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Story 7/10

I went into this not expecting much more than a Naruto clone and for the first dozen chapters it really did seem that way. I found myself wondering where Black Clover would deviate from Naruto in various situations and I was happy to find some of the changes improved upon Naruto.

Eventually, the story steps out of the Naruto mold, adds a hint of Fairy Tail's guild structure and a fresh dynamic of nobility vs. commoners. By chapter 80 it was no longer mild enjoyment and curiosity it was a manga that stood on its own merit.

What I like about the story is ... the way that it reaches many of the battle shonen cliches and changes or avoids them in some way. There are still chliches abound (mostly in the main character) but it wasn't too annoying.

Art 8/10

My knowledge of art is limited so this part will be short. I give it an 8/10 because even reading on a tablet (I usually use a large computer screen) I didn't have to stare at pictures for a long time to identify what was going on. The characters each looked different than one another, which also helps. The different settings also felt unique from each-other and I especially like the haphazard guild hall.

Character 6/10

Asta is mostly predictable. He always perks up when his rival goads him. He always becomes ridiculously optimistic when something horrible happens. Most of the time when he's ridiculously optimistic somehow a miraculous result happens.

However, there are some things that I was pleasantly surprised about. He's not scared around women. He's good with kids. He also doesn't do pervy things like spying on women. Even when he's alone he's not hopeless. Also, he's blunt but in certain situations it's so true and so funny.

I had to look up Yuno's name because all I could think of was "Sasuke that's less of a jerk." However, though he resembles that character in Naruto, that less of a jerk part is really refreshing. He's aloof except with Asta and he values their friendship in his own way.

Other characters are slightly over the top but well developed. They all tend to fall hop step into nakama mode when Asta is around so that kind of sucks the individuality of them at times.

Enjoyment 8/10

What can I say, I like a good hero story. I came in with low expectations of looking for a new hero story and it developed into something unique that, though not at the top of my list of battle shonen its also not at the very bottom.

Overall 7/10

It's hard to escape it's more generic beginning and the tropes it encounters. It seems this manga is constantly encountering and attempting to dodge the predictable elements with mixed success. However, if you like some predictable elements like a hero with strong (some would say ridiculous) resolve in the face of adversity, if you'd like to live vicariously with someone who can solve most of their problems with a magic sword, give this manga a try and you might not be amazed but you can find enjoyment and won't be disappointed.

Oh, and I can't forget the part that drew me in. Women like him. It's kind of dumb to hope for romance in a battle shonen, but I like it when there are these possibilities.

Story: 9

It's pretty hard for an anime about trying to win a baseball tournament to get a 9 rating for story. In addition to being about that, there are more realistic and subtle child, young adult and adult love stories. There are even some love and unrequited love stories that carry over from childhood.

The story follows the main characters from children to young adults and there are well placed flashbacks that add extra meaning to the past and the present. The scenes are very well structured and allow the viewer to understand more complex relationships by showing instead of telling.

The story basically ... sets up the entire series in the timeline of the first episode. We know what's going to happen but it actually makes everything more enhanced. I frequently found myself wondering how and when and even if they were going to succeed. Near the half-way point it didn't matter to me as I trusted the quality of the work and enjoyed binge watching. It very much reminded me of the "pebble in the pond" story. It's amazing how the diverse cast all effect each-other.

Art:
The art is not flashy but it does deserve some credit. I found it very interesting how the artists created a lookalike that allowed me identify each character separately. As far as baseball animations: they are average. It's pretty obvious a decent amount of shortcuts were taken here. However, there were a few plays (the one I'm thinking of is at the end) that seemed like shortcuts that really succeeded in having stylistic effect.

Sound: There is one beginning song but I never got tired of it. There are a few ending songs and they're all very powerful. Voice-acting is top notch. Ambient sound is a bit sparse.

Character: 10
There is so much depth to over a dozen main characters. An enemy in the show might turn out to be one of the kindest. Divas are not just Divas. People who seem popular might not be and vice-versa. The great thing about this is that none of it is out of left field (pun intended) and all of it is believable.

Enjoyment 9:

There were a few, more slice-of-life episodes in the first half that were just okay. Sometimes the subtly may have been a bit too subtle. Overall the show stands out as an excellent compromise of art and formula. Oh, and by the end I was so into it I was yelling nonsensical things at the TV. The show left me feeling lucky to have experienced it. I did not find it too long or short and I felt like it tied it's loose ends well.

Overall: 9

This might not have seemed very high budget but it was an act of love and talent from the creators. I'd happily recommend this to anyone who likes a good story and characterization. Love of baseball is not necessary. If you're not a fan, you might not start loving baseball after watching it, but you will love a show about baseball.

Story 7

This score basically goes to any narrative that is fluid, grabs the reader and holds on to them. The battles are diverse and add depth to the fighting. As many reviewers have said already, the bad people are really, really bad.

Art 8

This also ties in with what I said about story, but the art is easy to understand. You don't have to stare at a page to long to decipher what's happening. In a manga with a lot of action, this is a good thing. I didn't feel like I was losing much switching from the anime.

Character 7

A big ... part of whether I keep reading a manga is that if the main character, and to a lesser extent those in supporting roles to the MC, is someone that I like. When reading a "dark" manga, this was something I worried about. Luckily I found the main character to be kind, like-able and more of a hero than an "anti-hero." The other character's in night-raid are diverse and have passable back-stories. As of chapter 46 there hasn't been as much character development shown of the antagonists as I would like.

Enjoyment 6

It's hard not to mention that young women get raped in this manga. Personally, rape is something I hate more than murder. However, I do have one loophole for stories. If the rapist gets his/her head chopped off or is eviscerated in a timely fashion then I can put up with these villains. Luckily, in this manga lots of people get killed. But yes, my enjoyment suffers a bit compared to the other categories.

Overall 7

I don't think this manga deserves as much hype as it's getting. However, it does tell a unique story with interesting characters. As I said the fights are gripping too. This is not my favorite manga do, in part, to the dire circumstances and radically evil antagonists, but you can do much worse than Akame ga Kill!

Story: 7
In the beginning I had an idea where the show was going and I pretty much nailed it on the head. The difference, however, lies in the execution. The series redelivers comedy, inspirational, heart-warming moments in many different ways, some of them pretty creative. If you're looking for any kind of realism look elsewhere. All the problems in the show are solved by Kirari giving a little to a lot of kindness and hard work over a day to a few weeks. The antagonists introduced in the show almost always end up having some personal circumstances that we discover ... later on make their actions more excusable (and sometimes downright funny).

I can see how, if you are the target audience for this show, this could make kids dangerously idealistic and bound for a rude awakening. Sometimes people just suck and there's no amount of kindness you can give and no excuse they can provide that will make it better. Also, the people with good intentions putting in hard work don't always reap the rewards. As long as its taken with a grain of salt anyone should be fine.

Art: 6
The artists succeed in making Kirari cute and they don't resort to cheap means like Rosario Vampire (I like that show too but you can't go five minutes without an up-skirt shot). They do resort to using sparkles ALOT. The main character sparkles. Get used to it. Backgrounds and side characters are decent. The amount of detail is lacking but it gets the job done. Many of the animations that are simple have a comedic effect though.

Sound: 8
Any show that makes half-way decent pop songs for half of their main characters deserves at least a 7. The songs in Kirarin Revolution, especially Kirari's are pretty good. Voice acting is hilarious. I thought they did a pretty decent job. Some one liners get repetitive. It's amazing how many times Hiroto calls Kirari an idiot.

Character: 7
As of episode 65 Hiroto's character is pretty three-dimensional. Seiji is pretty much an air-head with a decent heart when he remembers. Kirari is one of the cutest characters in anime that I've encountered. Hiroto actually balances her character because she's too nice and Hiroto will actually reprimand people who are acting out of line. As for how deep Kirari is, she definitely has her moments. I wouldn't call her character monochromatic. The antagonists of the show are pretty solid. It's nice when you get to the show, knowing that things are going to work out in the main character's favor, I started to actually like the antagonists and find them amusing. Most of them have decent reasons for being antagonists as well.

Enjoyment: 8
This show makes me laugh very often. I find it clever in its execution and I like the good feeling I get when things work out for Kirari and the people she tries to help. Even though I know most of those things don't, or rarely happen in real life, its nice to visit a world where they do. There's also undertones of romance that are well done and appropriate.

Overall: 7
One Warning, there are a few episodes that are clearly fillers. There are a few more that are filler-ish. I couldn't find a list of them but I could pick them out pretty easily, so you can safely skip the ones that don't look like they're adding anything important to the mix. Other than that I have no real complaints. I like long series that continue to deliver. I'm happy I'm watching Kirarin Revolution. I can care less that I'm not the target audience.