Tragedies in romance is one recurring theme, but the inability to touch your loved one is the greatest of them all. Our Duke is experiencing this tragedy in his life. Cursed by a witch, the ability to kill anything he touches is forced on him; the Duke is scorned by his family and forced to live in isolation. The feeling of depression and loneliness is cured by falling in love with his maid; Alice. Therefore, he resolves to break his curse to experience the caress of a loved one.
Plot:
A young nobleman was once cursed with a spell that causes everything he touches to die by a witch who had cast it on him since he was a young child. He is taken to live at a remote estate deep inside a forest as a result of his mother’s disavowal of him. Aside from his butler Rob and the young Alice, his sole maid, who wants nothing more than to be nearer to his grace, he has lived a life of solitude for many years. Can these two maintain their romance despite death being just a touch away in a world of witches and curses?
What’s To Like?
- Story: The premise is itself very interesting. It may sound stupid at first glance but the show plays it with cuteness and sadness. Cuteness in romance and sadness in their tragedy.
- Characters: The Duke and the Maid has the best character development, which makes sense as this is a rom-com. The other characters have enough development to justify their presence in the show; which personally, is what I like.
- Music: The OP and ED were good, but ED being really heart soothing. The show also has piano performances which are just heart warming and brings a nice ambience to the show.
- Fan service: This is one of the shows which effectively uses the fan service, both in terms of romance and comedy. Nothing feels forced, out of place or overly done.
What’s Not To Like?
Animation: The animation style used is 3D which is not an issue for me. But the problem is the facial expressions are not as expressive as they should be. This is a rom-com anime & with the lack of expression it’s hard to process the feelings of the characters. I believe the traditional 2D animation would have been the best for this show.
Conclusion:
The Duke of Death & His Maid is a simple, touching and enjoyable anime. Granted, there is nothing flashy, or big plot twists but this show totally enchants you with the lives of it’s characters, the romance of the main characters and it’s simple yet hard-hitting story.
