Apparently The Duke of Death and His Maid is receiving an adaptation this season (Summer 2021), so I'd like to share some insight about the story from the manga to give reasons why this series should be given a try.
So... What is 'The Duke of Death and His Maid', and why is it good?
It's about a character who's referred to as The Duke who was cursed with "The Touch of Death" by a witch, and his maid Alice who loves him very much. The story is set in an alternate world in the past where witches and magic exist among the fine Englishmen wearing top hats and exquisite clothing.
While the duke and the maid share a mutual love for each other, they cannot touch each other. This is because anything that the duke touches dies, which lead to the despair and anguish of the poor child. For some reason, despite the maid being absolutely aware of this curse, she continues to harass her master by flashing parts of her body (it's lewd to show your ankles in this time setting), coming close to the duke at many times, and blatantly teasing him to the point of blushing. Living alone in a separate estate from the Duke's parents, they spend the time alone flirting and teasing each other, alongside a senile old butler named Rob who fricking likes cats. (Rob is my favorite character, btw)
Despite it being tagged Shounen, the series gives off a Seinen vibe. I'm a big fan of Seinen manga, let alone romance, and this one hits the spot for me perfectly. It's well blended with its Slice-of-Life approach. The fantasy part of the manga plays a big role to the story. There aren't any flashy battles and overpowered characters, but there are bits of magic scattered across the manga to help with the story telling.
The Duke of Death and His Maid explores many different interactions between characters and the Duke's curse, which makes the story feel more alive and easy to relate to, at some extent. There was a chapter in the manga where the Duke and the Maid were tasked to clean an old room filled with plants, and the duke uses his curse to kill the plants making it easier for the maid to cut them off. There is also a chapter where the Duke is unable to save the maid from falling into the water because of his inability to touch living things (this is one of my fav chapters). Through these sets of rules and guidelines that hinder normal interaction between characters, along with the cultural restrictions that come with a Victorian aesthetic, is what makes this manga unique.
Besides the plot and setting, it's also worth mentioning the cast of characters that make up the story. We have two witches who have been friends since childhood, who are absolute epitome of the manzai routine (the local Japanese variation of the Funny Man Straight Man act). We also have witch who has an innocent and pure maiden heart, going absolute bonkers for the Duke's younger brother (you can't say second son or else he'd die). We also have another younger sister of the Duke going absolute shoujo heroine for Rob, misinterpreting his acts of kindness for seduction. Not to mention gyaru witches, octopus girl, and a very bubbly head maid joking around a very serious mistress... It's wild... very wild.
However, as overwhelming as the casts of characters are, the mangaka gives the readers enough time to familiarize themselves with the characters, making them part of the bigger picture. They also have their own dedicated chapters, which show a different side to them as opposed to how they're portrayed in the story, making these characters feel more alive and dynamic as they interact with the main plot. My favorite example of this would be about the Gemini Circus' Ringmaster and the Underwater Octopus Witch. It's their bittersweet lovestory that paints them in a different light as opposed to how they were initially portrayed, making them easy to grasp from within the pages.
This wouldn't be possible without the art. Koharu Inoue is an amazing artist. The panels are very clean, making them easy to navigate through. I like some of the chibi versions of the characters as much as their defined designs, and they all seem to be subtle and good looking. It's strong when it needs to be strong, and it's FRICKING CUTE when it needs to be cute.
My favorite thing about each chapter that I really anticipate looking at would be the chapter art:
Combined with the usual black-and-white artstyle of manga, it creates a fine tone for the series, with it being able to reflect moments of joy and despair. With the series being about Death and finding meaning in life, the art screams every single detail about the story, and the chapter arts truly show the series' true colors.
That's why I recommend reading this manga!
What I really like about The Duke of Death And His Maid is how sincere the romance can get. The manga's atmosphere almost makes it easy for the readers to jump into the pages and experience the story itself. The characters thrive in their own world, living as if they could pop out of the pages any time. The art itself is a masterpiece, being subtle and very easy to read, making it one of the best Shounen Romances I will recommend. Like said before, this will receive an anime adaptation, and by the time this was written the manga has over 180+ chapters. For a debut mangaka like Koharu Inoue-sensei, receiving an adaptation for a first time series is a sure sign that it's good as you expect it to be. I just hope the studio animating this would do justice and create a memorable experience just like the manga did for many of its fans.
