Review of Bludgeoning Angel Dokuro-chan (2005)

Moving picture, 100 minutes

Divine providence has foreseen an existential threat to humankind. If nothing is done, a man will keep all women on Earth from growing past the apparent age and physical functions of twelve-year-olds: A mishap in the scientific pursuit of pedophilia. To avert disaster, an angel is stationed with the boy who would have become that man. She keeps him both busy and ignorant, by forcing him into silly wastes of time like the Watching Glue Dry Club. When he won’t do what she says, she uses a large spiked bat to kill him, over and over again.

A gross-out comedy, parodying the magical-girlfriend strain of bishōjo. Large parts of this comedy are ineffective, but the reason why Dokuro (“Skull”) stays with Sakura (“Cherry”) and does what she does is more convincing than the corresponding explanations in less comedic shows like Oh My Goddess (1993).

References here: Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid (2017).

Japanese production animation fiction moving picture series