When I watched the first episode of Guilty Crown I had high expectations for this show. I, like many others, was amazed at the first episode. The fluidity of the animation and the clear, beautiful artwork was very appealing. I am in fact a fan of this show, I do not hate it. However, I am very disappointed with the way it turned out.
Story - The story is terrible. That's my point, short and simple. Although the animation and artwork was topnotch, the writers really screwed the pooch here. The story was all over the place, in short it was very disorganized. I had hope
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for this show at first. The first four episodes were explosive. They were beautiful, had great animation scenes, introduced a few new characters, and set a foundation for what the story could have been. I expected something amazing, but then everything started fading away. I felt as if I had been backhanded by the writers. What was waiting for me instead, was much worse than I could have imagined. There were far too many plot-holes in Guilty Crown, more than you would see in the average anime. Not to mention the pacing was horrible. One important thing to mention is that Guilty Crown uses countless Deus Ex Machinae in its story to advance the already crumbling plot. Far too many details in the story were left unexplained such as the Da'ath organization. The one thing that could have changed my views on this show was whether the ending was good or not. Sadly, it wasn't. In fact, it was the worst ending I have ever seen in my life. You may ask me why I care so much about the ending. Well, I am easily satisfied. Just have a good storyline and an acceptable ending that matches said storyline and I will be happy. Guilty Crown accomplished none of the two. 3/10
Art - The art was simply breathtaking. The clear backgrounds and special effects were the few things that enticed me to finish this series. The colors in the environment would clearly match the scenes nearly EVERY time. Character designs were also exceptional. In my opinion, Guilty Crown had the best art compared to other anime series released in it's timespan. 10/10
Sound - The music in Guilty Crown was outstanding. The voice acting was great. The opening and ending themes were memorable. The music is also something I regret about watching Guilty Crown. The music was so beautiful that it still haunts me ever since I finished the last episode. I also loved the way the writers managed to place Inori's songs in the plot. That is probably the only thing the writers did that appealed to me. However, it is still unclear why they would actually make Inori's music a part of the story. What really won me over was the background music. Whenever something happened, I always looked forward to the music that would accompany the scene. 10/10
Characters - The characters were mediocre at best. I hated Shu for most of the show. Inori may have been the more memorable character of the series, but she was nothing more than an emotionless, doll-like character who contributed nothing to the story. She also had no back story, like the majority of the characters in Guilty Crown. My reasons for hating Shu was that he was a complete coward until late in the series. He had to have a character die in order to basically "man" up. I have seen the same trick done in so many different shows. It's not that it's bad, it's just that the show is already far too cliched already to be using the same trick that many shows have used over the years. Gai was an average character, I have no complaints about him. Ayase was one of the few character I liked in this show. She was a beautiful, strong-willed, and independent character who was also a paraplegic (something you don't see everyday in anime.) Seiga and Daryl are also two characters that I particularly liked. However, in the end, they did not play as big a role than I expected them to. Daryl's fate is also left unexplained, hence another plot-hole. Luckily, I managed to find one character that I adored, Hare. Her role in the story actually meant something to me. Her involvement in the story was also very limited unfortunately. Overall, most of the characters were lackluster, unoriginal, unmemorable, and had too little screen time. 5/10
Enjoyment - I did enjoy this series. I enjoyed the music and the art but I was very disappointed by the characters and storyline. Had the story and characters been of the same quality as the sound and visuals, Guilty Crown could have been the best anime series of 2011-2012. I cannot stress this enough, I hated the ending. I hated it so much, that when the show ended, I was left speechless with a frown on my face. Afterwards I started screaming profanities at how terrible the ending was. I have never acted like that before, so obviously it was a surprise for me. I mean, I heard it was bad and many people raged at the ending, but I had no idea it was THAT bad. 6/10
Overall - Speaking as a fan, this show had potential, too much potential to be honest. It had a great cast, a large budget, amazing music, and it had nothing to base itself on. It could've been as original as the writers wanted. Honestly, I believe the writers doomed this show. Guilty Crown did not leave me satisfied, in fact, it made me angry. Not at the story or ending this time, but at the arrogance of the writers. Good artwork and music do not make up for a horrible plot. I would much rather watch an anime with a great plot but bad animation and music. The storyline, in my opinion, is the more preferable element. I am hoping for a continuation of the story, but then again, the ending nearly destroyed all hope for a second season. I can only rely on the poorly introduced Da'ath organization and the numerous plot-holes for a second season. I only want a continuation of the story to clear loose ends. An OVA is also acceptable. If we're lucky, it won't be atrocious as the original story. If you're are looking for an anime series that has a great story then I suggest you look elsewhere. If you watch mainly for artwork and music, then this series would be great for you. Just don't watch this show expecting a masterpiece, this show is far from one. 6/10
Jul 25, 2012
Guilty Crown
(Anime)
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When I watched the first episode of Guilty Crown I had high expectations for this show. I, like many others, was amazed at the first episode. The fluidity of the animation and the clear, beautiful artwork was very appealing. I am in fact a fan of this show, I do not hate it. However, I am very disappointed with the way it turned out.
Story - The story is terrible. That's my point, short and simple. Although the animation and artwork was topnotch, the writers really screwed the pooch here. The story was all over the place, in short it was very disorganized. I had hope ... 
Jul 24, 2012
Mirai Nikki (TV)
(Anime)
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At first glance, this show appears to be nothing more than an anime where the idea of a battle royal runs rampant. Though Mirai Nikki shows heavy elements of that idea, it turned out to be something more.
Story - The story in this series is absolutely amazing. In my opinion, the plot was complex, with many twists and turns which would always leave the viewer in suspense. The story depicts a unsociable teenager named Yukiteru Amano. Yukiteru is your average fourteen year old with abandonment issues. To add insult to injury, Yuno Gasai is a ... |
