Discussion: The Dangers in my Heart episode 1

 Her body will belong to her killer.

The Dangers in my Heart has been way up at the top of my most anticipated releases for spring 2023, and it wastes absolutely zero time getting the ball rolling. We’re one minute and 30 seconds in when this gem of a thought enters Kyotaro’s head. And if you think this is the beginning or the end of the crazy thoughts chilling in our lead character’s mind, think again.

The way that they have set this opening sequence up is brilliant. Because while we are clearly in the imagination and perspective of an edgy middle school boy, the atmosphere and sound design take him seriously. Organ music that could announce the arrival of an RPG super villain swirls in the background. Our leading lady, Anna, is shown in Kyotaro’s mind in a beautiful colorscape of dark blue, rose, and white as she lays suspended in midair. 

And all the while, he and his classmates are just sitting in homeroom. Him daydreaming about their horrific demise while they clamour on about getting with a girl, eating junkfood, or whatever other things young teens tend to think about. The contrast is striking, and highlights       one of the core themes of the story.

There is who we think we are, and who our actions show us to be. 

For a guy who daydreams about Anna’s corpse, the show does a good job at balancing that out by showing us a variety of situations where he does things to help her out. He lends her his box cutter—the weapon of her undoing in his imagination—to work on a school project. When her friends redo the chart she made for the project and he can see it has made her upset, he causes a distraction so they won’t see her cry. 

When her over-enthusiasm scares people away from buying a magazine she’s on the cover of, he buys a copy to make up for the last sale. When a guy is trying to get her number and won’t take no for an answer, Kyotaro throws his bike, causing it to land in the river, so Anna’s friends can show up. Because in school, a group of girls always makes a guy bugger off. 

This dude is totally smitten, and he has no freaking clue. It’s not her corpse he wants. But he also feels they are in two different social classes, and this obviously causes him frustration. 

It’s not just Anna that he is aware of or considerate towards, though. When it’s obvious one of the boys has come to the library to ask a chubby girl named Hana out, Kyotaro beats a hasty retreat, and then helps Anna get outta there too, so they can have a conversation without the other boy losing his nerve. 

I adore the contrast between the super villain that Kyotaro pictures himself as in his mind, and the very consciously aware boy that he actually is. It makes for some fantastic comedy and it will be interesting to see how much of that internal personality will begin to manifest externally if starting to hang out with Anna makes him come out of his shell more.

But, what about Anna? As cool as Kyotaro is, this is a romance so she needs to be interesting in some way, too. Otherwise this is going to get dull. Well, in contrast to how Kyotaro actually perceives her, Anna seems to have her own issues and insecurities. I figure that, in part, we are likely dealing with a bit of queen bee syndrome where she seems less approachable than she is because she’s got a gaggle of friends surrounding her a lot of the time.

I get the feeling that while Kyotaro makes up a false image of himself in his mind and is more reserved in the real world, that Anna may turn out to be his polar opposite. A girl who has hopes and dreams about who she wants to be, but who is tied down by other peoples’ expectations. She is a young model, which is the kinda thing that could mess with any young girl’s mind. Yet her friends don’t seem to place her on a pedestal over it; if the situation with the presentation chart is anything to go off of.

That actually made me feel kinda like the scene from Legally Blonde where the mother is confused over why Elle would wanna give up being second place in a beauty pageant to become a lawyer. Is being a model Anna’s drea? Or is someone else compelling her? With kids seeking fame it can be really hard to tell. I know this because I sang competitively from my early teens into my mid thirties, and my family met people who were there of their own accord, and people who were being dragged through auditions and competitions. 

Another interesting thing I noticed is that while Anna is more outgoing than Kyotaro is externally, she does not seem to share his level of awareness of what is going on around her. She fumbles her way through situations that he is able to recognize quickly. This is part of the reason that we often see her being rescued by him. 

I hope that as the series goes on that these two will become more comfortable being their true selves, at least around each other. My biggest concern is how they are going to be able to hold up the kind of inner monologue they have crafted for Kyotaro in this first episode? And whether they can make it entertaining watching that be invaded by his growing and shifting feelings about Anna. 

What I can tell you for certain, right now, is this: the first episode of The Dangers in my Heart was everything I wanted it to be and more. I look forward to watching the season and seeing where it goes. If you want to watch the imagined persona of an RPG super villain, trapped in the body of an actually decent teenage boy, go through the throws of a crush, then head over to HiDive and watch episode one now. I give this first episode my highest recommendation. 

If you have watched The Dangers in My Heart, let me know what you thought of episode one. Or if you haven’t, but decide to check it out, feel free to come back and share your thoughts once you do. 

I’m gonna be here all season long sharing my thoughts on a bunch of spring 2023 anime. So if you like hearing people talk about what they’re thinking about what they watch, click subscribe and hit the bell so you can stay up to date with my upcoming videos. Thanks for watching and I’ll catch ya in the next one.