REVIEW: ‘The Invisible Man and His Soon-to-Be Wife’ Episode 1 — “The Soon-to-be Couple”

The Invisible Man and His Soon to Be Wife Episode 1 introduces another cutesy anime romance this season, but one with a fantastical twist. The first episode expertly blends the anime’s romantic elements with its otherworldly setting and characters, offering a wholesome and engaging experience in the process.

The anime follows Yakou (Yuka Nukui) and Tounome (Yōhei Azakami). The former is a mild-mannered blind woman, while the latter is an invisible man. They both work at a private detective agency alongside another human man, KiraKira (Masaya Fukunishi), and a demihuman, Jarashi (Riho Sugiyama). However, it’s clear throughout the episode that Yakou and Tounome are growing increasingly closer and harboring romantic feelings.

Their dynamic so far is unlike that of many traditional couples in a typical romance anime. Because Tounome is an invisible man, no one can see his body, just his clothes, except when he makes them invisible. However, because Yakou is blind, her other senses are heightened, and she can always tell where Tounome is.

Project No.9 delivers a colorful fantasy world grounded in reality.

This makes him more interested in her, and they form an odd bond because of it. Throughout the episode, the anime plays with this dynamic and portrays the characters’ budding feelings for each other quite well.

This is done through a very cutesy, mild, and quieter aesthetic and animation by studio Project No.9 (Ameku M.D.: Doctor Detective), with colorful, picturesque backgrounds and character designs, and calm yet melodic background music. The aesthetic works incredibly well for the anime, but also makes it overly similar to its genre counterparts. The character designs and art style alone are almost identical to other romance anime from the studio. 

Thankfully, the narrative and world make up for this with fascinating executions.

The Invisible Man and His Soon to Be Wife Episode 1 succeeds in establishing aspects of the world, such as how being an invisible man works and how Yakou navigates this world as a blind person. The anime is set in a world where humans, demihumans, aliens, monsters, and other fantasy creatures and entities somehow coexist peacefully, so it’s not unusual to see invisible people.

The Invisible Man and His Soon to Be Wife Episode 1 pays attention to detail.

The episode reveals how, apparently, invisible people can’t see their own bodies, but things that come out of their bodies no longer become invisible, while things that go into them do. The anime reveals this seamlessly during events in the premiere, specifically when Tounome gets injured on the job and bleeds, and when he drinks tea during his break.

This show is engaging through its attention to detail. The Invisible Man and His Soon to Be Wife Episode 1 subtly reveals that Yakou has been blind for a long time, if not since birth. This explains why her senses are better than the average person’s.

It also shows how Tounome uses his invisible skills in his detective work, which makes sense and is a clever way to leverage his fantastical nature beyond just a gimmick. However, it would be nice if future episodes expanded more on the world and the characters by explaining some things.

The romance anchors the story as it begins to take shape. 

Details such as whether Yakou is wholly or partly blind and whether she’s always been, would help with her backstory. Meanwhile, exploring whether their world has always been fantastical and why several supernatural entities are able to live together will help expand the story. Not providing explanations would mean the inclusions are just a gimmick, not proper narrative elements, which would be disappointing.

Other than that, the romance between the two characters is cute but still in the developing stages. It’s refreshing that they’re both adults, as it offers a nice change of pace compared to most romance anime. For now, the title is very presumptuous, as the characters aren’t even dating yet, though with the satisfying pace of The Invisible Man and His Soon to Be Wife Episode 1, that’s likely to change soon.

Overall, while still featuring some typical romance tropes, The Invisible Man and His Soon to Be Wife Episode 1 introduces a refreshing, interesting romance anime with a lot of potential.

The Invisible Man and His Soon-to-Be Wife Episode 1 is streaming now on Crunchyroll.