This article contains spoilers from Romantic Killer, currently streaming on Netflix.As much as she would prefer otherwise, Anzu keeps finding herself alongside one handsome young man or another in Romantic Killer, each effortlessly qualifying as the ideal boyfriend material (for the average girl, that is.) Too bad she's already in love, with chocolate, video games, and her adorable kitty, Momohiki.
Anzu kicks the "dere" right out of Tsundere and couldn't be less interested in her hunky harem, however, thanks to Riri's interventions, she may not have a choice. To break free from this Shojo Isekai nightmare, this cynical anti-heroine has to accept the affections of her paramour, for the sake of Japan's longevity.
The Ace
The first debonaire dude to burst Anzu's bubble of seclusion is none other than the most popular young man in school, the allusive and mysterious Tsukasa Kazuki. Following a few "chance" encounters (carefully choreographed by the devilish Riri, of course), this beautiful blonde boy ends up moving in with Anzu, providing her with top-notch meals, great company, and a stern motivation to change up her cat-lady look (occasionally.)
Tsukasa usually lives alone and has zero interest in dating (which his sea of admirers can't seem to comprehend in the slightest), but his blasé attitude is not a voluntary choice. The once-approachable youngster fell victim to a stalker's abusive mind games and had to relocate as a result, leaving him fearful and untrusting of people in general. Slowly but surely, however, Tsukasa is encroaching on the "deconfirmed bachelor" territory, as Anzu's unique charm becomes increasingly more endearing over time.
The Patient Childhood Love Interest
Junta Hayami is Anzu's long-time friend and gaming buddy who had to step out of the picture for three years, but has returned with some serious upgrades to boast about (not that he's the type to brag). The pudgy and awkward boy has turned himself into a jaw-droppingly athletic Adonis whilst managing to maintain his nice-guy personae in the process. Anzu feels completely at ease around the baseball star from the get-go, even though it takes her a while to realize exactly who he is from her past (as he was previously known as Tonta.)
This one-sided elementary school crush has flourished into a more mature relationship (well, at least, that's Junta's goal, if he ever works up the nerve to divulge his feelings.) Although accepting this tall drink of water's affections would be the easiest way out of the Isekai disaster, Anzu is not willing to play with her friend's feelings in order to get the upper hand, now that's a quality gal.
The Lonely Rich Kid
Hijiri Koganei is the self-proclaimed love interest of all women in general and begrudgingly fills the fourth position in Anzu's already overburdened love triangle (which should still be a circle of solitude in any case). While things between Hijiri and Anzu don't get off to the best start, the spunky redhead can't ignore his perseverance (while having Mr. Tsuchiya around doesn't hurt much, either).
Pushing past Hijiri's elitist exterior, Anzu eventually discovers his sweet-natured side, which has developed significantly thanks to this feisty female's positive influence. Born with a silver spoon in his mouth, the "Prince" is used to always getting his way, however, he clearly understands the value of hard work and gratitude (and is learning about the dangers of forcing a lady's hand, the hard way.)
The New Old Flame
Ryuya is another childhood friend who has quite a boisterous and confrontational personality (which he conveniently uses to disguise his true sentiments.) In a typical "tease the one you love" fashion, Ryuya tends to go out of his way to aggravate Anzu, who happily obliges with her argumentative responses. He is evidently the jealous type, as his nasty side rears its ugly head when Junta suddenly steals the spotlight, however, Ryuya is not too egotistical to acknowledge his judgemental mistake and publically apologizes to his all friends for his inappropriate bullying behavior.
Without fully admitting defeat, the prideful young man begins to root for Junta to succeed in the romance department, which is in strong contrast to how Ruyuka sabotaged Junta's relationship with Anzu all those years before. Ryuya shows a significant amount of character development for side-character, which is exactly why he isn't officially out of the running.
The Head-Turning Beauty
The only character in Anzu's personalized "Romantic Thriller" storyline to get this girl gushing is none other than Arisa, her knight in shining armor (with a gender-bender twist.) The cynical party pooper can't help but openly swoon and fawn over the mysterious beauty and is even more shocked to discover that her savior is actually Tsukasa's protective sister (astonishing attractiveness must run in the family).
Not much time is spent concerning Arisa's backstory, other than her contribution to supporting Tsukasa and defending him against their unreasonably strict father. She drops everything when her brother's stalker emerges from the woodwork, and Anzu is more than happy to have this particular character hanging around more frequently; the alluring Arisa can do no wrong!
Defrosting The Ice Queen
Riri may have missed out on the opportunity to complete his Cupid chores, as the weird wizard makes little attempt to drive Anzu and Arisa together (although considering the "devil's" main focus is to quell the low reproductive rate in Japan, it would be rather redundant).
Unfortunately for Anzu, this is not a Yuri storyline and she will have to conform to Shojo standards if she wishes to win the game. Although Junta's easy-going nature efficiently keeps Anzu relatively calm, and the other boys add some spice to her life, Tsukasa seems to be the one with all the right stuff to break through this anti-heroine's barriers. Without even meaning to, the bushy-haired beauty has saved Tsukasa in more ways than one, and maybe it's about time he returns the favor by relinquishing Anzu from her Isekai bonds (if she'd only let him).