Ikuaya

So I just finished this show today, and I am going to give you guys (and girls) a rating for each aspect of the show, and then I will give an overall review at the bottom. Story: 8 The story was quite enticing, and it always left me wondering what would happen next, and it always stayed true to the main character's goal, Raishin, fighting along side his partner, Yaya. There were really no filler episodes, as each episode had some sort of meaning or foreshadowing that led into future episodes. There was also a lot of action, and the fighting scenes were very well done andportrayed Raishin's abilities very well. Art: 9 Not much to say here, I just loved the art in the show. It looked very new and refined, the colors were very good, but the only issue I would have is that the "3D" look of the dragon, Sigmund, got a little funky sometimes, but it wasn't a huge issue. Very good, better than expected and looked very new. Sound: 8 The sounds were amazing in this show. It had it's own effect for each puppet/character, and it gave the show and the characters a really unique feel. Sometimes there would be parts in fights where there was minimal sound with a lot going on, but it was made up for with lots of other fighting sounds in other fighting scenes, along with regular sounds in just normal scenes. Character: 8 Mainly all of the characters were very well developed, and each character had their own unique sense to display who they really were. We got a lot of backstory on all of the main characters like Charl, Frey, Henri, partly Yaya, and a good amount of Raishin. My only complaint would be that I wish there was more backstory on Raishin, because even though his background DOES affect the plot quite a bit, I wish we got to see more about it other than this one specific scene that happens a few times over. Not a major thing though, as it still made his character very well developed. I won't go into too much detail about each character as I don't want to risk spoiling or ruining the experience for anyone. However, I CAN say that it is a someone romance/harem kind of aspect a good amount of the times that aren't during fights. It doesn't ruin the show for me, honestly, because it is made up with the main character not wanting to be a part of a harem, and also with all the fighting scenes and the main characters insane brains to get himself out of any situation. Enjoyment: 8 I really enjoyed watching every episode. There were no fillers, so you can watch each episode with reassurance that at least SOMETHING that happens will eventually be brought up in the next episode. I really loved all the characters, especially Yaya, and they just made the show that much funnier and more action packed. Overall: 8 Overall, this show was a very fun show to watch. Every episode had some meaning to the plot, it always had lots of funny moments, but it knew how to transition to action and more serious scenes quite well. The show really stood out to me, as it was quite different from other shows I've seen, and it really was a blast to watch. I loved watching each character interact with each other, some jealous, some more Tsundere, along with all the plot and development. In the end, it all came together for an amazing show that I REALLY hope will turn into a season 2. Fantastic show, I would definitely recommend watching it if you are into: A powerful main character (not OP), a romance/harem (not what the story is mainly about, but still present quite often), a whole bunch of unique characters, and comedy that happens all over the place. **Thank you for reading my review, and let me know if there was anything I could have done better, this is my very first review!

Zelot

I'm a benevolent and tolerant guy, but there are three things I simply can't stand... People who order me around People who oppose me, and... A complicated plot that is in need of more explanation! Story: 5 The main character, Raishin, is on a quest to revenge his family and kill the person who wiped out his clan. We join him as he enters a school of some sort and his adventures as he helps out fellow students in trouble. The problem with the story is that they left out small details that either would have helped explained certain plot holes (Such as why Yaya had toturn off her invisibility) or complicated arcs such as the Loki and Frey arc. Both Cher's arc and the Loki and Frey arc both involved types of politics and relationships that weren't fully explained and left me clueless on why Raishin was helping. The pacing for the series was also fast, the time frame of what was a couple of days to what was a couple of minutes are never shown right, and when combined with the lack of knowledge led this story into a train wreck. Art: 8 The art was very good. The scenery looked nice along with character designs. I loved how the characters would look when they faced left or right. The use of CG for this series allowed for smooth animation on almost everything, except for certain action scenes (This is the opposite of what Ars Nova did with CG) Action scenes weren't bad, but there were times in where character movement and animation did not look as well as other parts of fight scenes. A great example would be the fight with Loki, as certain scenes had Yaya and Cheribum looking epic, but other scenes were very confusing. If they slowed down the fight scene and didn't use as many different angles when showing the fight scene, this problem would be solved. Sound: 10+ Anicca, the OP is a great set up for the series. The song has a very soft start and leads to a metal guitar riff. What more could help set up the plot where puppeteers use puppets to fight each other, since most puppets are machine like. The ED is by far the best ED to come from the fall season, Maware! Setsugetsuka. It may be because I have a soft spot for traditional Asian themed songs, but this song is cheerful with a very catchy beat. The ED alone awarded this series a 10 in sound. Background music was there to fit the mood, no complaints. Character: 9 A place where this anime shines is in the characters. All the characters looked amazing as well as had interesting personalities. One of the few things I did get from the story was enough history for each character to have them be memorable. Some of the best characters include; Yaya, the comedic yandere, Loki, the rival who hates more than three things, Frey, the girl with a small personality but a set of big brea... I'll stop. These characters were very humorous and enjoyable to watch. What about character development? There is none that I noticed in the series, maybe small amounts when it comes to Frey and Loki, but nothing involving the main characters. Is this a problem? I will answer with another question, why change characters that were excellent to begin with? Raishin and Yaya are blessed to be amazing characters from the very start and did not need character development. Enjoyment: 6 Although the sound and characters were amazing, the story left me so clueless that I was partially bored during all the serious scenes and most of the action scenes. Also, what was Raishin's power involving Yaya? Were they all different buffs or allowed different abilities involving Yaya? I wish they had explained that, as it would have led to less confusing during the fight scenes. Being ignorant of ones ability that is used a lot doesn't make for great fight scenes. Overall: 7 This anime had my head do what the ED's chorus says, maware (Spin). With such great sound and art, even great characters, the story was too poorly put together to enjoy all the other things this series did right. Hopeful for a great season two.