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I decided to put my overall in the beginning since people aren't going to read the whole review. So just a summary would keep your attention long enough for me to get my points through.

(7/10: MAL Standards "Good") Overall: Masou Gakuen HxH isn't as bad as people say it is. It's enjoyable with the right mindset and if you don't decide to hate it for what it is. Give it a try. Know that it's going to be a harem ecchi and know what you're going to get. You'll leave feeling satisfied. You may not be happy, you may ... crave more, but you'll leave getting what you wanted. A Harem Ecchi anime.

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Apart from everyone overreacting, this anime is rather mediocre in everything except enjoyment. I'll say this here and now, in my personal opinion, this is a fun show to watch. A guilty pleasure. It's enjoyable. Try it out for yourself. Watch it with an open mind and enjoy it for what it is.

I like to start by saying that: This is indeed a harem-ecchi show with loads of fan service. I personally do not care about that, but some other reviewers seem to and react accordingly.

The art is rather plain compared to the gorgeous Hisasi art of the VN, but it's good. Although, when I say good, I mean "Anime Standard".

The story, towards the end, is redeemable. They're setting up a season 2. It's interesting enough to keep you invested on a week to week basis, but it's nothing special. It is worth watching though. The premise is interesting once you get towards the 2nd half, things really turn up.

The soundtrack is boring. Enough said. It's forgettable and you'll hear the same battle theme over and over again.

Characters are anime stereotypes and archetypes. We have the tsundere, the onee-sama and...well...I don't know what Chidorigafugchi (or whatever her name is) is. I suppose that makes it a good thing since she's part deredere and part tsundere and a few other things. You'll know who is who. They don't seem to grow (as usual) with the exception of Chidori who changes as the series progresses from being less cold hearted to something more...loveable.

Enjoyment is very subjective. I FUCKING loved it. But that's my own shit opinion. If you go into this only knowing that it's going to be harem ecchi and that there's going to be a lot of it, then you're pretty much set for a good time. It won't be "10/10" best anime of the year material, but it's going to be fun enough.

I personally enjoyed it partially because of the harem ecchi but mostly because of how the characters interact with each other. It may be predictable to you, but it's always fun to see it every season. The story itself might have been dull to some, but I found it to be rather enjoyable for what it is. It isn't DEEP, but it's interesting enough to keep you invested for 12 episodes. Those 12 episodes aren't all too bad either. Mostly 5/10s and 6/10s. The amount of boobage is hilarious and is almost a meta genre in on itself.

This was an addicting series. I binge read the entire thing in about 5 hours. All 158 chapters.

Just let me start off and say that I don't read many romances, if not any. This one was particularly heart warming to me since it is one of the first romances where romance is the main genre.

If you're not experiences with Romance manga and decide to read this, please do. You'll be pleasantly surprised.

Also, I would like to add that I'm rating this according to my experience with Romance manga, which is none (practically none), and my experience with other romance manga with ... romance as a "sub" genre (ex: Nisekoi).

Story: 10

It's a little slow in the beginning, but it eventually picks up pace really nicely. I did like how the story turned out. If you tank through the first 10-20 chapters, you'll end up enjoying it a lot.

Art: 10

The art is beautiful here. It's very constant, the characters look amazing though some of the men do suffer from the "same face" syndrome we find in manga styles. You won't notice it until you have a side-by-side comparison though.

If I did have a complaint, it was during this one front page scene where the main character (girl) was drawn smiling, but her mouth was unnaturally big (about half her face). Besides that surreal moment, which wasn't even in the main story (it's just a front cover), the art is pretty darn realistic.

Characters: 10

They're very realistic and they deal with realistic themes. The main character, when he actually grows a spine, is quite relatable to people who have no idea how to interact with women (e.g: me).

Enjoyment: 10

I binge read this in the middle of the night. It's 2:10AM right now. Tell me, what does that tell you?

It was very enjoyable but a little tedious in the beginning. I really like it but, as I will guess from other romances, it's going to be hard on my heart.

Overall: 10

I would recommend this to everyone, even those who don't frequently read romances. As long as they're willing to try out something new, I'd recommend this to anyone and everyone who is looking for a good romance manga to start off with.

Haha! This was a GREAT ride! Well done! A DxD OVA with actual story!!

This OVA is an animated adaptation of a Light-Novel Side story and it is 100% CANON. Now, onto the review!

I'm also rating this in relation to other OVAs of the same genre.

Story: 10 - THERE'S ACTUALLY STORY (MAL: Outstanding)

YES! THERE IS ACTUALLY STORRRY!! AN ACTUAL TANGIBLE STORY THAT HAS LITTLE TO NOTHING TO DO ABOUT BOOBS! HOLY CRAP!! YES!!!

That is my first reaction upon watching this. It adapts the Light Novel side-story very well. We are missing another half to this story, ... but the part where the episode ends is perfect. It's well paced, funny and a good watch. Compared to other OVAs of course. Even then, this would be about a 7 or an 8 if I were to compare it to actual series' ratings since we do have a tangible story.

Art: 8 - DxD Standard (MAL: Very Good)

The animation is the DxD Standard though I did get ticked off at how the frame rate sometimes drops. It usually runs at 15-20FPS and this is starting to sound like a gaming review.

The animation is standard when comparing to the anime. It's not as fluid as I would have liked it to be which is disappointing. The background drops are great though, as expected of DxD. We also get some variation in character clothing...for only Issei, Riser and his sister Ravel.

Sound: 10 DxD Standard (MAL: Outstanding)

Not many comments. It's good. Good voice acting, good sound effects, good music, etc. I don't have any complaints and I shouldn't have any. DxD usually aces this topic.

Character: 10 OMFG CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT??? (MAL: Outstanding)

Yes! We get character development! It also destroys Riser's/Raiser's character and rebuilds it which I had somewhat of a problem with even in the Light Novel. We get to see Riser and Ravel grow as characters and Issei is...well he's Issei. We get to see how insightful he can be if he really wants to be. It is surprising when you compare this Issei to DxD Main-Story Issei. This one is actually..."nicer".

Enjoyment: 10 Season 4 when? (MAL: Outstanding)

I really liked this, as seen in my ratings. I may be a little biased but I really did enjoy this. Now, surprisingly, there is ONE thing this does better than ALL THE DXD Seasons: IT DOESN'T SHOVE FAN SERVICE INTO YOUR FACE EVERY 5 SECONDS! HOLY SHIT WE DON'T SEE BOOBS EVERY 5 SECONDS! We still do see Issei monologue about them, but that happens several times and even then it's not in your face and obnoxious as it usually is. Most of the time, we usually see them interact and see one... "DxD" Fight Scene. Overall, I really enjoyed this OVA. It is much better than all the other "plot" OVAs that DxD usually sells us.

Overall: 10 SEASON 4 WHENNN? (MAL: Outstanding)

Suffice to say, this is one of the best DxD animations and OVAs to date. It's not nearly as obnoxious as it is in the anime and it has plenty of character development, enjoyable character interaction and a decent fight scene. Overall, it's very good and I really just want another season, please just give me another season.

Thanks,
Sonicfanx1

Okay, I'll be honest with you guys: I LOVE High School DxD. Doesn't mean that I'll let it off when it come to ratings.

If this is a little too much to read, I recommend just reading my "Enjoyment" and "Overall" sections. That basically summarizes the anime without getting into any finer detail.

To start off, this show is...GREEAATTerr...maybe? It isn't...oh...why isn't it good? Jokes aside, this anime suffers a LOT when you think about it. The story is a "6" and I'm being GENEROUS. As a fan, I know I might be biased, but I'm going to try my best ... to be fair (and so, this review was biased).

Story: 6 - Decent (Fair according to MAL)

Well, better than Hagure Yuusha that's for sure. This actually has a story! The story is split into two "arcs". One arc taken from one Light Novel volume. The first 6 episodes are from the 1st Volume, the next 6 episodes are from the 2nd volume. They aren't great, but they aren't bad either. It's decent. Nothing too special. It'll entertain you for the next 3-4 hours but don't expect anything too extraordinary. Just lots...and lots...of obscure jokes about female mammary glands. Don't say I didn't warn you.

Art: 7 - Actually pretty diverse (Good according to MAL)

Its set pieces are diverse, that's for sure. They're well drawn and painted and fits the theme of the anime well. They aren't too unique though since some are basically just night time pieces with purple skies. The animation remains consistent too. And I mean that in a very literal sense, Rias's PLOT bounces in like...EVERY scene. Jokes aside, the art and animation are solid here. There is no drop in quality and all animation is consistent. Character designs are solid too, nothing special, but they are copying from a Light Novel's illustrations. However, one thing to point out though: You'll basically always see them in their school uniforms. Basically.

Sound: 9 - Very fitting (Great according to MAL)

I don't have to say much. The track fits the show very, very well. I don't have to say much. Each piece has a purpose and it just works. The opening and ending are...actually pretty unique, MUSIC wise. They aren't the same as other anime openings and endings and that's all I'll say. The ending is pretty hilarious though. I kinda got addicted to it when I watched it the first time...you'll see why.

Character: 5 - HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA...what? (Mediocre according to MAL)

Okay, first to say this: NOBODY MATTERS BESIDES ISSEI, RIAS AND ASIA. Everyone remains the EXACT SAME besides those three. Issei gets the least character development, though you could argue with Asia. Rias has a bit more character development but nothing too...substantial. Again, same problem with 99% of anime: STOCK CHARACTERS.

You have the dandere tsundere, the sadist, the noble knight, the pervert (our MC), the innocent girl that doesn't know common sense (for now...) and the really, really hot girl that everyone looks up to like a sister and secretly wants to bang...more of Issei on that last bit though. Their characters remain practically the same throughout the story. Issei's character changes drastically when we're talking about emotion though, somewhat annoying since he overreacts to the smallest things. I won't get into anyone else because NOBODY CHANGES. They're all practically flat characters. Asia is either happy, sad or shocked. Rias is always calm and collected with one exception. Kiba is forever the noble knight. Koneko, the dandere tsundere. No comment there. And Akeno, the super sadist, arguably kuudere. That's it. They're all flat and surprisingly ISSEI is the ONLY ROUND CHARACTER in this season...SEASON (gets better in later seasons).

Enjoyment: 10 - I see BOOBS I press like (Outstanding according to MAL)

Jokes aside, this is very polar. On one side, people will LOVE the series for what it is. On the other side, people will not understand anything and will hate the series. I'll explain it from a fan's point of view (or mine in this case).

Universe building, character interaction and story.

Now, I know what you're thinking "Sonic, you said the story was sh*t!"

No, I didn't say the story was shit, I just said that it was average. But an average story with a good universe is still enticing. The story is SIMPLE. Not much thought is needed. It's not complicated at all. The universe however is very interesting. It was interesting enough for me to pick up reading the Light Novels. They do show you a good portion of the universe here and it keeps on getting more and more interesting. This show doesn't have THREE seasons for no reason (please god, let there be a fourth).

Now, the concept of "Devils and Angels" doesn't really sound anything special, but this guy, the author, he just takes it and ROLLS with it. He builds up a solid universe with in depth explanations and everything. Heck, he turned his first Light Novel (Slash Dog) into a PREQUEL to DxD. The concepts and ideas that he uses is very, very interesting. However, they may seem insignificant because of all the breast jokes and fan service, but after some thought they're actually very solid concepts. I do have a problem with the fanservice, but I'll get to that after this one.

Character interaction. This is probably the only reason I watch ecchi-harem shows and the same reason for a good portion of you guys too. The interaction is great. Exactly as what you'd expect and more. Though it won't save me from the rant that's coming up in the next paragraph. It's very solid, that's all I'll say. It holds up.

Now. My rant. FAN SERVICE. They SHOVE it into your face. There's fan service in virtually every scene. I'm not kidding. If it's not panty shots then it's boob bounces/gainax bounce. If not that, then it's probably a strip scene! If you're watching the uncensored version, lock your doors and put on some head phones because you're going to hear moaning, see bare breasts and some other form of perverse fan service in virtually every episode, EXCEPT the last one. Thank god for that. This is actually why so many people hate the show. They LOVE to shove it right down your mouth. This is practically fan service incarnate. Now, there's obviously worse out there now, but for its time, High School DxD is the MOST ecchi anime ever created. And it does NOT give the show any good favors. Oh, and remember that "9" I gave it for sound? They have BOOB SOUND EFFECTS.

Oh god.

Now, if they toned it down some and only kept "intense" scenes so the feel of the anime isn't ruined, then it would fix the problem IMMEDIATELY. But their constant use of fan service in practically every shot really does get...redundant. Even if I liked it sometimes.

Overall: 8 - Recommended for a try (Very Good according to MAL)

This may not be your show. Like I said, it's a polar choice. You like it or you hate it. I'm on the "like" side, though I obviously have some qualms about it. Give it a try. It's your choice. Like it for the universe, hate it for its fan service. It doesn't try to be anything it isn't, it plays the ecchi harem comedy genre straight. If you know what you're getting into and like this kind of stuff, it's definitely your show.

Edit: I came back to this review. Reviewed the review, and decided that I was too lenient on it.

We'll get straight to the point here, I am somewhat tolerant of the MC. Sure, he's on the far other side of the spectrum when it comes to harem mains, but that's not exactly a good thing either. I'll get to that later:

Story: 1
There is no story. If someone asked you what it was about, all you can say is this: Over powered main character literally plays with girls until episode 10. That's it. There is no overarching main plot, well ... until episode 10, there are numerous subplots though. Pathetic romance plots and one actually very notable inner conflict in the main girl (Miyu). Other than that, it's the very definition of EPISODIC. And it's not even good episodic

P.S. They left room for season 2. Which we're probably not going to get because the author is busy with Shinmai Maou no New Testament...or something else.

Art: 3
Nothing too good, nothing too bad. Average. Character designs are good though. They do laze at some episodes though, lowering the detail a noticeable amount.

Actually scratch that, the art is pretty bad. It was one of the reasons I actually dropped the show after half way through the first episode. Kinda wish I kept it dropped.

Sound: 5
Average. No comment. OP and Endings are what you would expect.

Character: 3
And probably my most controversial rating. The characters. They're all stock characters. There's the tsundere, the easily embarrassed main girl, the perverted girl and the class president that is actually the most normal out of them all. Then there's the main character. He's actually a "good" main character, though I do have a few issues with him as a person, I won't let that affect my ratings (and so...his personality affected my ratings). He's boring. He's cool (arguably), he's funny, and he's BORINGLY over powered. He gets no character development, he gets NOTHING. He remains the same throughout the entire season. And he's STUPIDLY strong too. He's the type of strong that makes you go like, "Yerp, he's going to win. Oh, he's going to win again. Yup...winning...again." That's how strong he is. I would compare him to Saitama (OPM), but they actually make a joke out of Saitama. He has ABSOLUTELY no reason to be this strong.

Enjoyment: 6
Despite the crap I said and the low ratings, I actually did enjoy this, a little. The humor was nice even though it didn't make me laugh (I don't laugh to anime for some reason). You'd like the humor and the situations each character gets into. It's actually the only reason I kept on watching. The fight scenes however, they're something to be desired. You never really care what happens to the characters in fights since - well - we all know what's going to happen. MC somehow wins because plot armor and he's OP (even the OVA crossover with Queen's Blade illustrates this).

Overall: 3
There is NO story (until like...10). The art is average. The sound is average and forgettable. The characters are stock and one Gary Sue. We get a FAIR amount of enjoyment out of it, though don't expect much out of...well anything. It's almost like a poorly written author self-insert when you think about it. The type of situations you day dream.

Overall, this show is crap. After coming back and reevaluating my review, I can firmly say that this show is garbage and the author is right to keep it on hiatus and work on better things (Shinmai Maou).