In Komi Can’t Communicate, Komi Shouko, despite being deemed the school’s “Madonna”, is so incapable of communicating with others that it can be considered a communication disorder. Her crippling anxiety makes her tremble and unable to utter a word, resorting to writing her feelings down to get them across. In Bocchi the Rock!, Hitori Gotō has such high social anxiety as to be timid and introverted, her bandmates dubbed her “Bocchi-chan”, a reference to “hitoribocchi”, a term for being alone. She struggles with avoiding interactions while simultaneously yearning for praise, leading her attempts at socializing to often fail. As you’ll notice, both of these anime share a common thread.
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While these dandere girls both socially struggle, whether having trouble communicating or interacting in general, they each tend to be seen as timid and quiet. That’s not exactly the case for Ririchiyo Shirakiin. This tsunshun (not to be confused with a tsundere), though also socially anxious, tends to express her emotional leakage in a different way. Created by the late Cocoa Fujiwara, the Inu X Boku Secret Service anime adaptation was released in 2012 by the studio David Production (known for JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, Undead Unluck, and Cells at Work!!) with 12 episodes in its run.
Inu X Boku Secret Service Features its Own Spin on the Struggle to Communicate
At the high-security mansion apartment complex Maison de Ayakashi, or Ayakashi Kan, the residents are more than their wealth and status. Along with each having their own eccentric personality quirks, they all have one thing in common that allows them residence — they’re all half-yōkai. From a wealthy and renowned family herself, Ririchiyo Shirakiin has decided to move in and live on her own after being sheltered and dependent all her life. But the requirement for residency is having a personal Secret Service agent. Upon meeting one such agent who insists on making a contract with her, Soushi Miketsukami, she finds him to be intensely clingy and disturbingly submissive. Despite trying to settle into her new independent life, Ririchiyo still struggles with a lifelong habit, exemplified with the following quote:
“I’ve got a bad habit… I’ve been doing it since I was little, and it’s not something I can control… I will put up a bold front and verbally abuse people for no reason… This is my bad habit.”
-Ririchiyo Shirakiin, Inu X Boku Secret Service
This quote from Ririchiyo, uttered within the first minute of the premiere episode, captures the essence of her struggle as a character. It’s a quick way for the audience to grow more familiar and, ultimately, to see just how she develops as the series goes on.
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Ririchiyo’s Cold Demeanor Slowly Warms Up
Being terrible at communicating, Ririchiyo often regards others with cold, sharp remarks as a defense mechanism, but she’s actually inwardly extremely self-conscious and socially anxious. Despite her intention to live alone to avoid accidentally hurting those around her, her new life at Ayakashi Kan instead forces her to face her plight head-on. Ririchiyo finds that she’s constantly obliged to interact with her Secret Service agent Soushi Miketsukami, her childhood friend Renshou Sorinozuka, and the staff and community of Ayakashi Kan.
Having previously been respected solely for her family’s social status, she at first finds it difficult to acclimate to others’ interest and kindness towards her. But as Soushi insists that his sole purpose in life is to serve her, she slowly warms up to his genuine kindness and interest towards who she is. Despite her unintentional abrasiveness, Soushi makes a point to identify Ririchiyo’s more positive traits like how responsible she is and her polite nature, his positive influence leading her to build more confidence with herself. With Soushi’s encouragement, Ririchiyo also begins warming up to the Maison de Ayakashi community, attempting to reach out more herself to understand them.
Don’t miss out on this underrated gem! While Inu X Boku Secret Service is currently unavailable to stream on-demand on any legitimate services, you can buy individual episodes on Amazon Prime Video. It’s still a far better price than paying the enormous $100 (minimum) price scalpers are demanding for Blu-rays of this gem.
What do you think about Ririchiyo’s struggle to communicate? Comment with your favorite socially anxious heroine!
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The poster for Captain America: The Winter Soldier.
