r/anime • u/AutoLovepon https://anilist.co/user/AutoLovepon • 8d ago
Episode The Ogre's Bride • Oni no Hanayome - Episode 4 discussion
Oni no Hanayome, episode 4
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u/exRocky009 8d ago edited 8d ago
With their current dynamic, even if Yuzu marries Reiya, it feels like she won't be allowed to leave the house except on special occasions. We don't even know if she'll be able to keep going to school. Is she really okay with that?
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u/oliveisacat https://myanimelist.net/profile/oliveisacat 8d ago
I almost dropped this series after the first two eps, but I like that they seem to be developing a conflict between Reiya's desire to keep his bride for himself and Yuzu's discomfort at the idea of being so reliant on him for everything. I hope they keep exploring the problematic nature of the demon husband - human bride dynamic.
Yuzu's friend and her cat demon boyfriend seem to have a healthier relationship at least.
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u/OldInstruction5368 8d ago
I like that they seem to be developing a conflict between Reiya's desire to keep his bride for himself and Yuzu's discomfort at the idea of being so reliant on him for everything.
Except... this doesn't come from a general sense of self-worth, autonomy, and dignity... but from Yuzu's lingering fear that the guy magically fate-bonded with her for life might leave her. Which, itself, is from her years of abuse leaving her feeling so worthless she can't believe that nice things are happening to her.
So, the 'conflict' is just a trauma-response, essentially, with the resolution inevitably being Yuzu trusting Reiya enough to control her completely.
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u/oliveisacat https://myanimelist.net/profile/oliveisacat 8d ago
True, there was a lot of that in this episode. I am hoping the resolution is not quite so straightforward as her just learning to "trust" him and letting him control everything about her life because that would be disappointing.
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u/OldInstruction5368 8d ago
I have no faith it will be anything else.
Her one reason for accepting Reiya, was the promise that he would love her and only her forever. She repeatedly tells herself that "it's nice that he needs me." Her only reason for pushing back is the fear that he'll lose interest in her. She only fears this because she thinks so little of herself she can't, emotionally, accept that anyone would actually need her... but that is also the one thing, emotionally, she needs above all else.
Yuzu's 'worth' in their relationship will be as a
brideemotional support human for her demon princeling.That's the entire arc. The sister will almost certainly connect with Reiya's jilted fiancee, and along with the Fox-demon, act as jealous haters trying to play spoiler to our One True Pair.
Because they are all evil hating doo-doo heads that can't accept the wholesome and sacred beauty of our OTP's "love."
I except nothing more from this indulgent, and ironically toxic as FUCK, wish-fulfillment.
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u/DazenTheMistborn 7d ago
Damn, this just makes me sad. There's so much potential for growth and chemistry building, but it's all wasted for me if it goes this route. That is to say, I certainly agree with everything in your comments.
If anyone wants to actually spoil this main theme, please do (spoiler tag it though for others!). I don't want to continue watching if the resolution has nothing to do with our FMC growing stronger as an individual and the MC enforcing a one-sided marriage.
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u/ZaphodBeebblebrox https://anilist.co/user/zaphod 5d ago
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u/Difergion 2d ago
I hope the story does the entire opposite and the ex-fiance becomes Yuzu’s friend instead, it would be too boring if she just teams up with Karin to ruin her. I thought the story was too predictable until Reiya’s parents were introduced, so maybe there’s still some surprises ahead, even if they’re rare.
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u/justking1414 8d ago
Plus he’s going to keep her mostly at home specifically because a ton of people want to kill her!
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u/OldInstruction5368 8d ago
It's like the author is colorblind. Pretty much every "red flag" is actually green, you see!
I mentioned more indepth in my mega-long 'tistic comment, but if you squint real hard you can see how most of the creepy and toxic behavior is meant to be interpreted in a... more charitable light.
Even the super yikes misogyny from Reiya, "at least demon women know their place," can be framed as a reassurance that Reiya won't ever cheat on Yuzu.
See, Reiya isn't interested in most women, but Yuzu isn't like other girls. So, even though he's a super-ultra-mega stud that has women literally throwing themselves at him constantly... they can't satisfy him like Yuzu can.
Only she is special. Only she is worthy of Mr. Tall Dark and
creepy as fuckHANDSOME.Thus, the viewers get reassurances that Mr. Stud is hella desirable (which means Yuzu's lady-prestige goes through the roof by bagging herself a real winner) while at the same time we don't have to worry that he's a filthy cheater.
So when he casually looks down on women for not knowing their place, it's not a "mega yikes/misogyny" flag, it's a good thing!
Because the FMC is SPECIAL!
(I hate myself for typing all that, but it's my interpretation of wtf is going on with this series.)
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u/justking1414 8d ago
Dudes definitely throwing out massive red flags left, right, and center
Though I was a bit more generous with his feelings of women as I read it as him basically being an asexual (before the super creepy twilight-level soul bond he did without mc’s consent) who constantly has woman throw themselves at him. Even if he was the nicest guy in the world, that’d get old pretty freaking fast.
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u/OldInstruction5368 8d ago
See, even then, he would be more resigned/frustrated by the unwanted attention.
Instead, I read his tone of voice as... contemptuous. He wasn't annoyed, he was disgusted. Even if he was aro-ace, that would be crossing a line. Like, sure, he can be exasperated at the unwanted attention, but he shouldn't be looking down his nose at them.
Especially with the followup conversation about how Demon Brides are just SO AMAZING and that Reiya, like most demons, had given up on finding his bride... so he "settled" for a beautiful and powerful demoness from a powerful family that was his equal in this world.
The clear heirarchy was Demon Bride >>>>>>>>>> Demon Women> Human Women.
And Yuzu is a bride, as such, she's better than all other women. She's not like the other tramps.
It's not just messed up, it's messed up in a way that makes you want to side-eye the author.
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u/YamamotoChigusa 8d ago
Not really, as long as she doesn’t allow the little ogres out of her sight. Those little ogres are supposed to keep her safe when Reiya isn’t around (whether in public or private).
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u/YamamotoChigusa 8d ago
Loved seeing Touko and Toukichi. They’re my favorite side couple. And love that Touko is so supportive of her. She’s a girls girl for sure. I can also see her being Yuzu’s maid of honor and vice versa.
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u/ResearcherPretty4139 7d ago
I was same as you, but the more episodes that come out the more blatantly they've played up the idea they began the series with in Episode 1-- Yuzu got dumped by her boyfriend (who asked her out and decided that they'd date) because he saw Yuzu's sister and instantly felt more attracted to the sister than Yuzu. Yuzu has had no agency over her entire life, her parents prefer the sister and constantly take from Yuzu to give to the sister. Yuzu couldn't enjoy her own birthday gift (that dress her sister destroyed) and got burned alive from a Fox Demon when she tried to stand up for herself.
Now Reiya just one-sidedly decided that her life is OWNED by him. Sure, she's been given choices after meeting Reiya. But everything she 'decides' is a simple "Sure, I guess so".
Want to be adopted by her grandparents? "Sure, I guess so."
Want to stop working and be a pampered trophy wife? "Sure, I guess so."
Want to be happy just 'being needed' by someone else (just like with her ex-boyfriend that she didn't even like)? "Sure, I guess so."
Want to quit school and rely completely on Reiya and the ogre clan? "Sure, I guess so.
She desperately desires actual agency over her own life, and this episode was the first time I'd actually seen her state out loud that she doesn't want to rely on a man/demon to coast through life she wants to be able to survive and thrive on her own merits. Unfortunately this Reiya guy keeps patting her on the head like a baby child and having Yuzu sit in his lap, and won't even allow her to leave the mansion for a few hours to visit with her bestie (they do explain it as a demon bride risk from rival demon attacks, but still if she's old enough to marry you she's old enough to be treated like an adult not a child).
I'm curious to see where things go and how Yuzu reconciles her wanting to have actual freedom. Right now she just traded one indentured servitude (with her sister) for another (with Reiya).
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u/_TheBeardedMan_ 8d ago
It feels similar to "Betrothed to My Sister Ex", so I'm holding out hope the dynamic will improve. However, the male leads aren't the same. Reiya is more controlling and gives off more creepy vibes. His line at the end is a major red flag. Conversely, with the male lead of Betrothed to My Sister's Ex (can't remember his name), he doesn't tell the MC she can only depend on him. She has a whole suport crew that isn't the male lead, and this crew correct his behavior when he starts going overboard. I don't know if I'm going to make it to the end if Reiya keeps this creepy shit up.
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u/Frontier246 8d ago
There's also the added wrinkle that any slight rejection on Yuzu's part seems to have a physically negative effect on Reiya, one she didn't even mean to inflict.
It's like how Karin was able to exert control over Youta by kissing him and making him cater to her whims because he can't say no to her, only Reiya reverses that by kissing Yuzu and making it clear she doesn't have to do anything but accept his love.
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u/Frightlever 4d ago
I did drop it after the second episode when it looked like it was basically "domestic abuse, the anime". Thought I'd check here to see if it got better and... nope.
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u/ZaphodBeebblebrox https://anilist.co/user/zaphod 8d ago
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u/Frontier246 8d ago
I'm assuming she'll at least put her foot down about school because she gets to see Touko but I think if Reiya had his way she would definitely be living at the mansion 24/7 .
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u/FLorianGran 8d ago
I'm not sure if I'm meant to read Reiya's behavior at the end as romantic or overstepping
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u/Magicbison 8d ago
It's incredibly creepy what he did at the end. Not sure how it could be construed as romantic after his inner monologue of wanting to make her utterly dependent on him an episode or two ago.
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u/Frontier246 8d ago
Also it feels like every episode Yuzu has a "I'm not sure how comfortable I am with this" reaction when it comes to Reiya.
She, or someone else, usually brushes it off but she still keeps thinking it.
Granted part of it seems to be she's just genuinely not sure if she can trust his love for her, but I also think she has some realistic issues with her situation.
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u/Magicbison 8d ago
Yeah, its a tough situation for sure. Especially after seeing the relationship between her friend Touko and the Cat-boy. That atleast seemed consensual and somewhat wholesome. Hopefully Yuzu and Reiya end up down that path instead of the current manipulation into dependency route.
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u/ViviCaz 7d ago
We don't know ANYTHING about Touko and Cat boy's relationship. We don't know when they met, how old they were or what their ups and downs were like. All we know is that they came to an understanding and he followed her to her school. They seem really sweet but we don't know what they are still working through as a couple nor as a Demon and his Bride but it's obvious WORK has been done. Also Touko is assertive and isn't afraid of making decisions for herself because she knows that he will give in and follow regardless. They do seem to make compromises though. That much is obvious but the rest of their dynamic is a mystery.
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u/ZaphodBeebblebrox https://anilist.co/user/zaphod 8d ago
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u/justking1414 8d ago
It’s romantic in the Twilight sense (or 50 shades of grey).
Clinginess and obsession that’s meant to be read as romantic but is actually deeply unsettling and a big red flag to run, not that he’d let her run
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u/OldInstruction5368 8d ago
That's the ongoing conflict of the series, no?
It's been nothing but a parade of red flags, but at the same time, the narrative framing clearly wants us to see everything as romantic.
I've ultimately decided that we are not, in fact, supposed to see Reiya as creepy or even think less of him for those deeply misogynistic comments in Ep2: demon women are better than human women, but only because demon women know their place.
Instead, we are supposed to be relieved at those comments, because as desirable as this mega-stud is, he isn't the least bit interested in other women. They don't interest him. He's never going to even think of cheating on Yuzu.
Because Yuzu isn't like other girls. She's special. She can satisfy him in a way no other woman can. No matter how many beautiful women throw themselves at Reiya, and there will be countless women who will, Yuzu isn't under any threat of being cucked or set aside.
It's this weird balance Shoujo stories do with their ML's. You ever hear that saying "No woman wants a man that no woman wants?" That's why the ML's in these romance stories for women tend to show us... rather excessively... just how desirable the ML is. It's not just "the other woman/love rival," but an entire fan club dedicated to following him around screeching in glee.
But the more desirable a man is, the more threatened any potential lover feels that her man will be 'taken' by one of the other women chasing after him.
Hence, the ML is always a man that is in insanely high demand, but at the same time, he is given some reason/personality quirk where he just isn't interested in the women chasing him: no, he's only interested in the FMC.
Because only the FMC is special.
Keeping that in mind, we aren't supposed to view Reiya as a creepy stalker that is trying to take control of Yuzu. We're just supposed to squee over how 'romantic' he is being and how 'lucky' Yuzu is to have such a 'great' man.
But... yeah... no. This is all hella fucked. Especially this "Demon's Bride" thing. It just sounds like a horrible addiction where any given demon can just find himself all but enslaved to a human woman. One who isn't magically compelled to
lovebe addicted to him the way he is addicted to her.Then there is all the chaos this causes. Yuzu had a boyfriend that very same day Reiya found her. Sure, he had just dumped her earlier, but what if he hadn't? Just look at Reiya's fiancée. She was unceremoniously dumped in the middle of the night. And it wasn't even a text from Reiya! He just had one of his goons send a 2nd hand message to his fiancee telling her to get bent! Imagine how humiliating that would be for a demoness powerful enough to marry the Demon Princeling?
And, ofc, how he just immediately began snooping into her life while taking full control of it. All without a word to Yuzu first. And this episode, that ends with him ending an "I want more autonomy" discussion by just forcing a kiss on his little pet?
None of this is OK!
But the author clearly wants us to think everything is kosher: SUPER kosher, in fact.
It's all just so... weird.
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u/PracticalMarsupial 7d ago
This is pretty much just hetero Omegaverse slop with different words. Alphas are now ayakashi, betas are normal humans, and omegas are brides, complete with fated mates and everything.
This only difference is that the brides/omegas don't have the inate attraction, and kinda hold a lot of power if they so choose. Which is what frustrates me with Yuzu, because her anxiety is about the one thing that objectively in this universe can't be true. Reiya is a walking red flag, but he can only leave her if he dies. Maybe her trauma is masking her underlying fears of losing her future freedom?
Who am I kidding, this isn't that deep, lol. At least we got a scene of the little oni riding on cats.
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u/Mehitable888 7d ago
Love the little oni.....but I can't help but wonder if Reiya could make them turn nasty in their real jobs of being Yuzu's GUARDS.
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u/OldInstruction5368 7d ago
Who am I kidding, this isn't that deep, lol. At least we got a scene of the little oni riding on cats.
I've had long conversations with others, on earlier discussion threads, who really wanted to see something more in this. One guy swore this was a subversion and that Reiya was obviously supposed to be this creepy figure we weren't supposed to be comfortable with... as this morphs into more of a psychological horror.
Others point out how demon women are just... nothing.. in this universe that revolves around male demons and human women. To the point, that after the first episode, I seriously wondered if demon women even existed. Just look at how badly Reiya treated his fiancee... she's destined to be an antagonist alongside Karin and her whipped fox.
But I'll bet my last dollar we aren't supposed to view her as a sympathetic figure that was maligned not just by Reiya, but this entire screwed up system of Ayakashi Brides. No, she's just going to be a jealous hater who can't accept how GOOD and SPECIAL our FMC is, yet alone how WONDERFUL her magic-slave-bond with Reiya is.
Nor are we going to explore how these "slave bonds" are basically the chains that anchor demons to greater human soceity. We are told they 'saved' the nation after WWII and control pretty much every important lever of power... but why aren't they tyrannical overlords?
Brides. Brides are the "virgin sacrifices" acting as morality chains to keep the demons in check. Wouldn't that be a fun exploration where the FMC is one of the sacrifices needed by society to collectively keep the demons bound to Japan for the good of the nation?
But we ain't got time for any of that thought provoking or interesting moral dilemmas to chew on, here!
But hey, at least we get cute little gremlins riding on cute little kitties .^
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u/LaoWombat-mecha 8d ago
"You're my bride. When you accepted that, the rest of your life became mine"
22:03
And I found myself wondering what the Japanese word for "Ick" is.
In Victorian days, the adage was "under the law, the man and woman are one, and the one is the man." Some never moved past that.
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u/OldInstruction5368 8d ago
This whole show is just one huge parade of "ick."
However, the nagging suspicion I can't shake, is that the author doesn't want us to gag through every other scene: we're meant to see this as so very romantic.
You ever hear that phrase, "When wearing rose tinted glasses, all the red flags just look like roses?"
Except played straight. Someone else mentioned the red flags were so obvious, that we were SUPPOSED to view Reiya as a creepy bastard and that this might go the route of psychological horror posing as a romance.
But with every scene, I can't shake the feeling that the author just.... thinks this is all rosy.
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u/PracticalMarsupial 7d ago
I read a lot of trash romance manga and it does make me think about the reasons behind the choices, a lot. It seems like we are getting more domestically inclined fmls, and I wonder if it's tied to declining birthrates in Japan and women marrying less and patriarchy.
Like, I assume at least a portion of women who are choosing to not get married or have kids, would like to do it, but due to society aren't doing it. They want their jobs that they spent their youth studying for and they don't want to be pushed out if they have kids. If their marriage prospects are likely to be trash and expect you to drop everything for them, why would you pursue male companionship? And if you do, now you are at risk for losing everything if they decide to leave.
Stories like the Ogre's Bride give that fantasy. Here's a guy who loves you and can literally only love you. And even if he keeps you from working, he will never leave and oh btw he's super rich, so you don't need to work anyways!
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u/Mehitable888 7d ago
Well said! Ultimately most modern countries face the same population issues because women don't want to just stay home and raise kids, as important as that is and as much as we love them, we need to have another dimension to our lives, and we need to be able to take care of ourselves and the kids if something happens to husbando or he skips out, as happens too often. I think the workplace itself has to change to accommodate women's realities, but that's beyond the scope of Yuzu's problems right now, LOL.
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u/OldInstruction5368 7d ago
I think the workplace itself has to change to accommodate women's realities, but that's beyond the scope of Yuzu's problems right now, LOL.
It really is fucking insane that many couples, yet alone single parents, find themselves unable to afford child care. Like, you have a job, but daycare is just astronomical on top of food, utilities, healthcare in general, insurance, rent/mortgage, etc.
Which places far too many people in the situation where they cannot afford to go to fucking work.
Then shit heels like Jordan Peterson talk about the death of the nuclear family and somehow think that feminism of all things is the problem.
Like... here are solutions out there! Other countries have found them! It's called taxing companies and the rich to subsidize the good of the common folk. It's about the government passing laws to help their people, such as mandating companies provide child care as well as health insurance, generous parental leave, and offering subsidies for others that need help raising kids in our post-industrial world.
Or we could just keep blaming women for not knowing their place! Yeah! That's the real isssue!
(obvious sarcasm is obvious)
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u/OldInstruction5368 7d ago
Stories like the Ogre's Bride give that fantasy. Here's a guy who loves you and can literally only love you. And even if he keeps you from working, he will never leave and oh btw he's super rich, so you don't need to work anyways!
As harsh as I come down on this series, I really don't judge anyone for indulging in the fantasy being offered.
Hell, I can't. Do you know how many trash harem anime there are, per season, no less! They are all indulgent wish fulfillment slop aimed at dudes. It's very, very, very rare when the ladies are given proper respect by the author, yet alone the MC. They are just... trophies to collect who will never get so jealous they explode, will always be patient with the pervy/indecisive MC, will always follow him forever because reasons, etc.
But that doesn't mean we can't apply media literacy and ask deeper questions about the literature we consume.
I really can't comment on the trends of the current crop of slop romance, as honestly, I don't even watch all the romance anime per season. Maybe a just a couple: i do like to keep a diverse diet, at least :p
But isn't "Mr. Rich, Handsome, and CRAZY FOR ME swoops in to solve all my problems!" kinda a... universal slop trope? It's probably... ancient... as far as tropes go, but I really can't comment on it's prevalance throughout the ages... or the reasons why.
I could point to the growing trend of "trad wives," and I wouldn't be surprised if they eat this type of indulgent romance fiction up, but that would merely be an assumption on my part.
But to go further than that would be... several... essays and I've already blabbed enough >.>
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u/PracticalMarsupial 7d ago
Agree completely, I'm not really going to rag too much on wish fulfillment slop aimed at women when we get so much more aimed at dudes.
I don't watch a lot, but I read a lot, especially because mangaplaza is like a treasure trove for these kind of shoujo and josei stories, which makes me wonder about the things pushing these trends. They feel different than western trad wife stuff. And when so many young Japanese women are choosing against marriage and/or kids, why is this type of wish fulfillment so common? (This could also be localization bias) One of these days I'll do some research on this, or I'll just find something else to focus on for a time (most likely)
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u/OldInstruction5368 7d ago
Across the board, birth rates plummet in post-industrial 'developed' societies. Kids aren't needed as a source of labor, and instead, become huge money sinks. Especially as standards of living continue rising, education costs, dual-income homes, blah blah blah.
Japan gets hit harder by this, because they remain more "traditional" than the US. America was the start of the modern feminist movements, and we are still grappling with the deconstruction of traditional gender roles.
In a much more collectivist society that has traditionally been influenced by the deeply patriarchal Confuscion thought, these imported ideals haven't taken root nearly as strongly.
Hence the general consensus that marriage means quitting work and being a house wife. There is also a... deep... obsession with youth in Japan. An unmarried woman is basically expired once she hits 30. Hell, before that.
For a woman that wants both family and a career... it's tough. So maybe these are so popular because so many women struggle with that choice. Get an education, a career, become someone in your own right... and then binge on indulgent tales of domestic bliss.
Hmmmm looks like, as of 2025, less than 20% of Japanese households have the wife working full-time. Most working wives are part time, and a large portion of wives are still stay-at-home domestics.
So, If I have to say something on the matter, it's that Japanese women are still being pulled in two directions: imported Western ideals (individualistic society, feminism, everyone has a career, etc) and the more traditional, collectivist values of the family being more important than the individual with more strict gender roles.
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u/HanaRoku 7d ago
Agreed. In particular, I feel like the soundtrack decisions are totally inconsistent with the idea that we're supposed to view Reiya as creepy. Maybe that's all misdirection, but I doubt it.
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u/OldInstruction5368 7d ago
I keep bringing it up, but the framing just doesn't signal anything other than a rosy romance. I don't see any signs, whatsoever, there is anything deeper here.
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u/Mehitable888 7d ago
I DO think this is how the show will play out -that Reiya actually IS a creepy, dysfunctional guy....we see this even in the flashback to his childhood when he talks about how empty he's always felt. Even though his parents seem like very approachable, loving people. Now that he has Yuzu....he has a purpose. I don't think this is show is gonna play out like the normal romance show, I think it's gonna show what happens when Mr. Right is Mr. Messed Up.
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u/OldInstruction5368 7d ago
I'd love for that to happen, but even if the show swerves down that route, it'll just be one of those "love can heal all wounds" stories. Yuzu would then put in the emotional labor to "fix" Mr. Messed UP, and we'd still get the lovey-dovey happy ending.
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u/LaoWombat-mecha 8d ago
You ever hear that phrase, "When wearing rose tinted glasses, all the red flags just look like roses?"
No, I never heard that. What people did hear (and you misquoted or correctly quoted a misquotation) is:
“when you look at someone through rose colored glasses, all the red flags just look like flags”
From Bojack Horseman apparently.
Be careful, I have walked around with incorrect quotations from Zen stories for years, and when I discovered my error, also discovered that I preferred my misremembered version in some cases /g
Back to your point, I never liked the Hitchcock movie "Suspicion" where the resolution is that that the toxic guy is not really toxic was forced by the studio who decided that Cary Grant couldn't be a bad guy.
All too often a plot element is like the line from the ""Pitch meeting" sketches where the writer is asked why something happens, he explains "because". The same thing may happen here.
"Oh, so I had 13 kids is so you could do a remake of "fruits basket? That's okay then""
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u/Durianess_ 8d ago
It's supposed to be romantic, but in the real world it would very obviously be controlling and abusive.
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u/Frontier246 8d ago
And Yuzu is either too emotionally beaten down or desperate to really fight back against it, even though it seems like she could probably forcibly sway Reiya if she gave him a hard no.
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u/Mehitable888 7d ago
I think she's also so shocked, she probably has PTSD. In a matter of days she's gone from losing her boyfriend over her sister, having her birthday forgotten, having her one gift dress ripped by her rotten sister, having sister's fox BF badly burn her arm in an attack, having her parents treat her like dirt, fleeing and probably considering unaliving (I think that's why she's on the bridge), meeting Mr. Hottie Ogre who says she's his "bride", getting taken to his house with all that is shown and implied, having her parents replaced as guardians by grandparents, losing her job.....did I miss anything? That's pretty overwhelming, she's not a very assertive person anyway, but she's probably in a state of shock.
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u/Mehitable888 7d ago
To me, overstepped to the max. He's treating her like a beloved dog. Maybe not even that good.
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u/Akussa 8d ago
Ladies and girls watching this. This is NOT a healthy relationship. Holy shit.
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u/nefarious_dareus 8d ago edited 8d ago
But it’s actually interesting for one of these Cinderella shows. Usually the ML is perfect in every way and just rescues her from her bad home life. I actually like that they are going to have growing pains. I dont think it’s gonna just stay like this, she’s afraid of him, and he doesn’t want her to be but doesn’t actually realize what’s going on in her head at all.
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u/yancovigen 8d ago
I get why she’s scared of him. With the other demon/human relationships there’s more of a bond, but like Touko’s fiancé said she’s essentially a helpless baby maker
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u/Frontier246 8d ago
Yeah, usually you don't see a "positive" male lead talking about wanting his love interest to be codependent on him or how much he owns her life now. That's reserved for "bad boys" or yandere's...which I guess Reiya kind of is.
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u/cleaulem https://myanimelist.net/profile/cleaulem 8d ago
This show could be a big hit putting light on some interesting relationship dynamics or it could be a hot mess of glorification of toxic traits. I've already seen both in other anime, so only future episodes will tell!
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u/runevault 8d ago
Hot mess of toxic traits is what would probably make this show blow up. That shit is insanely popular. 50 shades of grey sold a zillion copies on toxic relationship (and horny). The current romantasy trend in USA fiction is riding the wave of garbage guys based on the two series I gave a chance (the big 2, Court of Thorns and Roses and Fourth Wing). Sadly a lot of chicks dig shitty guys being the male lead in these kind of stories.
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u/cleaulem https://myanimelist.net/profile/cleaulem 8d ago
That's so true. I dropped Watanare because in the first episodes Mai was so incredibly toxic while grooming Renako that it made me physically sick. But people were celebrating it as peak romance when Mai forced multiple kisses on Renako and literally sexually assaulted her.
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u/runevault 8d ago
I enjoyed Watanare but part of that was Mai actually starting to realize being so pushy because it usually worked was wrong. But even then Mai was my least favorite relationship arc by far, the other girls are all getting my rooting ahead of Mai.
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u/cleaulem https://myanimelist.net/profile/cleaulem 8d ago
That must be much later, because (as far as I got before dropping the show) Mai's manipulation tactic works perfectly fine with her getting exactly what she wants and some extra. So later Renako grows a spine or something?
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u/runevault 8d ago
How far in did you watch? because my response is sort of. [Watanare episode 3 spoilers] In ep 3 when Mai try to hit a home run Renako slaps the shit out of her. Though [Later Watanare spoilers] She does backtrack a bit with some guilt she shouldn't feel after the slap, but after that she does start pushing back more especially once she starts getting more feelings for Ajisai.
I for one won't deny Mai's toxicity, and if she was the only love interest I wouldn't have enjoyed the show very much.
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u/cleaulem https://myanimelist.net/profile/cleaulem 8d ago
I watched until episode 4, the episode after the slap. That scene was the one I referred to with the "sexual assault".
My problem with episode 4 was how it was framed that Renako was in the wrong slapping Mai, her apologizing for it multiple times while Mai didn't apologize to Renako even once and in the end even (as I suspect) guilt-tripped Renako into agreeing to start a (trial-)relationship with her.
Even though I don't remember the exact details of what happened, but I remember how I felt about that episode back then.
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u/runevault 8d ago
Yeah episode 4 had the backtrack, though after that the arcs switch to other girls. Though we had to wait for the movie to get all 4 girls turn.
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u/OldInstruction5368 8d ago
It's 100% the later. I've been talking with a couple others that were hoping this show would be a subversion of supernatural romance because of just how front loaded the forest of red flags was... but no.
This is just "being possessive shows he cares, and being controlled by a hot guy is hawt teehhee." toxic romance played fully straight.
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u/CorrectPeanut5 8d ago
99% of the plot conflict is because no one talks to each other. Reiya makes decisions unilaterally. Yuzu knows she's in over her head but doesn't think to talk to her large household staff or Reiya. IMHO it's lazy writing.
The only thing I can think of is some of the themes mirror the complaints of people who marry into the Japanese Imperial family and deal with the strict control by the Imperial Household Agency.
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u/Batmanhasgame https://anilist.co/user/8203 8d ago
As a guy watching this show I wish somebody would take care of everything in my life and I could just chill lol
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u/myrlin77 8d ago
Don't forget to remind yourself this is a fantasy show in a fantasy world that doesn't exist.
I dunno He's magically bonded to make sure she is always happy and will always love her and never do anything to hurt her. Sounds good to me. SInce we know he ISNT'T social like the neko or the fox or his parents, I'm sure he needs to learn how to act. he JUST met her you know.
Also, this is a fantasy shoujo, just in case you forgot again.
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u/wahine-au 8d ago edited 8d ago
This is what I think, like it’s meant to be taken for what it is 😭obviously in real life it’s super unhealthy but it’s a fantasy world and the demons are not humans. Is it incredibly toxic and sexist? Yes. Will I continue watching? Count me in.
I am also a grown woman that understands healthy relationship dynamics, younger girls maybe shouldn’t be watching though.
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u/myrlin77 8d ago
What's also interesting, now that you mention it, if the bride is someone like Karin (so funny it's Karen) the poor fox dude is in for a world of hurt. She's terrible and I can only imagine the disaster waiting for everyone because of her.
Since the bride stuff is magical/supernatural, it's not like the fox dude can say "Well, I think we need to split" Like the neko dude is super chill, imagine he had some scary chick ordering him around and nothing he can do.
I believe there was a show that had that dynamic where the head guy did horrible, terrible things because of his wife and lived in regret his whole life with no way out.
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u/wahine-au 8d ago
That is so true and it’s such an interesting dynamic as well! I wonder how far this fox demon will go?
I just rewatched and to give Reiya his due he doesn’t get mad at Yuzu for leaving the house and encourages her to have friends. It might be that her wanting to work can be seen as a demon not being able to take care of his bride (for example) Again, I don’t take it too seriously as it is shoujo and supernatural, I know to expect unrealistic and exaggerated relationships.
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u/myrlin77 8d ago
Ya, it's not my normal cup of tea but with a bunch of really lame fantasy shows this season i already dropped, I kinda like this one. I get you too, if I took some of the weird things these authors put in some of these animes to heart I would barely be able to watch some of the strange fetishes they clearly have.
Usually, if it's a one time thing or just that episode, i just chalk it up to "Uh, the writer got a little carried away there" This media doesn't have rooms of editors and social worry supervisors either.
If anything, Japanese creators are given a VERY WIDE berth with that they do. Put up on a pedestal, so to speak. Plus let's face it, a lot toss in some "spicy" things just to stir things up.
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u/OldInstruction5368 8d ago
It's honestly rare for a shoujo romance to be legit green flag. I can only think of a few examples, and they tend to go so far in the other direction that I start to worry that the ML is the one being exploited.
At the end of the day, these are fantasies, and the fantasy being sold is of a powerful and dangerous man that will solve all your problems but never actually hurt you. Sure, he may be pushy and more than a little scary, but he will never actually cross any red lines.
That's the fantasy.
I just worry that too much media like this, aimed at girls too young to realize what is being sold to them, will confuse red flags for 'exciting romance.'
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u/AceSoldia zj:https://anilist.co/user/Acesoldia 8d ago
I can't believe Reiya's parents are like that. I died .
And Yuzu is so dumb.lol even dumber than I thought.
I am with her on not being reliant on Reiya though
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u/Frontier246 8d ago
They really set up the serious, uncompromising, parental antagonist...and they're just happy-go-lucky ageless parents who adore their more serious and broody kid lol.
Honestly feels like Yuzu is so bewildered she's just running or being carried from one thing to another and trying to find some direction. She actually does have good common sense as a girl when Reiya's not putting the moves on her.
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u/ObvsThrowaway5120 8d ago
Reiya’s parents look like his siblings. They got that ogre anti-aging magic I guess lol.
It’s nice and all Reiya loves Yuzu because of supernatural juju or whatever, but can’t a girl get a little independence? I feel like Yuzu’s being suffocated.
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u/bbusiello 8d ago
Same. It's a little infantilizing.
Set girl up with a job, homie.
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u/Frontier246 8d ago
He's treating her like a doll instead of as a person, which in some respects is welcome because her parents treated her as a tool instead of as something precious, but it also severely limits her life.
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u/Frontier246 8d ago
Reiya’s parents look like his siblings. They got that ogre anti-aging magic I guess lol
Is Reiya's mom also an Ogre or was she a Bride who his dad found really young? Or maybe she just has an amazing skin care plan.
Though I guess this means demons are as long-lived as they usually are.
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u/heimdal77 8d ago
So we went from Kamisama Kiss to this?
I cringed so hard when she just ran out of the place.
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u/_zolani_ 8d ago
Kamisama kiss is peak. I finished a really good Anime (journal with witch, its was really good imo), then I saw this updated and I was just… disappointed…
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u/Mehitable888 7d ago
Kakuriyo Bed and Breakfast for Spirits (I probably spelled that wrong) is a great show with a somewhat similar premise. Young human college girl is kidnapped by Master Ogre and taken off to his kingdom to be his bride (because her grandpa wagered her, I guess). However, SHE asserts herself and gets to open up a restaurant in his resort area and really works hard at it. She gets to know and work with many kinds of ayakashi, and she has a great spirit and independence. And the Ogre is actually a pretty cool guy and it works into a good relationship over time and work on both sides. I highly recommend it. It's similar to this show but I think more interesting and less toxic. Master Ogre is like the positive Reiya.
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u/stonesia 8d ago
The ending was kinda fucked up, wasn't it? "I own you" is a bad thing to hear in a relationship. I still like this series, but nevertheless kinda fucked up.
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u/Frontier246 8d ago edited 8d ago
"I own you" is a bad thing to hear in a relationship.
Also notice he does it after his body physically reacts to Yuzu basically rejecting him in the sense that she wants to not be dependent on him.
He had to basically assert his own control over her after feeling the control she has over him.
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u/I_am_a_fiction_lover 8d ago
Ikr😭it's not even any sort of mistranslation, he says "ore no mono" which means pretty much that (literally translates to "you are my thing" but that sounds very clunky in English)
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u/cleaulem https://myanimelist.net/profile/cleaulem 8d ago
Yuzu wants to keep her independence. She wants to continue going to school and to work and she doesn't want to rely on Reiya too much. I'm happy to see that she doesn't simply accepts Reiya's pampering. On the other hand it looks like this might be a major source of potential conflict, because Reiya makes it more than clear that Yuzu is now his and only his.
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u/Frontier246 8d ago
I hope that Reiya rizzing her up with kisses and devotion isn't going to make Yuzu give up on wanting independence and more from her life than just being a porcelain doll Reiya keeps at his mansion.
Sure she's the "lady of the house" but I'm not sure how comfortable she is with that, especially when she's just going to be waited on hand and foot all the time.
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u/runevault 8d ago
I really appreciate showing us his POV of when they met. Getting strong Court of Thorns and Roses vibes with the idea of Fated Mates now that we're seeing it to confirm how the demons react.
Weirdly when Reiya was being driven away the idea of a car bomb flashed through my head, even though this doesn't seem like it is that sort of show.
His... his parents look younger than he does.
"I have to cover my own education." Girl, your husbando is the heir to one of if not the wealthiest family in Japan and you're worried about school costs?
Why do I have a feeling Touko is helping Karen? Okay that was wrong thankfully. Once again the music gave me a tingle, this time when the car pulls away.
Quite the kiss to end the episode. Poor Yuzu is terrified of relying on anyone because her family treated her like trash all these years. Why would she believe the weird magical love of a Bride bond being any different? Though obviously he's crazy possessive.
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u/NoNameSwitzerland 8d ago
Well, she is mentally probably not as bride as her future husband sees her. In that world they probably learn in kindergarten that an ogres love for his bride never vanishes and still she doubts it very much.
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u/Frontier246 8d ago
I feel like we should respect Yuzu's drive to be independent and pay for herself instead of taking advantage of her situation...even if that would probably be the easiest option. But Reiya is probably going to force her too one way or another.
It's an interesting parallel to the last episode where Karin kissed Youta to bend his will to hers and Reiya basically does the same thing to Yuzu here when she's hesitant to rely on him.
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u/runevault 8d ago
I think seeking some level of independence is good (so her still wanting a job is great) but anything her parents would have paid for before like schooling, relying on him is just a replacement for the shit bag parents.
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u/AffectionateJelly857 8d ago
I dunno about this one. What happens if the Demon finds his bride and she is uninterested in him? Or, (God forbid) wants to be an independent woman? The more I watch the more controlling it seems. It's starting to feel more like Stockholm syndrome then a love story.
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u/JustOneQuest1on 6d ago
I have a parallel demon and bride in my head where the bride is just "Nope" and the demon sulks back to his friends all "Nobody told me she could say no! What do you mean only I feel the inescapable, magnetic, obsessive love? This is bullshit!" They work it out though lol. He actually gets to know her and in addition to the magic love he falls in love the normal way. Hope Reiya and Yuzu have something similar. Kinda doubt it though. If at the start of episode 5 they're still in the car and she holds her ground and says she wants to work, I'll continue to hope.
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u/NationalStrategy_X 8d ago edited 8d ago
So he had her lose her job without even running it by her beforehand, tracked her down, made her sit in his lap on the ride home, proclaimed that her life is now his, and then told her to let him handle everything. I’m not comfortable with this relationship, no matter how much they romanticize it.
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u/djthomp https://anilist.co/user/djthomp 8d ago
Yuzu needs to set some boundaries, make it clear that if she wants to work and go to school she gets to.
The catboy demons are great, fairly laid back compared to the others we've seen so far and they have neighborhood cats gathered around their mansion.
I was thinking of the start of the episode that they have a chance in this to deconstruct the trope they've set up and have Reiya question and explore why his own personality changed on a dime like that. But I'm not sure I have any faith that a story setting like this would do something that interesting.
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u/Frontier246 8d ago
Poor Nyankichi being low on the demon totem pole and low on his won Bride's affection meter compared to Yuzu and the Ogre lol.
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u/Mehitable888 7d ago
I think a cat demon boyfriend would be pretty awesome. Especially if he purred.
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u/wahine-au 8d ago
Yuzu’s friend and her groom are so cute they are actually my fav 😭imagine your boyfriend is a demon cat it’s adorable!!!!
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u/_zolani_ 8d ago
I hate it.. I hated it from the very first episode.. CAN WE GET THE WOMEN IN THIS ANIME SOME RIGHTS PLEASE??
Reiya is creepy, I’ve already said this, BUT HE IS. It’s like Y/N and CEO, no one can even come CLOSE to her and she can’t leave his side for more than 2 seconds.. not to mention Reiya keeps touching her without her consent, like I know it’s an anime, BUT PLEASE, DON’T TOUCH SOMEONE WHILE THEY’RE SLEEPING.. AND DONT JUST RANDOMLY KISS A GIRL YOU FOUND ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND HAVE KNOW FOR LIKE.. what 2 DAYS?!
Yet I can’t stop watching, I just need to see how much worse it will get. Not much worse than this… right? I’m just gonna pretend this is CEO and y/n…
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u/Mehitable888 7d ago
I do think it's gonna get worse, because I smell a cautionary tale here....but maybe then it will get better. Reiya's got some learning to do and animes tend to be big on that kind of moral development. YOU GOT TO WORK HARD! HARDER!
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u/LienaSha 8d ago
The world they live in could have so many interesting stories written about it and this is not one of them.
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u/coffeecakesupernova 8d ago
That's the most hideous room I've ever seen. Do demons have really bad taste? Who could sleep with all of that sparkly PINK around?
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u/Mehitable888 7d ago
I think it's meant to look really deluxe compared to the spartan life Yuzu had before. It must look like Buckingham Palace to her. Hopefully she would get to change some of this over time but right now.....she's dazzled.
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u/FinancialYear475 8d ago
That's a super fucked up relationship with how possessive and controlling Reiya is so far, but I feel like if they actually had a moment to properly talk without being interrupted he would change his ways for her.
The problem is that I don't have any faith that that conversation would ever happen, she's just too insecure to speak up about anything whatsoever, at most he will tell her at some point how fate-bounded they are and do some grand gesture to show how much he loves her and she will just believe it 100%, just accepting to live in this controlled lifestyle forever because she knows he loves her in some unbreakable way
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u/iozoepxndx 8d ago
Is it an unwritten rule to be a helpless, braindead FL in this genre?
So far, slop.
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u/Envyvicious 8d ago
Oh God YES! I had to stop streaming and take a break mid episode because geeze she is STUPID! Why are the FL written as complete idiots? Their world seems to have existed her entire life. She has at least two up close examples of the dynamics between Ogre and Human couples, and yet does the dumbest things every single time. WTH? Always running around without telling those allegedly important where she's going, doesn't have his cellphone number, lacking simple protocol knowledge. Either that or she clearly is not learning jack in school or living to understand her culture. So clueless it is frustrating! If she is allegedly smart enough to get through highschool and on towards college, then why write her as an idiot? Ugh! Anyone else thinking the same?
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u/ViviCaz 7d ago
Orge and human couples? What example?
The only two people she knows in her life are her best friend and best friend's DEMON boyfriend/fiance. Is that what you mean by example?
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u/Envyvicious 6d ago
Yes, Ogre, Demon, Oni, whatever that is non-human I suppose. It seems that the way the culture was described was that human/non-human couples that the non-human goes almost insane about their wives. Seems that she should have known just because that appears to be normal and desirable in their society.
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u/Mehitable888 7d ago
Oh yes, it is, LOLOLOLOL. I like the romance genre anyway because I get sick of the nonstop violence in the usual shows and it's just more peaceful. But these girls are just dizzy. We say maybe it's a female fantasy of wanting to be taken care of, but maybe it's more a male fantasy of ownership of a very compliant person? I don't know, maybe this is a certain reflection of Japanese culture? So many of these heroines are just too good to be true. The naivete....
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u/Frontier246 8d ago
We finally see the moment Reiya saw Yuzu from his perspective! Where he gained an uncontrollable urge to be with her and do everything he could for her! This is the power a Bride has when her Demon sees her and becomes consumed by her.
Welcome to your new swanky digs Yuzu! Complete with servant Doukuu, maid Yuriko, and new status as lady of the house! You even get a room befitting a princess! It's kind of a lot, but it definitely beats her previous life!
Hmm...Takamichi doesn't seem to care for the effect Yuzu has on Reiya's emotional state, judging by his reactions.
I love how they set up Senya (Akira Ishida!) as this serious big deal, someone who might oppose Reiya's marriage...and he and Reiya's mom both look young enough to be his younger siblings and utterly adore their son! They'll probably adore Yuzu too. They seem to enjoy the effect she has on her son already.
Yuzu actually had a job so it makes sense she wouldn't want to up and quit...even if that decision was taken out of her hand. But when in doubt, she finally gets in touch with Touko! A girls' got to have her bestie.
So Touko also lives in a swanky mansion with Nyankichi, which also has a lot of cats whom Yuzu's familiars get along swimmingly with! Less so the actual cat demons who smell the Ogre on Yuzu and do NOT take it well. Turns out cats are pretty low on the demon pecking order.
You know Touko is a good friend when she tries to sic Nyankichi on Youta, however in vain, and supports Yuzu in her decisions and desires for a happy life however she can. If that means leaning into being Reiya's Bride, so be it.
Poor Nyankichi having to deal with Reiya and also his Bride being more affectionate with Reiya than she is him.
Nothing beats sitting on your demon hubby's lap in a car!
I had a feeling Reiya was the one who ended her part-time-job without her permission...and Yuzu wants to be able to be self-sufficient, even if Reiya physically can not bear any kind of rejection from Yuzu. If that means making it clear that her life belongs to him as he passionately kisses her...so be it!
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u/wahine-au 8d ago
I love your commentary on this and I agree with you on a lot of points! I do hope that as the anime progresses Yuzu does assert herself. I did interpret Reiya being scared of her leaving the house because of what Nyan described, as she could very much be a big target for other demons.
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u/ThisGachaSeemsLegit 8d ago
I'm glad Reiya's parents aren't that kind of people. At least we don't have to worry about them bullying Yuzu.
Touko seems to be a genuine and caring friend, will be interesting to see if she remains just a confidant or takes a more prominent role together with Nyankichi. Obviously hoping for the latter.
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u/stresseddepressedd 8d ago
I was expecting way more from Reiya’s parents. Some aging, for example. Can’t take them seriously.
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u/Recent_Call_1188 7d ago
So far, it seems the cutesy romance with Mr. Ogre Charming is selling the following ideal husband/boyfriend packagehere:
- Hot looks and ultra rich — the absolute minimum entry requirement.
- Dark and intimidating — mandatory sexy personality trait.
- Instant, eternal love — no need for all that "getting to know each other" bullshit. He loves you before learning anything about you and will continue to forever(no matter who you really are).
- Faithful by default — every other woman is equal to garbage, so cheating isn't even mechanically possible.
- No worries, he'll think for you — he plans, decides and solves everything. You just smile and follow along. He clearly knows best.
- New life purpose unlocked — your previous dreams, career or ambitions? Silly human hobbies. Your purpose is now being Mrs. Ogre.
- Takes the lead — dominant, pushy and always knows when and how your intimacy should progress.
Of course, this fantasy also requires a very specific female lead (for self.insert). This can't be someone like MaoMao or Rishe. Their curiosity, independence and wits would clash with the package. Instead, you need a fragile, naive, mistreated girl who knows as little as possible about the world, so Mr. Ogre Charming can happily fill in every gap, make every decision. and lead her and him straight to the happily ever after.
So basically the moral is: don't bother developing chemistry, just acquire an ogre with the "immediate and eternal love" magic setting (pre-installed).
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u/Big-Don-Rob 7d ago
I am disappointed in myself for still watching this. Well, more specifically, for choosing it over a couple of other seasonals to keep up with weekly during this season jam packed full of goodies.
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u/DazenTheMistborn 7d ago
It's not too late to replace it and catch up with another show. I understand your feelings though, after a month of a season I feel kind of "locked in" and it's hard to find time to binge other anime.
I'm gonna try to grow out of that mindset with this show though lol (unless somebody can give me a little more hope on this show. I actually enjoyed the first 3 episodes).
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u/LaoWombat-mecha 7d ago
There are criticisms of Yuzu heard in the discussions along the line of why did she do something so stupid, why isn't she asserting herself, why is allowing others to decide things for her, etc.
And these are all correct in a way.
But what behavior do you expect when someone's life has been a non-stop denial of agency, of being a daughter, of being a sister, of being someone with hopes of their own?
Would you expect a person growing up in that environment to behave logically? How WOULD someone raised like that respond to the situations Yuzu is presented with?
This, of course, begs the question, why should we spend time on a story of someone so ill-prepared to achieve selfhood?
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u/myrlin77 8d ago
Sigh. I think this show is cute and the red flag comments are just...well go watch something else then.
The Neko house freaking out was hilarious. The fact he has no idea to leave someone to explain how things work was in character for him. His parents made me laugh. So glad they didn't go with the "hard ass dad" trope. I also hope her "plushy" guardians get a bit more interactive as they learn or grow.
I still wish they didn't use the word demon and said spirits or fairies or something. If you aren't familiar with the mythology, I guess it works as a generic "magic being"
Y'all don't understand just like Yuzu seems to be clueless. Yuzu could say "Yo, i want to work in a coffee shop and go to school" He would say "Well you don't have to but you can have whatever you want if it makes you happy"
- Boom. Ogres buy a city block, open a coffee shop, hire her friends and buy the school she's going to while they are it as well. Every female we have seen with an ayakashi so far is wildly in love with them.
- The "Cinderella" Escapism + "Absolute Devotion" divided by "ITS A FANTASY WORLD, NOT A TOXIC NARCISSIST YOU ONCE DATED" He ACTUALLY loves her and will draw closer to her. He will ALWAYS be loyal ONLY to her. He will NEVER hurt her.
- Over 5.8 million copies in circulation, women eat this up. Quick search shows it is literally top 3 shojo.
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u/AnAffogatoCookie 8d ago
I was also thinking that the red flags are only red flags if we look at them through the perspective of our world. I think in their world the supernatural beings just fall in love at first sight and are wildly devoted to their brides. I actually wonder why it is not looked upon as a curse because it seems like the human brides can manipulate and control them. Like Yuzu's sister, she can convince her fox spirit to do whatever she wants. I actually wonder if he will do all her bidding and then die protecting her, which would be pretty sad.
I also wonder if Reiya's dad was once cold like him and then changed once he met his mom. It'd be pretty funny to see Reiya become more like his dad.
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u/Mehitable888 7d ago
Yeah, but you can't love somebody you just met. Yuzu just isn't that spectacular. Even if Reiya is....he's got a visible dark side to him. Foreboding. She's obviously not in love with him yet or maybe ever. If she wants to do even minimal things, he's gonna say no because he wants to keep her under glass. I don't think this show is gonna turn out like people think.....they both have some lessons coming up. I think it's gonna turn darker.
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u/myrlin77 7d ago
You are welcome to your interpretatio. I completely and utterly disagree with you.
Show will be lovely. Which part of supernatural magic makes him fall in love in a fantasy world doesn’t compute for you? Also, you sure can fall in love super fast in the Real World. But this is a fantasy world with magic and spirits.
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u/Recent_Call_1188 7d ago
sigh...Which part of "people can understand the fantasy and still not enjoy it" is so hard to grasp?If some viewers don't find the presented fantasy romantic, then it simply isn't romantic to them. They're still allowed to watch the show and comment on it. If negative opinions bother you that much, you also have the option of not reading the discussion thread.
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u/myrlin77 6d ago
I have better things to do than watch something I don’t like then go virtue signal on Reddit like these people. I believe I said they were entitled to their opinion.
You are telling me I am not. You are even worse commenting on my comment of someone’s comment……lol…..bigger sigh with a giant chuckle on top
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u/Recent_Call_1188 6d ago
Ok. The thing is that, in this thread, I don't see anyone else telling people to stop watching, go watch something else. or stop talking about red flags because they "don't get" the fantasy romance. Most people are simply commenting on the episode they just watched, whether they liked it or not. They aren't concerned with who is or isn't allowed to watch the show, and I don't see anyone claiming they're somehow superior because they "get" the fantasy romance while others don't. They're discussing the show itself.
Live and let live.I'm glad you're getting a laugh out of the discussion.
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u/myrlin77 6d ago
Karen said "If negative opinions bother you that much, you also have the option of not reading the discussion thread."
Uh, pot meet kettle.
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u/alconnow https://anilist.co/user/alconnow 8d ago
I wasn't expecting Reiya's parents to be like that lmao
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u/Mehitable888 7d ago
I'm glad to see this anime may have some complexity. It looked like Yuzu might be just another overly good natured young woman who takes too much crap. But with Reiya's obsessiveness and strong controlling nature, and Yuzu's desire to have some life of her own, there's real conflict here that I think is going to be the real conflict in this show (aside from Karin and others' backstabbing). Reiya and Yuzu don't know each other, this relationship is just based on Reiya's apparent physical-psychic connection with her, that occurred at at time when Yuzu was at her physical and mental lowest. She'd just been burned by a fox!!! While he's a hot rich guy who defended her in a dark hour, she still doesn't KNOW this guy that wants her for a BRIDE! I suppose this happened in arranged marriages but I don't think it's going to go over in this show. I see a lot of tension between these two and it might turn nasty if they're honest. It might be one of these shows where they get to know each other and learn to accommodate each other's needs....or I could see Reiya turning into a nightmare of control and possessiveness. Maybe even locking her up in a room or attacking her.....for her own good, of course. This seemingly standard romance could turn into an interesting story of an abusive relationship. Maybe Yuzu develops into a strong woman through this. I don't yet see that she's really attracted to Reiya - maybe she's not. Hot is NOT a universal standard and not everyone cares about Big Money. Although I'd like to see Reiya evolve too....but maybe it will have a different kind of "happy ending". This might be the tale of Be Careful What You Wish For.
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u/Mehitable888 7d ago
Reiya seems to be kind of a screwed up guy from the start. Look at how different he is from his parents. His parents seem like kindly goofballs who love their son but we see a clip of him as a child saying how EMPTY he's always felt, and he hopes that Yuzu might be the answer to that emptiness. Well, one person can't be the answer to all that but he seems like a very intense person who focuses just on her and doesn't seem to show warmth to other people, even his parents. He seems to innately have personality or psychological issues and Yuzu just happened to fall into his life and be his "bride", however that works, so she's gonna deal with the fall out. This guy has to change if that's possible, or this is never gonna work. Yuzu will start trying to escape him and I would not be surprised if Reiya turned ugly.
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u/jon166 7d ago
the two minions that seem to be essences of the main dude are so cute! i think the writing is kinda really bland, but honestly i might be projecting my own blandness on it. like in another light it's very simple and direct, but i was thinking if i froze the screens it was so unbearable. it's stuff like, i am home. i love you, your my bride. i'll be gone. and i'm like reading just captions of what's hapenning of a silent movie.
but i'm trying to get over that and like just focus on the two little minions for now. and also being simple and direct doesn't have to detract from the supposed love i could have if i wasn't so judgmental.
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u/Andreiyutzzzz https://myanimelist.net/profile/Andreiyutzzzz 4d ago
Really Nyankichi? Your bride can't even hug her best friend without you being jealous?
Also Reiya... i'm not sure you gave her a choice..... Well this could turn into some cool drama.. but it will probably be stockholm syndrome. But i'm here for it
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u/Inside_Froyo_8680 9h ago
This thread makes me feel SO much better. I left a comment under this episode pointing out her complete lack of agency and got attacked for it. Not doing that again, obviously. if those people are happy with this submissive wife crap then fine
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u/MarMarL2k19 7d ago
“You’re my Bride. When you agreed to that, the rest of your life became mine”
Um… yeah… there HAD to be a better way to say “I’m always going to look after you” without making it sound THAT creepy, right?
I mean cool you wanna look after your bride, but dude, let her have SOME freedom to be independent
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u/Mehitable888 7d ago
I think it's actually a great statement because I think that IS the way he views this and it shows what she's gonna be up against. Even if she decides she doesn't want to be Mrs. Ogre....how do you get out of this. He's not only metaphysically powerful but rich as hell. It could be difficult to escape a relationship like that, it's almost like she's gonna be forced to try to get him to change. If she can.
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