I forced myself to keep going after the good improvements in episode 2 and the MC’s new look, but I still find far too many things confusing and frustrating. Martial arts and magic are supposed to play a major role in this world, yet after 4 episodes the only “fight” I’ve seen was against some thugs in episode 1 if that even counts... For anyone coming for combat, that’s disappointing.
Then there’s the tone. I can’t tell if the world is meant to be mature and dangerous or not. The MC has flashbacks of killing gang members and being this ruthless killer, but in the present he cracks lame jokes, avoids confrontation, has zero self-respect, and just laughs off insults even from small-time thugs or an old lady threatening him with death (I can't stand her between us). Honestly, at this point, I almost wish his curse would just take him out.
Think about it, a kid who grows up in a violent world, kills people young, and supposedly trains in combat every day doesn’t turn into a goofy nice guy. Either he becomes emotionally numb and sarcastic at best, or he goes completely unhinged to a psychopath who does whatever he wants without letting anyone walk over him, at least without any form of structure to contain it. Especially if he’s as powerful as the story claims and has no parents or master to keep him grounded. With that setup, you don’t get someone who avoids fights and loves helping people and hugs. (Watch The Boys if you want a good example of what absolute power really does to people.)
And why even bother putting him in a school if we never see him attend class, study, or interact with this so-called group of dangerous girls ? All we really see is him taking out the trash... As for the girls themselves, they mostly threaten or disrespect him, which makes it impossible to get attached to any of them except maybe Melanie.
Then there’s Yuki. Honestly, she feels mentally unstable. She follows the MC everywhere like a dog without thinking. He says he wants to stay low-profile, and the first thing she does is move in with him. She has the mindset of a child but the power of one of the most dangerous people in the city. That’s basically like giving an AK-47 to a kid. We see the results with the guy in the bike helmet, who says she almost killed him and calls her extremely dangerous. But instead of addressing the problem, the MC blames the victim because he insulted her. Really ? I love my dog too, but that doesn’t mean I let him jump on every mailman or pee on the carpet. The MC should be training her, not excusing everything she does.
And let’s not even get started on the so-called rival family. They walk into a negotiation with an enemy gang on their turf without weapons or protection. I can’t understand how they’ve survived this long. Of course, the other side took one of their family members hostage without a shred of resistance, what a shocker !
I could go on, but I’ll stop here. Bottom line, if you want to build a strong world, don’t copy Japanese manga heroes. They’re not good role models. There’s a reason most of them are 15 years old immature, shallow, and lacking depth...
PS: If you want another good example of an experienced and dangerous killer who doesn’t let himself get treated like a doormat, I recommend Dogma. Really good MC and memorable.