Romantic Killeris one of many anime series that covers stalking in modern-day Japanese society. This subtle yet deadly crime is something that it is downplayed, overlooked, or mocked by family, friends, and peers of the victim. Trying to portray the reality of the crime and how it should be solved, the series sets out to untangle the truth from the lies in terms of the stalker, the victim, and the solution.
The story ofRomantic Killeris at its corea romantic-comedy seriesset in modern-day Japan. Anzu Hoshino, the main character, is what many would call a non-heroine, a high school girl whose love is not directed towards boys but rather toward games, chocolate, and Momohiki, her cat. Without a shred of romance in her life, a magical wizard, Riri, is assigned to her case and throws her life into chaos when they take away the three reasons why she exists and force her into fateful encounters with boys at her school namely Tsukasa Kazuki, Junta Hayami, and Hijiri Koganei.
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What is Stalking?
According to the United States Department of Justice, stalking is defined as:
A course of conduct directed at a specific person that would cause a reasonable person to fear for his or her safety or the safety of others or suffer substantial emotional distress.
According to Psychology Today, there are several signs of stalking behavior: delivering unwanted gifts, stealing personal belongings, and sending repetitive messages. Some potential reasons behind stalking behaviors include: retaliation aftera failed romantic relationship, realization of a fantasy, or inflation of a mental illness. Although some stalkers are thought to be passive actors, they can be more violent than many people might think.
The State of Stalking in Japan
Although there are presumably strict laws in Japanese society to protect victims of stalking, the execution of the law is sloppy, uncaring, and lacking. For victims of stalking cases, there is seemingly no escape and no hope. In comparison to other countries, Japan is seen as a safe haven for women and children as the crime rates are lower and as a tourist destination forpeople participating in otaku culture. For such a perceivably safe place, Japan has a terrible track record with stalking cases reaching over 20,000 stalking-related consultations in 2021 alone.
A string of notable cases from 2013 to 2021 in Japan has spawned stricter rules and regulations regarding stalking butthe physical attacks, sexual assaults, and violent murderstied to these crimes have not stopped. Eyewitness accounts and family members of the murdered victims have spoken out about their stories such as in the case of Chihiro Suzuki, a woman shot to death by her stalker, and Sayaka Furomitsu, a woman strangled to death her by stalker.
Who is the Stalker?
The stalker, Yukana Kishi, shown inRomantic Killeris an adult woman who happens to run into Tsukasa Kazukiafter having a bad day at work. Picking up her dropped bag, Kazuki becomes the unfortunate target of her fantasy-filled affections and obsessions. Through flashback scenes, Yukana shows all the signs of stalker behavior including greeting him on his way to school every day, figuring out his schedule, pretending to be in a relationship with him, delivering luxury, brand-named shirts and shoes to his address, and breaking into his house while his family is away.
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Her passive actions turn to active violence after confronting Anzu Hoshino, who is the perceived focus of Kazuki’s attention. In order for her fantasy to be realized, Yukana attacks Anzu,in a typical yandere style, with a knife nicking her forehead and causing her to bleed. Even after countless restraining orders and familial reprimands, she still stalks Kazuki talking herself into a sort of self-inflicted hypnotic state where she thinks that they are in a healthy, loving relationship with each other. Only when her memories are erased by Riri does she come to her senses.
Who is the Victim?
The victim, Tsukasa Kazuki, is shown as a mild-mannered yet traumatized high school boy. Apart from his interactions with Anzu, Junta, Manato, and Arisa, his older sister, he appears to be distant, calm, and reserved. When first introduced to Anzu, he comes off as a cold personwho turns down love letters without hesitation. Later in the story when his stalker is introduced, Anzu realizes that his cold attitude wasn’t due to annoyance but rather due to fear.
Several times throughout the series, Kazuki wears a cap which covers his head and provides a sense of protection for him. Without his hat, he feels exposed and vulnerable. Since he’sset up to be an ikemen, women love to stare at him which makes public outings all the more unbearable. Every time he’s waiting for Anzu or alone in public, he experiences visible symptoms of hyperventilation, avoidance, and anxiety. These symptoms are directly related to the psychological panic that he has carried with him since Yukana started stalking him during his middle school days.
What Not To Do
Victim shaming is nothing new. Tsukasa’s father, who is supposed to support his son, is instead a thorn in his side and another major cause of Tsukasa’s guilt and shame. While male victims of stalking is not as common as female victims, his case should’ve been taken just as seriously. Even when Yukana, the stalker, is revealed to be the one at fault, Tsukasa’s father doesn’t care and tells Tsukasa that he’s weak and pathetic for letting a woman exert control over him.
Not only is Tsukasa’s father the stereotypical case of an insensitive character, but he also serves as an obstruction to his son’s emotions and his path to recovery. Whatvictims of stalking or any crimeneeds is support from family and friends. To have a parent reject his fears is like pulling the rug out from under his feet. The support that he should’ve received from him isn’t there. That’s why even after Tsukasa moves away, his symptoms grow worse.
What To Do
Arisa and Anzu are two characters who show what should be done for the victims. Through flashbacks, Arisa actively supports Tsukasa and fights with their father in his stead. Even when she visits him at Anzu’s house, she stays the night to make him feel like he has a safe space and to restore a semblance of his private life. Anzu, throughout the whole season, respects Tsukasa’s decision not to date and supports him wholeheartedly. As trust is built over time, Anzu was only able to positively influence Tsukasa due toher subconscious efforts as a friend.
Around-the-clock protection is one of the few ways to assure the safety of a stalking victim. Unless the police are going to assign an officer to the victim, a buddy system needs to be in place for them made up of their friends or family members. In Tsukasa’s case, Arisa and Anzu cooperate to walk to work and to school with him to ensure his safety.
One detrimental detail that was highlighted, however, is how late the police was to act. If Yukana had actually attacked Anzu with her full force instead of the swipe at her face, thenAnzu would’ve been deadbefore the ambulance arrived. Not to mention, in an earlier episode, Yukana threatened thugs on the street to do her bidding to get rid of Anzu. The thugs got so close to actually attacking Anzu that if not for her friends, she also would’ve been severely injured. In these cases, the police force must have actual policies in place that can handle these situations and execute them.
WhileRomantic Killeris a romantic-comedy anime series which is meant to entertain its audience, the story evolves into something much more serious than accidental Kabedons and late-night gaming sessions. While unexpected, the show is able to tell the story of a stalking victim from a realistic perspective while also providing a path for recovery. While the story may not linger in the minds of audience members past the season’s end, the reality of stalking in Japan is something to keep in mind to understand what the victims undergo, and how they should be treated.
