Jan 9, 2018
I watched this spin-off after completing DanMachi, and I dare to say, I enjoyed Sword Oratoria slightly more than the original. I did not read the Sword Oratoria manga or light novels prior to the series, but I am currently reading the manga.
Before people start cursing me inside their heads for my opinion, let me explain why.
Sword Oratoria had a beautiful story line. The story itself is far more developed than season 1 of DanMachi, and while I adored both plots, Sword Oratoria displayed to its viewers the cruel reality and wickedness of the Dungeon by constantly challenging Ais Wallenstein. The anime reminds us that
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while the Dungeon gives opportunity to fame and prestige, adventurers will be pursuited by anguish and pain, as well as unspeakable evil and corruption that is left out of the season 1 anime. The consequences and seemingly insurmountable trials in the fantasy world is what captivates me and told me to continue.
Through this story, we even see development in DanMachi's "stagnant" character, Ais. We see insecurities in this idolized protagonist, and being “imperfect” ultimately renders her human. Her flaws, once revealed, explains more of her character, her background, and her actions in DanMachi.
Unfortunately, people overlook the story and focus on one character: Lefiya. Lefiya is simply irritating and other than apologizing for what she couldn’t have done and telling herself she wants to do more, her fear gets the best of her many times in the show. The problem with Lefiya is that she isn’t challenged enough, and when she barely is challenged, she gives herself up to panic. Her infatuation with Ais doesn’t aid Lefiya character development as Omori has clearly illustrated that Ais is interested in Bell. Lefiya’s imagination is downright creepy when you take that fact in mind.
That being said, the cast of Sword Oratoria is very likeable. Since the majority of the cast had appeared in DanMachi a few times, seeing them is delightful and it’s enough to familiarize you to the spin-off. When you see the spin-off’s characters in DanMachi, you’re already intimidated by the fact that they’re perfect. In Sword Oratoria, the creators explicitly emphasize their empathetic and caring side as well as their closeness with Ais. I loved Bete, Finn, and Riveria because they complement and look after Ais when she’s faced with her shortcomings.
While the ED is a little off in terms of the tone it brings to the anime, the OP is the pop song that somehow is compatible to the spin-off’s medieval fantasy world, possessing the rhythm and notes that introduces the anime itself. I loved every character’s voice and it matches so well with their respective personalities, and that adds to the likability of the cast. When Sword Oratoria and DanMachi share the same scenes, the spin-off’s voices are much more matured and consistent for their characters. The OST is deliberately composed to evoke the feeling of watching DanMachi, and along with a sense of mysteriousness and fantasy, you can hear familiar tunes in the background. In the OST “Determination to fight,” you can hear “Argonaut” from DanMachi where Bell fights the Minotaur. The OST really reflects the aura of the Loki Familia and their situations, like in the piano song for Ais played in the first episode where it reflects her dispiritedness.
One downfall of Sword Oratoria is the art. While it’s still good, it is noticeably a step down from the DanMachi we knew in Bell’s adventures. The manga had better action scenes than the anime itself, and it is disappointing how they chose to adapt the anime in terms of art itself. The thrill of action is lost when I watch Sword Oratoria. Nevertheless, for its story, characters, and sound, you should give Sword Oratoria a chance.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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