Feb 26, 2022
Spoiler-free review.
I think I can offer a somewhat different perspective of this anime given I have not seen nor read Magi, which the author of Orient's source also wrote, so I did not come into this with certain expectations or something to directly compare it to. I'll mainly focus on the story and characters as the other categories aren't really worth talking about as they are just kinda there.
Story: The story is your typical shounen story with typical story beats. MC has a dream to be the best at something, faces ridicule for having such a dream, proves on a small level that
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the dream is obtainable, and goes on a journey with friends pursuing that dream. The actual setting for the story is what piqued my interest when looking at previews. The magic/combat system seems interesting at the surface and could potentially be unique, however, the pacing feels really off. I have not read the source material, but it feels like the anime has cut out a lot of details that would compliment the slow pace. There are attempts at world-building but it feels repetitive since either the same information is conveyed again or the amount of time spent on a subject is way longer than what we learn. The actual story progression also feels extremely slow. While watching, I could guess what general events would occur given what typically happens in shounen, but it would take an unnecessarily long time to get there. This has become very evident with the latest arc progressing at a snail's pace. To be fair, the source material could have the same pacing issues and the anime may not have cut much out, but I can't be sure.
Characters: The characters in the story also fall into the typical shounen molds one would expect, but they are still enjoyable to watch. Similar to the issues with the story, the characters are not given very much to do other than delivering exposition. Of course, the characters have their moments and there are signs of development, but the pacing of the story really holds the characters back and can make them slightly stale at times. The characters are at their best when interacting together and not conversing to just progress the story forward.
TLDR: Orient is an anime that is certainly watchable if you are a fan of shounen anime and are just looking for something to watch. If you can tolerate bad pacing, extremely slow story progression, and cliche characters and story beats, then Orient is worth a watch. If you are looking for a great story or something unique in the genre, I would recommend passing on it.
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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