Katsute Mahou Shoujo to Aku wa Tekitai Shite Ita is one of those romantic comedies so wholesome it feels like diabetes. The premise is simple and familiar: an evil henchman falls for a magical girl destined to fight hima popular trope in recent anime and manga. I started watching this series out of boredom but then basically binged the entire anime in a single day and while I wont claim its a mustwatch or particularly groundbreaking I found myself enjoying this sweet little romance far more than I expected. If youre familiar with similar anime such as Maou no Ore ga Dorei Elf wo Yome ni Shitanda ga Dou Medereba Ii?https://anilist.co/anime/156023/MaounoOregaDoreiElfwoYomeniShitandagaDouMederebaIi/ which Ive reviewed herehttps://anilist.co/review/24826you might find this series a refreshing improvement. Unlike others in the genre Katsute Mahou Shoujo to Aku wa Tekitai Shite Ita knows its strengths. It focuses on its romancedriven main plot and avoids the trap of cramming in unnecessary subplots that neither serve the viewers interests nor are given the time to develop or budget necessary to feel satisfying. One way the anime achieves this focus is through its concise episode length. Each episode runs for about 1214 minutes often followed by commentary from the voice actors which I personally skipped. This shorter runtime allows the show to stay tightly centered on the couples romantic dates avoiding filler material entirely. Another strength is its commitment to keeping the story centered on its main characters. While side characters do make occasional appearances their purpose is almost always to further the romance or provide brief support before stepping back into the background. This keeps the spotlight firmly on the main duo which helps maintain the narratives emotional core. The animes sound and visual design are wellexecuted for what the story aims to achieve. While there arent many fight scenes or flashy moments the animation feels polished with most scenes including the few large monsters appear to be handdrawn rather than relying on CGI. The depiction of sweets throughout the series is particularly charming and welldetailed. The voice acting matches the characters perfectly and while most aspects of the soundtrack and character design are solid but not standout the opening theme is an absolute banger. The male protagonist is your typical evil mastermind archetypecomplete with the classic glasses adjustmentbut doesnt leave a lasting impression. On the other hand the heroine with her gullible honest shy and hardworking personality may not be a character youll adore but shes certainly one youll want to protect. While her tragic circumstances are slightly overdone they still work within the storys tone. The romance itself progresses at a relatively slow pace but doesnt entirely stagnate. Unfortunately the story remains unfinished due to the original creators passing. I wont go into detail on how the anime ends but its clear the narrative wasnt meant to conclude within just 12 episodes. Thus the ending might feel unsatisfying to some viewers though I personally found it acceptable. The comedy aspect while not extraordinary has its moments. A clear standout is one magical girl side character who constantly swears which I personally found hilarious. Beyond that the series leans heavily on running gags repeating them often enough that even if the original joke doesnt land youll probably find yourself laughing at least once or twice out of sheer persistence. In conclusion Katsute Mahou Shoujo to Aku wa Tekitai Shite Ita isnt a groundbreaking series but its a focused heartfelt and wholesome romantic comedy thats easy to enjoy. If youre looking for something short and sweet its well worth a watchjust go in knowing it doesnt quite reach a fully resolved conclusion.