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Disclaimer: I have read the manga so my review is based on how well the anime has adapted the original work of the manga.

Overall adaptation: The anime has been very faithful to the original work where nothing has been left out and (in fact) more (minor) details were put into the anime probably to fill up the remaining time. The chapters in the manga are not too long and are (mostly) episodic so - similar to an anime adapting a 4-kom -) each anime episode holds (at least) two chapters worth of stories inside. However, there is a clear story progression which is seen in ... the chapters themselves (since each chapter provides a time stamp of how much time has progressed in their journey) so - unlike a 4-koma adaptation - the episodes follow the chapters in their chronological order instead of cutting anything out. As a result, the original message, meaning, and experience of the journey are left intact thus watching the anime gives to the viewer a more enhanced experience than the manga. The reason is the viewer is effectively seeing how the characters move/act in real-time, unlike the manga where it is in still images.

Story and Characters: As I have said, there aren't any differences between the two mediums so the viewer can pick either one and still get the same experience and message behind them. However, I would recommend the anime since it does provide the viewer with a lot more insight into the characters. I have noticed in the anime (mainly in the latter half) that particular characters have shown more expression than what the manga provided and this is something that excited me since the viewer gets to see little habits/quirks that the studio decided to put in (probably to fill in the running time of the episode) which is nice to see. Furthermore, the fighting scenes in the manga, unfortunately, do not (entirely) relay the power difference between some of the characters, unlike the anime where the animation can immediately relay the difference in power.

Music and animation: Music is very nice for both openings and endings. The animation is consistent and beautiful throughout with nice scenery and impactful action scenes between characters - especially for the latter half of the season.

Conclusion: I would heavily recommend watching the anime (and reading the manga after) since you are getting an enhanced experience of the original work - similar to Demon Slayer. Nothing is missing in the anime adaptation and the viewing experience will be identical (if not better) as if reading the manga.

Extra comments: My personal opinion on this anime is that this series has an interesting take on "the flow of time" theme. It displays this by looking into the everyday lives of people and how the impacts of past, present, race, culture, etc are all variables to the present circumstance. Another interesting concept is that unlike a side character who is considered an observer of the MC (main character's) journey our main protagonist is the said observer. Therefore, the story looks into the POV of an observer who has lived long enough to see, grasp, and comprehend the changes with the flow of time. Hence, this journey becomes very relatable/insightful and tries to touch the concept (or answer) "the meaning of life" and how each character perceives it and their unique way of answering it.

Disclaimer: I have not read the light novel so I do not know how faithful the anime adaptation is to the original work. Therefore, my comment will genuinely be reviewing the anime and I will be interpreting it as how I see it.

Story: The anime leaves a huge impression on what the story will be about in the very first episode as well as immediately highlighting what Ishura means in the context of the anime. The anime starts introducing multiple characters in quick succession and tells the viewer (via a narrator) who and what they represent in the story. In the first few episodes, ... despite providing a lot of information to the viewer, it does not infodump anything on them. Since, by halfway through season 1, the anime will then only focus on the characters and geography that you have been informed about. From there the story will only use those characters and geography to slowly unravel the relationship between the characters, the political structure of the world, the geography of the world, etc. Throughout season 1 the anime segregates characters into two categories: powerful and normal. The powerful characters are labelled as "Ishura" (defined by the narrator) and the normal characters are then introduced for the sake of story progression.

The story is really interesting since it acknowledges the difference in mentality between those who are strong to those who are weak. This is seen immediately in episode 1 and continues throughout to the end of season 1 in which we see a common pattern. The strong do what they wish and demonstrate it through their abilities whereas the weak will do anything to get what they want. This is then reflected in the difference in societal status between these characters where the majority of the "weak" characters are linked to government and political roles and the "strong" are like mercenaries. In addition, what makes Ishura iconic from the other animes similar to it, is that the "strong" characters gathered naturally. Every character's interaction is (surprisingly) influenced by the political nature of Ishura, thus many of the interactions between the strong characters feel like they came to each other just by circumstance. Moreover, it is interesting to see that despite the title being called "Ishura" the ones that run the show are not them, but all the other characters that are not described as such.

To summarise, season 1 explains the meaning of "Ishura" and what it represents in its world and then demonstrates the strength of the characters (that are considered "Ishura") without feeling the information is being dumped onto you. In addition, it provides the viewer a clear understanding that not all Ishura are equals then leaves a cliffhanger saying there are more Ishura yet to appear.

Characters: The characters that have appeared in the anime are easy to understand. As I have mentioned earlier, the anime tells you which characters are important for the season and will only show these characters for the whole season. Therefore, by the time the action starts, you are already familiar with all the characters presented. This season presents more than 10 characters and the anime does it well by providing each character the same amount of screen time. This enables the viewer to understand how each character behaves and where their morality lies in the world of Ishura. What makes this interesting is that the world of Ishura does not shy away from the fact that Isekaiers (people who travel to other worlds) exist and yet it does not see them as any more special than their already powerful characters.

So far, season 1 has only shown one event with all the presented characters involved in it. This event does not entirely flesh out their characters since season 1 acts something like a prelude before any of the major events start to unfold - I presume season 2 may be the same. Therefore, it will be probably further down the line to see how these characters develop. For now, it is clear that the "strong" characters do not entirely run the show but it is the "weak" characters, and said characters have demonstrated that they will do anything to achieve their ambitions.

Art and Sound: The animation done by the studio is high in quality, especially in the action scenes. Despite, some CG being used for some of the characters it adds more to it rather than detracting from it. The music for both the ending and opening are very nice to listen to and the lyrics for the opening somehow (I believe) fit to the theme of Ishura.

Overall: Ishura is one of those animes in which (I believe) acknowledges the requirements for "weak" and "strong" characters together. The strong characters are the main attraction but the story can only progress because of the weak characters making use of their surroundings. Moreover, season 1 tries to convey the idea of "strength" to the viewer by introducing multiple characters that are "strong" in their area and then letting them interact with each for the viewer to compare their strengths. The end of season 1 gave the impression that there are more "strong" characters - Ishura - in the world of Ishura making me want to watch season 2 and hope that season 2 leaves just as an impression that season 1 did.

Disclaimer: I have played the visual novel (VN) of the games so my review is based on how the anime compares to the VN. I still recommend watching the anime (for sure if you have watched the previous Utawarerumono seasons) but take this as something to keep in mind when watching the anime.

Overall: The anime adapted the VN quite well! Not in the sense of accuracy, but in the sense of storytelling. The VN has a playtime of (about) 60 hours (or more) and the anime did a very good job of telling the same story with the changes that were made. As such I ... think 6/10 is fine since it (effectively) told the same story with a similar impact that the VN told the story.

Major differences between the anime and the VN:

1) The anime has cut out a majority of the slice-of-life portions from the VN. Now this makes sense, but keep in mind that it does hasten the pacing a little bit as such major events come to you back-to-back with little to no build-up of some of the events. This also has the effect of quick character development, for example in a span of one episode, the character will quickly figure out their own feelings or problems and will portray those changes when it is supposed to be a more gradual change. However, there are some advantages to this, which follows up to point 2).

2) The anime takes advantage of its own medium and makes sure you are up to speed in the first couple of episodes. Normally, the VN would gradually inform you of the current situation each character is facing at the present time, with concerns of the future being ambiguous. This makes sense since, in the VN, you are looking through the lens of the main character (Haku) and so you will be seeing each character one-by-one getting to know them at a more personal level with their thoughts and feelings in the current situation they are in. However, the anime takes advantage of the fact that you are an outsider looking into the scene so they can instantly make you see multiple characters at once talking and thinking about what they should be doing in this situation. This immediately informs the viewer what all the characters are thinking and how each character is going to participate and achieve their part in the scenario that they are in.

3) The adaptation from the last season (Mask of Deception) does trickle down to the Mask of Truth anime in which some quotes said by certain characters do not add up when referring back to the Mask of Deception. Some examples are Atuy and Nekone - I will not spoil what about them does not add up, but it is quite apparent, especially on Nekone's part.

4) The anime tends to prioritise the core characters instead of the side characters - more specifically Maroro, Mikazuchi, and Raiko. This is quite subtle, but those who have read the VN might have noticed the difference in screen time these characters have compared to the VN since they are not portrayed the same way (in my opinion).

Conclusion: The anime is nicely done! Although, I can pinpoint many of the changes that were present between the VN and the anime I can still say confidently that the anime still hits the important scenes with the same/similar feeling as it was in the VN. However, if there are times when you wonder if there was more to it or if there was some backstory you believe had to be there (such as Jachdwalt's backstory with Shinonon) then those were cut out from the anime for the simple reason being; it does not affect the overall story. I would definitely recommend reading the VN if you want more from this franchise, but as for the anime I recommend watching it - ONLY if you have already watched Mask of Deception first. (It is preferable to watch the Utawarerumono 2006 anime as well, but it only provides the backstory for all the characters from Tuskur that is all).

Disclaimer: I have not read the original light novel (LN) thus, the majority of the comments are just mainly on the anime. If the anime adapted the LN faithfully with the majority of the elements shown then unfortunately the comments will then reflect the LN rather than the anime whereas the anime itself would then be rated higher since they were only adapting from the original material. However, if the anime was not faithful to the original material then you can take this review as more of a rough guideline of what the anime was missing that the LN does have.

Story: The story and the ... title of the anime implies that the detective had a major influence on the characters around her before her death which included the main character (MC) and (possibly) other characters that we will see throughout the anime. Alternatively, (and this is what I thought) I believed it was a play on words as in the role of the "detective" has died in a metaphorical manner. Therefore, I was expecting the revival of the detective role either by the girl (if she faked her death) or by another person (possibly the MC) whilst the anime explains the importance and role of the detective and how vital the detective role is is for those around them. The irony was that I was half right. The story does try to focus on the part of the detective role and the importance of the detective to be alive since the crimes and the overarching enemy are still at large. However, the way it was executed was not suitable for a mystery genre especially when you have a detective and sidekick role. It is more accurate to say it was less of a mystery genre and more of a supernatural genre that so happens needs a detective character to make the story work (similar to Neuro: Supernatural Detective).

The importance of a mystery genre is the setup and exposition where the information presented is picked up by both the viewer and characters, this is known as presenting the necessary clues. As such, the clues available to the viewer and the characters should be enough to deduce the answer to the mystery by answering the fundamental three questions: What, How, and Why? I am sure you realised that what I just described was the basics of detective stories where a detective tries to answer these three questions. Of course, I am not arguing all mystery shows need to have all three questions answered but at least you need to answer the why question since a mystery is called a mystery since it has unknown causes where the focus of the story is to figure those unknown causes out. Those who are more familiarised with the genre can argue that I was describing the Knox Commandments and/or Van Dine rules (which you are not wrong but they are a little more technical and strictly not necessary for all mystery genres). However, the anime does not portray a single clue or information that allows us to solve the mystery (or in this context "cases"), and yet the detective in the story can solve the mystery despite the lack of clues. This should make the viewer seem impressed by her feats, but this is not the case which lies in me being half wrong. The anime tries to impress you that there is a character that can resolve cases before the cases actually happen and the explanation for such feats is that she has already kept tabs on the necessary people related to the case. However, this is no more than just a word of god (i.e. the author) just providing convenient excuses to make the character look impressive by providing convenient information outside the episode to say that the clues were there just were not presented in the episode (for an analogy it is similar to the MC being nearly defeated by the enemy with a sudden twist of the MC gaining enough power to defeat said enemy by the next instance just because the MC had a key item that he forgot he had without the audience knowing). The irony is that the detective girl is just a human person without using any supernatural phenomena to quickly gather information (Gosick takes advantage of this supernatural phenomenon which makes the detective in that anime more relatable), it is plainly her intuition, observation, and problem-solving skills that enable her to solve the case. This feat makes the MC impressed at her but ironically this makes me (and possibly other viewers) annoyed since it makes it too convenient and unbalanced as a character. As a result, this hampers the story dramatically since this ability enables the detective to always keep secrets from the viewer and we will never know why the enemy exists in the first place nor why she and the MC have to go against an enemy at all, as well as why the detective is necessary since the detective herself does not explain why she is doing it (it is implied it is in her nature but that is not enough to explain the whole story).

The lack of exposition and information which the detective should be conveying is not being conveyed (for the most important part of the story at least) and then it starts to focus on a passing-on-the-torch style where the detective dies and the role must be passed down to someone. However, considering that the importance of the role of the detective was not conveyed nor the reason why we need a detective, to begin with, makes this whole story quite pointless and very redundant. Arguably, you can say that no one needs to be a detective. There was a lack of structure of the whole mystery and a lack of reasoning behind the role of the detective as such it becomes very confusing why these characters are crucial, to begin with.

Character: The only good point about these characters is their two-faced natures which makes them interesting and fun to watch. Each character is two-faced since they are always hiding something from each other and they are willing to go against each other if it goes against their beliefs. Thus, you feel more related to them since you can understand they are not just blindingly following each other and obeying each other for simple reasons as devotion, love, etc. It is more on the build-up of trust despite their different beliefs and personalities they can still work together and trust each other. However, the main issue with these characters is their age and their capabilities (especially the detective).

First of all the story starts in middle school where the MC (despite looking like a highschooler) interacts with the detective girl during middle school and then all of a sudden you are told that three years have gone by (by the second episode) where he is now in high school, but during those three years, he went on many adventures with the detective girl. (You can argue it is just as ridiculous as Conan understanding many expert fields, like knowing how to ride a plane, during his middle school years). It feels very out of place for him to be in high school let alone to be in education it would make more sense for him to be a young adult that just graduated college or high school. The MC's personality and behaviour match those of an adult rather than a high school student. Furthermore, the banter he has with the female detective still works in adulthood rather than high school, considering how mature both of them are. The other characters that we interact with only highlight the relationship between the MC and the female detective despite their interesting qualities being only relevant for a short period of time. The characters that are meant to be the enemy could have been more interesting if we had a better idea of what their collective motive was. I am assuming that this is still too early in the LN and this would be explored later but as far as we can tell it seems that all they want to do is to cause havoc which sounds pretty weak for needing an organisation. Lastly, the girl's capability as a detective just rubs me off the wrong way since it appears that she is always one step ahead in the game but it just seems to be convenient excuses to make her sound impressive. I would let it slide if there was a valid explanation about her thought process on how she got the answer very quickly but consistently pulling out convenient clues and information at the right time just makes it sound like she has clairvoyance, which implies she doesn't. It is difficult to relate to her and the fact that she has an importance in the story does not convey properly since her personality and attitude make her seem all-knowing and a lack of her background makes it even more difficult to relate to her as to why she is who she is.

Art and Sound: The animation was very enjoyable and high quality where each character looked lively. The sound was interesting where it has some nice OST's with the OP and ED being mediocre.

Overall: I am more confused than informed about this anime. It is clear that it is talking about how the MC needs to keep the will of the detective alive but the way the story executes the detective role is lackluster and confusing since (after watching 12 episodes) I still have no idea what the importance/ plot of the detective is. Furthermore, the lack of knowing what the enemy is and what their main goal is is left in the air as well as the execution of the mystery genre makes it less of a mystery and more of a plot device. I would say compared to other mystery genres like Umineko and Hyouka this mystery cannot be categorised as a mystery since I (as the audience) cannot even comprehend how the detective girl can even reach some of these conclusions. The only mystery I did solve was when the MC tried to figure out a mystery related to an idol girl's request but instead of following clues, it was more along the lines of expectation by predicting that there is a twist to this mystery rather than actual clues lying around (which there weren't any). I will put it this way compared to Hyouka where there were clues presented it was actually possible to resolve the mystery without waiting for the answer but the twists are in the whydunit? Since, in the end, the reason for causing the mystery is always different and personal to the culprit. However, this series does not have such concepts making it more difficult to understand why the mystery is there and (again) the reason for a detective to be necessary.

Disclaimer: I have not read the light novel (LN) of this series, thus I am unsure of how accurate the anime adapts from the original source. Therefore, most of the comments here will be analysing the anime as an original show rather than an adaptation of the LN.

Story: The story is set in an alternate reality of Earth where the events are similar to the Space Race period. The story is self-explanatory based on the idea that the Space Race is about whoever gets to reach Space (in the context of the anime) first. As a result, there is little world-building required and the story ... mainly concentrates on the characters and their interactions highlighting their different personalities which concentrate on the theme of human connection. Hence, the main selling point of the story is by adding a character that is different from everyone else (i.e. a vampire) would human connection still apply and where will it take them if it does happen. As such, the story focuses on the connection between the human main character (MC), Lev Leps, to the vampire girl, Irina, using the Space Race as a commonality between their race (and relationship). The story was enjoyable and simplistic since it is quite predictable that the interaction between the MC and vampire girl will lead to a direction where trust becomes a focal point leading to a possible romantic relationship (or some undertones of it). Preferably, I felt that some world-building on how the vampires came into being and some more cultural connection between them to Space will give the connection between humans and vampires as well as the common goal of going to space to be more impactful. The way the story ends is somewhat unsatisfactory but if it follows how the LN ends then I cannot say anything more than that.

Character: All the characters have simple personalities with little characterisation to them which makes sense considering the theme of the story is about the human connections to others (especially to species other than their own). Therefore, these simple personalities just further highlight the connection between the MC and the vampire girl as well as the unity they have towards achieving the same goal. This makes sense since the main point is to focus on the connection between the MC and the vampire girl.

Sound and Art: The art and animation were well done. As for the sound and music used in the anime, it was quite repetitive on using the same insert song over and over (although I am aware that this was intentional, I wasn't just a fan of that music). The OP was enjoyable, wasn't expecting ALI PROJECT to be singing it, though it does fit and the ED was fine as well.

Overall: A very simple story based on events that are similar to the Space Race in the 20th century. Although, there could have been more on the backstory between vampires and humans as well as the connection between vampires to Space (or maybe the moon) it does not fundamentally change the story. Although the connection between the MC and vampire girl had a predictable outcome it still was enjoyable to observe what events need to happen in order for them to form the bond.

Disclaimer: This review is based on the anime with little to no knowledge about the original material, i.e. the light novel (LN). Therefore, certain parts of the review are based on speculation from watching the anime without knowing what is happening in the LN.

Story: The story for this isekai has a similar setting as to other isekai anime where the main character (MC) gets summoned by a divine being (in this case the gods/goddess) to either save or explore the other world. However, unlike other isekai anime where the MC is more distracted by the otherworldly environment that he/she is experiencing the MC in Strongest ... Assassin immediately gets down to business and tries to grasp the options he has in his current situation. This interaction reminded me of Cautious Hero where the MC in that anime also tries to understand his situation with the options he has. This method of execution (for both Strongest Assassin and Cautious Hero) immediately tells the viewer this isekai anime has little to do with exploration and more to do with setting a road map/achieving objectives to achieve the ultimate goal, in this case, the Strongest Assassin is to kill the hero whereas Cautious Hero is to kill the demon lord. However, a crucial difference between Cautious Hero and Strongest Assassin is the limitations the summoned MCs have for achieving their goals. Cautious Hero takes it for granted that the summoned MC will always have the support from the divine realm with his safety in mind whereas the Strongest Assassin only has ONE chance at getting this right (in other words death = failure). Therefore, the Strongest Assassin provides a more serious tone where everything rests with the MC's capability to provide himself the greatest advantage possible over the hero - who is considered as the most overpowered character in their world.

The anime's execution of the story throughout the anime is very structured and well thought out since the viewer is always aware of the MC's thought process and reasoning (in every episode) on how he would take any minute opportunity to provide himself the greatest advantage over the hero. As a result, many of the characters that we are introduced into the series have a specific role that would aid the MC in the story in completing his ultimate objective. This makes this anime more interesting to watch since there is little need to "show off" the MC's talents by making him go through against mob characters. Any character that the MC interacts with only highlights his strategic thinking and characterisation with the said character themself having relevance since they will have a minor/major role later in the story, such as the three heroines you see on the poster art. This style of execution is very similar to The Irregular Magical High School Student where the MC in that anime also does something very similar where each character he interacts with all have an important role in the story and the contrast between him and them highlights the MC's skills and talents all the more powerful. However, there is a major difference between the MCs in Strongest Assassin and Irregular Magical Highschool Student which is that one thinks of themself as a tool and the other does not (simply speaking, it is a little more complicated in the Irregular Magical Highschool Student). This contrast of the MC being a tool for assassination on Earth is constantly brought up to his present (isekai) assassin lifestyle and provides many key character moments throughout the story - this is expanded in the "Character" section.

One interesting note in the world-building is that the magic system used highlights a potential design done by the goddess (or higher beings) that prevents the people from discovering more powerful spells as well as loopholes that can make them stronger. This gives a glimpse that the goddess has more influence than she lets on (further proven when we are shown her previous summoning attempts to kill the hero) and if that is true displays a more complicated story where killing there is more than killing the hero.

Character: The main selling point for this anime is that all the characters have a specific role for the MC either directly or indirectly. It might seem an exaggeration but given the circumstances, the MC requires every opportune moment to get a slight advantage over the hero even if it is just using them to gather information on civil or national affairs (as they say information is key). Furthermore, (like I have mentioned before) the constant theme that keeps being mentioned is the MC being a tool for assassination on Earth to his current isekai life where this difference involves the characters the MC has interacted with. This constant comparison between his two lifestyles does bring some interesting insight and character development about the MC but it does get predictable since we know the MC wants more than just being a tool for assassination, thus human emotions such as romance and dependence become a very prominent (and predictable) variable that would influence the MC's actions. Although, this makes it all the more interesting and fun to watch since we are seeing the MC grow and gain new experiences that he has not had before (in his life on Earth).

As for the other (human) characters, in exchange for their simple personalities (which I mean their complete devotion and support to the MC thanks to his techniques on making them willingly support him) each have a decent backstory and characterisation that makes you believe that their support to the MC makes sense, even if you say that it is just pure luck that he met them (which he does admit himself... later averted when you consider the goddess). Of course, the fact that there are three heroines that support him does make it a little annoying considering it is very predictable that they will not only be his allies but something more (...hint...hint). In my opinion, I would prefer more balanced allies where it is not only just the heroines but some male friends that he can also place his trust in (or manipulate).

Apart from the MC the only other character that (I believe) is interesting is the goddess. Like I have mentioned earlier the world-building and the story implies the goddess is hiding more than she lets on and despite her saying that she has little involvement with the world it does not seem to be the case, when you take into account how the MC and (one of) the heroines first meet, Tarte. Therefore, this brings the hero and demon lords into question considering she wants both of them gone. As such, she could redefine the plot of the story if what I believe is true. On the other hand, I do find that her intelligence is severely lacking since we were given a glimpse of her previous summoning attempts where each one failed dramatically. (I know those were meant for comedic purposes BUT this does lead her decision on choosing the MC so it does have some relevance on her intelligence). The reason was that every other person summoned was clearly not adequate for the situation either because of their lack of understanding or her lack of sympathy/empathy on giving them a clearer picture of the situation. Therefore, you can argue this could all have been over if she was a little smarter in her choices and decisions since she could have sent multiple talented individuals (who have a similar mindset to the MC) to kill the Hero. BUT that is also why I doubt her true cause considering she can always send summoned people from other worlds (implied to all be from Earth) to the isekai world implying she has more influence on the isekai world than she lets on.

Art and Sound: The art and animation look decent. The battle animation has a decent quality though not ufotable level it does covey the power and speed the MC and other characters have when fighting. The OP was fitting for the anime since it conveys a feeling of a person trying to complete a mission through any means possible (further reinforced with the animation). Whereas the ED provides an opposite contrast to the OP where it brings the feeling of someone waiting for a treasured person which could imply human emotions that the MC will develop in the story.

Overall: Despite being another isekai anime it provides a different angle to the summoning system in isekai genres. The majority of isekai anime typically do not have a reason to summon the person to another world apart from convenience. It is rare to summon a character based on their character traits and/or achievements in life. Therefore, this anime is one of the rare ones that do just that, summon the right person for the right job. I enjoyed the story and the character development of the MC (if you ignore the fact the goddess was being a little idiotic) but I do believe it would be better if there was a more complex magic system. The magic system was easy to understand but due to the lack of a fundamental understanding of how the magic system works in that story, I do not see its effectiveness apart from enabling the MC to have access to modern technology that was on Earth. If there were more complex layers in the magic system then it might be possible to do something similar like in Irregular Magical High School Student where the MC in that anime finds potential loopholes in the magic system to create overpowering magic spells that no one can counter. Although, these points are just me being nitpicky so in the end, I recommend watching this anime if you prefer an isekai anime with a more thought-out plot with a little more all-rounded characters.

Disclaimer: I have not read the web novel (WN) nor the light novel (LN) of this series. However, I did try to find sources that can explain the differences between WN, LN, and the anime series for a clearer, overall, understanding of this series - albeit the relevant sections that the anime covers. This review will (strictly) be covering the anime but will consider the differences between the different media, such as the LN and WN based on my own understanding and interpretation. Feel free to disagree since I admit that I do not have all the information and I am aware that not reading ... the original material (i.e. the LN and WN) might make my review less convincing.

*For this series the MC will be used interchangeably for the character that has been isekaied and the character that hosts all of the MC's memories.

Story: The story of this anime starts with an interesting concept for a reincarnation isekai genre where the main character (MC*) behaves (mentally) different from other reincarnation isekai genre MC's. This is because the reincarnation isekai genre (so far) makes the MC; preserve both memory and (physical) body, inhabit another body and preserve their memories, or inhabit another body and lose their memories, when going to another world. However, there is not much anime that tackle the question of the MC having to inhabit another person's body whilst the host memories are still retained. This gives the impression that the story will be about how the MC and host resolve their own identity considering that the host suddenly receives memories (from the MC) and believes they are his own despite not having experienced any of those events. However, its execution on this front was unsatisfactory since it focused more on the adventure where the MC meets relevant characters instead of his mental state. I am aware the LN also contains the adventure part so this is not a saying it's an error but more on its poor method of execution on the main theme of the story, i.e. the mental state of the MC confirming his identity.

From my understanding, the entire first season of this anime should be the prologue according to people who read the LN (from what I gathered is 3 volumes long!!) but the irony is that the anime does not convey this at all. The story starts the series when the MC was in his childhood but then quickly moves to his adolescent state after two episodes. This gives the impression that the "prologue" was over and we were already in the main storyline. The main cause of this impression was a lack of an in-depth narration and/or monologue from the MC since understanding the mental state and goals of the MC gives a clearer idea to the viewer what events have to transpire for the MC to attain their goal. Even more so for this series since the MC has to come to terms with the "extra" memories that he does not fully understand. It was clear (after knowing this was meant to be a prologue) that the adventuring was meant to be an exposition for the MC so the viewer has a better understanding of his character, ability, his two different memories (and arguably their two personalities), and their background. This implies the next season may start focusing on the identity issue for the MC and host where the host will start to get confused about who he is considering he has two sets of memories (and personalities) from one being on Earth and one is in the current (isekai) world. As a result, the story left an unsatisfactory feeling where important information/insight on the MC's mental and emotional growth is left in an unknown state.

Character: As mentioned in the story section the main point of the story was to explore the identity crisis of the MC, but the anime conveyed very little information about it. The main reason was that the MC was introduced to us (the viewer) in his childhood and after two episodes (of going through education) he becomes an adolescent young man BUT we are not given how much the MC has adapted to his new memories nor his emotional state on the matter. His outer appearance always delivered a calm and mature outlook of life and makes it seem that he has sorted out the memory issue but later in the story, we become aware that he is still trying to cope with them. Moreover, the lack of information on how the MC copes with his new memories (and the new personality) makes some of his actions when interacting with other characters (during his adventure) questionable since we do not understand the choices he makes. For example, he turns down on a girl who wants to travel with him on his adventure despite the fact he is only traveling to figure out his past. You can argue that there are dangers to the girl if she wasn't prepared but the anime made it clear that he is powerful enough to protect her and she was aware of the dangers of traveling and yet he still doesn't allow it. As a result, for the first half of the series, you are always trying to figure out why he acts the way he does and whether this has any relation to his identity crisis until midway through you are given his background, origin, and motivation and then it becomes clear that all of his actions has little do with his identity and more to do with his motivation (his revenge). The lack of the MC's monologue on his emotional state makes his character quite boring and confusing and even after knowing his motivation (which is revenge) it still makes him boring since we are unsure how his other persona (the isekaied MC) feels about it. In addition, we get to see other characters (predominately females) interact with the MC and this should also contribute to his emotional state (since he has two personas) but again we have a lack of information about it making it seem that both personas have similar values, which is not the case by the last few episodes. Thus, creating confusion on the situation of the MC's mental (and emotional) state between the two personas.

As for the other characters, they are quite one-dimensional since it is very easy to identify which characters will either be friends or enemies to the MC without any grey areas so to speak, such as being frenemies or spies, etc. Therefore, it becomes easy to identify characters that are villains and allies and characters that may become his romantic interests. Although considering this is the prologue of the story, it is possible that these one-dimensional characters are meant to set the stage for new characters that could actually endanger the MC where he needs his allies to aid him. Otherwise, the story would become very linear with a very predictable plot and very simplistic story where it is easy to foresee the MC will always be placed on the pedestal where his identity crisis makes him more special rather than being detrimental.

Art and Sound: For the music, I do not have any problems with the OP, ED, or OST but I do have issues with the art (or in this case the animation). The animation was very noticeable when looking at the fight scenes throughout the series. All of them show a very simplistic (to borderline lazy) representation of the MC fights with difficult foes. Such as, the sword swings the MC uses to cut through the body of large beasts or the MC's hand-to-hand combat against powerful foes makes it very noticeable the animation for these motions was done with a lack of understanding of how the body interacts with such dynamic movement. As a result, the fights feel lackluster and quite amateurish which downgrades the supposed difficulty (or ease) the MC should be experiencing when he is fighting.

Overall: The anime takes a very interesting approach to the reincarnation isekai genre where it is rare to see the MC having an identity issue in regards to both the MC (isekaied) and host's memories preserved. However, the anime executed this topic poorly leaving a very unsatisfying feeling. Both the story and characters did not deliver the importance of this identity crisis and it was left in the air until the last few episodes where it becomes apparent the MC's and host's personalities have different values and this becomes clearer near the end of the series. Luckily, there is a second season so it may be possible that the anime will do better considering the "prologue" of the series is now over. Furthermore, the last episode introduced us to other (spoilers) isekaiers thus providing potential character development for the MC by comparing him to the others based on their adaptation to this new world - as long as these other isekaied characters are not one dimensional.

Story: The story for this anime is pretty simple. It is basically answering the question of "What would happen if you clump all of Key's visual novel characters together in one setting?" where I am sure some of you have seen a similar anime to this. (Another anime is Isekai Quartet where it wants to show what would happen if you clump a bunch of isekai genre story characters into the mix). Therefore, the anime will highlight all the moments and/or similarities that all the characters experience in their respective stories whilst comedically contrasting their different reactions/behaviours to the situation (one example is where all ... the main characters, of their respective stories, have a conference meeting discussing their own experiences and judging each other about said experiences). It is very simple and short and direct to the point so if you know the references then it makes the jokes all the funnier.

Characters: There is nothing much to say about the characters since they are portrayed exactly the same from their own games (visual novels and anime). Therefore, the interaction between each character makes the anime all the more fun to watch since the whole point was to see which characters will befriend each other and who will antagonise each other. In addition, to seeing the difference/ similarities between characters that have similar dispositions.

Art and Sound: Art is fine considering they are all in Chibi-format (though in one episode they take advantage between Chibi forms and normal human proportions to illustrate a particular point). Whereas the sound is pretty much the music you can find in all the previous visual novels/ animes. In other words, faithful to the original material makes the whole series nostalgic and fun to watch.

Overall: In the end, this anime is basically a tribute to all the people that have been following Key's Visual novel (or anime) series from the beginning. Strictly speaking, you can watch this without any foreknowledge of the other series, but then (in my humble opinion) the jokes become less impactful and make watching it feel redundant. I would recommend people (that have no ideas about Key visual novel series) who will watch this (or did watch it) to go through the other Key visual novel (or anime adaptations of the visual novels) first to get a good idea of why the jokes were inserted there in the first place. However, it is not (strictly) necessary since the anime does not really delve too much into their own storylines so you can argue that if you understand why the joke is there you can just enjoy it that way. This recommendation is mainly for those who are genuinely curious about the characters presented in the story and want to know why and how they are necessary for their own respective storylines.

Story: Deca-Dence takes a similar setting to a combination of Log Horizon and Attack on Titan. Firstly, imagine all the players and NPCs of Log Horizon living in the enclosed walls of Attack on Titan where the titans outside are instead monsters. Secondly, unlike Log Horizon where players are powerful individuals, in this scenario it's the NPCs that are powerful. Thirdly, unlike Attack on Titan where it seems that humans are standing on thin ice for their survival, this anime portrays the powerful NPCs as capable of going against the monsters outside the wall, while the players are trying their best to survive. Now imagine ... that among the players and the NPCs have anomalies such as abnormal personalities or defects etc. These anamolies causes complications within the society of NPCs and players and this complication arises from an unknown source. This becomes clear when compared to the monsters - which should be the anamoly - are not addressed.

If the above analogy was not clear, another alternative analogy would to be think about this like the Matrix. And, just like the Matrix (the second one), they make a huge theme about anamolies in the system (i.e. Neo, the main character). Following this analogy, the story basically talks about the relation between players, NPCs and their anamolies.

Character: Characters in the anime are very straight forward. This is even more so when looking into the two main characters. The main heroine is direct about her dreams and ambitions. In constrast, the main character is cynical and has lost his drive for living. Therefore, the two characters become an interesting dynamic duo where they influence each other with their conflicting personalities. Their interactions also influence other characters, in particular a specific set of characters.

Art & Sound: The art of the anime is fitting for their surroundings, however the distinct differences between the two races (continuing from our analogy), players and NPCs, is a little cartoonish. The Opening fits the childish nature of the art.

Overall: If you've read my score, and you have gone through this review, you can see why my rating is low. The reason why I did not go lower is because the particular tropes they used at first was interesting at first, but execution of said tropes was handled poorly. This is evident in the story section, where I have explained the premise of the story with two different analogies, but the catch is I didn't need to watch all 12 episodes to describe the story (I only needed 2!). Hence, the story quite predictable based on the first 2 episodes. Furthermore, the opening and ending share a light-hearted tone that conflicts with the more serious themes of the anime, however it does compliment the cartoonish nature of the characters.

In conclusion, the anime had potential but it dropped off very quickly, and the inconsistency between the serious theme of the plot, opposed to the style of the animation, opening, ending and art does not mesh well together. Moreover, (bit of a spoiler!), the main focus of theme about anamolies is counter-intuitive when you compare it to the way the NPCs live. If you want to know more, you might want to watch the whole anime, but this particular point is what made me rate this anime as mediocre.

Disclaimer: My review is typically based on the accuracy of the original source (i.e. the manga). However, I have not read it yet so this review will be based on my personal opinion that I got from the anime. (Potential changes to this review may happen if I do get to read the manga).

Story: The story so far has been very consistent with little to no rush towards any kind of end. The world-building is still developing for the vampire and human society/ interactions between the two worlds I am expecting further complications between the two to happen for the next season. At the moment ... this is just the introduction to the "evil" that we (as the audience) are about to be introduced to.

Art and Sound: Very nostalgic vibes for those who have watched Pandora Hearts. The art style has similar vibes to Pandora Hearts and it has a nice contrast between serious and funny moments. Sound, well, it is Yuuki Kajiura. Furthermore, the OP and ED of the anime are very fitting to its genre where the OP feels like a typical slice of life, action drama is about to begin and the ED is the reflection of the day with mysteries still waiting to be observed.

Characters: For someone who has seen Pandora Hearts you can tell certain characters from that series have been used for this series (not entirely copy cats just one character in Case Study of Vanitas has traits from multiple characters in Pandora Hearts). However, the story makes these characters stand out in their own right with a completely different feel than Pandora Hearts. Despite the 12 episodes being akin to an introduction to the world of Case Study of Vanitas, I have already seen glimpses of an underlying complexity of interactions between multiple characters, such as Noe and Dominique, Vanitas and the Blue Eye Vampire etc. Each character seems to have their own complicated past and it is exciting to observe what those are and what implications do they have in the current story.

Overall, it is still in its early days and I do not think there is anything more to say about it. Fundamentally, it has a strong set of characters and a good story to go for and I am sure there are more things to look forward to. If there is one negative aspect is that probably Noe is too much of a simpleton with some mental immaturity, but to be fair that is one of his strongest assets. Since too many characters with complex personalities can lose the viewer so his simple mindset is a good contrast and guides the viewer along. Furthermore, this personality is important considering the fact that everything is based on his perspective. I am looking forward to watching season 2 of this series!