Back to Omfgakitten's Profile Omfgakitten's Profile

I must admit that I was disappointed when I finally got around to finishing Owari no Seraph. What had looked like a promising dystopian action/horror anime turned into a much tamer, somewhat lacklustre affair. It presented a few issues in particular which didn't make it so that I couldn't enjoy it, but surely tarnished my view of the anime. I will watch the second season most likely to see what they plan to do with what we learnt.

Story - 6
Of course it's very rare now that we find something with a completely unique plot. Most series are rehashes of common plot make up, at least ... to some extent, but the difference lies in how it is executed - if the same idea is done well 3 times, and each time there's some major differences (enemy, pacing, characters, setting...) it can seem pretty unique and enjoyable each time. But I digress.
The story in Seraph was not bad by any stretch, it was just a bit bland. I enjoyed the first 2/3 episodes immensely because it looked like we were getting some interesting view into a dystopian, vampire-filled future from Yu's point of view, but instead we get weird giant monsters that aren't explained (well, I don't think they were ever explained?), a boring protagonist and some very s...l...o..o..o..w pacing. 1-3 episodes were promising, quite fast paced and interesting and then up until about episode 9 we basically watched the characters meandering through their life and the events happening around or to them didn't seem to up the ante at all. There was no sense of urgency at all which didn't seem to make sense considering how deadly the vampires were described.
The series was saved from a lower rating by the last two episodes, which gave a decent enough pace and enough story to create some interest in knowing what happens next season. I hope they decide to explore the concept of who are REALLY the bad guys a bit more (what was revealed in episode 11-12 could create a nice segue into exploring that).
It's probably a moot point but I don't really think the Horror tag is relevant for Seraph, there was very little/no psychological aspects or anything that could be considered horror (torture, lots of blood and gore, etc). There was a little blood but I never felt particularly worried or scared about anything because unless they had the balls to do the mother of all plot twists main characters who are liked are NOT going to be killed off in an anime such as this. Anyway. Moving on.

Art - 7
The art itself was nice. I noticed some really pretty backgrounds which looked like they had been done in watercolours and some of the scenery when they entered the dystopian landscape also looked painted, and it gave the art an interesting feel. The character designs were okay, nothing too startlingly original, we have the blonde tsundere one, the red haired firey guy, and the black haired, green eyed protagonist. The vampires probably had a better design overall, they looked elegant and powerful, with the exception of their queen, who was basically a Gothic Lolita. I did quite like the uniform designs that the two "factions" had, though. Again, the vampires' was quite elegant whilst the humans' was more practical and dark.
The issue here lies within the animation. A lot of still frames with mouths moving for speech were used. There was rarely more than one character animated at once (at least to any noticeable degree). If anyone had a one-to-one battle we would see them sort of run at each other, clash weapons and just stand there talking. The fights were paced slowly because, instead of having characters go head to head in an action-filled battle, they stood and talked at each other for a while. For example when they are in the subway, the vamps just sort of stand there and watch them discussing how they should be able to take them all because they are all family or something along those lines.
I really wanted some high-octane battles with pretty visuals but honestly I could count the number of actual fights on one hand. They seemed to cut corners in terms of actually AVOIDING fights - again, I reference the scene in the subway. We see Yu run at one vampire and stab it. Then they all start talking again as more vamps arrive and then we see a black screen and everyone is outside. Clearly they have won the battle but why didn't they even try and include some action there?! It could have been awesome to see the group's synergy and fighting styles develop through such battles but we get no such luxury here.
Bah.

Sound - 7
Voice actors did a good job, Saori Hayami is one of my favourite seiyuu though so I may be biased. This wasn't her best role in my opinion but it wasn't bad.
I wasn't really a fan of the OP. It fit the series fine, but I skipped it every time. It also revealed pretty big spoilers so I wouldn't recommend watching it for the first few episodes.
I didn't really notice the background music which is usually a sign that it is distinctly average. If there's a really terrible low-quality sound I tend to notice, conversely if there's a blood-pumping tune that's really well placed I will notice it in as much as it raises the excitement/tension of a scene. I think what music I did notice (which was usually during action scenes) was decent, though, and didn't detract from the experience overall.
Honestly there wasn't much to say in terms of sound effects. They were good, sounded like what they were supposed to and all.

Character - 5
I was expecting to give character a high mark on starting this anime but honestly this was one of the most disappointing aspects of this anime for me. I'll go through the main problem areas first.

- Yu's character could have been interesting, but ended up being kind of bland and nonsensical.
Okay, so. Generic revenge-driven protagonist? Check. I MUST PROTECT MY FRIENDS complex? Check. All good so far - nothing out of the ordinary for a Shounen-type anime. But where it gets weird is that's literally all that defines Yu. He didn't want friends or family but was forced into his first 'family' and forced to make friends at the school later on. And yet he strives to protect them. Huh? His other noticeable trait is that he is easy to anger and usually acts without thinking. But three traits don't make an interesting character because there's no flesh there, just bare bones. What does he like to eat/drink? What is he actually interested in? Maybe he has a secret thing that he loves or enjoys doing? But all we know is he hates vampires, wants to kill vampires, and apparently loves Mika and his friends. And often gets angry without thinking.

- There was little/no development throughout the series.
//SPOILERS! I would have had a little more sympathy for Yu's character if we had actually seen his skills/personality develop, but all we get is revenge revenge and family. Yu is somehow able to defeat the first demon without even knowing what it could really do, what's at stake, HOW to defeat it, he just runs in and is somehow able to overcome the mental obstacle all on his own. Then when he gets his weapon, he doesn't need to practice or anything, he's just suddenly a master of swordsmanship. I know this is rather common in Shounen (the main character being overpowered or gaining some new ability out of nowhere) but honestly I just sighed inwardly when they all gained their respective weapons and were able to use them without practicing. Yoichi can shoot a bow? Check. Red-hair glasses guy can use twin swords perfectly? Check.
I know the anime only had a short span of 12 episodes for the first season, but if the way they "develop" characters makes me roll my eyes something is up. //END SPOILERS.

Other than that, the other characters weren't particularly memorable. The ones that stuck in my mind most are the vampire queen and Ferid. I was interested in Ferid's relationship to Mika and what went on before the first episode and I was interested to know why the queen was so interested in Mika. But we barely see them throughout the series, which is a shame. Maybe they will give them some screen time next season.

Enjoyment - 6
Honestly, I can enjoy almost any anime if I set my mind to 'standby' and just watch without being critical. I enjoyed Seraph to a degree, the first few episodes piqued my interest but I was disappointed until episode 11-12.

Overall, I think people would enjoy this anime a) if they really like dystopia/vampires (though be warned, we don't see that much vampire activity) and b) if they don't mind the lack of action. I think those who are able to watch anime without a critical/analytical mindset would enjoy it more than those who watch anime and look at it critically/analytically. The premise is similar to Attack on Titan, Black Bullet, the currently airing Kuuden Madoushi...so if you enjoy that kind of anime, give it a bash, you might enjoy it, particularly as something to watch between powerhouse series. However I wouldn't recommend it to those who watch anime with an analytical eye, as the cons outweigh the pros in the most important areas.

Punch Line started relatively slowly, I was watching it when it was airing and only got up to 3 episodes before dropping it in favour of other titles. Boy do I regret that now! Around episode 5 things got really interesting and I was hooked on the story, characters and ambiance of the show. It's so fun but at the same time it has the right amount of comedy to action/drama ratio, and even some feels!

Story - 8
I found the story for Punch Line fun, but lukewarm up until about episode 5, where the real story came into its own. It's a pretty ridiculous premise ... that can only be appreciated by viewing, not by having it explained to you! Despite it being so zany, the plot really doesn't FEEL ridiculous in the context of the world presented and the characters, so it's really enjoyable to watch everything unfold and be party to what is happening in each of the character's lives. It's a pretty basic saving the world type plot on the surface, but in reality every part of what you see is important to some degree and even the first few episodes, whilst not gripping, contain some important scene setting components and clues.

Art - 9
The art is what initially drew me to Punch Line, it has a bit of a Kill La Kill vibe, although I'd go so far as to say it's more colourful. Lines are clean and crisp, and the colours are very saturated and bright but not too bright that it would burn your eyes out. I love the character designs and each of them has their own palette which was brought out nicely, too, in their room designs, which made each of them feel unique (not just having the standard anime room with little embellishments and no personality).

Sound - 8
Sound is usually something I notice less in anime (with the exception of the voices, of course) but I LOVED the score used in Punch Line. The action scenes had punchy music that would get you excited for what was about to happen and the more sombre moments had fitting music too. Comedic moments and their associated sounds were timed perfectly making for some truly hilarious moments.
Voice actors did a stellar job, Rie Kugimiya especially is worth mentioning for me here as often I find her voice to have a quality I don't enjoy listening to, but I found her to be more toned-down and less squeaky in this anime and I really enjoyed her performance.

Character - 9
The characters are what held the most charm for me in this anime (as they should in any anime, I suppose). Each character had a purpose and role to play in the grand scheme of things within the anime, there was no token character or character who made no sense. I also enjoyed the fact that they weren't really moulded to fit within tropes, as so many characters are in anime.
I found Yuuta, the protagonist, clever and charismatic, unlike most male leads he had a backbone and worked out things himself instead of having deus ex machinas appear to progress the plot and conveniently show up when he is in a pinch.
Chiranosuke, the cat spirit, I honestly found hilarious. Some may find him annoying but I warmed to him very early on when he goes to show Yuuta something on the computer and..let's just say he gets the wrong page. A very relate-able experience for many, I'm sure.
I found all of the girls held their own ground in this anime so I felt really involved in their world, they were believable within the context, each had their quirks but each was ultimately a strong, fighting individual who knew her own mind, which is also a nice thing to see.

I thoroughly enjoyed Punch Line once I picked it back up, it has more surface qualities like great art and animation, and great sound track, but when you look past face value there is loads to appreciate deeper down in the anime, such as a great story and lovable cast of characters. There are comedic moments which made me laugh, tense scenes which had me practically sitting on the edge of my seat needing to know what the outcome would be, action-filled scenes (though honestly this isn't the main draw of this anime as it's so short) which felt exciting and even a couple of tear-jerking scenes.
Highly recommended for a fun afternoon watch.

Ookami Shoujo to Kuro Ouji was a very up and down experience for me. It is, to some degree, a story about romance and acceptance, presented in a more comedic manner.

Story - 6/10.
The story presented to us is a simple one. Our main character gets herself into a bit of a mess due to her compulsion to lie to gain friends, and this and that happens and she winds up with a frankly abhorrent guy who is essentially her 'owner'. A simple concept for a romance anime relatively well-executed, especially in the comedy aspect. Nothing ground-breaking, there was no real depth to the story, and ... any depth that was added into the story came off as a little shallow and contrived (for example, most of the flashbacks seemed to be trying to create a background just for the sake of it, as the story didn't really need much of it to be effective.)
Most of the 'story' really revolves around Erika and Kyoya and the way their relationship develops throughout the series, and as such it has no real resolution. It was also a little predictable at times.

Art - 8/10.
Not quite outstanding, but certainly worth a mention - the character designs were pretty consistent, the colours suited the mood the anime was trying to put across (for example the common bright colours seen in a comedy scene) and the backgrounds were nicely rendered. The characters weren't anything hugely unique, but at the same time they were very suited to the rom-com slice of life-ish genre, all looking relatively 'normal'.

Sound - 7/10.
The opening theme to the anime was fitting to the genre - quite cute and bouncy and generally fun. The voices were good, and the background noise fit well, especially in the comedic moments.

Character - 6/10.
Although the series really revolved around Kyoya and Erika and their relationship and relationships with others, the two main characters are what could have made or broken the series for me. At first they are presented as two pretty awful personalities, one being a compulsive liar (and a bad one at that) and subsequently a subservient wet leaf, the other being on a VERY high horse with some sort of superiority complex. The premise behind the series was that the two would get into their 'dog' and 'master' roles and as a consequence they would most likely end up changing one another. This did happen, though it took its sweet time (which is why the series was so up-and-down for me). Erika really comes across as a weak personality until about half-way through the series at which point you can really see her effect on Kyoya and how their relationship develops, and how she develops from a really un-likeable character to a quite sweet person.

Enjoyment - 7/10.
I couldn't enjoy this series as much as I would have liked simply because I felt it was quite slow to get started, although there were cute and funny moments I really couldn't stand the main characters and up until they started changing and affecting each other I was left pretty frustrated with them. The second half was an exception for me, although there were some feeble attempts at creating drama generally it was successful in portraying Erika and Kyoya's relationship with one another and the effect different situations had on them.

For me, K, although flawed, did present a very enjoyable and stuck-to-the-screen experience. The overall concept was decent, but presenting it was mediocre, partially due to time constraints (I would imagine).

Story - 5.
Although the concept of the anime was an intriguing one, the execution was not so well done. A lot of times I was confused by what was happening, with no real explanation afterward. The overall story I understand, however little things are left unsaid - anything about the kings really, their origin, very little is actually said about powers, how and why different people have them, and so on. It left me with ... a gazillion questions and very few answers. The ending is also a cliffhanger....sort of...which is always annoying if it is not followed up.
Despite some plot holes and unexplained phenomena (like the whole Strain thing - why do we only meet one? And why is she entirely unexplained?) I did enjoy watching K, for reasons I will state below.

Art - 10.
Yeah one of the things everyone seems to agree on it that K's art and animation really is stunning. The animation was smoothly executed, the character designs were relatively interesting and the art style consistent. The colour palette was varied and really helped develop a certain feel in a lot of scenes, especially the fight/action scenes - lots of bright colours to add to the excitement. The little details were not few and far between either - almost everything was detailed, which really made a believable environment.

Sound - 8.
The sound quality for K was noticeably high, the voice actors did a sterling job and really set the scene for the anime in general. Honourable mentions to Mikoto and Fushimi's actors, both of which executed a brilliant and believable performance to their characters.
I enjoyed the OP, it seemed relatively fitting to the theme of the anime, however the ED didn't really stick for me. I didn't like nor dislike it.
The only problem I had with the sound was the same piano riff/theme was used throughout the series, I don't think there was many deviations for it, mostly for a reveal or the lead up to an epic moment. It didn't annoy me, it was just noticeable and maybe a wider range of background music would have set the scene a little better.
Finally the in-world noises were executed fine too.

Character - 6.
Since the story is so confusing at times and seems to leave most questions without answers, the characters weren't too easy to really relate to for me, although I developed a soft spot for Shiro.
I think where characters probably worked best in K is with their interactions with one another - they almost all have ties with each other and interact in different ways, which really made the anime for me. You were always wondering what their true relationship is and how it will change over the course of the anime.
Of course, being so short, you don't get much time to really connect to the characters whilst you're trying to figure out what's going on around them, but for me an at least passable job was done portraying what they wanted to portray. I've seen blander and more personality-less characters than K, that's for certain.

Enjoyment - 8.
Despite its flaws, K was an engrossing and thrilling ride for me. I really had no idea what to expect (as the synopsis didn't give away a lot) but I wasn't disappointed (until the ending). It may not be a really deep engaging story but the action scenes are really a spectacle to behold, I'm glad I watched it for the art alone! Although there wasn't much character development or real..substance to each character, they stood best when interacting with one another, which really kept the show moving for me. And the mysteries surrounding each. Which were decently executed, but I feel like if they'd had more time to give you a little more information on the characters and the world in general it may have been easier to connect.
I digress.
Overall a very enjoyable anime to watch, especially for those who appreciate excellent art and animation - just don't expect a fully solved puzzle at the end of your journey.

Gokukoku no Brynhildr started off decently, but took a deep plunge quite early on in the series and, in my opinion, never got back off its feet.
For a start, let me say I appreciate that this is an adaptation from a generally highly-regarded manga by none other than Lynn Okamoto, however the series needs to be taken at face value rather than drowning it in seas of fans who won't dislike anything about it regardless of its flaws.

Story - 6/10.
At first, I probably would have given the story a higher mark - it began well, dark and interesting and it honestly looked promising. We start ... off being introduced to Murakami with views into his past, then we meet Kuroneko. However after the first few (four, I think) episodes, the cast starts to grow, and so the story declines - dark, mysterious or gory scenes were juxtaposed with fanservice and gags, poor attempts at comedy that really did not fit into the atmosphere they tried to create in the episodes. What could have been an interesting sci-fi drama becomes a show trying too hard to please its fanbase, with random sections within almost every episode becoming pure fanservice nonsense. And towards the end there is a LOT of deus ex machina, not subtle at all and which will make you think, "wha? how did that even happen?". If a more realistic pattern had been followed Murakami would have been dead long before the latter third of the series. The story is just trying too hard, introducing too many twists and turns, different genres and different ideas - it's shoved in your face like "here, have loads of stuff, this is making this really interesting and deep right?!", which it doesn't. It doesn't know where it wants to go or what it wants to be but still manages to act pretentious about it, it is confused and comes across as really artificial as the story has no flow to it. And I won't say much about the ending except it was heavily anticlimactic and weird, I was left thinking "huh? is that the end? what is happening I don't understand".

Art - 6/10.
Little more than average. A very generic anime style now, done in a "meh, that looks okay I suppose, it's not awful..." way. I felt the palette was not very expressive especially when taking into account the dark scenes put next to the comedic/gag/fanservice scenes, the transition will leave you reeling. Character designs were pretty generic, you have the pink haired one, the blonde one, the dark mysterious one, the big-boobed shy one...all of the characters had defining features but sadly that was mostly the colour of their hair. Special effects were not special, in fact they were pretty cookie cutter and uninventive, which baffled me. They had loads of girls with loads of different powers, and they couldn't make it look cooler than it did.

Sound - 7/10.
The first OP of Brynhildr was okay, although it can't actually be classed as "music", it was punchy and it had a good beat and set you up for the episode and the sci-fi feel of it. However the second OP I skipped as it went from a pleasant alien-ish sounding dubstep track to a screamo hardcore track I just couldn't bear. It completely shattered any mood whatsoever (which I think is pretty important for the OP to do) and I guess it was to try and make it seem more epic? No idea...The sound in general was okay I guess, as usual I didn't really notice any of the actual background music or effects, but I didn't notice anything hugely out of place. The character voices were okay too, I wish they had made Kana have a more believable machine-voice instead of the "moe" voice she was given, Kotori's voice was kind of predictable given her "the shy one with big boobs" status, Kazumi's voice was actually good to listen to - although I did not like her character generally, she had a more unique voice. Kuroneko's voice was kind of generic too. The seiyuu did a decent job but I just don't think the material gave them much to work with.

Character - 6/10.
I can't give character more than a 6 (and was considering lowering my mark, however...). Let me start by listing a few stereotypes here - the Gary Stu, the unmemorable "every guy" guy who, for no real good reason, takes on caring for a harem of dangerous girls and trying to save them because he's just that nice. Oh and he had a tragic past or something so he wants to save everyone. Despite discarding even a scrap of realism for his character they still attempt to make us care about him and his motives. *facepalm* The childhood love interest, who has the Mysterious Amnesia. The shy, big-boobed one who can barely form a sentence. The perverted one. And the mysterious antagonist doing bad things to poor innocent girls for his own weird motive. That covers pretty much every main character in the series, except Kana, who doesn't really fit into much of a stereotype, I guess she's the overly fragile one who thinks people are trying to take advantage of her all the time.

Anyway, I digress. There's really no depth to the characters at all. Poor Murakami suffers from Incredible Lack of Realism disease, which means he is almost impossible to relate to - we are given a rushed "explanation" as to why he wants to save all the things, however as I previously stated introducing every character type ever to the story and his harem was totally at the expense of any actual depth and realism in the characters. I found that even as characters died, I just sat looking at the screen thinking "meh, that's sad, I should care about this but I can't" because there is absolutely NO realism or real story telling behind them. We get "here, have some characters", and a manipulative plot which tries to make you care about them (for example Kotori's suicidal thoughts, which then mysteriously disappear.)

Enjoyment - 6/10
Although the series took a serious nosedive about a third of the way through and became almost unwatchable during the last third, it was an okay watch if you don't expect much. I essentially muscled my way through it (which was hard, believe me) without wanting to actually watch any more of this confused mess within the last 4/5 episodes, however previous to this it was an ok watch, flaws are obvious but before the major asspulls begin it presents some decent episodes (namely the first 3/4).

I can't really say I'd recommend this anime unless you KNOW what you're getting into, you know that it's a mediocre adaptation of Lynn Okamoto manga and that you know it will go downhill soon after the first third.
If you want something with an interesting premise then by all means watch it just don't expect this show to deal with any actual issues, show any real depth or conclusion, the only thing which kept me going sometimes was the mystery shrouding the girls and the simple "I don't really care, but WILL HE SAVE THESE GIRLS?!" feeling, more of a curiosity than anything. That and wondering how much worse they could make it.

So yeah. Don't expect much/anything in terms of realism or storytelling from this anime and you might be able to tolerate it somewhat.

I have been putting off writing this review for a few days after finishing Psycho-Pass, as, after all, it was such a masterpiece and I'd like to do it justice...

Story - 10/10.
What else could I give this than a 10? It's probably the most intelligent anime out there (or certainly one of them). Psycho-Pass is set in a dystopian future where society is governed by what is assumed to be an artificial intelligence - the Sybil System. Our protagonist, Akane Tsunemori, is a new Inspector and the story revolves around her life and struggles as an Inspector, but at the same time it's so much ... more - it doesn't follow just one story. Instead of focusing too intently on one character or small group of characters, it was told from a variety of perspectives. Within this anime issues such as right and wrong are dealt with, and also issues such as the fact that people are governed by an AI, and the AI's judgement is absolute law - if their hue on their psycho-pass becomes clouded and their crime coefficient is raised above a certain level, the Inspectors and Enforcers then pursue them and apprehend them. There are very dark themes within this anime, murder and torture are pretty prevalent throughout, but it is not dealt with in a tasteless manner. The story telling was so good that I was moved to tears on several occasions, and I got incredibly involved in the story and characters. Information about the world the characters live in was revealed consistently - no episode was an info-dump, the amount of dialogue and action was nicely balanced.

Art - 10/10.
The art for this anime was also splendid - although it is not your usual 'anime' style, that adds to the realism of the story and increases its impact. The relatively neutral colour palette added to the dark and gloomy atmosphere created in this anime, and the gore etc wasn't too much - just the right amount to be shocking without being tasteless. I enjoyed the character designs - as previously stated it steers right away from a classic "anime" style, instead opting for more realism. The lack of "moe" was really refreshing. I know there's a little controversy surrounding Akane's design as some really disliked it, but I think she was cute! And it helped us to be interested in her as a deeper character rather than being interested in how she looks.

Sound - 10/10.
The OPs and EDs for Psycho-Pass were fitting. The OPs set us up for really intense and dramatic episodes, and the EDs were a nice wind-down after each episode finished. I thought the character voices were superb also - each one fit with their character and none of them seemed out of place. Each seiyuu gave a believable and emotional performance which, again, really added to the realism. Also worth a mention is the background noise - orchestral music set scenes very well and added to the atmosphere of the show.

Character - 10/10.
The cast of characters in Psycho-Pass is just phenomenal. Each character grows in their own way throughout the series, and each is a fleshed-out unique individual. What particularly impressed me was Akane's character development - she starts her work as an innocent, enthusiastic, naive and idealistic character, and throughout the series she learns more and more and by the end of the series it is clear how much she has changed. Another facet I particularly enjoyed was the back-story we got about each character - it was always gripping to watch their previous struggles and learn about their pasts, and it gave each character realistic depth and explained their actions and interactions.

Enjoyment - 10/10.
I was entirely gripped whilst watching this series. I HAD to know what happened next episode when one finished. Each part of this anime was masterful, and it raised some serious questions. Such as who is right or who is wrong? Especially when the main antagonist Makishima is introduced, this issue becomes all the stronger, and the lines between the two more blurred.

I would recommend this anime to anyone who wants a change from the usual 'moe', 'slice of life', harem, romance, etc anime, anyone who loves action, or anyone who wants a really intense intelligent anime to watch.

First thing's first, I am unfamiliar with the game series this is adapted from so I will not be making comparisons, instead I will review this as the anime alone.

Story - 6/10.
Escha & Logy no Atelier did not have much of a story. It turned out more like a slice of life, at least for the first half of the series. Two alchemists start working in the Development Department and from then on the first half of the series is largely focused on our main characters, Escha and Logy, meeting the rest of the cast. Small things do happen, but nothing plot focused happens until ... the latter third of the series. Although there was not much story to be found, the last few episodes picked up the pace quite quickly, and what was there was enjoyable and relaxing to watch. My only real issue with it is there were some small dramas and I felt like the show was trying too hard to make them seem important.

Art - 7/10.
Nothing outstanding here, but the setting is nicely depicted (before I knew it was an adaptation of a game, the backgrounds reminded me a lot of a game-like setting). The character design is nothing startling, the only one who stood out a little was Escha with her tail. They weren't bad though, and they didn't suffer too much from same-face syndrome. One thing I did like about this was when you were introduced to new characters, the game-like pop up came up with a short description. A nice touch!

Sound - 8/10.
The opening theme for this anime fits in nicely with the largely character relationship based first half of the series - it is quite catchy to boot. The actual sound within the episodes I didn't notice too much, they were neither amazing or bad. The general slice-of-life ish sounds were there, but not overbearingly so, it just set up a nice atmosphere. Character voices were good, not great, though I thought Clone's seiyuu did a nice job of making her sound monotone and machine-like, as she is not human but crafted by alchemists.

Character - 7/10.
The characters in this anime were largely lovable and worked well together, though there was not much development or change in them due to the lack of stuff happening. They get a decent score for their interactions and the fact that each one of them is relatively unique in their own way, and though you don't learn much about their back stories you learn a little about each one eventually which gives them a little more depth. It was a shame the relationship between Escha and Logy was not developed a little more, at least for me - it was easy to see their chemistry and feelings for one another.

Enjoyment - 8/10.
Despite its flaws, this was a great anime to watch. It always helped me to relax after the more action-centric shows airing this spring and it was generally lovely. Would recommend to anyone who is interested in alchemists in a more relaxed setting, and those who are looking for a change of pace.

Zettai Bouei Leviathan, although pretty cliche, was harmless and relatively relaxing to watch.

Story - 6/10.
There wasn't much of a story to be found in this anime, to be honest. A peaceful planet, Aquafall, is beset by meteors, inside which are bugs called Lucasites. A fairy, Syrop, goes on a journey to find people willing to protect the planet. The story development is incredibly slow - we are introduced to our characters, they do cute stuff, eventually they go on a short adventure to kill some bugs.

Art - 6/10.
The art for this anime was okay. Character designs were relatively predictable and bland, each being designed to ... fit their element, colour included. Backgrounds were nothing special, either, just kind of generic, but inoffensive. The one thing that really bugged me (ha! get it? bugged...) was the 3D animation of the dragons, Lucasites etc within the anime, they looked pretty clunky and I didn't feel they really had a place in the anime. (Although that big river dragon thing was kinda cute). I also found their transformation sequences awkward - boring, and the music they put to it didn't peak my interest either.

Sound - 7/10.
The voice cast for this actually includes some very famous seiyuu - including the voices of Ayase and Kirino in OreImo and Kana Hanazawa. However the sound in general was pretty bland despite the star-studded cast. Leviathan's voice sounded a little flat, and the others were just on the edge of being irritating, especially Syrop.

Character - 6/10.
The characters for this were pretty archetypal - nothing original about any of them. Syrop was essentially a token character there to be the butt of or make jokes, Leviathan the shy and quiet one, Bahamut the fiery spoilt one and Jormungandr, the excitable but loving one. None of the characters particularly grated for me, with the exception of Bahamut, whose spoiled attitude really got on my nerves a mere few minutes after her introduction.

Enjoyment - 7/10.
Despite its flaws, I enjoyed switching my brain off and tuning into this show every week (I watched it when it was still airing). It was unoriginal and slow but nevertheless the characters were decently cute so it was okay for a wind-down watch.

If you're looking for an original piece, something funny or something with a proper story I'd suggest you look elsewhere.

For a 6 series OVA I didn't expect much from this series really gave me an enjoyable surprise!

Story - 7/10.
Although the premise of the story is not a new one (Body swap + fighting to protect something) Murder Princess managed to keep its head above water for the entire duration. It didn't lose track of the direction it was taking or what it wanted to portray to the viewer. I, as is my preference, enjoyed that it wasn't fanservice-centric. In fact, there was little to none. Although not a massively original story, the delivery is excellent, and I didn't find myself getting bored of it ... at any point. The plot twists and small mysteries add a lot to the series too, though the actual plot is simple it has little nuances which make it deeper.

Art - 8/10.
Fights and action scenes are well animated and nice to look at - I found the art style slightly dated (in some of the characters' expressions especially) but that did not detract from my overall experience. Character designs were pretty standard for the most part - the blonde, long-haired, beautiful princess and the dark, short-haired bounty hunter were the two main characters, pretty stereotypical designs there. However the side characters had some pretty unique designs (Pete and Dominikov). The only designs I didn't really like were the loli androids, but at the same time their design was sort of fitting for them.

Sound - 8/10.
The OP to this OVA got you straight in the mood for some epic action. I didn't really notice much background sound as I was so focused on what was actually happening, though I didn't notice anything wrong with it when it was used. The characters' voices are fitting too - the sheltered young princess and the more rough-and-ready bounty huntress were portrayed well.

Character - 7/10.
Character suffered slightly due to the length of the anime, a mere 6 episodes, however despite this the development of the relationship between hime-sama and the bounty hunter is done pretty well - to start off with, the bounty hunter dislikes and resents the princess for the body swap, and throughout the series this develops into deeply caring about the princess (verging on falling for her, or at least that is how it is depicted). Their characters are, generally, pretty stereotypical for their roles, though.The prince is also worth a mention, though he rarely appears - he is still quite mysterious, even after the anime finishes - we learn of his motives, but he obviously still loves his sister.

Enjoyment - 8/10.
Clearly I enjoyed this anime highly - it is pretty gripping for being only 6 episodes long, and it deals with the issues it presents to the viewer well. I was disappointed that it ended so soon and I would have been intrigued to see more of a developed plot with the characters and relationships presented to us.

So all-in-all a very worthwhile anime to watch, exciting fights, a beautiful murderous princess and a plot that is deeper than it looks at face value.

First and foremost, I went into Chaika without greatly high expectation as I hadn't heard too much about it, it was one of the least hyped shows airing at the moment.
And it turns out that it was also one of the most underrated!
So let's begin...

Story - 9/10.
The story of this anime may not look particularly original if you only read the synopsis, but getting into it it provides a really satisfying adventure-filled romp through various places. I didn't find the story either too simple or too complex, it was filled with just the right amount of twists and turns and didn't overcomplicate itself with overly ... wordy explanations, but you'd be doing yourself a disservice if you didn't pay it full attention, as it's full of little details. What also made this enjoyable to me was the lack of fanservice - a nice refreshing change from a lot of the anime currently airing (similar to WIXOSS), which I think would have detracted from the story.

Art - 8/10.
Although it may not be the "standard" anime style, I really enjoyed the art of Chaika. It was refreshing and original, and I thought it gave the characters actual character. It looked really nice in HD and the colours were fitting - dark and gloomy when the mood called for it, and lighter neutral tones when needed. I also enjoyed the fact that Frederica (sp?) was not animated in 3D - this can often look clunky and out of place in anime, so it was nice to see. The 3D animation that there was (the air ships, some of the magic effects) actually fit in nicely with the overall art style and did not detract from the anime at all. The fights were also really well animated - they didn't look ridiculous, or impossible, instead going for a more believable style.

Sound - 8/10.
What I really liked about Chaika was not the sound, although a really good job was done with it. The opening theme, DARAKENA, is catchy and sets the mood for the anime quite well, and the background sounds within the anime were fitting - the mood was also set by little piano parts and punchier music. The characters' voices were excellent for their character - they could have made the mistake of making Chaika too "moe", and although her voice was pretty high pitched it never seemed to fall into that trap, at least not for me. It portrayed her apparent innocence very well. I also liked the fact that Akari's voice was a bit more mature sounding, as often in anime now even girls in their 20s sound like they are 5, which is frustrating.

Character - 9/10.
And here we come to my favourite part of Chaika. The cast of characters I thought was phenomenal - you have the two main characters, Toru and Akari, brother and sister but not by blood, Chaika, the coffin princess, Frederica the dragoon and a host of other side characters, each of which added something to the story. The interactions between the main characters are funny, sometimes adorable and always somewhat believable. Akari is obsessed with Toru, but it's a running gag that this show does not overuse so it doesn't come across as needy and annoying. And they both have an actual personality to support such gags, as opposed to them being essentially token characters. Chaika is a bit of a mystery - she seems innocent and pure, however throughout the story she is made to doubt herself and her purpose. I can't say much more without spoiling the story.
I found even the side characters had their place in Chaika, either adding another bit of comedy, seriousness and depth - the mysterious entity telling Chaika where to find remains, Gilette-sama and his band of followers and various other parties are met along the way and they all add a little something more to Chaika.

Enjoyment - 9/10.
Of course I very much enjoyed Chaika, I thought it was a fun, heartwarming and exciting experience. I fell in love with the characters very quickly, they're so well written and none of them seem out of place.

I would recommend this anime to anyone who enjoys a fun adventure story with bits of comedy and a lot of magic.