Love Of Kill - What We Know So Far
According to Anime News Network, Platinum Vision announced in early August that an anime adaptation of the "Love of Kill" manga, originally written and illustrated by artist Fe, will arrive soon. The company is known for various anime television series based on popular manga comics, including "Servamp," "Devils' Line," and "Dr. Ramune: Mysterious Disease Specialist."
Overall the show's teaser trailer, even if it's only about a minute long, seems to promise fans plenty of violence, gunplay, and some fun mismatched romance packaged in a beguiling anime package. It's everything people love about thriller and assassin stories except told in gorgeous, well budgeted Japanese animation.
But what information is out there about the storyline for "Love of Kill?" What's the background behind the two main characters and when exactly will it be released?
Here's everything we currently know — including the release date, plot, and cast — about the new anime series "Love of Kill."
What's the release date for Love of Kill?
According to Crunchyroll, "Love of Kill" is set to premiere in 2022. However, when exactly the series will premiere in the next year is currently unclear.
The show may or may not need more production time, too, depending on if the teaser trailer is showing us only the most finished animation to date. The Japanese anime industry has been facing challenges thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic (via CGTN), so production is generally slower right now because of delays. For instance, the Toonami Uzumaki series was delayed to October 2022 because of COVID issues.
Assuming that the series is largely finished and just needs time to be marketed and build some hype from anime fans, "Love of Kill" could be out in early winter 2022. If, however, the show still needs time to finish animation, voiceover, post-production, and editing, we may not see "Love of Kill" until later next year. Hopefully, spring or summer 2022 should see the release of the anime series to eager audiences.
Who's in the cast for Love of Kill?
So far two cast members have been announced by Platinum Vision as part of the ensemble for "Love of Kill".
According to Anime News Network, voiceover actress Saori Onishi will be playing the co-lead of the series, Chateau Dankworth. Onishi is largely known for her voice roles in anime and video games, including "Comic Girls," "Blade & Soul," and "Demon Gaze II."
Meanwhile actor Hiro Shimono, according to Anime News Network, will play Son Ryang-ha. Shimono has appeared in several popular anime series, including "Attack On Titan," "Project X Zone," and the recurring role of Dabi in "My Hero Academia." Both actors are relatively young but they're also veterans of anime voiceover roles, so their casting as each character makes perfect sense.
The rest of the cast hasn't been announced yet, though that will likely change before the series arrives in 2022. "Love of Kill" appears to be largely focused on the two main characters, so the studio announced their casting first, but hopefully the rest of the cast will follow soon enough.
What's the plot of Love of Kill?
Both the original manga by Fe and the "Love of Kill" series appear to have the same basic plot, a cross somewhere between "Mr. & Mrs. Smith" and "To Catch A Thief." Chateau Dankworth, a professional assassin, encounters fellow hitman Son Ryang-ha while hunting her bounty. They end up fighting, but Son quickly takes a romantic interest in her. The pair soon become entangled with each other, raising the question of whether they'll give in to their love, or if one of them will have to die trying (via Crunchyroll).
There are now eleven collected volumes of the "Love of Kill" manga though, so naturally the plot has taken several twists and turns. Whether the absurd full drama of the comics will be incorporated into the show remains to be seen, but if there's any medium that thrives on over-the-top plot beats, it's anime.
We'll find out how faithful "Love of Kill" is to the original source of course when it finally premieres sometime in 2022.