Mar 28, 2025
When I first heard that Übel Blatt was set to get an anime adaptation two decades after the manga started, I was honestly in disbelief. I thought it was one of those manga that just would never ever get an anime. I was hyped beyond belief, but I also feared the idea that it would get butchered, and the reactions I had seen online from the first episode would seemingly confirm my worst fears.
Then I actually got around to watching it and…I actually ended up having a good time, with it being nowhere near as bad as people made it out to be. I
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continued watching the anime, and it kept getting better each episode, eventually hitting its stride halfway through. I’ll make a list of what I liked and what I disliked about this anime adaptation for the sake of making this review more objective.
What I liked
- The pacing and universe of the manga are generally well respected.
- The fight choreography is simple, but effective. The anime also doesn’t shy away from gore and bloodshed, so the tone of the manga is fairly well respected as well.
- The voice direction is absolutely stellar (with an honorable mention to Yuya Hirose as Köinzell, he really captured the essence of the character and gave a spectacular performance)
- The soundtrack is pretty damn good and fits well with the universe depicted.
- The animation is decent. Sure, it’s not the same quality you’d get from ufotable, Bones or Madhouse back when that studio was in its golden age, but it gets the job done for the most part. That being said…
What I didn’t like
- The sex scenes and the nudity present in the manga have been mostly censored. That was one of my greatest fears for the anime, but honestly, I came to expect as much the moment I heard it was set to stream on Amazon Prime (and since these scenes are mostly relegated to the early chapters of the manga, it’s as much of an issue as it is a non-issue).
- …the budget for the animation was seemingly limited, and sometimes it shows (especially in the first few episodes). I’m not particularly picky about animation ever since I saw Ex-ARM, but I know it might put some people off so I put the animation in weaknesses as well for the sake of objectivity.
- The production team relegated the prologue volume to the OP, which may confuse newcomers. I personally still have hope that they end up adapting it as an OVA, but until then, I recommend newcomers to start with Volume 0 before diving into the anime proper.
Overall, I give it a 7/10 (and if not for the average start, it would easily be a 9 to me). If you’re not picky about animation quality and are looking for a fantasy anime that isn’t an isekai for once, you might want to check that one out. Sure, it’s not gonna be AOTY anytime soon, but you’ll have a good time regardless and frankly, that’s all that really matters at the end of the day, manga purists be damned.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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