Gekai Elise is an anime that combines medical drama with romance. It features a unique storyline where the characters are reincarnated twice and also trapped in a time loop.
Our protagonist, Elise, got a second chance at life after a not-so-great first run (executed, remember?). Turns out, she wasn't exactly an angel in her past life - think bad attitude and prince-obsessed. This time around, she had a loving family and a breeze of a life, but fate wasn't done with her yet. She became a renowned doctor, but sadly kicked the bucket again. (Talk about bad luck!) Now, she's back in her first life, pre-execution, and things are about to get messy. Determined to be a doctor again, she faces a major hurdle: an arranged marriage to the prince on her 18th birthday. The story follows her journey to become a doctor in this unfamiliar world, using her modern knowledge. However, people doubt her and try to throw wrenches in her plans, all because she's destined to be queen.
This anime suffers from several issues. The romance, for one, is poorly executed. Despite having multiple potential love interests for the protagonist, none of the relationships feel developed enough to be considered true romances. My biggest gripe, however, is with Linden, the supposed main love interest. He's about as exciting as watching paint dry. Throughout the entire show, he barely does anything. About the most he manages is the occasional conversation with the protagonist, Elise. Even these talks are pointless - for most of the anime, his knowledge of her seems limited to her love of sweets and her dream of becoming a doctor. He never seems to understand her as a person, yet the show expects us to root for them. Why? There are situations where Elise faces danger or obstacles to her dream, and Linden offers no assistance, even when he clearly could. This character is infuriating, especially considering there are two other men who are far better suited for her. One is intelligent, the other brave and funny.
The biggest issue is the main character, Elise. She's like a superhero with no weaknesses - flawless, universally adored, and inexplicably skilled in everything. In a world where challenges are supposed to make her grow, her constant perfection is tiresome. Even her "struggles" are shallow because she's always right and emerges unscathed. Beyond her intelligence, she simply lacks depth as a character.
This avoids the medical and logical issues to keep things concise. Were there any redeeming qualities? It was nice to see her relationship with Graham and Julian develop, and I also enjoyed seeing her try to prove herself to the entire kingdom despite no one believing her at first.
While the animation is decent and complements the anime's style, it lacks the wow factor. The character designs, particularly the male characters, are rather bland compared to the source material. Overall, I wouldn't recommend this anime. There are many superior historical romance options with well-developed female characters.
