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I tend to see a lot of anime that have very strong introductions, but get worn down and end up rather average by the end. Elemental Gelade is the opposite: the opening episodes will probably not wow you. It seems pretty standard, doesn't it? A young male hero trying to prove himself, a mysterious girl he has to protect, and some pirate vs ninja action.

But the show becomes so much more.

Story: 7/10
Overall, the story is rather basic. Taking place in a world where humans live alongside Edel Raids (girls who can react with a human to become a weapon), main hero Cou is a ... sky pirate that ends up reacting with Ren, an extremely powerful Edel Raid. He promises to take her to her destination, and a three-person Edel Raid protection agency accompanies them and tries to get Ren for themselves. As Ren is such a powerful Edel Raid, the group finds themselves in a lot of trouble and such. Most of the story is just their travels and don't involve a concrete plot. A more solid story emerges in the second half, but you still shouldn't expect any amazing plot twists or anything. The story is not what this is about, oddly enough.

Characters: 10/10
Ah, now this is what I love about the series. The characters are surprisingly well done. I don't just mean Cou and Ren either; the "side" characters even get more development than main characters in most series. Cou starts out like a typical shonen hero, but he really evolves (augh, can't explain much better due to spoilers). Ren also starts out hating humans for using her race as weapons and changes as she sees the world and the circumstances people are put in. Personally, I like the three Arc Aile members best, particularly their leader Cisqua. She seems like typical comic relief with her hot-temper initially, but her ties of loyalty to her work really make for some interesting developments as she sees first-hand just what her company means to the world. Rowen also seems like Mr.Perfect with Edel Raid Kuea wanting nothing more than food, but even they have much deeper sides explored in the story. What I found great was that each of the Arc Aile members got an episode to themselves tor really explain things. Just looking at the first few episodes versus the last few shows just how much the group evolves.

Art: 7/10
The art is pretty average, if not a bit on the above-average side. It dives into chibi once in a while, which adds a nice charm. Don't expect to be blown away by the art, but it isn't bad to look at either.

Sound: 8/10
Elemental Gelade has a very different feel in terms of sound. It's very...folk-music-like. The darker tunes are also interesting with their creepy piano and whatnot. The songs the characters use to React could have been better though, considering what an important part of the plot they are. Still, it's a nice change that still fits the moment.

Enjoyment: 9/10
Really the show is about how the characters develop, and I think all the little things work together really well to show that. You also get some interesting fights, a good deal of comedy, and probably the best romance you'll ever see in a shonen.