From Left to Right: Ayano Yugiri, Kisara, Sharon Holygrail and Shu Ogata
A contract with a cute demon. The price is a dangerously sweet kiss.
Bayron City, an artificial island created in the Pacific Ocean that has become one of the most prestigious places in the world due to its mining of Orgonium, a valuable energy source. However, it is also home to recurring "D Hazards," humans possessed by demons that must be done by one of various companies operating in the city. One of these companies is run by Shu Ogata and assisted by a demon living with him, Kisara. Alongside Ayano Yugiri, a former coworker and girlfriend of Shu's, these two will make sure that Bayron City is unharmed from D Hazards - and, more important, make sure that the bills are paid by the end of the month.
Engage Kiss is an original action-scifi-fantasy-comedy-romance anime made by A-1 Pictures that aired in the Summer 2022 season. The series is licenced by Aniplex USA who are simulcasting it on Crunchyroll, with an English dub from Bang Zoom! Entertainment also set to stream.
It's followed a sequel in the mobile phone game Engage Kill, which was released in March 2023 and will end service in March 2024.
Engage Kiss contains examples of the following tropes:
- Abuse Mistake: Some of Kisara's classmates notice a bandage on her arm from the injuries from her previous mission and assume Shu did it to her following an argument.
- Action Dress Rip: While trying to chase a demon, Ayano (who's in a formal dress) rips part of it before shooting off the rest.
- Betty and Veronica: Ayano and Kisara have this dynamic. While Ayano is an old flame of Shu's with a respectable career and comparatively level head on her shoulders, Kisara is a clingy demon whose sense of morality is unpredictable despite her feelings for Shu.
- Bittersweet Ending: Shu manages to halt the demon invasion of Bayron City and save Kanna from her own rampage with the combined help of Kisara, Sharon, and Ayano's PMC. However, Asmodeus is still at large and cooking up another plan to invade Bayron City. Then there's the fact that Kanna ends up breaking out of confinement to live with Shu in his apartment and make up for all the years they spent apart, which definitely won't sit well with Kisara.
- Clingy Jealous Girl: Kisara and Ayano both have feelings for Shu, and neither are very fond of sharing him.
- Drives Like Crazy: The delivery driver that gives Shu his package doesn't drive up to the building insomuch as speed directly to it, unwittingly helping to save the day when the truck hits the demon. Blindsiding everyone except the driver, who is only doing her job.
- Fighter, Mage, Thief: Shu's 3 love interests fit this dynamic in some fashion:
- Sharon is the Fighter, being a very skilled martial artist who possesses strength like a truck going 60 mph.
- Kisara is the Mage, possessing supernatural powers due to her nature as an S-Rank demon.
- Ayano is the Thief, relying on her company's resources and subterfuge, while also being a crack shot with various guns.
- Guys Smash, Girls Shoot: Inverted. Shu is the guy with the gun acting as support while the strong demon swordswoman Kisara does all of the smashing.
- Handsome Lech: Mikhail is a good-looking guy and hits on Kisara, despite her constantly brushing him off.
- Instant Home Delivery: During a fight with a demon that they need to capture, Shu orders a capture weapon from the city's delivery express. Said express instantly arrives at the building the fight is, crashing into and knocking out the demon that Shu needed to capture. He quickly changes his mind the very instant he sees what the driver has done.
- Intangibility: Multiple demons, most prominently Kisara, have demonstrated the ability to phase through solid matter like ghosts.
- Kill Sat: In Episode 10, a satellite equipped with laser weaponry from the Cold War era against Asmodeus, an especially dangerous demon. It did not damage the demon.
- Masquerade: The existence of D Hazards and demons in Bayron city are covered up, with alternate explanations given for any incidents involving them.
- Mirror Monster: Episode 4 and 5 features a demon capable of traversing in mirrors.
- One-Winged Angel: Literally for Kisara in her demon form, as well as Kanna.
- Out with a Bang: Downplayed. Shu poisons Sharon during sex by putting neurotoxin on his penis. She survives.
- Parking Garage: Sharon assaults The Justice in one, causing a gun fight to break out.
- Perpetual Poverty: Shu and Kisara live in this, either only having bean sprouts for the whole month or not eating for days in Shu's case.
- The Reveal: Two-fold in the eighth episode:
- Mikhail Hachisuka is the Director General.
- Mikami was murdered by Miles Morgan and is working for Asmodeus.
- Episode 9 reveals that Shu's family's deaths were due to Shu's father detonating a bomb to take out his wife and Shu's mother Sayuri, who is revealed to be Asmodeus, who either possessed or replaced her before Kanna's birth, meaning Kanna was a half-demon, while Shu only survived due to Miles taking him out of the cave before the explosion.
- Sexy Discretion Shot: Between Shu and Ayano in episode 5, where a few scenes of the two being immodestly dressed are interlaced between scenes of scenery and the weather.
- Spit-Trail Kiss: When Kisara and Shu kiss in the first episode, a spit trail between them can be seen.
- Stab the Scorpion: Played with in the first episode; Kisara and Ayano fight in the middle of a contract, and it just so happens that when they miss their attempts to hit each other they wind up hitting the demon mooks instead.
- Surprisingly Realistic Outcome: One of the predominant themes of the series, apart from just following supernatural beings fighting each other in an urban setting, is the logistical and political ramifications of such battles, whether from having to gain contracts in order to be permitted to fight in the first place, taking stock of how much resources need to be expended, as well as dealing with the aftermath.
- Wham Shot: At the end of episode 10, we see Kanna in her half-demon glory peering out of a portal right after impaling Kisara on a blue spear.
- What Does She See in Him?: Several of Kisara's classmates who are aware of her relationship with Shu express this opinion.
