Kamigami no Asobi

In a time when the bonds between gods and humans are weakening, one of the most powerful beings devises a plan to teach young gods the meaning of love and restore that connection.

Kusanagi Yui was born and raised near a Shinto shrine. By all standards she's a normal girl with a normal life. One day on her way home from school, she discovers a sword which transports her to a sanctuary created by Zeus. She is given the task to act as the human representative in Zeus' school to teach young gods from different countries the meaning of love. If they succeed, it will prevent the destruction of the school and release the gods trapped in the realm. But every time there is a complication, the force holding the place together will weaken.

Kusanagi Yui (center) with the gods

Yui is hardworking and persuasive and manages to befriend the young gods with the help of her new friend Melissa, a doll sent to look after her. She meets the Greek gods Apollon, Hades and Dionysus; Japanese gods Takeru and Tsukito; and Norse gods Balder, Loki and Thor. Zeus is assisted by Egyptians Thoth and Anubis.

This 12-episode series based on an otome game begins like most series of the same genre. The female protagonist is forced to deal with several boys and help them in some way, then others try to catch her attention, and ultimately she has to choose from among the boys.

If you have seen series of this type so many times, Kamigami no Asobi might just be the most cliche of them all. Although she has to live with gods, the setting is in a school, the only probable venue where you can gather reluctant characters. Yui is also predictably less worried why she was picked as the human representative and instead is more worried about the unusual task given to her. She spends more time looking after the guys than herself, but in turn the guys fawn over her after being helped by the girl.

Kamigami no Asobi meets expectations when it comes to series based on otome games. Whether that is a good thing depends on one's taste. This was slightly disappointing for me however. As a mythology fan however, it still caught my interest (just don't mind the names) and there is an interesting turn of events near the end.

Rating: 6 out of 10