It’s no secret that first impressions matter, and for the anime “The Foolish Angel Dances with the Devil,” the initial episodes might have you ready to tap out. Many viewers who rated this show likely didn’t make it past the first three episodes, and honestly, it’s understandable. The opening episodes are rough, with the first two being genuinely bad and the third only marginally better. I myself almost gave up on “The Foolish Angel Dances with the Devil,” but with a personal goal to finish every 2024 anime I start, I persevered.
And I’m genuinely glad I did, because “The Foolish Angel Dances with the Devil” takes a significant turn for the better starting with episode 4. If you felt the comedy in the initial episodes fell completely flat, you’re not alone. It’s as if the creator needed a few episodes to find their comedic footing, because the opening minutes of episode 4 actually made me laugh out loud – a welcome surprise. This episode marked a turning point, leaving me wondering, “Wait, is ‘The Foolish Angel Dances with the Devil’ actually becoming good?”
Then came episode 5, featuring one of the most beautifully directed and impactful romance scenes I’ve seen in a while. The scene in “The Foolish Angel Dances with the Devil” benefits from excellent build-up, a sudden drop in audio, and a lingering stillness that amplifies its impact, even while using familiar romance tropes like a ringing phone and characters falling on top of each other.
However, the overarching issue with “The Foolish Angel Dances with the Devil” is its inconsistency. The quality is all over the place. You’ll encounter moments that are mind-numbingly boring and eye-rollingly cliché, followed by moments of genuine brilliance, and then stretches of just average content. Each episode feels like a gamble: will “The Foolish Angel Dances with the Devil” deliver something good, bad, or just mediocre this time? Whether you’re willing to navigate this unevenness to reach the high points is a personal decision. For me, even the weaker writing in later episodes became more tolerable because by that point, I had developed an understanding and appreciation for the characters and their growth in “The Foolish Angel Dances with the Devil.”
So, if you’re considering dropping “The Foolish Angel Dances with the Devil” after the first few episodes, I wouldn’t blame you. But there’s something worthwhile here, a spark that I believe is worth seeing through to the end. Stick with “The Foolish Angel Dances with the Devil” to discover if its genuinely hilarious and deeply impactful moments, amidst the patches of mediocrity, resonate with you as much as they did with me.
