The Summer 2023 Anime Preview Guide

The Duke of Death and His Maid Season 2

Years ago, a young noble was bewitched with a curse that causes him to kill anything that he touches. As a result, the duke was disowned by his mother and sent to live in a separate estate inside a forest with only a single butler and maid to keep him company. This maid, Alice, seems particularly interested in the young duke, often teasing him with her body and flirtatious comments at every chance she gets. However, due to the curse, the two cannot even hold hands, but just because they cannot be physically close to one another, that does not mean that there isn't room for their love to grow. What starts as simple teasing progresses into a genuine and heartfelt romance between these two as the duke gradually gains more confidence in himself despite his initially lonely circumstances. With Alice and a growing circle of friends now by his side, the duke hopes to find a way to break the curse to one day fully embrace the ones he loves.

The Duke of Death and His Maid Season 2 is based on Koharu Inoue's The Duke of Death and His Maid (Shinigami Bocchan to Kuro Maid) manga. It streams on Crunchyroll on Sundays.

The Duke of Death and His Maid has finally returned to us, and it is already showing signs of contending for the title of the best couple of this season, even though the competition isn't particularly high. The first season pleasantly surprised me because, despite initially expecting it to follow the usual pattern of baiting progression, "The Duke of Death and His Maid" displayed an unexpected amount of care, charm, and tragedy in its narrative. Season one concluded with the Duke finding a newfound resolve within himself. Not only did he realize that he wasn't as alone as he had believed during his isolation, thanks to his mother, but he also stood up to her by declaring his intentions to remove his death curse and his hopes of marrying Alice someday.

This season doesn't do much to progress the narrative forward, and one could even consider this first episode a filler. It serves as a nice way to ease us back into the story, considering the significant gap since season one. However, if you just caught up with season one and were eagerly awaiting the start of season two, it can feel like the show is suddenly dragging its feet. I wouldn't be surprised if many of the skits in this episode were extra segments from the manga, included simply to depict the characters' day-to-day lives. The fanservice bathing suit segment reeks of that, but these moments, on their own, aren't necessarily bad because they still display lovable charm and chemistry.

My favorite part was the ending, where we got a glimpse of the Duke's inner desires. The jokes were predictable, such as his fantasies about Alice in various ways and costumes, but it was cute to see his deepest fantasy being the idea of seeing her in a wedding dress. I appreciate how Alice pulls back a bit during these moments and cherishes the intimacy she shares with the Duke, even if they are unable to act on those fantasies just yet. A friend of mine summed it up well, saying that this show is not so much a story of "will they, won't they," but rather a story of "they would if they could, but they currently can't." I hope this season gives these two characters the happy ending they deserve.