more with the other residents, at this point it is more like he’s just kind of hovering on the edge of the complex rather than living in it. The second reason I’m not loving it is Inaba himself.

We get a brief glimpse of his background but he is kind of dull as a protagonist and even as a character he is more random classmate number 7 rather than someone you would pay attention to. The end of this episode kind of tried to bring in some needed drama and tension but mostly this episode was a bit of a snore.

Review Episode 3:

The third episode was far more enjoyable but I’m still not really enjoying the protagonist here. And I’m not really sure what random classmate guy is up to but I’m guessing something because otherwise he is just a really annoying character.

This episode definitely hit a more emotional tone but they were working overtime to hit you with that. Cute kid ghost, tragic childhood and early death, pursued even after death by a mother who no longer remembers even being human… They were seriously driving home the ‘feels’ part of the story.

All and all, this show has so far been watchable but hasn’t really managed to be anything particularly special. It would be fine if it stayed this way as I’d watch through the season, but I’d really like to see it improve and make use of the introduced characters and a setting that should be inherently interesting but is so far kind of just okay.

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Thanks,

Karandi James.