Why not take contents out of Norse mythology and make it super cute? At least that’s the very first thought that entered my mind. Here’s a quick look at Astarotte no Omocha, or Astarotte’s Toy in English. 

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What do you get when you have Kugimiya Rie, her character as a ripe ten-year-old succubus princess, and some adult-rated contents? That is basically the premise of Astarotte no Omocha, focusing on a young succubus princess overcoming her fear or hatred of men, and having to go through the rituals to become a woman. Right away, the series holds nothing back in providing some service and sexual innuendos that are justified because a majority of the characters are succubi. Despite their cute appearances, they must be pretty naughty off the screen. Of course, this is just anime… 

Astarotte no Omocha boasts a pretty talented voice cast, including Kugimiya Rie (as Astarotte), Horie Yui (Effie, the maid), Satou Rina (Naoya, the male human lead), Tamura Yukari (Asuha, Naoya’s 10-year-old daughter), Fujimura Ayumi (Zelda, the security chief), Nabatame Hitomi (Judith, the overprotective guardian and teacher) and Minaguchi Yuuko (Astarotte’s mother and queen; not in this episode). Of course, that might be the best part of the series since the plot itself is leaning towards a typical romantic-comedy genre with some added fan service, amongst other commonplace elements. Do note that Kugimiya Rie has her “shut up” quote of the series, and that Horie Yui is again the maid and immediate support to Kugimiya Rie.

Perhaps the comedy aspect of the series is not as funny as anticipated. While it forces a chuckle or two, it’s the usual Kugimiya Rie treatment as the cute yet spoiled princess of the show. The adult humor kicks in every now and then although the characters do their best to kind of hide it, like with the weapon search. For me, the only blatant thing is Astarotte’s hugging of the banana because that fruit can only be a phallic object of what Astarotte’s long-term mission really is. Not even the “chu-chu” part has much of a naughty connotation, in my judgment at least. 

What I am disappointed in is that Satou Rina’s character, Naoya, is a man. I understand that but he’s not just a human male who has plenty of life seeds in him. With no disrespect to Satou Rina, Naoya just sounds like a really girly guy. On top of that, he’s a father to a ten-year-old. In a way, I find this somewhat insulting because Naoya is supposed to be a grown up man but will probably end up relating himself to a ten-year-old succubus princess. Maybe I’m looking too far into it and sucking the fun aspect of the series so that is far as I’d go with my complaints early on. 

Well, what kind of first encounter did I expect? This is most fitting amidst the somewhat dramatic reunion that was anticipated, only to have Astarotte running into Naoya’s manly arms. Okay, enough with the heckling but so far, I think Astarotte no Omocha has decent potential to uphold the romantic-comedy genre in this season. 

GO Rating: 2.5/5

I wouldn’t really buy or sell this series, mainly because there are plenty of other good shows out there already. Astarotte no Omocha is pretty much “you get what you see” so there isn’t much to delve into and hype up. Personally, this series is a voice talent galore although it is dominated by Kugimiya Rie as the female lead. 

Astarotte no Omocha is like a hybrid of To-Love-Ru, Zero no Tsukaima and Girls Bravo, notably because of the fantasy world, the light-hearted royalty setting, a huge cast of ladies, and that succubus tail that is most definitely resembling a certain Deviluke. Although I doubt that Astarotte no Omocha would go too far into the adult humor (I can tell “toy” has a double meaning here considering age and succubus nature), I would still keep my doors closed when watching this series. It’s not a must-see but it’s a good complementary one if you are looking for some service, a bit of romance and cute art. 

Will continue to watch? - Yes
Will continue to review? - No