So I've managed to watch the anime which was recommended to me. It was an interesting experience :)
1. I wasn't signed up for hardcore because I'm a casual noob.
2. 2018. April 25.
3. 2018. Aug. 25.
4. I liked the series in the beginning but became more and more bored after a while. More on that in the next point.
5. I've rated the series 7 out of 10, and here is why:
Art/animation: Pretty meh, sometimes the scenery was good but overall the artstyle was very plain sometimes with horrible animation and bad cgi. 5/10
Sound: It was good, it fitted the series and I pretty much like the openings. However the anime used the same set of music over and over again, so it became a bit repetitive after a while. 7/10
Story: The story was simple, nothing too bad, it is all about a boy becoming a leader. There were minor twists and lots of battles which is good for a medieval fantasy anime. 8/10
Characters: It is a mixed bag. There are great characters, like Gieve who was my favourite one because he is funny and interesting and I also liked some of the supporting characters as well like Jaswant. But most of the main characters are boring and some are also very annoying.
Starting with Arslan, he has absolutely no negative character traits. I know that the subtitle of the anime is the heroic legend of Arslan, but cmon, he is a child.
Secondly, Daryun is a great warrior, but I got annoyed by the fact, that he is overprotective of (and in love with) Arslan, which makes him a very annoying character after a while.
Silver Mask is a bad villain, because his only trait is his revenge against Arslan, very one-sided character.
All of the other ones are good I guess. 6/10
Summary: While I enjoyed the beginning of the series I started to get bored that is why it took me this long to finish the series. It brings up several philosophical questions but answers them too leaving nothing to think about. I thought that with the money of Universal Studios they can do better. Overall: 7/10
6. I did not exchange the anime.
7. No, I wouldn't recommend this series for beginners, but I would recommend it for those who like medieval fantasy stories or seinen anime in general.
Thank you for your well-constructed review of the recommendation! I'll keep the points you brought up in mind if you decide to ask for another challenge!
I'm glad it was an interesting experience for you, I know it was for me when I watched it. I myself place this a bit higher than a 7 but, I tend to be really biased towards a medieval fantasy. Though I do agree with you on many of the points you bring up in terms of the characters, animation, and the soundtrack; it's by far not the best anime in these terms though the plot was rather satisfying to me. I mainly recommended this to you because this type of series isn't common on your list (this is a type of challenge overall) and is, in my own opinion, a worthwhile watch despite not being the best.
I've added your name to the club's main page if you want to check that out! Thank you for being the first, if I decide to reinstate the points system or lead the club in some other reward method I'll give you (as the first complete-r) a special bonus.