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This is actually a pretty good BL anime, all things considered. It still falls into some genre tropes, but they are a lot more subtle than the usual fare and the relationship portrayed seems decently healthy. My advice though, try to get through the first three episodes before making up your mind, they are the epitome of pointless drama and BL cliche. It really does get better afterwards.
Apparently my review is too short, so bear with another paragraph please.
I actually really liked that after the first three episodes the anime focused on the two main characters and didn't try to incorporate other relationships ... (if there are any) it gave the relationship time to develop properly. I am a bit put off by the age difference, but (and this is a big but) this anime actually managed this particular minefield pretty well, avoiding the creepy power dynamics (or, well, mostly avoiding, I guess) and focusing on emotional parts instead of physical.

In all honesty this is not a "baad" anime. I didn't actually have to force myself to finish it. The best way to describe it would be... It's bland.
Disclaimer: I have not read the manga, this is also the first (and most likely only) "game" anime that I'm watching.
It has all the classic "nice guy in a bad situation" steps down pat (e.g. Tokyo ghoul season 1, if you've seen that one, this has most of the same basics almost to a t). It also has enough action to keep you curious about what happens next. But... The characterization is just not there. All ... the characters (including the main one) are so surface, the little backstory that we get seems perfunctory. It's really difficult to get invested.
Maybe my disappointment steams from watching it right after re-watching Psycho-pass and that show is really difficult to compete with in terms of characterization. But at the end of the day, in my opinion, going into Darwin's game with low expectations might actually improve your experience. It' full of action and tropes and does a pretty good job if all you need is a mindless entertainment.

I have to admit reverse harems are my guilty pleasure. I grouch about the mediocrity of them but still watch (or at last try to watch) every single one.

With this one, episode 6 is probably as far as I go.

Wow, such a disappointment. The original La corda d'oro was, for me, one of the best in it's genre. It made me fall in love with the classical music and its characters, it's beautiful and quiet love story.

This one is even worse than the average otome game reverse harem adaptation; even Kamigami No Asobi is doing a better job of keeping me interested this ... season.

The music is more like a background than something important to the characters even though it supposed to be the center of their lives. There are no memorable performances, nothing to really strike the chord. Even the ones that are supposed to be outstanding only make me want to push fast forward button.

The animation is poor, it's like the performer is a bad actor that pretends to play the instrument for the camera.

No character development or relationship development. Too many characters are introduced all at once and we only get a passing glance at them, but don't actually have the chance to get to know them and, as a consequence, start liking them. They are flat, cliché and not at all engaging.

The storyline is jumping ahead at the breakneck speed. It looks more like a collection of scraps from the different points of the timeline.

All in all, while I may have been a bit harsh some places, this is still nothing but a disappointment.

I must admit this anime was a bit of disappointment for me.

They started out really well, with a good dose of humor and a little bit of seriousness. And while relationship development was somewhat back and forth, it was still interesting.

Up until they abruptly ended it. Without any premise or conclusion. Just, 'Oh, well, let's make this episode the last one, whatever'.

It was a nice idea. Not terribly original, but still good. The story line was a little wonky, with all the "I love you, wait no I don't", but I didn't really notice it until after. It was funny and sometimes beautifully ... romantic. Really ruined only by the ending that wasn't there. At last for me.

That is not to say I disregard all the rest. No matter the ending, the show was really enjoyable and brought a smile to my face all the time.

Maybe we will have the second season that will put everything into place.

Boring. This is the only word I can describe this anime with.

Yes, it's reverse harem made from otome game, so you shouldn't expect much from it, but it fails even the lowest expectations.

The premise is nothing new, but it seems they haven't even tried to make something out of it. Even the bad guys are a common set (and not the best one) that you'd see in any other anime. We have an aloof five year old blonde girl that acts like she's fifty. Eye patch guy, megane guy with creepy attitude and a busty bombshell that everyone's drooling over. You can make a list ... of tropes out of it.

I saw a lot of reverse harem anime. No scratch that, I had a short period of being obsessed with them so I tried them all. There were really bad ones (Starry sky) and the ones I actually like very much (Hakouoki). Hiiro no kakera is just a bore, it's not bad, not good, there's simply nothing of interest.

And I really hated their use of 3D in making those forest spirits - looks seriously out of place.

I wasn't going to watch this. I mean, I got into anime not long ago and just the sheer number of episodes scared me off of that one. So I ignored it. It wasn't until recently, maybe a month ago, that Bleach got my attention.

Ok, then. I'll try this out, and just stop when it gets boring (estimating 50 episodes or so) - were my thoughts.

Yeah, right. Finished now, though I did skip all of the fillers while going through the main story-line. When that was finished, I got back to them, but still only Zanpakutou and Invading army arcs have been interesting ... enough to see through.

With this in mind and also the fact that I haven't even seen the manga until after the episode 363, this is my review.

So, the Story. I'd say 7/10 because while it kept my interest till the end, sometimes it felt repetitive. When you start watching you can be constantly surprised by this and that, but as the time goes you mostly can guess what's gonna happen. It didn't turn me off, but made me fast forward some of the scenes.
The whole concept is probably nothing new, but the fact doesn't make it less enjoyable. Sure you can say that it's cheesy, but it is a fantasy world, isn't it? It wouldn't be right without romantic heroes and evil overlords.

Art. 8/10. I don't know anything about whether the animation was good, or how well the action scenes were executed, but I liked it. The character design was a little awkward in the beginning, but it progressed nicely.

Sound. That's purely subjective. The Op's and Ed's were not to my taste. The OST was mostly spot on, but there were some moments that made me want to plug my ears. So, IMO 7/10, but it depend's on taste.

Characters. That's probably the best part of the anime. It was probably the first series that didn't have even one character that was really irritating.
Well, Orihime, almost got that one, but not entirely. She still had her good points and got annoying mostly closer to the end.
Ichigo is Mary Sue (or her male counterpart, whatever), but he's still sweet. Not sure what makes him so, but even him always being the one to save the day, doesn't make Mr. Strawberry any less likable.

The great part is how step by step we get a glimpse into the world of every character, getting to know and better understand their actions, to see how they become what they are now. And after that see them develop with every step they take. It did get annoying sometimes, because it really is each and every character, but was interesting anyway.

Overall? That was great and I already want to start over (probably gonna read the manga to quench that thirst).

It is sad that Bleach has ended, but it's also good to know when is the right time to go and not to drag something out just because.
I loved the finale - it was lighthearted and bright, with a little sadness.
Just what every story needs.