Lord of Vermilion: The Crimson King – A Storm of Red Mist and Missed Potential
May Contain Spoilers – But I left some mystery in case this is your flavor.
Let me just say this upfront: I tried. I really did. I gave this anime a fair shot — seven full episodes worth of effort — but I finally tapped out. I hate dropping shows, but this one made it too easy.
Lord of Vermilion: The Crimson King started off with promise. The opening scene had me leaning in: a fight between people who clearly didn’t want to hurt each other. There was sadness in their eyes — and I thought, “Okay. There’s emotion here. There’s a story behind the pain.”
I wanted to know why they were fighting. But the more I watched, the more I wished I hadn’t.
A Cool Setup… That Quickly Falls Apart
The story is set in futuristic Tokyo — the year 2030.
Our main character, Chihiro Kamina, seems like a sweet, well-mannered young man. But of course, he’s got anime main character syndrome — meaning he lost all memory of his childhood, and now he’s being raised by his best friend’s dad (who is… there, I guess).
His best friend, Kotetsu Domyoji, ends up being more important anyway.
Suddenly, Tokyo is hit by a strange high-pitched frequency and a red mist that sweeps across the city. People disappear. Others turn into monsters. Everyone passes out for a few days. But Chihiro? He goes full Sleeping Beauty and takes way too long to wake up.
When he finally does, all hell breaks loose.
Blood Powers for Everyone
Chihiro awakens a special ability tied to his blood. Sounds cool, right?
Except everybody else gets the same kind of power.
Kotetsu? Blood power.
Yuri, the mysterious girl? Blood power.
Other randos we barely met? Surprise! Blood powers!
It got frustrating fast. I wanted something to feel special or earned — but instead, we’re handed a buffet of overpowered characters with vague motivations and poorly explained lore.
Tokyo Must Be Saved... or Destroyed (Because, of Course)
The core conflict? One side wants to save Tokyo. The other wants to destroy it and start fresh. Nothing you haven’t seen before — but I could’ve rolled with it if the characters gave me any reason to care.
And then there’s Yuri Shiraki — the main heroine and, of course, on the opposing team.
Apparently, she and Chihiro knew each other before his memory loss. She clearly knows more than she’s letting on. And yet... every time he asks her about it, she gives him cryptic, dramatic one-liners and then disappears.
GIRL. JUST. TELL. HIM. THE. TRUTH.
Chihiro: King of the Broody Bystanders
Let’s talk about Chihiro for a second.
He’s the kind of main character who constantly looks like he’s about to cry but never actually does. He has this wild power inside him but doesn’t know how to use it, so he ends up flailing around while wallowing in self-pity.
And I mean from Episode 1 until I quit.
Every time he was on screen, I felt like I was being punished for caring about the plot. And that’s when I knew — if the main character irritates me this much, it’s time to bow out.
Final Thoughts
Lord of Vermilion: The Crimson King had the bones of a good show. It really did. But those bones got buried under cliché writing, flat characters, and a broody main lead I just couldn’t root for.
If you’re into post-apocalyptic Tokyo, mystical powers, and heavy lore, maybe this’ll hit for you. I hope it does. But for me?
It’s a no.
You can catch it on Crunchyroll if you’re curious — new episodes air on Fridays.
But I’ve officially tapped out. I’m returning my sword and my patience.
Till next time,
QueenxLexii 🩸😤