Kyuuketsuki Sugu Shinu – 02

「 襲撃！フクマさん」 (Shuugeki! Fukuma-san)
“Assault! Mr. Fukuma”

Kyuuketsuki Sugu Shinu’s second episode establishes the begrudgingly chummy dynamic that Ronaldo and Draluc have as they not only conspire against one another but have to work alongside each other for survival. Even if they tend to be at odds with each other, this episode lends credence to the idea that, for the right cause, they’d be perfectly fine with collaborating.

Some of the funnier moments of the episode are when they decide they might as well make the best out of having to deal with each other being around. With Ronaldo fearing his editor Mr. Fukuma more than any vampire out there, he resorts to begging Draluc to help come up with an idea to wall off his scary editor so that he can continue putting off his writing. Even if he ends up selling him out because Mr. Fukuma happened to have the information that Draluc’s loyalty could be bought with video games, it’s pretty crazy that Ronaldo wound up being the first one to extend an olive branch to Draluc for liking his autobiographies and possibly being able to come up with a plan to avoid his deadlines.

On the same coin, it took little time for Draluc to flip on other vampires as he felt like he had to prove that he could make money on the side too and make Ronaldo eat his words for thinking he was just going to freeload in his office. It is funny to see Draluc get bullied by local kids who are aspiring vampire hunters, but at the same time, it was nice to see that Draluc was earnest about wanting to help those around him and make an attempt to show that he could definitely be compensated as well for stalling an enemy vampire.

Admittedly, they did aim for a crass direction enduring the second skit considering how Draluc’s main opponent was Nudenium, a vampire who wears nothing but a cape and a flower monster that covers his genitals. They knew exactly what they were doing when they depicted a naked man sprouting a flower from his crotch blossom and wanting everyone to swallow down his “seed”. It was cartoonishly perverse, but I was taken aback by how filthy the jokes around Nudenium ended up being.

We’re also introduced to Hinachi, who acts as a Vampire Control Division representative to keep an eye on Draluc. Similar to the first sketch, there was a lot of funny trial-and-error comedy where Ronaldo has to find ways to murder Draluc so that he doesn’t incriminate himself by being a shameless womanizer. The sketch’s funniest moments played on the series’ strengths of making up ways to humorously spite a vampire such as throwing an armadillo coated in garlic at one or slamming on the walls and floors with hopes that the vibrations turn Draluc to ashes from afar. Much of your mileage will still vary on how eccentric you like your humor, but I’d still say Kyuuketsuki Sugu Shinu effectively nails its crass, unscrupulous, and off-the-wall comedy.