Kowloon Generic Romance Episode 2 Review: Trip Down Memory Lane

The 2nd episode of Kowloon Generic Romance was decent. Let us see how this episode turned out.

Kowloon Generic Romance Overview

Kowloon Generic Romance is created by Jun Mayuzuki, known for her previous work on After the Rain. The story takes place in a fictional version of Hong Kong’s former Kowloon Walled City, combining everyday romance with a mysterious atmosphere. Since its debut in Weekly Young Jump magazine in November 2019, the series has grown in popularity, with ten compiled volumes released as of October 2024.

In 2024, the manga’s growing popularity led to the announcement of an anime produced by Arvo Animation. The anime began airing on April 5, 2025, across TV Tokyo and affiliated networks. It is directed by Yoshiaki Iwasaki and its script is by Jin Tanaka. The character designs are from Yuka Shibata.

Here, the visual tone is set by art director Yūji Kaneko, while composer Ryōhei Sataka adds the music.

The anime’s opening theme is “Summertime Ghost” by Wednesday Campanella, and the ending theme is “Koi no Retronym” by Mekakushe. In addition to its television release, the series is available to stream globally via Crunchyroll, with Medialink having streaming rights for South and Southeast Asia through Ani-One Asia’s YouTube channel.

A live-action film adaptation is also on the way, scheduled to premiere in Japanese cinemas in August 2025.

Kowloon Generic Romance Episode 2 Review

This anime is definitely one of the most unique shows of this season, which has a very fresh concept. The second episode starts with Kujirai contemplating the photo that she saw on her coworker’s desk. Then she gets a call from a friend who complains about the noise she has to face while living in one of Kowloon Walled City’s residences. Kujirai handles her building, so she goes there to check and finds a very interesting lady, Yaomay.

Here, we get more clarity about what is happening in this world. It is likely that Kujirai got her memories rebooted, and now she is an entirely different person from how she used to be. She was someone who was two years older than Kudo and was his lover from the past. Now she is stuck in the same age while he has turned 2 years older than her. It is apparent from their past that Kudo was very much in love with her previous self and picked up his current habits from her.

However, things are more complicated than that because if she is indeed the same girl as Kudo’s fiancée, then why is he hiding the relationship from her? Not only that, but it is shown that there are also some physical differences between these two women, as the previous girl had her ears pierced and the new one did not. But one thing is certain, their relationship did not leave happy recollections for Kudo, as he is seen to be struggling with their memories together.

Against the backdrop, there is also the element of mystery surrounding the weirdly shaped triangular structure that’s floating in the sky. Plus, towards the end, we get to see an intriguing but unhinged doctor who might know about Kujirai’s issue.

Verdict

I liked today’s episode, but also felt it to be a bit slow. The tone of the show is supposed to be nostalgic, so the laidback pace is understandable. But a bit more clarity about the lore would have helped me understand the world better.  

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