Anime Reviews (2020s): The Executioner and Her Way of Life: Complete Collection (2022)

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For those who love action-driven series with a darker tone (and moments that are happy and upbeat) and a yuri storyline (nothing raunchy but with a little fan service), “The Executioner and Her Way of Life” is worth the watch.

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TITLE: The Executioner and Her Way of Life

DURATION: Episodes 1-12 (300 Minutes)

BLU-RAY INFORMATION: 1080p High Definition, English Dolby TrueHD 2.0 (movies are 5.1) and Japanese DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0, Subtitles: English

COMPANY: Sentai Filmworks

RATED: TV 14

Release Date: July 4, 2023

Original Character Design: Uon Taraku

Director: Nagai Tatsuyuki

Screenplay: Kuroda Yosuke

Music by I’ve, Iuchi Maiko

Character Design: Tanaka Masayoshi

Art Director:Sue Nobuhito

Mechanical Design: Ebikawa Kanetake

Anime Production: J.C. Staff

Featuring the following voice talent:

Saeki Iori/Annie Wild as Menou

Kahara Moe/Melissa Molano as Akari Tokitō

Uchida Yuma/Bryson Baugus as Mutou Mitsuki

Kanemoto Hisako/Cat Thomas as Momo

Watanabe Akane/Courtney Lomelo as Pastor Sicilia

HAruno Anzu/Juliet Simmons as Pandemonium

Iwami Manaka/Kristen McGuire as Manon Libelle

Kaida Yuko/Molly Searcy as Master Flare

M.A.O./Rachael Messer as Princess Ashuna

Kubota Tamie/Shelley Calene-Black as Archbishop Orwell

When interdimensional travelers from an otherworldly land known as “Japan” appear, death and destruction always follow. It’s up to Executioners like Menou to exterminate the Lost Ones before they wreak havoc. When Menou encounters a Lost One named Akari, it’s bloody business as usual… until Menou discovers Akari can cheat death. Even so, Menou has a job to do, and she is committed to her executioner’s mission come hell or high water – provided her newly stirring feelings don’t get in the way.

In July 2019, Sato Mato and illustrator Nilitsu’s yuri light novel series “Shokei Shojo no Ikiru Michi (Bajin Rodo)” a.k.a. “The Executioner Girl’s Way of Life (Virgin Road)” was released.

Still ongoing in Japan, as well as a manga adaptation courtesy of art by Mitsuya Ryo and serialized in Square Enix’s seinen magazine “Young Gangan”, “a 12-episode anime series adaptation was produced by J.C. Staff and aired from April to June 2022.

And now the series has been released on Blu-ray courtesy of Sentai Filmworks.

The first episode sets the tone of the series.

One may think at first that it’s lighthearted fun story about a unpopular boy who gets whisked to a magical world summoned by the king of Grisarika Kingdom and is measured for a power called “Pure Concept”. Another girl is summoned as well, but for the boy, Mitsuki Mutou, is thrown out of the castle (because he doesn’t have any major powers) and he meets a priestess called Menou who offers to help him.

Menou explains that people from Japan with powers called “Lost Ones” have been summoned through history and when it is discovered that Mitsuki does have the power of “Pure Concept” and Mutou is happy beyond belief that he has a major power. Then he is killed immediately by Menou.

Menou turns out to be an assassin for the church who specializes in killing Lost Ones who are whisked to their world who could be harmful and destructive.

But when it is learned that a girl was summoned as well, Menou meets Akari and when she tries to kill her. Menou’s “Pure Concept” is to go back in time and so Menou killing her does not happen and Akari not having any memory of it. Her power is simply immunity towards assassination.

And now Menou must find a way to assassinate Akari and stay close to her. But through their adventures, what happens when they each find out that they care deeply for one another?

Will Menou be there for Akari? Or will she find the perfect time to kill her?

As mentioned, the light novel series is still ongoing in Japan, so this first season is more or less a taste of what to expect and also hopefully a possibility of a second season to continue the series.

For the most part, “The Executioner and Her Way of Life” will appeal to those who enjoy yuri stories (female loves female) and in the series, you have a love triangle plus strong female characters.

This is just season one but for the most part, it’s a storyline that is entertaining but not to the point I wanted to watch every episode in one-run, more like an episode a night.

Knowing the premise of the storyline, it doesn’t majorly shift through the series. It’s just more or less the adventures of Menou and Akari and watching these two characters get close (while tertiary character Momo, is Menou’s aide and has a deep crush on Menou). But also learning about how Menou became an assassin and her upbringing.

But I do feel the first season is more or less introductions to the characters and I imagine that if there is a second season, things will become more bleak.

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