A man and a flesh-eating monster fall in love, and somehow the show makes you believe it absolutely matters. The animation doesn't just move, it contorts and warps to match the fever dream of falling for someone you're supposed to kill, which means every frame feels dangerous and alive. Director Yuasa doesn't waste time on plot mechanics when he could be spending it on the specific way two people look at each other across an impossible line, and by episode three you stop caring about the hunter-versus-hunted setup and start caring about whether they survive being in love at all.
For centuries the Shokujinki have hidden among humans, looking like ordinary people but able to turn into clawed beasts that feed on human flesh. The secretive Kifuuken dojo hunts them by severing their arms. Toshihiko Momota, a skilled swordsman and son of the Kifuuken's leader, falls for a mysterious woman named Yuka Kamitsuki the moment he sees her. Neither of them knows that Yuka is a Shokujinki, one of the very creatures Toshihiko is bound to kill. Meanwhile, his brother Kazuma pushes to modernize the Kifuuken and break with its traditions, shaking the dojo's confidence. Kemonozume blends romance and supernatural horror with sword action.
