An Archdemon's Dilemma: How to Love Your Elf Bride

"Are you a shy, socially awkward wizard longing for a family and a bit of love? We have the solution – slavery!" No, that probably won't sell you on this anime. Let's try another approach. "Come watch a series featuring an adorable elf girl! Elves have been all the rage in anime for the past two years, and Nephy is sweet, affectionate, and as cute as a puppy—she even wiggles her ears when she's happy! Who wouldn't want her?" There we go. And if we subtly translate "Dorei" as "wife" instead of "slave" in the title, it might work even better. What else do we have? "We also have a charming and funny dragon girl if you want a daughter too! And unlike other anime, we won’t even sexualize her!" This is a great pitch — Foll is super cute and that's sure to draw people in! Add in a bit of trauma that gets nicely resolved to make the viewers happy, and we're set. Let's not forget to give both main characters some trauma, because character growth is always a plus! For antagonists, we'll use misunderstandings, prejudices, and a slightly fanatical church, which will highlight another female character who sees the world clearly and will be loved by everyone. This is shaping up to be an 11/10 anime... Okay, enough with the fantasy. This show actually reminds me a lot of I’m Giving the Disgraced Noble Lady I Rescued a Crash Course in Naughtiness from last fall. It has a similar fun and sweet chemistry between the main couple, and both characters are likable in their own ways. Most of the side characters are at least decent, and Foll’s interactions with Chastille are genuinely cute and entertaining. Unlike the previously mentioned anime, the humor here often lands — I definitely laughed more watching this. The biggest drawback for me was the storyline, which felt predictable and not as engaging as it could have been. Still, like I’m Giving the Disgraced Noble Lady…, this anime deserves a solid 6/10 from me—maybe even a 6.1/10! (2024-06-13)