English Dub Review: In/Spectre “One Eye, One Leg”

Overview (Spoilers Below):

Iwanaga Kotoko was kidnapped when she was just a young girl. But not by some criminal with bad intentions, but by ancient spirits who wanted to make her their goddess of wisdom. She was found later on with a severed leg and gouged out eye. In return for these sacrifices, she has been granted the ability to see and speak with spirits.

She goes around resolving problems for them, but runs into a problem of her own when she meets Sakuragawa Kuro, a college-aged boy who is feared by all supernatural creatures. Together, they team up to defeat a rogue yokai that’s been haunting a library. But the encounter makes Kotoko ask herself: just who is this boy she’s fallen for?

Our Take:

In/Spectre is a pretty unique show in the grand scheme of things. Funded in part by Crunchyroll themselves as part of their freshly-announced Crunchyroll Originals, it’s a mystery/romance series starring a girl with only one leg and one eye. One Eye, One Leg sets the stage by introducing her to both us and the other main character, a boy she has the hots for named Kuro. From the offset, it’s different than what you might expect, with lots of dialogue and not a whole lot of action. But it’s strangely enjoyable nonetheless.

Kotoko is an odd girl and the show makes that clear by how it introduces us to her. Rather than throwing us directly into her point of view, we meet her as Kuro is meeting her, and thus start seeing her for the first time through his eyes: as an obsessed youngster who’s kind of been stalking him at the hospital where she (kind of, not really) saved his life two years ago. She’s nosy, overbearing, and also surprisingly sassy. I can see how some viewers might be turned off at once by her personality, but I think it helps set her apart from the typical sweet anime girl.

The characters are interesting, but is the plot? The premiere episode is focused mainly on the two of them sitting on a bench, talking about Kuro’s romantic history, his break-up, and why Kotoko’s been stalking him via the hospital staff. I found it engaging due to the clever writing and snappy banter between them, but when most premiere’s go in for flashy visuals, it’s a bit concerning that the show’s already limiting the visuals like this. Again, this type of show isn’t for everyone.

I was interested to see how the dub would go, since I’ve never watched a Crunchyroll dubbing job before. Especially with such a dialogue heavy series, the dub is very important. And so far, it delivers a solid package. Lizzie Freeman plays Kotoko, and while she sounds a bit too generic than I imagine Kotoko, she lets the sass come through when it counts: “You can only tell girl’s apart by which hat they’re wearing?” I’m looking forward to hearing how she does once the show becomes more emotional later on. Brandon Winckler plays Kuro, and is everything I’d expect him to be.

In/Spectre starts off with an episode based in dialogue, not action. It’s a mystery show with spirits, but they aren’t really the main focus. In the premiere anyway, it’s an introduction to a strange girl and her creepy boyfriend. Check it out for sure, but don’t be surprised if this isn’t the show for you.