Shiawase Kanako no Koroshiya Seikatsu (2025)

Way too short, but fun!

This series ends up feeling more like an extended comedy sketch than a full drama series, but the acting and action scenes are on point, and, ultimately, the series does have something to say about the empowerment of the main character and her refusal to be defined by "normal" society.

Non plays Nishino Kanako, a recently unemployed office lady, who is offered a job as a hitman and discovers that because of her experience of years of bullying and harassment has acquired the skills to be preternaturally good at the job. The series is happily and ironically cheerful and kawaii as the bullets fly and the blood flows, and Kanako's chibi imaginary animal friends make childish puns as she finds her way in this new world of contract killing and peril.

Every episode features action sequences that are well executed and fun but almost completely bloodless but for occasional splatters and post-combat pools. A polite fiction is maintained throughout that everyone Kanako kills almost certainly deserves it, but the whole thing is so far from any kind of reality that that polite fiction does not really seem to matter much. There are at least a couple of plot points that make no sense at all (wait: didn't she kill that guy?), but the series is so unserious that you probably won't care either since the writer and the director certainly don't.

As I often say in my reviews of comedies: YMMV. But I found the series to be light and funny, and the comedy bits pretty much consistently landed for me. But, at the same time, there is at least one touching moment from Kanako's backstory that was genuinely moving. Non was pretty much born to play this kind of role: a simple and "pure" (?!) person going through a process of discovery to find that she is capable and valuable just as she is. The irony here that her "purity" is the ability to efficiently and relentlessly kill people works for me, at least.

In the end Kanako is offered a choice between the normal life that society says she should want or, instead, continuing to be what she is really good at. And we are left happily cheering her on.

The button at the end of the series says explicitly that there will be a season 2 on Netflix, and one can only hope. But the best information at the time of writing this review is that the button is a joke, and there are no such plans at this time.

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Fun and Clumsily Adorable!

x“Happy Kanako’s Killer Life” is a clumsy but super adorable drama. Our female lead quit her job due to constant harassment and mistreatment by her boss. She ended up working as an assassin/hitman for an agency. Who knew this clumsy girl has such a talent in this new career!

Kanako (FL) is hilarious! She’s very likable in her inexperienced and clumsy novice-kind of way during her assignment. Of course, since this is adapted from a manga series, you can expect the usual Japanese humor. In this drama, we have some over-the-top acting (but still tolerable to me), imaginary, adorable talking animals and some funny phrases out of these animals and FL’s mouths.

The supporting cast does not have a lot of screen time, since this is Kanako’s story. However, each character brings a little something unique to the drama. They are funny and make quite an impression on you. If you are looking for romance, well, there’s a slight romance plot. But, the ‘ship’ may or may not be what you were expecting.

I am quite impressed with all the action scenes. They are unrealistic, but so well-choreographed and fun. Assassins look cool, especially Kanako in her nonchalant and comedic way of killing people. I wasn’t sure if it’s intentional product placement, but it was quite funny how they showcase the Dyson vacuum cleaner and bread machine.

This is Konoko’s story. A normal life is not what she longs for, since the normal life has not been treating her well. In the end, she realizes what makes her happy, though that realization might have cost her more than she wanted. The ending was impactful and memorable. It seems like there will be a season 2, and I am sure there are plenty of funny stories and adventures waiting for Konoko. But if there’s no season 2, I am satisfied with how the first season ended. I had an enjoyable time watching “Happy Konoko’s Killer Life” and will give this a solid 8.5 to bump up the MDL rating a little and for the fun action scenes.



Completed: 8/5/2025 Review #610

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