Based on a shōjo manga by Musawo Tsumugi, this anime series is built around a strange premise: in order to combat a falling birth rate, the government has initiated a program to assign every 16-year-old a marital partner based on compatibility tests. Although Yukari Nejima has long been infatuated with his lovely classmate Misaki Takasaki and finally works up enough courage to confess his feelings, he is officially partnered with petite Ririna Sanada. Rather than becoming rivals, however, Misaki and Ririna are soon the best of friends, and Ririna encourages Misaki’s relationship with Yukari so that Ririna can learn about true love. As this odd triangle develops, Yukari’s best friend also becomes involved, ultimately advising Yukari to follow his heart. While the basic idea behind Love and Lies is promising, it is not developed in any particularly interesting fashion; rather than examining the ramifications of bucking the system and putting the characters into some degree of jeopardy to create suspense, the series simply repeats the same beats over and over again, gradually reaching a blandly romantic finale that offers no real resolution. Presenting all 12 episodes from 2017 in a Blu-ray edition, in Japanese with English subtitles, rated TV-14, this is optional, at best. (F. Swietek)
Love and Lies: Complete Collection
(2017) 2 discs. 300 min. In Japanese w/English subtitles. Blu-ray: $69.98. Sentai Filmworks (avail. from most distributors). Volume 33, Issue 5
Love and Lies: Complete Collection
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