Engaged to the Unidentified
未確認で進行形Just an ordinary teenager, Kobeni Yonomori receives quite the surprise on her 16th birthday—a fiancé and a sister-in-law she never even knew she had. As a result of an arrangement that her late grandfather made, Hakuya Mitsumine and his younger sister Mashiro have moved from their countryside home to the Yonomori household in order to deepen their relationship with their new family members.Mikakunin de Shinkoukei follows Kobeni's "love life" with Hakuya as she tries her best to adjust to the abrupt changes forced upon her. However, as some extraordinary secrets regarding the siblings come to light, Kobeni will find her life changed forever. [Written by MAL Rewrite]
Reviews
fritsch.stacey - 2017-02-12 01:15:00
This show was not what I expected at all!
I really went into it expecting it to be a semi-generic fun rom-com, during the first few episodes, but after an interesting plot twist the show got even better.
Every single character in this show feels very unique, and every single character had several stand out moments (especially the crazy antics of Benio throughout the series). I feel like we really saw all of the characters grow throughout the series (which is something that, in my experience, is less common in a comedy series/a series based off of a 4-koma).
If you are looking for a really good show that will make you laugh, check this one out!
lauer - 2015-02-12 03:48:23
Video review
baby.hodkiewicz - 2015-01-30 03:57:34
It's hilarious and the characters mix is great, specially the bossy lil sister, good plot with some mystery and a bit complex, however you will laugh a lot. Recommendable.
khalil22 - 2015-01-28 19:07:31
The story had had its up and downs, but mostly ups+. Great romantic comedy anime if you like the hidden back story >:3
rkonopelski - 2014-12-28 00:09:44
The slice of life genre and I have never really had what one might call a stable relationship. It's a genre that often consists of nothing but charming visuals and comedy that does very little for me. So, to counteract this, the slice of life anime that end up in my cue usually have at least one extra theme or genre added, the most common being a romantic plot line. So, was my latest bundle of romantic cuteness enough to stave off the nothingness of a typical slice of life series?
I will say that as someone who is generally very uninterested in slice of life, this series had my attention for most of its run time, and there were certainly less moments than usual where I felt like the series was dragging or the pacing was too slow. As is the case with many other slice of life series, the humor is crazy and wild, but is still grounded in stereotypical anime style that never really reached a gut-busting level of hilarity. This is definitely a series that you can just sort of throw on if you've got nothing else to do.
That being said, a lot of the humor still relies on the characters who execute it, and that ended up fluctuating quite a bit throughout the series. Kobeni herself is very plain in personality and often serves as the straight man to the comedic bits of the other characters, but she's also still very endearing in how much she thinks of the others and how to keep them happy. Conversely, we have Benio and Mashiro, who were meant to serve as the comedic core of this series, putting me in the awkward position of not really getting too engaged in them, thus causing a lot of the jokes to illicit no more than a slight chuckle from me. Benio is the "perfect schoolgirl" who ends up having a much more spastic personality at home, while Mashiro is the token loli with a childlike personality that one would use to market this series, and I felt myself constantly shifting back-and-forth between finding her enjoyable and absolutely annoying. Much like with Kawai Complex, there were a lot of moments where these two were actually ruining some of the romantic tension between our two leads.
As for the romance, it's probably the most solid point for this anime. Throughout the entire series, you really do get the sense that Kobeni is struggling with how she feels about being engaged to someone she has no memory of, and the progression from not feeling anything towards him to possibly liking him is gradual and very smooth. It's just unfortunate that Hakuya is basically a pseudo-kuudere and rarely ever displays his emotions overtly. While it is often very obvious what he is feeling, we never really get a sense of his personality, his likes and dislikes, or anything else really other than his engagement to Kobeni.
As one last note on the story, there is a slight supernatural element, and while I wouldn't say that it was poorly executed, the story definitely didn't need it to work.
The animation was produced by Dogakobo (Monthly Girls' Nozaki-kun, YuruYuri), and this is a studio that I consider second only to KyoAni when it comes to cute girls doing cute things. The character designs are incredibly adorable, and the movement animation is either very smooth and fluid for attractiveness or spastic and frantic for comedic effect, though there are also point where slower movements take larger than necessary arcs that almost make me feel like they really wanted to draw attention to how the movements are done.
There is currently no dub for this series, and as a slice of life anime, I think it would be perfectly fine without one.
The music was composed by Jun Ichikawa and remained relatively unremarkable for most of the series. Some moments highlighted emotional climaxes rather nicely, but never really drove them home completely. Both the opening theme "Tomadoi→Recipe" and ending theme "Masshiro World" were performed by Mikakuning!, the three main voice actresses for the series, and both tracks provided an upbeat and catchy J-pop track that fit incredibly well with the tone of the series.
Overall, Engaged to the Unidentified is watchable, but not very remarkable, though it should definitely go high up on your list if you're a more enthusiastic slice of life fan.
delores04 - 2014-03-31 00:32:33
Story: Kobeni Yonomori is a high school girl who lives with her mother and older sister Benio. Upon turning sixteen, Kobeni is shocked to learn that, due to an arrangement by her late grandfather, she is engaged to a boy named Hakuya Mitsumine who, along with his little sister Mashiro, come to live with Kobeni. As Kobeni spends time adjusting to this new family, she learns there is more to Hakuya and Mashiro than meets the eye (Source: Wikipedia).
Pros: The OP and ED are really well sung and well animated, its some of the best I've seen and heard in a long time actually. Speaking of, the animation is stellar. Its vibrant, colorful, and very fluid filled with hilarious reactions, fast and slow movements (especially the second half) as well as pretty backgrounds to blend in the animations from the characters too.
The characters look really cute although the art is ok at best (what up with the white streaks on their heads? Not too much of a bother really). Speaking of, the characters are all great, they have loads of personality, get developed wonderfully as the show progressed, and even have an awesome chemistry together. Also they're funny. Voice work is good too... for the most part.
Cons: Well, while the ending was great, it still leaves stuff in the show that could happen, opportunity? There's not a lot of romance (or humor) despite the genre and I hope there's more to this in the second season... well, I hope there is one anyway. I wish the romance and humor were more balanced in the next season next time. Story/Premise isn't the greatest either.
Overall: It's a very charming and cute anime, its interesting, and unforgettable to say the least. I hope more people would know about this adorable show; if ya love romance and comedy with some supernatural mixed it, then I highly suggest you try this show out <3 :D
Thanks for looking at my 32nd review~
bkeebler - 2014-03-29 18:11:26
Engaged to the Unidentified is a wonderful new anime, one that I found most enjoyable.
There is nothing wrong with the story, but it certainly isn't anything special. What makes this anime great, is the characters. From the totally kawaii litte Mashiro, to the slightly perverted older sister Benio, the characters will bring you endless joy. They are all likable and well written. These characters, supported by the nice animation and the totally catchy OP and ED, makes for a really great anime.
mohammad.walker - 2014-03-28 01:17:14
What a pleasant surprise.
I wasn't originally planning on watching this show, because I hadn't heard of it until it already started. idk why, I guess it just passed under my notice somehow. But I'm glad I picked it up because it ended up being one of the better shows this season.
It's a relatively simple story of an average every-girl who suddenly finds out she's engaged to the most stoic man in the universe and now him and his younger sister have come to live with her and her family. For a romcom, the characters are well-defined and the dynamics are entertaining. There's an equal mix of Kobeni and Hakuya's relationship slowly developing and Mashiro's antics in trying to avoid her new imouto-obsessed older sister in law, Benio. Going back and forth between these two dynamics actually works really well on an episode by episode basis.
It helps that the show is very well directed. No scene feels like it drags on too long and no moment feels wasted or rushed. My compliments to the screenwriter and director for putting in the effort to make the show flow really well, which is something a lot of other romcoms tend to forgo. It is actually paced so well that I honestly have trouble believing it's a 4koma adaptation, as those tend to be paced in a rather hectic and clumsy fashion (stay tuned for my Sakura Trick review for more details on that).
The animation is fluid and very pretty. It's bold and colorful and particular attention is paid to the lighting, which again is rare for a romcom to put in so much effort. It has a kind of glossy, shiny look to it that is a little jarring at first but the more you watch, the easier on the eyes it gets. I've often joked the frames look like their were dipped in nail polish before airing but all in all, the show has a bold distinctive look to it.
The comedy works and the romance works. And neither element feels like it ever overshadows the other completely. There is minimal drama, and what little there is tends to be played off as a joke for comedy. This is a very refreshing romcom with a lot of effort put into it. The production values are solid, the writing is clever, there isn't much in the way of fanservice (despite the OP, which seems to mislead the viewer on-purpose), and overall, this is a good romcom.
Now if you don't like romcoms, I wouldn't exactly recommend it, it probably won't win you over. But seeing as it is so easy to screw them up, I have to give this show credit for going the extra mile.
Would I like to see another season? Sure. But I think I'd be fine with what we got if this is it.
Rewatch Value: Yes (Based on a Yes/Maybe/No scale)
legros.patience - 2014-03-18 23:03:03
Mikakunin de Shinkoukei is truly not the best anime of it's genre, but it's very adorable. It's a story of Kobeni Yonomori, a sixteen-year-old girl. All of a sudden she becoming engaged to Hakuya, a strange boy and also a stranger to Kobeni. So Hakuya and his little sister Mashiro (a very adorable character) joins the Yonomori-Family. But there is something in the past, that bothers the young couple and Hakuya seems to be everything but normal...
It's not the story that makes you enjoy the anime, but the lovely designed characters with their own little problems and their philanthropic behavior. I love it..
mara.mccullough - 2014-01-15 07:09:15
Engaged to the Unidentified is a romanitc-comedy series where a girl finds herself living with a boy she’s suddenly engaged to and his sister.
It’s meant to be filled with fast-paced jokes, like any other 4koma adaptation, but throughout the entire episode I just sat there with a blank stare waiting to find anything funny.
At the same time I can’t say the show was outright boring either. If anything it felt like the show was really trying to be funny, and often getting close, only to mess up the punchlines or the execution in some other way. It’s a shame too, because it’s a show with a interesting art direction, good animation and neat character designs. I really was hoping that it’d be used for something I’d enjoy.
While I’m hoping that future episodes improve and end up having me laughing at at least something, this first episode was a dud that not even the amazing opening theme song, placed at the end of the first episode, could save. The opening sequence actually suggests a show that would be funnier too, as the tone seems completely different from what was presented within the actual episode.
Really wanted to love this show and I’ll admit that my initial hype might have made the disappointment hurt a bit more than it should have done, but so far that’s all that Engaged to the Unidentified is to me.
A disappointment.
Here’s hoping that they’ll get things right next week.