Review: Absolute Duo “Duo”

I think Funimation is putting a lot of bank on the awkward teenage romance action genre. World Break kind of had the market, then Absolute Duo took a lot of that share in just two episodes. “Duo” came out within the first five minutes, and notched it up a few. See that picture? Yeah. Almost right after the opening studio credits, this happened. again, I’m not really sure how to take this, because the awkward teen romance thing wasn’t my thing when I was in high school, and it’s even less now. However, the action, when it’s there, it’s spot on.

There is an emphasis on the story here, and that isn’t a bad thing, as long as it skirts away from the romance, and gives some back story. When “Duo” gets into the everyday aspects of Toryo Academy, the show shines when the action takes a back seat. The Duo application process is something unique, because it forces the two kids for form an actual bond. In fact, when both Tor and Tora went to do their application, they both faltered. Then when Julie didn’t have a Duo partner, Tor ran off to find her to be her Duo partner. I guess this is the first point where the awkward romance thing falls in line with the major story as a whole.

As the episode went on, I felt myself thinking that the romantic interludes didn’t feel as forced in Absolute Duo than it does in World Break. That said, at least World Break had action going on in the first couple of episodes. Where is the action here? When Julie and Tomoe were sparring, the cut to Tor and Tora. As that scene was going, all I wanted to see was the fighting. I guess I just like fighting in my cartoons, what can I say?

“Duo” was a pretty entertaining episode. Tor’s reactions to the romantic clusterfuck going on around him wasn’t as over the top as it was last week. And the only time where he lost his shit was when Julie inadvertently caused confusion with Tomoe about her and Tor’s arrangements. So it was kind of warranted in my eyes. The blossoming partnership between Tor and Julie is kind of the only thing that’s been focused on so far, and it’s the only reason why I am still interested. That needs to change soon, because there are other characters, and no sort of conflict yet.