Dusk Maiden of Amnesia is a Japanese manga series, which was written and illustrated by the duo Maybe (Katsute Kami Datta Kemono-tachi e). It was published by Square Enix and serialized in the Monthly Gangan Joker magazine. An anime adaptation by Silver Link aired between April and June 2012. The final episode aired on June 25, 2012 and concluded 12 episodes series.
Legends surround everything, especially old school buildings. The Private Seikyou Academy is not an exception. It is rumored in the said school that sixty years ago, there was a girl that was left to die in the old building. Dusk Maiden of Amnesia focuseson Teiichi Niiya, who, for some reason, is able to see the girl's phantom. Now he is, perhaps, the only person to reveal the mystery of Kanoe Yuuko's death.
It might surprise you, but Dusk Maiden can be considered as a harem: there are three girls and they have a romantic interest in a kind-hearted male lead, who is, by the way, the series’ only male protagonist. If you are still reading what I have to say, Dusk Maiden of Amnesia is different, since it does not follow the typical harem formula. This series is amazing, because it is a mix of comedy, romance, drama, and horror, and the end result of it is one of 2012’s best series and probably even today it is one of the best romance series. It is, indeed, not that rare for an anime to combine the said genres, however, only a few actually managed to make something that good. And by that I mean the fact that Dusk Maiden’s writing and pacing have an excellent sense of timing. You do not see drama, drama, and nothing but drama all the time, the author tries to introduce comedy to make your watch less stressful and more interesting.
Animation wise, while the anime aired in 2012, even today sometimes Dusk Maiden of Amnesia’s animation is just beautiful. There are so many small details and the use of colors makes this series that catchy. In addition, character design, too is incredibly well-made. Music wise, even here there is absolutely nothing for me to criticize. Every single piece fits well, also a mix of orchestral and piano music do help to get in the mood of the series. Another thing worth mentioning is the series dub. While the English voice actors did a great job, I still highly recommend you to watch this series in Japanese; the Japanese voice actors did simply amazing job, you need to hear by yourself.
Character wise, there are 4 main protagonists in the said series. Kanoe Yuuko, a ghost that has no recollection of how she died. Niiya Teiichi, a pupil in the school, where Yuuko died about 50 years ago. He, for some reason, is able to see Yuuko and helps her return her memory. Okonogi Momoe is the most enthusiastic member of the Paranormal Investigations Club, in which, she, Yuuko, Teiichi, and Kirie investigate different rumors, including the one, surrounding Kanoe Yuuko. Kirie is the last member of the said club.
As for enjoyment, this series is an example of some great writing; this is an example of the series, where attention has been paid to every single detail. Yes, it is not perfect. Nothing is.
Overall, I highly recommend this series for people, who are fans of romance series, because this anime is somewhat unusual, but very enjoyable. It will look weird at first, but then you will fall in love with how beautiful this series is, especially with the ending.
10/10.