English Dub Review: Engage Kiss: “Believe in Him”

Overview: Shu (Howard Wang) is reeling from Kisara’s (Kayli Mills) decision to give his memories back as he comes to a shocking discovery and all the while the danger Kana (Lisa Reimold) presents grows. 

Our Take: With how much Kisara has taken form Shu, simply giving him his memories back in a secret clause in their contract would have been enough to make up for everything. Especially considering she took what she did for him and his cause. However, peeling back the layers of how far her compassion goes further builds upon their relationship in Kisara using her own memories as power instead of Shu’s, merely storing up his own, acting as the most heartbreaking detail in how much she was willing to sacrifice for him. It also acts as a great bridge of empathy for Shu to finally understand how she truly feels in gaining her memories from her past life with her mother, seemingly, and to be her sword this time around. 

Shu and Ayano’s reunion is fun for how much he uses the sex she conned out of him but short lived as Kana desperately tries to kill her. His little sister’s motivation is an intelligent way of making a seemingly petty reason, like jealousy, deep-rooted and depressing in her motivation to kill not only Ayano but also Sharon. Shu’s apology to the nun is a bit nonsensical considering he was the under assumption of the contract not to mention she is a psycho murderer who tried to kill his sister, but at least it shows there is a different, warmer side within that beautifully blonde and lethal exterior. 

The animation in Shu gliding around on, what is essentially a hoverboard from Back to the Future, is rad in how it allows for a slick moving aerial sword battle that is relentless in his battle against Kana. With Kisara leaving herself a hand message to fight and trust Shu, it sets up a climactic final battle that, if it can go beyond Shu’s fight, will be a hell of a finisher in trying to save Kana.