"The Duke of Death and His Black Maid" is set for a second season, and one of its charms lies in its unique characters. True to its catchphrase, "I want to touch you, but I can't," this romantic comedy is heartwarming as you watch the heartbreaking relationship between the Duke and Alice. We've compiled a popularity ranking of the characters who grace this story.
1st Place: Alice Rendrott
Topping the list is Alice Rendrott, the Duke's beloved maid. Always dressed in a black maid uniform, Alice exudes a mysterious and cool aura. Her facial expression remains constant, whether she's sexually harassing the Duke or not, making her a character whose thoughts are hard to discern. Her hobby is sexually harassing Botchan, but she truly loves him wholeheartedly.
Unwavering Love for Botchan
When I think about what Alice's greatest charm is, the first thing that comes to mind is her devoted love for Botchan, which overflows from her feelings for him. Alice doesn't care at all about Botchan's curse, and in fact, she keeps an incredibly close relationship with him. Her love for Botchan overflows when she engages in sexual harassment, encourages him when he's feeling down, and even just interacts with him in everyday life.
Mutual Reverse Sexual Harassment
There are many scenes in which Alice, as a hobby, engages in reverse sexual harassment and enjoys the embarrassed reactions of the young master. However, because the young master also loves Alice and their feelings are mutual, this reverse sexual harassment works as a romantic comedy and is an enjoyable element for viewers. Because of this close relationship, Alice's actions, expressions, and lines all seem adorable.
Alice = Ayumi Mano
An essential part of Alice's charm is Ayumi Mano's acting. Whether she's sexually harassing the young master or whispering sweet words to him, she aimed to portray an Alice who "is hard to understand." Even the young master himself said, "I can't understand what you're thinking." But it's not just Alice who is charming, as seen in lines like "Think about the feelings of those left behind, because there are people who love you" when Botchan is in a state of despair, or "I'm trying my best, Botchan" when Botchan is hesitant to visit the main house after a long time. Seeing these lines fully on display, I couldn't imagine anyone other than Ayumi Mano as Alice.
2nd Place: Botchan
At the age of five, she was cursed by a witch to "kill everything she touches." Her mother called her "a child like the Grim Reaper" and banished her to the villa. Eventually, he becomes desperate and attempts to take his own life, but thanks to Alice, he chooses to live. At that moment, he remembers that he loved Alice even before the curse was placed on him, and Alice becomes his reason for living.
A Kind and Strong Young Master
Though burdened with a cruel fate, he is saved by Alice and regains his gentle and kind self. At first, he was troubled by Alice's sexual harassment, but now he shows signs of anxiety when she doesn't do it to him. He is kind to Rob, as well as the sharp-tongued Viola and the openly rival Walter. However, he also has the strength to stand up to those who harm Alice or those around him. Contrary to his appearance, Bochan is kind and truly cool, always trying to protect those he cares about.
Bochan is devoted
Bochan's initial affection for Alice has transformed into love and the person he wants to be with forever. He expresses his intentions to Alice and declares to her, despite his mother's opposition, that they will definitely be married. At the beginning of the story, Bochan seems a bit unreliable and unable to assert himself, but as he grows with his devoted love for Alice, viewers will find themselves rooting for him. We can't wait to see the day when "the most heartbreaking mutual love in the world" comes true.
Is Bochan the straight man?
In the first episode of "Bochan and Alice Radio," hosted by Hanae and Mano, the two discussed how the story revolves around Bochan. Since the other characters are generally laid-back, Bochan, as the straight man, sets the tempo of the story. Since this work has a strong comedic element, Hanae apparently took care to switch his acting style when Alice suddenly appears incredibly close after a powerful riposte. Those who watch Tanjiro's "tsukkomi" scenes in "Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba" may be familiar with Hanae's tsukkomi style, but he said on the radio that he prefers the boke (funny joke) style to the tsukkomi (straight punch) style.
3rd Place: Cuff
3rd place goes to Cuff. Cuff is the first friend Bochan made after he was cursed by a witch. She's half human, half witch, and hated by both witches and humans. The only person she could trust was her childhood friend, Zain. Despite this, she lives a positive and resilient life. However, as he himself is aware, he is not very intelligent and lacks common sense, so he generally leaves all decisions to Zain.
How he met Bochan
The reason Cuff wanted to become friends with Bochan was because he saw Bochan desperately searching through the snow on a snowy night for the earrings that Alice had dropped. Seeing Bochan's desperate efforts for someone, not for logic, made Cuff want to become friends with him. Perhaps he shared his own feelings for his friends and companions. Since then, he has been coming to Bochan's villa with Zain.
Cool, yet honest and kind
When Wakana Kuramochi, who voices Cuff, appeared as a guest on the fourth episode of "Botchan and Alice Radio," she said that she had to describe Cuff in one word: "innocent." Cuff was described as a straightforward, innocent girl, in a good way, and I think this is the very essence of Cuff's charm. Although she's cool, she's also kind and considerate to her friends, as seen in her help with getting to the Sabbath for Botchan. And above all, she's incredibly charming and cute.
4th Place: Viola
When Viola first appears, she seems like a bold, arrogant little sister who doesn't even think of Bochan as her brother. She seems like a wild and eccentric character who even barges into Bochan's heart. However, as the story progresses, our perception of Viola changes, and I think many fans fall in love with her as she turns out to be a sweet little sister who cares for her brother.
A Normal Girl Her Age
Although her mother, Gerbera, forbids her from visiting the villa where Bochan lives, Viola still visits frequently. While the main reason for this may be her beloved Rob, the outrageous Viola is also a girl of her age who loves sweets and romance. She seems to enjoy spending time with Alice and Cuff, who also visits the villa. At the main house, Gerbera denies her freedom to wear whatever clothes she likes and express her own opinions, and she finds it extremely unpleasant. Being under a curse at the villa is tough, but she truly envies her brother, who gets to spend his free time with Alice and Rob.
What is Viola's true appeal?
Viola is full of energy and a bit of a wild and outrageous character, but she also has a girly, feminine side. I think this contrast is one of her charms. She also gets nervous and can't speak well in front of her beloved Rob, and although she's always harsh towards Bochan, I think many people find her charming as a younger sister who ultimately worries about him.
5th Place: Zain
5th place goes to Zain, Kafu's childhood friend. He's a witch with a bird-like face, but Kafu explained to the wizard and the young master that he was confusing. Zain was grateful to the young master for helping Kafu, who had gotten separated from his friends and wandered around, and helped him attend the Sabbath. This led to Zain becoming Kafu's friend, and he began coming to the villa with Kafu.
Zain, at first glance, seems like a womanizer.
He loves girls and always tries to woo any cute one he sees, which gets him scolded by Kafu. However, he's a serious, earnest childhood friend, and he cares deeply for Kafu, who can't do anything without him. He's also a great friend, and when Dareth told him to get in the way of Bochan, who was investigating the curse, he supported him after learning of Bochan's friendship with him.
Key Person in Season 2
He's a magical genius who even Dareth respects, but an incident in the past has led him to avoid using magic. However, in Season 2, Zain's magic will likely be the key to breaking the young master's curse, so keep an eye out for Zain in the new series.
Character Popularity Ranking Summary
What did you think? Those of you who are familiar with "The Duke of Death and His Maid" probably have your favorite characters, so I hope you'll read this for reference. New characters will also be introduced in Season 2, so keep an eye out for them. Thank you for reading to the end.
