Phantom in the Twilight
“A Cafe That Should Stay Forbidden”
Vampires and anime have been a combo that has given us some great titles, with the likes of ‘Hellsing,’ ‘Vampire Hunter D,’ ‘D-GrayMan,'’ and ‘Blood+’ to name a few. Right, it hasn't always been DIO since there are many notable characters when it comes to anime vampires, mind you. But apart from weird vampire concepts like ‘Servamp,’ for example, ‘Phantom in the Twilight’ spins the wheel and takes every other creature that wins, adding all of them into this mix that defines the series as far as the visual art is concerned.
June of 2018 marked the release of ‘Vampyr,’ a game where you wandered the streets of London at night, and a month later, Phantom in the Twilight was there to give Dr. Jonathan Reid some company since I'm pretty sure Vlad Garfunkel would love to have a few words with the doctor himself.
Considering how popular the subject of vampires and reverse harem is, it's baffling to see how non-existent this anime is, and even after five and a half years of the show going off the air, the title hasn't built a fandom. So, it’s natural that anyone bringing up the idea of a second season is not there.
If you're tired of watching all these different isekai shows and want to experience ferocious creatures wearing suits and taking on all kinds of jobs, Phantom in the Twilight is your pick. The vampire Jujutsu Kaisen that no one has heard about—let's see what this London is all about!
Lost In The Big City
Phantom in the Twilight starts with our two girls, Ton Baileu and Shinyao Mu, going to London to continue their studies at a university there. But thanks to an unforeseeable and unexpected incident, the two end up getting separated, and seeing how charming and captivating this anime London is, I can only imagine what the girls are feeling during the first episode.
Grasping at straws, Ton casts a spell and finds herself in a cafe with these new characters, who are not humans but look more human when it comes to London itself. Seeking any kind of help, Ton tells the lot about what has happened, and hearing about her great-grandma, whom these guys know as well, the lot is more than willing to help the girl.
It's also clear that studying at this university is only part of what brought Ton to London. Ever since childhood, she would see her great-grandma making frequent trips to London, which only piqued her interest in the city. I'm pretty sure the spell that she cast earlier, the one that made the cafe appear out of thin air, was also something that was passed on to the next generation from the great mage herself.
The Twilights revere and respect Sha Rijan. After hearing about how these guardians are trying to protect the hidden world of Umbra from the organizations and people who aim to use the unfathomable power for everything wrong, she decides to join in their noble cause to build a utopia where humans and Umbra can coexist!
Everything Goes Into The Animation
From the get-go, the show makes it clear that this captivating sight of London—one that would make the viewers glue their eyes to the screen—is as mesmerizing as it gets. Being an original title developed by none other than LIDENFILMS, it's almost wild how the studio has flip-flopped its way between all these different genre titles, now going only for the romance genre as of late.
Anyway, most of the money has gone into animating the city because, aside from that, the characters lack anything "extraordinary" in terms of animation or personality. However, this one is among the greatest Londons the anime universe has produced. The jazzy Forbidden Cafe is the cherry on top, creating the ideal setting to elevate the performance.
Apart from that, though, the characters are not given the same amount of attention, and the two girls feel left out of the studio's character popularity poll since their animation can be the most 'off' at times. Plus, with vampires in the mix, you know there will be supernatural elements that set the stage for some thrilling action, right?
None of that occurs because the action is relatively minor. You get to witness a few clashes occasionally, but nothing truly sticks out or compels you to revisit an episode for all it brings to the screen.
No Romance In This London!
Despite the anime beating the allegations of being a reverse harem anime, thanks to that visual art, viewers still believe that the show will be a late bloomer and slam us with some reverse harem elements down the road. I guess someone has watched a lot of ‘Hakuoki’ and ‘Diabolik Lovers.’ Throughout the entirety of the show's runtime, the romance is next to nonexistent.
Sure, we get to see a sprinkle of that love in the last couple of episodes, but given how the characters make the series look like a modern reverse harem anime at best, it's strange that the show doesn't go down that route, especially for an original title. So, just so you know, this is not a romance anime; do not commit the error that so many individuals did by assuming the show would revolve around romance and attractive male characters. one-dimensional; it’s not Neo-Angelique.
There Is Not A Lot of Character
Despite having great resources to work with, Phantom in the Twilight needs more regarding the character department. It isn't something like K Project, where, despite having a gazillion characters, every other face is unique and fresh and has a story to tell. In this show, the characters are generic and one-dimensional, even when they're 2-D in reality.
Every other character has a personality trait that defines them for the most part, and all in all, it's our female lead character who ends up carrying the show for the entirety of its runtime. Sure, her getting all these different powers and magical spells out of the blue makes us wonder what's happening in this Umbra universe.
Still, hey, you didn't say a lot about Tanjiro when he whipped the Hinokami Kagura dance out of his, you know what, so don't play favorites here!
The anime also has a pacing that counters the superhero Flash, making it hard to keep up with things sometimes. Nonetheless, this characteristic renders it an ideal binge-worthy program for individuals seeking a leisurely viewing experience that demands no more than two cognitive units!
If you’re a fan of the vampire and supernatural genre blend and want to watch something amidst this Jujutsu Kaisen tension, then Phantom in the Twilight is undoubtedly for you. The show is perfect to binge on a Saturday night, and with the beautiful London it features, it’s only natural that you would want to fly to the land of Jack the Ripper himself!
I know the anime leaves you confused by the end of it all since, with that meager 12-episode cap, you’re in search of answers that the series hasn’t given us for more than five years at this point. But what can a viewer do other than wait for the new season?
The music is great, but it isn’t excellent. The show doesn’t feature many scenes that could get pumped up thanks to some great soundtracks, given how the action is non-existent for the most part. As for the opening and ending themes, I’ll go for the opening song. I like that whole arrangement more than the ending we’ve gotten from Phantom in the Twilight.
As for the score, I’d give it a 6.5/10. I feel like the studio nailed it when it came to the environment and the universe that the anime is based in, but other than that, nothing came even close to being called great, to be honest. I get it; it’s an original show, and experimentation brings excellent results later on. However, with no second season in sight, these are the only 12 episodes on which we can base our opinion.
If you are a fan of supernatural stories and, on top of that, reverse harem, then you should check out this show. Otherwise, viewers looking for action or romance will not enjoy this show very much because that is not its purpose.
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Image links: (unlisted photos are personal screencaps) credit: Crunchyroll
