Kamisama Kiss: The Complete Series

Covering early storylines from the manga series by Julietta Suzuki, Kamisama Kiss begins with homeless Nanami rescuing a strange man from a dog, whereupon the man gives her his home and walks off. Nanami soon finds that the house is a shrine and she has become the new Land God, complete with duties and attendants. This anime series treads a lot of familiar territory, with its kind but initially hapless teenage girl, cute childlike helpers, bevy of smitten boys (who happen to be supernatural monsters), and sulkily sexy male “familiar,” or servant. Tomoe (who is literally foxy) resents being in the service of a squishy mortal who has godly power and doesn't know a thing about taking care of a shrine. Whether or not the two will eventually fall in love is not really in question, but watching them reach that point is pleasantly amusing and occasionally touching. Nanami is a likeable heroine, and Tomoe's gruff exterior results from a dark past. Offering sharp and appealing animation coupled with engaging voice acting, Kamisama Kiss is presented in a dual-language Blu-ray/DVD Combo set, rated TV-PG, that compiles all 13 episodes from 2012, with extras including audio and video commentaries. Although it serves up nothing new under the reverse-harem sun, this is nevertheless a sweet and playful series. Recommended. (L. Martincik)