A haiku, if you’ll humor me.
Wind scatters petals
Red stains beneath silver hair
I will kick your ass
May I Ask For One Final Thing? is a delightfully entertaining but straightforward spin on the typical romance story. The anime has been an anticipated series this fall, generating buzz for weeks. Now that it has begun airing, here are some first impressions from the first three episodes.
SPOILER WARNING for Episodes 1-3. Rated +14 for Violence
Not You’re Typical Teenage Girl
From an early age, Scarlet el Vandimion was forced to endure the second prince’s bullying. Her family arranged their marriage to secure their position as nobles, and so could offer little help. She had no choice but to quell her emotions.
Then, at a gathering of the second prince’s noble cohorts, he breaks off their engagement, favoring a new girl. He accuses Scarlet of bullying her in an attempt to disgrace Scarlet publicly. This was just the excuse Scarlet needed to blow off some steam. She proceeds to pummel every noble at the gathering and punches the prince’s lights out.
Now a free woman, she sets her sights on the other corrupt elites of the kingdom with her own brand of pugilistic justice. But perhaps, one annoyingly clingy first prince can change her tune and melt her icy heart.
Punch-Drunk on Romance
The stars of the show are obviously the characters. Scarlet is such a refreshing female lead, completely unashamed of her femininity and strength. It’s so much fun watching her try to justify her pummelings, only to admit at the last second she just enjoys it. Her brother plays the perfect straight man to her antics, while the first prince Julius enables her outbursts with soft-spoken jabs, then sweeps her off her feet with apple pie. These characters constantly pull the rug out from under the viewers. It makes for quite the emotional rollercoaster.
I’d also like to take a moment to highlight the English dub because I think it has gone a long way to make this anime stand out. The cadence, rhythm, vocal variety and character acting have been stellar. Morgan Lauré’s distinguished deliveries as Scarlet are perfectly coupled with her exacerbation. Reagan Murdock brings the charming Julius to life with resonant tones and soft whispers. Emily Fajardo is the English voice director and pulls out the very best from her cast.
Final Thoughts
The one big critique I have concerns the action. Granted, not a lot of involved action has happened yet, but the moments when Scarlet is fighting could have used some punching up, pardon the pun. I think more visceral and exaggerated movements could really sell the contrast between her true nature and her noble façade. As it stands, the action sequences are a little dull, so I’m hoping we get at least one really good fight scene.
May I Ask For One Final Thing? is a fun blend of action and romance. It’s not afraid to poke fun at shoujo tropes while also indulging in them. The characters are charming and play off each other incredibly well. The story has been basic but brisk, and I’m looking forward to more. Never has punching someone in the face been so cathartic and amusing at the same time. Catch up on the latest episodes of May I Ask For One Final Thing? on Crunchyroll.
Scorecard
Art & Animation: 2/5
- Very pretty shoujo-style animation
- Action scenes are a little underbaked
- Consistent and expressive
Characters & Story: 3/5
- Strong personalities play off each other well
- Every interaction has a good setup and landing
- Not much depth to the story, but enjoyably simple
Sound & Presentation: 2/5
- The English dub is very good
- Not much has stood out so far
- Absolutely embraces its premise
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