Engage Kiss is a Japanese mixed-media project created by Aniplex. It consists of a manga series, which was serialized in Manga Up! from July 2022 to March 2024, and an anime television series produced by A-1 Pictures and written by Fumiaki Maruto, with character designs by Tsunako, which aired from July to September 2022. An action RPG mobile game follow-up and sequel was developed by Square Enix under the title Engage Kill was released in March 2023.
Plot
Bayron City, an artificial island located in the Pacific Ocean near Japan, is troubled by the mysterious appearance of demons. To conceal their existence from the public, the city government hires PMCs that combat and neutralize demon-like monsters called "D-Hazards".
One such PMC called "I&S Office" is run by the protagonist, Shu Ogata. Differing from other PMCs, Shu's only employee is a demon girl named Kisara. Kisara has the appearance of a young girl despite being hundreds of years old, and her combat strength is highly rated. Though Shu does little work and is constantly in need of money, Kisara seems affectionate for him and toils to support him.
Despite Shu's close ties to Kisara, he frequently contacts his ex-girlfriend Ayano Yugiri for help. Ayano and Shu used to work for the same PMC called "AAA Defender Co." until their breakup and Shu's departure from AAA. Ayano claims that their relationship has ended, yet she still gives in to Shu's pleas for help.
Shu appears to be a loser whose livelihood depends on his relationships with two women. However, he has an ambitious goal: to uncover the truth behind the D-Hazard incident long ago in which his parents and sister went missing.
Characters
Engage Kiss
Main characters
- Shu Ogata (緒方 シュウ)
- The protagonist who runs a small PMC, I&S Office. He is usually broke as he cannot handle finances well. He is an orphan, as his parents are presumed to be dead after an incident prior to the events of the series. He still has feelings for his first ex-girlfriend Ayano Yugiri, despite their break-up.
- Kisara (キサラ)
- A young girl who goes to a high school in Bayron City. She is actually a demon girl who is hundreds of years old. She has the ability to eat the memories of people, including Shu.
- Ayano Yugiri (夕桐 アヤノ)
- Shu's first ex-girlfriend. Although she and Shu have broken up, she still has feelings for him. She is also Akino's daughter and a member of AAA Defender Co. She is slightly older than Shu, and they met when they were both children.
- Sharon Holygrail (シャロン・ホーリーグレイル)
- Shu's second ex-girlfriend, who dresses as a nun of the Seiten Church. She is actually an assassin and a part of an international organization tasked with fighting against D-Hazards.
- Kanna Ogata (緒方 カンナ)
- Shu's younger sister. She is also a part-demon girl. Later on in the series, she is freed from an underground area where she was trapped, but ends up fighting Kisara and the others due to her powers. After she is defeated she starts living with Shu.
Other characters
- Akino Yūgiri (夕桐 アキノ)
- Ayano's mother and the chairman of AAA Defender Co. She was previously Shu's boss, and continues to support him even after his departure from her company.
- Miles Morgan (マイルズ・モーガン)
- A private military officer in Bayron City. Shu looked up to him as a father figure, but later on he became possessed by demons and tries to assassinate Shu.
- Tetsuya Mikami (三上 テツヤ)
- Shenhua Hachisuka (蜂須賀 莎花)
- The deputy mayor of Bayron City and the eldest daughter of the city mayor.
- Linhua Hachisuka (蜂須賀 凛花)
- Mikhail Hachisuka (蜂須賀 ミハイル)
Main characters
- Shu Ogata (緒方 シュウ)
- The protagonist who runs a small PMC, I&S Office. He is usually broke as he cannot handle finances well. He is an orphan, as his parents are presumed to be dead after an incident prior to the events of the series. He still has feelings for his first ex-girlfriend Ayano Yugiri, despite their break-up.
- Kisara (キサラ)
- A young girl who goes to a high school in Bayron City. She is actually a demon girl who is hundreds of years old. She has the ability to eat the memories of people, including Shu.
- Ayano Yugiri (夕桐 アヤノ)
- Shu's first ex-girlfriend. Although she and Shu have broken up, she still has feelings for him. She is also Akino's daughter and a member of AAA Defender Co. She is slightly older than Shu, and they met when they were both children.
- Sharon Holygrail (シャロン・ホーリーグレイル)
- Shu's second ex-girlfriend, who dresses as a nun of the Seiten Church. She is actually an assassin and a part of an international organization tasked with fighting against D-Hazards.
- Kanna Ogata (緒方 カンナ)
- Shu's younger sister. She is also a part-demon girl. Later on in the series, she is freed from an underground area where she was trapped, but ends up fighting Kisara and the others due to her powers. After she is defeated she starts living with Shu.
Other characters
- Akino Yūgiri (夕桐 アキノ)
- Ayano's mother and the chairman of AAA Defender Co. She was previously Shu's boss, and continues to support him even after his departure from her company.
- Miles Morgan (マイルズ・モーガン)
- A private military officer in Bayron City. Shu looked up to him as a father figure, but later on he became possessed by demons and tries to assassinate Shu.
- Tetsuya Mikami (三上 テツヤ)
- Shenhua Hachisuka (蜂須賀 莎花)
- The deputy mayor of Bayron City and the eldest daughter of the city mayor.
- Linhua Hachisuka (蜂須賀 凛花)
- Mikhail Hachisuka (蜂須賀 ミハイル)
Engage Kill
Rising Sun Military Corps
- Chloe Tang (クロエ・タン)
- She comes from a rich family and is the player's first employee at their PMC. Despite her calm and comoposed personality, she is a member of the Rising Sun Military Corps who possesses superhuman combat abilities. However, she has a big appetite and gets hungry easily. Since she was 11 years old, she has traveled extensively and experienced a tumultuous life of many ups and downs.
- Shiho Takenouchi (竹ノ内 志保)
- [6]
- A Japanese woman who works in an administrative role at the Rising Sun Military Corps. In the past, she worked for a shady company where she had to do many repetitive tasks. This has made her unsure of herself, but she is actually skilled and can handle different accounting and everyday tasks effectively.
- Aoi Kotobuki (寿 葵)
- She used to be employed by a PMC in North America and frequently takes charge during combat operations. Prior to joining the Rising Sun Military Corps, she was unaware of the existence of demons due to the censorships of the Bayron City authorities. She has a serious and unemotional personality, and often lacks awareness of things that are not directly related to training or fighting.
- Emilio Romero Álvarez (エミリオ・ロメロ・アルバレス)
- [7]
- A man who collects information for the Rising Sun Military Corps. He comes from Bayron City's Old Town. In the past, he was involved in illegal activities and he has strong ties to the hidden world of the city. As part of his information-gathering work, he frequently visits various restaurants in the city, which has turned him into a connoisseur of its exquisite food.
- Noel (ノエル)
- [7]
- A mechanic employed by the Rising Sun Military Corps. She is of mixed American and Indian heritage. Despite often being mistaken for a child, she is actually 19 years old. She feels uneasy around others and acquired her exceptional engineering abilities by spending time alone, tinkering with and repairing machines. She is not typically talkative, but when the conversation revolves around her interests and mechanical creations, she becomes extremely chatty and speaks rapidly in a nerdy manner. She has developed an AI-powered drone called Humpty.
Rising Sun Military Corps
- Chloe Tang (クロエ・タン)
- She comes from a rich family and is the player's first employee at their PMC. Despite her calm and comoposed personality, she is a member of the Rising Sun Military Corps who possesses superhuman combat abilities. However, she has a big appetite and gets hungry easily. Since she was 11 years old, she has traveled extensively and experienced a tumultuous life of many ups and downs.
- Shiho Takenouchi (竹ノ内 志保)
- [6]
- A Japanese woman who works in an administrative role at the Rising Sun Military Corps. In the past, she worked for a shady company where she had to do many repetitive tasks. This has made her unsure of herself, but she is actually skilled and can handle different accounting and everyday tasks effectively.
- Aoi Kotobuki (寿 葵)
- She used to be employed by a PMC in North America and frequently takes charge during combat operations. Prior to joining the Rising Sun Military Corps, she was unaware of the existence of demons due to the censorships of the Bayron City authorities. She has a serious and unemotional personality, and often lacks awareness of things that are not directly related to training or fighting.
- Emilio Romero Álvarez (エミリオ・ロメロ・アルバレス)
- [7]
- A man who collects information for the Rising Sun Military Corps. He comes from Bayron City's Old Town. In the past, he was involved in illegal activities and he has strong ties to the hidden world of the city. As part of his information-gathering work, he frequently visits various restaurants in the city, which has turned him into a connoisseur of its exquisite food.
- Noel (ノエル)
- [7]
- A mechanic employed by the Rising Sun Military Corps. She is of mixed American and Indian heritage. Despite often being mistaken for a child, she is actually 19 years old. She feels uneasy around others and acquired her exceptional engineering abilities by spending time alone, tinkering with and repairing machines. She is not typically talkative, but when the conversation revolves around her interests and mechanical creations, she becomes extremely chatty and speaks rapidly in a nerdy manner. She has developed an AI-powered drone called Humpty.
Media
Anime
The anime was first labeled as "Project Engage", which listed Fumiaki Maruto (author of Saekano) and Tsunako (Date A Live illustrator) as the main staff.[8][9][10] The details were then announced through the Aniplex booth at the AnimeJapan 2022 event. The series, titled Engage Kiss, is produced by A-1 Pictures and directed by Tomoya Tanaka, with Shunsaku Yano in charge of world setting, Shinpei Wada adapting Megumi Katagiri's demon designs for animation, and Yoshiaki Fujisawa composing the music. It aired from July 3 to September 25, 2022, on Tokyo MX and other channels. The opening theme song, "Everyone, Scramble" (誰彼スクランブル), is performed by Halca.[1][11][12] The ending theme song, "Love-Brain" (恋愛脳), is performed by Nanawo Akari.[13][14] Aniplex of America licensed the series for an English simulcast and simuldub on Crunchyroll outside of Asia.[15][16]
Episodes
Episodes
Manga
A manga adaptation of Engage Kiss by Itachi was serialized in Square Enix's online manga magazine Manga Up! from July 2, 2022, to March 27, 2024.[13][20][21][22]
Game
An action RPG mobile game developed by Square Enix titled Engage Kill was announced on April 24, 2022.[11][25][26] A pre-registration began on June 4, 2022, and it was released in Japan on March 1, 2023.[27][28][29][30] The game is a free-to-play RPG genre title with in-app purchases.[31][32][33] The game ended service on March 21, 2024.[34][35][36]
See also
- Saekano, a light novel series authored by Fumiaki Maruto
- Date A Live, a light novel series illustrated by Tsunako
- King's Proposal, a light novel series illustrated by Tsunako
- Haganai, a light novel series with a manga adaptation illustrated by Itachi
- Too Many Losing Heroines!, a light novel series with a manga adaptation illustrated by Itachi
External links
References
- Rafael Antonio Pineda. Aniplex Reveals A-1 Pictures' Engage Kiss Romantic Comedy Anime With Teaser Anime News Network, March 25, 2022, retrieved March 26, 2022^
- Rafael Antonio Pineda. Crunchyroll Adds English Dubs for Lycoris Recoil, Engage Kiss Later This Month Anime News Network, August 11, 2022, retrieved August 15, 2022^
- Millsap, Bill. Mikami =@mpwhitten, Kanna =@lisareimold, Mikhail =@BeauVO, Linfa =@AbbyTrott, Shenfa =@thecourtneylin, PMC heads are@gkbowes,@brocktocks,@HenryMasonVoice, and@RicepirateMick(and they all rock!!!) September 26, 2022, retrieved October 3, 2022^
- Bill Butts. Welp, cats out the bag. Look forward to hearing yours truly as Miles in Engage Kiss! Huge thanks to @Crunchyroll, @AtlasTalent, @mummynyan, @BillMillsap and @DirectorAkiko for this! Love this brutha. He's a top tier anime dad! Check out the show soon on Crunchyroll! August 11, 2022, retrieved August 15, 2022^
- Beau Bridgland. FUN NEWS: You can hear me as Mikhail Hachisuka in the English dub of Engage Kiss on @Crunchyroll. LOOK AT HOW MAGNIFICENT HE IS! He's handsome and the son of the mayor of Bayron City. August 28, 2022, retrieved August 28, 2022^
- https://dengekionline.com/articles/172286/ Dengeki Online, ASCII Media Works, March 1, 2023, retrieved May 19, 2023^
- https://www.4gamer.net/games/628/G062893/20220815031/ 4gamer.net, August 15, 2022, retrieved August 30, 2022^
- Crystalyn Hodgkins. Aniplex Reveals 'Project Engage' With Saekano Writer Fumiaki Maruto, Date A Live Illustrator Tsunako Anime News Network, March 23, 2022, retrieved March 26, 2022^
- https://natalie.mu/comic/news/471270 Comic Natalie, Natasha, Inc, March 26, 2022, retrieved March 26, 2022^
- Engage Kiss(エンゲージ・キス). https://web.archive.org/web/20220326020623/https://twitter.com/engage_kiss/status/1507537826061029377 March 26, 2022, retrieved May 12, 2024^
- Egan Loo. Engage Kiss Comedy Anime Unveils More Cast & Staff, July 2 Debut, halca's Opening Song, Square Enix Game App in 1st Video Anime News Network, April 24, 2022, retrieved April 24, 2022^
- https://natalie.mu/comic/news/475232 Comic Natalie, Natasha, Inc, April 24, 2022, retrieved April 24, 2022^
- Egan Loo. Engage Kiss Comedy Anime Posts 2nd Video, More Cast, Ending Theme Song Anime News Network, June 4, 2022, retrieved June 4, 2022^
- https://natalie.mu/comic/news/480333 Comic Natalie, Natasha, Inc, June 4, 2022, retrieved June 4, 2022^
- Crunchyroll Reveals Summer 2022 SimulDub Lineup, Including Classroom of the Elite II and More Crunchyroll, June 22, 2022, retrieved June 25, 2022^
- Alex Mateo. Crunchyroll Announces Release Schedule for Summer 2022 Anime Season Anime News Network, June 25, 2022, retrieved June 22, 2022^
- Sutōrī engage-kiss.com, retrieved July 2, 2022^
- Engage Kiss - Watch on Crunchyroll Crunchyroll, retrieved July 2, 2022^
- On'ea engage-kiss.com, retrieved July 2, 2022^
- https://natalie.mu/comic/news/511294 Comic Natalie, Natasha, Inc, February 7, 2023, retrieved June 8, 2024^
- https://engage-kiss.com/news/?id=60759 TVアニメ「Engage Kiss」公式サイト, retrieved June 4, 2022^
- Itachi. https://web.archive.org/web/20240401093240/https://twitter.com/edomondohonda3/status/1772952010804900076 March 27, 2024, retrieved April 1, 2024^
- https://magazine.jp.square-enix.com/top/comics/detail/9784757583849/ Square Enix, retrieved February 13, 2023^
- https://magazine.jp.square-enix.com/top/comics/detail/9784757591721/ Square Enix, retrieved June 13, 2024^
- https://www.4gamer.net/games/628/G062893/20220422049/ 4Gamer.net, April 24, 2022, retrieved May 12, 2022^
- https://app.famitsu.com/20220708_1973030/ Famitsu App, Kadokawa Game Linkage, February 20, 2023, retrieved February 22, 2023^
- https://dengekionline.com/articles/173583/ Dengeki Online, ASCII Media Works, February 20, 2023, retrieved February 20, 2023^
- https://www.4gamer.net/games/628/G062893/20230220081/ 4Gamer.net, February 20, 2023, retrieved February 22, 2023^
- https://app.famitsu.com/20230221_2056831/ Famitsu App, Kadokawa Game Linkage, February 20, 2023, retrieved February 22, 2023^
- https://app.famitsu.com/20230301_2059942/ Famitsu App, March 1, 2023, retrieved March 2, 2023^
- https://app.famitsu.com/20221208_2031599/ Famitsu App, Kadokawa Game Linkage, December 8, 2022, retrieved December 20, 2022^
- https://www.4gamer.net/games/628/G062893/20221208043/ 4Gamer.net, December 8, 2022, retrieved December 20, 2022^
- https://dengekionline.com/articles/162927/ Dengeki Online, Kadokawa Corporation, December 8, 2022, retrieved December 8, 2022^
- https://dengekionline.com/articles/215735/ Dengeki Online, Kadokawa Corporation, December 27, 2023, retrieved December 27, 2023^
- https://gamebiz.jp/news/379637 Gamebiz, December 27, 2023, retrieved December 28, 2023^
- Rafael Pineda. Engage Kill Smartphone Game for Engage Kiss Franchise Ends Service on March 21 Anime News Network, December 27, 2023, retrieved December 28, 2023^