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Honestly, Belle is very "Kimi no na wa" ("Your name") type of movie- bit more reliant on artsy storytelling than classical storytelling. So if you go in expecting something like "A silent voice" or "Demon slayer", you are going to have harder time enjoying the movie for sure. But even with that, i dare to say that theres plenty to like about the movie- but also fair bit to critisize.
First off, the good bits. Animation is definetly highlight of the movie, especially scenery and effects. I especially love scenery in this, which is just stunning.
Themes are also fantastic and honestly, very relatable. Though lot ... of it does seem like you wont fully understand it if you havent gone trough something similar and im pretty sure lot of people are like "what, why does character act like it" to lot of those themes (like shutting yourself off, losing a skill due to mental trauma, domestic violence, etc)- i actually see this nonunderstanding from currently most popular review at time of the writing. Themes are also fairly well portrayed, although it does suffer from trying to cram bit too much into too little time and doesnt do most of secondary themes full justice.
Music was also pretty good, although considering one of main themes, there couldve been more of it.

Before i get to negative critics, i want to stress that i still overall like the movie and reccommend it.

So. Negatives/neutrals.
Classic storytelling (i.e non-artsy). It did bare minimum of classic storytelling and frankly it was sometimes hard to keep track of where in timeline you are (because lot of events take place in past or same time). While for obvious time constraints you couldnt cram too much backround info in, there was very real "wait, what" moment in one of climactic moments of movie due to it severely contradicting (and not the first time) of how "U" network works. Im not going to mention what contradicts exactly, because its too much of a spoiler, but its present troughout the movie, just not so explicitly done. Also story jumps over of some VERY huge story beats that could use at least some explanation. I gave story a 7 on themes & their execution alone
Voice acting was also frankly average on most part. Nothing good or bad.
And characters- except for main characters, characters really didnt get any real presence or reason why they were in story.

Honestly, all of the negatives are probably directly linked to it being a standalone movie and not a TV series- in fact, this story wouldve been so much better had it been a TV series imho. Because it did manage to create interesting world and i kinda want to know more about the world of said anime
All in all, if you are more of theme/animation/music viewer, you will enjoy this, but if you go in for conventional well-structured story, then better skip this one

I geniuenly do not understand how people like this.
To start off- i love isekai and i love anime. The very concept of someone being sent to different world with current world ideas and knowledge is wrapped with ton of potential- even if lot of them are average power fantasies with harem (meaning not as good, but still entertaining if you know what you are getting into). There are so many great isekais, even in recent years, such as Mushoku tensei or shield hero.
And then theres this. Saihate no Paladin or "the faraway paladin". Out of all the isekais, i'd say this is second worst ... one ive seen, only losing to "isekai cheat magician). And its not because of the concept or the ideas it has. In fact, this whole show embodies the critisism ive heard against isekais- "it couldve been a normal fantasy anime". And even then it wouldve been bad.

So why i geniuenly dislike it? Well, aside from its core concept, everything about it feels generic. Add whiney main character to very predictable story, coupled with animation that wouldve been good 15 years ago... and yeah. Not much to say. Even the undead "parent" figures are feeling very generic. There is legitimately not a moment in those 4 episodes i watched when i didnt feel "hey, ive seen this before" and "theres so much better things to do with my time".

Ok, i stuck it out for 9 episodes, but i just cant watch this anymore.
I tried to like this, because it is having some good mysteries going on and characters are decent, but it... is just there.
I dont know if this is just case of poor adaption, but there is geniuine potential of good story, but story jumping around without really explaining anything until very end of 9th episode (like really, this is where we legit got something to tie the story together and start making sense of it)...

So... it feels very much like show is trying to be all mysterious, but it forgets ... that viewer needs enough info (and frankly, care about the world) for mystery to work.

If you look at my review scores in detail, you notice i rated lot of things rather high, but overall rating is still 3. Seems odd, right? let me go in detail on that. And i really, really hate bashing on anime.... As of writing this review, i've watched about 4,5 episodes and i think i am going to drop it here.

So, this show is essentially retelling of "irregular at magic high school" season 1 from its main characters sisters (and 2-3 of her friends) perspective. Not a new concept and these alternate perspective shows tend to be extremely interesting and give lot of new ... stories and info- good examples are danmachi or even a certain scientific railgun (compare its "sisters" arc to one in "magical index").
This spinoff, however, could've easily been an extended cut on original's season 1 and it wouldve been so much better.

Now, i am actually quite enjoying this universe a lot and main series boasts rather decent story (not top of the world, but decent, once you are able to follow it) & characters, with stellar action, great music and decent animation. And honestly, this spinoff takes all of these elements... and does almost nothing with it. Like i said earlier, it might as well have new scenes added on as extended cut for original season one- theres just so little new here. And whats worse- these new bits are so few and far between that they completely demolish the pacing of the show, while cutting upright critical information. A lot.
Even for easier to follow story, it would be a big no-no, but since the main series has fairly complex story, i legit feel sorry for newcomers to the series who started off with this.

So yeah, alternative perspective stories work, if there is actually decent alternate perspective to explore or some potential for characters to have adventure of their own. In this case, with these creative choices that went into this, it just doesnt work. It is still well-made anime (aside from serious story issues), but if you are a newcomer to the franchise- just watch main series, you get much fuller experience and clearer picture of exactly same story.

Bofuri is one of the most enjoyable animes ive watched, to the point i'd say its on par with Konosuba in terms of humor (although i need to stress the two shows have VERY different humor)


Story:
Honestly, story is probably the weakest point of the show, yet at same time it is very good at what its supposed to do. The story of Bofuri is not meant to make lot of sense or be deep, its just supposed to string along characters to next fun event and shenanigans.

Art & sound:
Bofuri art is beautiful, although i can nitpick about animation at places. Still, overall its very well ... done. Same with voice acting and music. The most used insert song in the show is always a sign that something fun is about to happen. Everything about the show oozes fun time.

Characters:
As said with story portion, dont expect very much deep stuff here, but again, characters do their roles justice and are extremely fun to watch. Maple is obviously star of the show, but rest of characters are powerhouses and colorful in their own right, although not everyone has time to have much impact. Hopefully it improves in season 2

Enjoyment:
I have to say, this show has set the bar extremely high for 2020 in terms of comedy/action anime. Like i said, it compares even to Konosuba (although, again, humor is very different) and i actually prefer Bofuri myself.
Definetly the best show of winter season 2020 alongside "Somali and the Forest spirit"

Before i go to review, i have to stress, that this anime is best watched after you finish the game (which is absolutely magnificent game in its own right, even in 2020- in all fairness, VC is one of my favourite games, ever. Which says a lot, considering i play a lot of strategy and story based games)

Sound:
Sound design is quite good- voice actors give emotions trough quite well... Most of the time anyways- there are smaller hickups, but nothing that derives from fun. Now, i want to point out that i played game with english dub, so i cannot tell if voice acting is ... as good as it is in game or not.
Music is also good- lot ofit is lifted from the game and implemented quite well to fit the situation. I did notice few new soundtracks too, but they were also good.

Graphics & art:
Even in 2020, absolutely stunning, even if they can feel bit outdated now. Still, you have to remember it was made in 2009- over a decade ago!
I love how it manages to capture similar style to one used in game, yet also put bit more polished spin on it. The design choice here really manages to bring out some gorgeous views.

Story:
While somewhat cheesy (honestly lot less than games one (which i still love a lot btw)), it is great. Like i said at start of review, if you are going to watch this, make sure to play the game first. And watch the story.
Why? It honestly works best, if you have done so, as there are differences compared to game, although in first half its mostly just "life in war" scenes and more slice of life type. Meaning there is practically no serious combat (except skirmishes and battles that take about 5 minutes) until final 10 episodes or so. While this is serious downside if you purely watch the anime, it is upright treat if you come to this anime from the game.
Still, i cant stress enough that this anime diverges seriously from game at certain aspects, even if major events stay the same... in a way at least (dont worry- this is not a spoiler. You wont get actually spoiled by either anime or the game if you decide to try other bit out). Some changes might not please everyone and while i personally did find a certain change dislikeable, it does not ruin overall experience.
In addition, if you have the chance, please do check out OVA-s of it, as they give even further goodies for fans.

Verict:
while not as appealing as standalone, it is great. Still, for best experience, play the game first. Its obvious it was made with game audience in mind, meaning it is more meant to support the game rather than retell its story.

As VC fan, i find it very enjoyable experience and frankly i hope this franchise gets both more games (Valkyria chronicles 4 was good, but needs to take few pointers from original) and anime to support games.

Story:
I kick off this review with probably one of more harder points to review for me. Story is good and bad at same time, although i get impression it is not necessarily because bad source material (although i cant say for sure as well i never read it). I also feel need to point out it is not fair in slightest comparing this to AoT (as it is often compared to it)
For one, setting is actually lot more interesting than i originally gave it credit for when i first heard about it years ago. I mean virus bit that turns animals/insects giant and people into ... monsters is not particularly new idea in fiction, however i found its implementation into universe be quite fascinating.
Then regarding it, the cursed children are whole other subject. Again, overpowered group thats being discriminated is not new idea, but this bit is one area where i say implementation beats most other shows (and coincidentally only bit where i think this show is doing great job). As in this show is not treating discrimination with kid gloves- it goes all out. Although to be fair, it does not shy away from dark side.
At its best, Black Bullet can definetly deliver great moments, the joy and heartbreak but at same time most of its good sides are strongly affected if not overshadowed by its bad sides. Biggest issue is its fluidity- it jumps from one section to another, making it sometimes look like loosely connected skits. And sadly- its exact same with lasting impacts. The show doesnt shy away from darkness, as i said, but its shrugged off too quickly. It is cruel world, but its at that point where it breaks any immersion. Its same with impacts characters make. I geniuenly feel if its because source material or just show trying to cram too much into 13 episodes)
Also regarding death in Black Bullet- it actually feels forced more times than not, although i do grant that there were few deaths that were set up well.
Also lot of plotpoints are teased then never touched upon again, while some things just make illogical jump. Also some important ones are never ever touched upon either

Characters tend to be quite interesting though, so at least there is that. Well, aside from, you know, whole "no lasting consequences" thing. I do say that male lead is quite all over the place however.

I do have to separately point out the weird nature it takes toward cursed children's (who are all young kids in anime) relations. You can guess what the nature is. However show at least has enough sense to try and depict that as kids first crush... most of the time. Still, you are better off thinking it like that as hard as it can be.

Art:
Overall, i say art is quite good- animation can feel bit stiff at times (mostly more idle ones), but artwork and fighting animations tend to be quite good. Wouldnt compare it to say, attack on titan or MHA, but it is very decent.

Sound:
Music tends to be good to great in Black Bullet (i mean just listen to op!), however voice acting (for the record- i always watch dub if its available).... yeah, one of worse ones ive heard. Sorry.

Overall:
While black bullet has certainly its strengths, at this point i can only reccommend it as timekiller as plot being all over the place, it indulging in violence to point of having it just for its sake yet it not having lasting impact of any sort, well, these things make it hard to finish.
And it is a shame because it had quite few good ideas there. But its very hard to say if it wouldve been better if same 13 episodes wouldve been spread out to 24... Maybe, maybe not. I guess we never know.

Art & animation:
Overall art quality is quite good actually as colors are vibrant, artwork is quite detailed and character designs look great (even if some are resembling re:zero). Backrounds are especially great to behold in this one
Animation is ranging from good and detailed to average (worth to note im generally generous when it comes to that). Inside mecha views are especially lovely

I do have to bring out mecha parts in separate because this is pretty much only area in art/animation where i have to seriously deduct points. Yes, they look good (in face value) but fight scenes (and this being a mecha shows, there are ... plenty of those). Besides the animation in fights tends to make them stubby looking and quite frankly oddest looking mechas ive seen in anime (and i have seen plenty, despite mecha being one of few genres i find hard getting into)

Music:
Generally pretty decent, but there are some good pieces in this one.

Characters & story:
This is toughest part to review as frankly it is quite forgettable. It definetly starts off in strong note as mystery factor in addition to the mecha battles and extremely big stakes right off the bat add certain allure. Characters are also great at first, with their own personalities and goals. However, i would say characters and story were most fleshed out at the start, which is odd thing to say as it should be other way around.
But over course of the story, everything started to become more bland. Ironically enough, it were things that were supposed to make story more interesting that caused it (wont specify because, you know, spoilers). And oh geesh the edgyness of it at times.. too forced. I dont mind show being edgy if it happens naturally, but this one went out of its way. And over time it descended into show you can easily guess whats happening next.
Which is kinda sad because it did have few good pearls in it, but it became so forgettable.

Verdict:
While having strong start and great artwork at times, it does feel like Granbelm limits itself a lot, causing it to decline to rather forgettable and predictable story once you figured out shows tone. However, it is still entertaining enough to finish it- although i do have to say i was quite close not caring about last 2 episodes.
I dont know how it appeals to mecha fans, but for me personally it is in "ok, but not going to rewatch" category

Story, setting & concept:
Concept & setting of this movie are pretty interesting. Modern/futuristic ninja mixed with few other ideas make it really good and rather unique concept, especially how its made.
It also definetly catches your interest as far as story goes and it is good, despite few basic tropes (which never get disturbing due to delivery). Blackfox also manages to pull some great foreshadowing if you pay attention to details.
Main characters also tend to be very interesting.
However, story sadly is its weakpoint as well- while story is very interesting, the movie format means that lot of things probably had to be cut from movie ... and it shows as some parts feel bit rushed or even have "wait, how does that even matter" feel to it.
All that said, it definetly feels like a pilot movie for the series, which i sincerely hope is the case as i definetly want to see more of this. Not to mention TV show format would definetly fit it better and would allow writers to explain things that were lacking in here. Story is also the reason i give it

Art, sound and animation
Blackfox manages to pull off some great animation and art is definetly top tier as well. Soundtrack of Blackfox needs special mention as lot of it really nicely supports what is going on on the screen without overwhelming it. That fully shows how much tought was put into sound design as that is quite difficult to pull off in any medium as even big names in anime dont quite have it down.

Enjoyment: 10/10
Despite shortcomings caused by format (it would have benefitted much more by TV show format instead of movie), it was extremely enjoyable. And i sincerely hope to see more of this

While you might say that 2 episodes ive seen is way too little to comment on series, i strongly disagree in this case.
Now, positive is that art and sound are actually very decent and with all honesty, i probably underrated them by giving them 6. But Mysteria/Manara friends is crystal example of how good art does not equal good anime.

Art & Sound:
Like i said, i probably underrate them by giving it 6. Art is absolutely gorgeous here, no question about it. And its legitimately only good part about it.

Story:
um, what story? There literally is no story here. Fantastic example is entirety of episode 2: ... one of the 2 girls is sick, so other girl runs off to forbidden(!!) bit of library to find medicine that supposedly nobody can access (like physically) like its nothing, then runs for 15(!!!) minutes straight trough different areas, finds convinient shortcut back... and it turns out no medicine is needed. At this point i realised how much the show is trolling its viewer

Summary:
if you expect good anime, you are better skipping this one. If you are all about art however, then this might be for you.
2/10