Lackluster so far

IbnAurum said:
I've watched up to episode 3, and what I've seen was... mediocre, perhaps. The premise was refreshing in this age of isekais and highschool dramas, but the execution didn't quite deliver.
Animation was stiff, plot progression was rushed, emotional moments didn't quite hit right, with lack of visual storytelling to make them impactful. Visuals aren't the be-all and end-all of a show, but its lack was noticeable. The artstyle was serviceable, but direction was uninspired. Perhaps the story was enchanting and fantastical in its original medium, but this felt merely fine.
The music was great tho.

ryo-san said:
They don't appreciate intelligent anime

OG_Otaku said:
I love this anime. The big flaw is the rushed plot. They are trying to cover too much in each episode. If the writers and director could slow down and take the time necessary for a good story, the other issues would fade away.

Triggerfish124 said:
I think the anime is good personally. I'm more interested in them solving issues than romance personally and the raven consort isn't supposed to get along with others I don't think.

teofilusSW said:
Simple.
This is Japanese "donghua."

If you are looking for fun, you'll be hard-pressed to find it on "donghua," because donghua is very culturally oriented.

10/10 for this anime, as an anime fan and as a Chinese, even if Bandai Namco Pictures had to lower the animation/graphic quality to be like Donghua (because Sunrise, which is the parent of BN Pictures, prioritizes Gundam and Love Live more).

SpellboundTaoist said:
Mhh I was sort of hoping for this to be a sleeper hit of the season, but the lacking production values weigh quiet heavenly on this show. Other than the pacing issues and lacking (art) direction the thing that bothers me the most is that it feels to "anime" for a show that is obviously inspired by chinese court dramas. The characters manerism, conduct, choice of words and overall behaviour all feel out of place for a show with this setting. I mean why choose this particular setting and then fall back on generic tropes from anime and manga? That doesen't work. It clashes too much with the court setting and breaks immersion with these type of shows in particular. I would like to point out that tropes could and should still be used, they exist for a reason after all, but using tropes from chinese dramas would fit the show much better.
For the sake of (casual) enjoyment the rules of etiquette can obviously be relaxed, but they should still be present in their most rudimentary form. That would give this show more identity and make it more immersive. At least in my unqualified opinion.
To be honest I'm just a little dissapointed with how the first 4 episodes turned out and would like to point out that the show is not bad by any means but if the current style continues I guess it is goint to be another generic show that willl be forgotten by the time the next season comes arround.

Memore said:



Absolutely agree with you! We need more such mystery series and interesting heroes!

Obvious answer from me: if you don't like this (and any other series), simply don't watch or read it. I do so if I don't like the series or work which I decide to read if I feel like I don't like where plot goes or if I don't like heroes.

SpellboundTaoist said:


Yeah but get this: I first have to watch enough of it to know where it's going? What I don't get with replies like this is: how am I supposed to know beforehand how the show is going to turn out? Why do you think I am still sticking with the show? Obviously because there are still elements I enjoy and I want to find out where the show is headed. I am just disapointed how a relatively fresh premise (in anime at least) is seemingly going to be wasted by falling back on (anime and manga) tropes that contradict the very setting it's trying to portray. Instead of actually working with the setting and using it to the advantage of the characters and the story it feels like just another case of japanese people in a foreign setting acting mostly like japanese anime characters instead of the people it tries to emulate. Thats what bugs me, if that not a problem with you thats fine as well. For me such things break immersion and frequently pull me out of the show.

And again: I still find the show enjoyable enough to continue watching. It's just that I get my hopes up every time only to get disappointed again and again with shows that could be great but instead fail to live up to their potential. (As of episode 4 at least). How will I ever find out if the show manages to get better if I don't watch it fully? That's why I rarely drop shows. If my years on myanimelist taught me anything it's that it's better to see for yourself and form your own opinion instead of blindly trusting others views. I would have missed many great shows that way.

TsutanaiFuun said:
if you think this is lack lustre then you're going to dislike the remaining like 90% animes. or you just don't understand the appeal of these kind of animes. you probably should stick to fast-paced, adrenaline rush animes.

Spicelit said:
I disagree, the art is absolutely beautiful, the characters bounce off of each other so well, and not to mention the drama is great, not too overdramatic or underwhelming. I actually think the pacing is good, I haven’t felt any disimmersion at all. The only thing I’m not the biggest fan of is the opening, but that’s just my musical preferences.

SpellboundTaoist said:
Well expectations sort of form on their own, do they not? Besides reading the synopsis I came in blind as I never really wacth promotional material in order to avoid forming a premature opinion. I was just expecting the setting to have a bigger influence on the story and characters as well as their behaviour instead it just feels like a gimmick to somewhat set the show apart from similar stories. That's a shame really.
A show that worked for me would be "Emma: A Victorian Romance". Although not perfect, in my opinion it used the the setting rather effectively to portray a convincing story.