The Duke Of Death And His Maid - What We Know So Far
The pursuit of love is a popular theme across the numerous anime genres. From characters dealing with a multitude of suitors, as often seen in the harem anime genre, to the young love shown in shoujo anime, to the risqué romances of ecchi anime, there is a different flavor of love for every anime fan to indulge when they're in the mood. For fans who prefer their romances with a hefty dash of supernatural complexity, "The Duke of Death and His Maid" will sure scratch that itch. The show's official Twitter announced its release date this week, which means fans can officially prepare for its arrival.
Announced in February 2021 (via Anime News Network), "The Duke of Death and His Maid" will adapt Koharu Inoue's ongoing manga series "Shinigami Bocchan to Kuro Maid." Inoue's manga series debuted in October 2017 and, to date, is comprised of 12 volumes. "The Duke of Death and His Maid" will feature the voice talents of Natsuki Hanae as the Duke of Death and Ayumi Mano as the titular maid named Alice. Yoshiki Yamakawa, who is perhaps best known for "Kill Me Baby" and "Hi Score Girl," will direct the series for Japanese animation studio J.C. Staff. Additionally, Hideki Shirane ("Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon?") will be in charge of series composition, Gen Okuda and Takeshi Watanabe will oversee the music for the anime series, and Michiru Kuwabata ("Danchi Tomoo") will draw the characters.
Here's what else we know about "The Duke of Death and His Maid" anime, including the release date, characters, and plot.
What is the release date of The Duke of Death and His Maid?
As revealed in a June 16 tweet from the show's official Twitter account, "The Duke of Death and His Maid" will premiere on July 4, 2021. Even though the premiere date for romantic anime is mere weeks away, there are some caveats for fans not based in Japan who are keen to watch. Currently, "The Duke of Death and His Maid" only has a release date set for Japanese viewers, with the series premiere at 10 p.m. JST on the Tokyo MX channel, as well as BS11 and Yomiuri TV (via The Anime Daily).
For U.S. viewers, these release date details mean you'll have to wake up at 7 a.m. ET/4 a.m. PT if you want to watch the premiere in real time. If you're aiming to watch the premiere, it's easy to research how to access Japanese TV channels so you can stream them, but definitely do so at your own discretion. Unfortunately, there is no official announcement for plans of an English dub of "The Duke of Death and His Maid" nor any official news of plans to release the show outside of Japan.
Who are the characters in The Duke of Death and His Maid?
The official website for "The Duke of Death and His Maid" features a breakdown of the small but lively cast of characters for the anime series. At the heart of the story is the titular Duke of Death (frequently referred to as Bocchan in the manga) and his maid, Alice. As a child, the Duke of Death was cursed by a witch and, from that moment on, was doomed to kill any living thing that he touched. Alice, a childhood friend, now lives with the Duke of Death as his maid, and she is in love with him.
In addition to Bocchan and Alice, other "The Duke of Death and His Maid" characters include: Rob, the butler who works alongside Alice in Bocchan's secluded estate; Viola, the Duke's younger sister who has a crush on Rob; Caph, a young witch skilled in fire magic who befriends Alice and the Duke; Zain, a male, half-bird witch with time-manipulation magic powers who also has a crush on Caph; and Walter, the Duke and Viola's younger brother who also seems to be a new character created solely for the anime adaptation.
What is the plot of The Duke of Death and His Maid?
As previously mentioned, "The Duke of Death and His Maid" will be adapted from Koharu Inoue's ongoing manga series "Shinigami Bocchan to Kuro Maid." Inoue's rom-com manga follows the complicated love story of the titular Duke of Death and his maid, Alice. The reason behind this complication? Well, when the Duke was a young boy, he was cursed by a witch to kill whatever he touched. The Duke's mother disowned him and sent him to live in exile on another estate, secluded deep in the forest.
Now a young man, the Duke lives with and is served by Alice, who has known the Duke since he was a boy and is also completely in love with him. She is also open in her affections for the Duke and flirts with him. The Duke and Alice also live with Rob, an older butler. And, because "The Duke of Death and His Maid" is seemingly set in a magical world, the Duke and Alice find both friends and foes in the community of witches that populate their world.