Engage Kiss is an all-new anime series making its debut in the Summer 2022 anime season as part of the multi-media project named Project Engage. In many ways, Engage Kiss may remind anime fans of similar series such as Fire Force and the ultra-popular Demon Hunter, having similar monster hunter themes and a deeply personal quest for the main character.
Engage Kiss may excite anime fans not only with its stylish and well-animated combat sequences, but also its deceptively complex story and the intense drama between the main cast of characters. In Engage Kiss, the heroes need more than courage and weapons to fight the Demons -- they need true love and faith in each other to triumph.
Ogata Shu Hunts Demons For Personal Reasons
The protagonist himself, Ogata Shu, has a lot on his mind. He is a professional hunter of Demons who is determined to succeed all on his own, though it won't be easy. He's introduced as a well-meaning but oddly stubborn young man who is constantly strapped for cash living in his modest apartment, and for him, hunting Demons has more appeal than just earning much-needed paychecks. Some 12 years ago, a disaster likely related to Demons destroyed the Ogata family, and Shu is determined to find and punish those responsible for killing his parents and younger sister Kanna.
This personal quest could potentially put Shu at odds with the Bayron City Demon hunting department, since Shu may end up having to choose between city law and his own revenge, and he might even turn against the city government if he must. Until then, Shu is a loyal friend to both his ex-girlfriend Ayano and his current battle partner Kisara.
Kisara Is Shu's Best Demon Friend
The pink-haired Kisara is not only Shu's best friend but also his partner in combat against powerful Demons. In fact, Kisara is an A-ranked Demon herself -- something Bayron City's governors and police constantly worry about, but Kisara has nothing to fear from them in return. Kisara is a carefree and kind Demon girl who is determined to make Shu happy, and she hopes to have Shu all to herself someday.
Kisara views Ayano as a romantic rival of sorts, and to get the upper hand on her rival, Kisara regularly "eats" Shu's memories of Ayano to fuel her powers. If Kisara can eliminate all of Shu's memories of his ex-girlfriend, then surely, Shu will only love Kisara now and forever. That's the plan, at least, although Ayano won't make it easy for her. Kisara also has some domestic skills and is surprisingly cautious and practical outside of combat by Demon standards, even attending school to be an upstanding citizen of Bayron City.
Yugiri Ayano Is Shu's Ex-Girlfriend And Business Ally
The blue-haired Ayano is an elite member of the AAA Defender Co. PMC, one of the many PMCs operating in Bayron City to eliminate Demons. Ayano was once romantically involved with Shu, but now they are growing further and further apart due to Shu's involvement with Kisara and his fading memories. Ayano also disapproves of Shu's reckless, even dangerous solo quest to find the Demon responsible for his parents' demise, but with Kisara supporting that quest, the two girls are at total odds.
Thus, they formed an intense love triangle with Shu, with Ayano warning Shu of the dangers of being involved with Kisara while Shu does his best to somehow keep the peace between the three of them. Ayano is also the daughter of AAA Defender Co.'s president, and her mother is more than a little nosy about her daughter's personal life, amusingly enough. In battle, rather than use Demon powers, Ayano relies on body armor and high-tech assault rifles to protect citizens from the threat of Demons.
Officer Miles Morgan, Yugiri Ayano, Mikami Tetsuya & Mikhail Hachisuka
A few more notable characters help round out the cast of this action-packed, slightly cyberpunk anime world. Officer Miles Morgan works in the department of evil countermeasures for the city government, and he was Shu's foster father for about a year after the death of Shu's own parents. He and Shu are still on good terms, and Morgan also gets along well with Mikami Tetsuya, his work partner. Tetsuya works hard to support Shu from the sidelines as a detective, though even he can only do so much for Shu in trying times like these.
Yugiri Akino is a minor supporting character as the smart, hardworking president of AAA Defender Co., and she is also a doting, if sometimes overbearing, mother for Ayano. Like Morgan, she is almost a parental figure for Shu and has a high opinion of him, though it's not clear if Akino approves of Shu's odd relationship with Kisara the Demon. Then there's the obnoxious blond Mikhail Hachisuka, the pompous son of city mayor Hachisuka. Mikhail has a one-sided crush on Kisara and even follows her and Shu around, seeking an opportunity to somehow steal Kisara for himself and kick Shu out of Bayron City entirely. For now, Mikhail is just a thorn in Shu's side, but if things get dire, there's no telling what he might do.