Chained Soldier – 01 (First Impressions) – Not Bad, for a Man

Wakura Yuuki is an unassuming man in a woman’s world, fated to end up in some innocuous dead-end job after high school. But when he suddenly falls victim to a “Mato Mishap” he ends up in Mato, an alternate dimension filled with nasty, hollow-like monsters called Shuuki.

Yuuki is cornered and about to buy the farm when he’s rescued by Uzen Kyouka, commander of the Demon Defense Force’s 7th Squadron (voiced by Kitou Akari). When the monster she’s riding is defeated, she uses her ability to turn one of the Shuuki into a steed, and orders Yuuki to hop on.

As she cuts through the Shuuki, her officers report in and join the fray: Azuma Himari (blue hair), who can conjure a machine gun arm; Suruga Shushu (yellow hair) who can grow to colossal size and wreak havoc; and Ookawamura Nei (pink hair) who can scan Mato for other people in need of rescue.

After rescuing a little girl (whom Yuuki moves to protect), Kyouka raises a temporary barrier, then decides to use her ability on Yuuki. Removing her glove, she holds her finger out, and Yuuki, who vowed to do anything to survivew, reflexively licks it, then transforms into a monster.

Leaving both the little boy and his big sister in the other officers’ care, Kyouka mounts Yuuki and is impressed by his strength, speed, and agility.  Even when a boss-level Shuuki coalesces, with Yuuki as her steed she’s able to defeat it with ease. While the ensuing battle has a fair share of CGI, it’s at least easy to follow, while Monster-Yuuki packs a punch.

After the battle, Yuuki returns to normal, and Kyouka must give him his “reward” for serving as her “slave.” That reward consists of her giving him a passionate kiss, then a downright raunchy French kiss. She makes clear that her body moves on its own in instances like this, and the shuuki she enslaved only wanted meat as a reward. Herein lies the ecchi element of the show.

Presented with a new job opportunity in which he’ll be able to make a difference, Yuuki jumps at the chance to join Kyouko on a full-time basis. But upon arriving at the Demon Defense Force’s dorm, he learns he won’t be joining the force—men aren’t allowed.

Instead, he’ll be the 7th Squad’s caretaker. Since Yuuki said the only thing he had confidence in was his housekeeping skills, Kyouka believes he’ll be a good fit, even with the colorful personalities of her three officers. The character designs are attractive, Yuuki’s a likeable enough lad, and they don’t take the ecchi stuff too far. All in all it’s not a bad start, efficiently introducing the main players, setting, and premise.