.
Back again.
Pockey's back.
Tell a friend.
As you may have noticed, I've decided to be a bit more selective with the animanga I review. This poses the question: why this?
Well, dear reader, for good two months, I felt like an utter sack of shit. Neither watching nor reviewing anime were anywhere near the top of my priorities. Now, I've recently started the next installment of a beloved series, I'm considering finally getting around to watching more Gundam, and I'm gearing up for a pretty packed summer. What connects these two moments was the show I'm reviewing now, Love After World Domination.
World After World Domination centers on Fudo, the leader of the sentai-esque group known as Gelato 5, and Desumi, a general of a supervillain group with aims of world domination — Gekko. As per their positions, Fudo and Desumi are sworn enemies, destined to do battle time and time again, gaining and losing ground in the eternal battle of good vs. evil. In short, it makes date night a bit awkward. Because unbeknownst to Gelato 5 nor Gekko, Desumi and Fudo are dating. The show is focused on the couple's attempts to keep their forbidden romance under wraps and the shenanigans that ensue. We watch as Desumi and Fudo sneak away from fights to hang out, don disguises during downtime to go on dates, and help one another deal with the pressures of their careers.
While the premise is certainly interesting, it's not phenomenal. On paper, Love After World Domination is a cute romcom, nothing more, nothing less. But the magic is in the execution. None of the parts that make up Love After World Domination are exceptional, but they're each lovely enough to make a very pleasant whole.
Take something as simple as Desumi and Fudo's relationship. Our two leads are established as a couple in the first episode, sparing us the agony of watching countless episodes of people we know will get together and make piecemeal progress towards a foregone conclusion.
Like an infomercial, I'm here to tell you, "but wait, there's more!" Love After World Domination not only treats us to an established relationship, but it treats us with a well-written established relationship. Too often, romantic comedies derive their conflict from misunderstandings that are intended to be comedic but come across as anything but. These misunderstandings generally pit the two leads against one another until they actually talk things out at the end of the episode. Thanks to the show's premise, this frustrating trope isn't possible here. By and large, Fudo and Desumi must juggle their love lives on top of their duties to make sure their respective groups don't catch wind of their relationship. Ergo, the conflicts are largely external instead of internal, necessitating the need to work together to overcome their problems. While it might not sound like much, this really goes a long way in helping me believe that these two people can function as a couple. There are several instances where we look to be heading in tropey, cliche direction (such as an episode in which someone attempts to make it seem as though Fudo is cheating on Desumi), only for our leads to actually communicate with one another, diffusing the situation. It's not only a breathof fresh air, but it's executed in such a way that gives the show a subtle swagger — it knows it's a breath of fresh air.
The nature of the conflict and how it relates to Desumi and Fudo's relationship also goes a long way in creating jokes that are actually funny. I can't help but laugh when Desumi and Fudo are in some abandoned building having a loving chat, only for Desumi to begin beating him senseless for show as their comrades find them. Is it silly? For sure, but rom coms are supposed to be silly. It's all about creating comedy in a way that doesn't hurt the romance, and Love After World Domination succeeds.
But don't go thinking it's all fluff. Believe it or not, amidst this lighthearted comedy, we do get some fairly poignant bits of internal struggle. Take episode six, for example. In it, Desumi is offered the chance to turn into a monster, which would make her stronger. Desumi not wanting to turn into a monster is obviously a metaphor for not wanting a promotion. The show handles this well, too. Yeah, you know a mile away that she isn't going to go for it, but the beauty is the reason why. Another show would frame her decision to not get the promotion exclusively as wanting to stay with her boyfriend, here the fact that she wouldn't be able to partake in her interests — such as painting her nails and knitting — is the core reason why she declines the transformation.
The final point of praise I'll heap on the relationship is how organic it feels in terms of development. They become more comfortable with one another in the course of a single-cour anime and this feels huge. Plus, they're actually affectionate toward one another instead of practically dying of embarrassment when they brush shoulders.
The characters themselves aren't terribly deep, but they work well enough for the show they're in. Speaking of the characters, I was pleasantly surprised by how much focus some of the secondary characters received.
That said, the focus could definitely be lopsided, with Desumi's allies getting more focus than Fudo's. In fact, I'd say Desumi's side was given more spotlight as a whole. Her organization is more fleshed out than Fudo's and Fudo is often helping her more than vice-versa. It's nice seeing him help get her out of her shell, but if there's a second season, I'd hope we get to see more of a balance.
The most contentious element of this show is probably the fanservice. Desumi has a sexualized outfit, complete with a garterbelt and plenty of skin. It definitely errs towards NSFW but, I don't know, I found it tasteful, all things considered? The camera work itself is rarely leery, feeling less like she's made to be gazed upon by a salivating outfit and more she's just a woman who happens to have an appealing outfit. Your mileage will obviously vary. I've become desensitized to fanservice and I've been called a pervert for liking her outfit
¯\\(ツ)/¯
All in all, this is a cute show that can back up its heart with wit. Love After World Domination probably won't blow you away, but it might just surprise you, and if you're anything like me, it'll be good enough to make you smile.
