Übel Blatt

3 Episodes seen.
1st episode was disappointing because of censorship (nudity and lewd scenes were understandably removed but removing gore was not understandable) and skipping story elements (non-manga readers wll have no idea what's going on), but having read the manga, I know this show has huge potential.
2nd episode was well-animated and the voice acting was excellent, giving back hope that this anime will do its manga justice.
3rd episode was weird and the quality dropped a lot but censorship was removed for 1 second there was some gore/dismemberment
scene which shows that maybe the studio listened to its fans and gore will be implemented and ... not censored in later episodes.
Edit 01/02: Ep. 4 came out and as I wrote above they did uncensor the gore. Decapitations, dismemberment, etc. is back so no more complaints about gore censorship. Animations were well-made and combat scenes were good, no more slideshow. Only censorship now is the deleted H scenes and nudity which are irrelevant to the story.
Basically, this show has huge potential, but it seems to suffer from a lack of direction. But I'm confident they will solve these problems and the quality will increase, as episode 2 has showed they can do a good job when they want to.
The story is still basically in its prologue phase, later on there will be more epic battles to come, so it's possible they are saving their budget for later parts of the story which will be action-packed.
I give it 9/10, having read the manga, it has massive potential and time will tell if the studio animate it properly.
The music is excellent witcher 3 vibes, and the voice acting is excellent for the main character Ascheritt. Animations are sometimes brilliant sometimes sloppy, showing that the studio chose to save its budget, if I'm correct, for later scenes which will be much more important and action-packed.
But it has potential to be 10/10, as more episodes release we will know if my theory is correct and they were just saving budget for the massive action-packed battles that are about to come.

The terrible curse of dark fantasy, whether it's Berserk in 2016 or Ubel Blatt in 2025, big studios don't want to risk adapting dark fantasy, so it's small studios that have the rights, so we end up with this kind of massacre, the animation is bright, the scenes are very pure, has it become a shonen for all audiences???
Ubel Blatt is basically very dark and ultra sexualized, it's ultra disappointing, plus the fights are really ugly and powerpoint compared to the drawings of Etorouji Shiono and when the fights in the anime are less good than those in the manga, it shows that there is ... a big problem.
I don't advise against it because I still like discovering the manga that I love in anime but it's butchered, it's as if Disney had the license of the Lord of the Rings and made a trilogy with Saruman played by Adam Driver, it's watchable but it's still bad.

I put below 2 comparisons of episode 1 between manga and anime, it's too asceptic and bright. (yes it's in French, after all I love eating snails!)

https://i.postimg.cc/ry5FDZZW/Gh-SSf01-Wg-AA70bn.jpg
https://i.postimg.cc/Yqk2YNTP/Gh-SSf1-SXk-AA83f-Z.jpg
https://i.postimg.cc/4xxJFffb/Gh-SSf4-Xw-AAn-ILJ.jpg
https://i.postimg.cc/rFJVJ0kw/Gh-SSf4n-WYAABmke.jpg

The Unexpected Taste of Übel Blatt:

This anime is like taking a bite of something completely unexpected—it’s intense, overwhelming, and leaves you wondering if you actually like it or not. From the get-go, Übel Blatt slams you with a whirlwind of emotions and concepts: betrayal, heroism, political intrigue, and corruption. Unlike most anime that ease you into their world-building, this one dumps everything on you all at once, almost like a chaotic pile of exposition and drama.

Plot and Pacing:

Let me give an example without any spoilers:
The protagonist and their crew are escaping when they’re stopped by a corrupt priest and a mercenary. There’s some fighting, and ... it’s vaguely hinted that the mercenary has a backstory connected to one of the other characters (though it’s super unclear). The fight is incredibly short—literally just two skill attacks from the mercenary. The second attack creates a massive hole in the ground, causing the protagonist to fall through this conveniently placed "plot hole." They miraculously land on a narrow rock bridge where, coincidentally, more enemies are waiting to fight them and give out more plot details and backstory.. Like what?!

The story revolves around themes of betrayal and revenge, centered on a protagonist shrouded in mystery He was a student or pupil of one of the great heroes who was likely betrayed by others, the protagonist is on a quest for revenge. The premise is intriguing on paper, but the execution in the first three episodes is so fast-paced and messy that it’s hard to find your footing. There’s barely enough time to process what’s happening before you’re hit with another layer of plot twists, political scheming, or backstory.

While I understand the intent to create a mystery that slowly unravels, the sheer volume of information feels more overwhelming than captivating. Rather than keeping me on the edge of my seat, it left me confused and disconnected from the characters.

Characters:

Speaking of characters, they’re shallow—at least so far. The series throws a ton of names and roles at you, but it doesn’t take the time to develop any emotional attachment to them. Even the protagonist, who should be a central figure of intrigue, feels distant and underexplored. Without that connection, the betrayals and shocking revelations don’t pack the punch they should.

Art and Animation:

The animation is serviceable but far from standout. Fight scenes are mediocre, lacking the fluidity or intensity you’d hope for in an anime with such heavy action themes. The character designs are fine but don’t leave a lasting impression. In a genre where visuals can elevate even a lackluster plot, Übel Blatt doesn’t quite hit the mark.

What Went Wrong:

It feels like Übel Blatt was trying to cram too much into too little time. Where other anime would build their story gradually, allowing viewers to absorb the world and its stakes, this one shoves everything in your face all at once. I can’t help but feel that the original written story likely handled this better, giving the narrative and characters the breathing room they need.

Verdict:

At this point, I’m not sure if I’ll continue watching. The first three episodes felt more like a chore than an exciting journey, and the lack of strong character development or clear direction makes it hard to stay invested. If you’re into anime with heavy themes and chaotic storytelling, you might enjoy unraveling this mess. But for me, it’s too much, too soon.

Rating: 5/10