Overview
Lycoris Recoil is an original anime that aired from 2 July to 24 September 2022 for 13 episodes. It is set in modern Tokyo, where a secret organization called Lycoris trains young girls as agents who stop crimes before they happen. The leads are Chisato Nishikigi and Takina Inoue, who work at the LycoReco café, serving customers between missions.
OtaHub's take
Its appeal lies in the mismatch between the two girls: Chisato is relaxed and jokey, while Takina is serious and rigid. The show alternates between café-life episodes and tidy action set pieces with carefully staged gunfights. It is light enough to watch as a slice-of-life series, yet a darker plot runs beneath the surface.
Shingo Adachi directed and wrote the series, his first time as lead director. Imigimuru designed the characters, Shūhei Mutsuki composed the music and A-1 Pictures handled the animation. At the Crunchyroll Anime Awards 2023 it won Best Original Anime and was nominated for Anime of the Year. In April and May 2025 a six-part short series, Friends are thieves of time, followed.
Verdict
A good pick for anyone after a gentle action anime with likeable characters and no source material to read. Because it is an original work, viewers do not have to worry about timelines against any adaptation, and it can be finished over a single weekend.
