vonroy-kun

The animation quality was really good for the first few eps but that was about it. When it comes to the story, it never really does anything new. The best description I could give the series is that it's "baby's first shounen". Any new anime fan would love this series but as someone who has watched his fair share of shounen, it just doesn't hit for me. Not to mention the villains which admittedly don't have a lot of sauce due to some of their actions unfortunately not being as graphic as they could've been. Will himself is a pretty heroic person and he doesn'treally have a lot of flaws. He has some intrusive thoughts leak out here and there but it's not big enough to make a dent in his character.

Marinate1016

Have you ever imagined what Black Clover with consistently good animation would be like? Well, look no further. Wistoria:Sword and Magic is unapologetically inspired by the popular Jump series and Oomori’s other work Danmachi. It’s an underdog story featuring a protagonist who has all the odds stacked against him and finds a way to persevere, refusing to settle or compromise on his ambitions. Everyone loves a good underdog story and this is one of the best ones you’ll see. If you liked the idea of Black Clover, but maybe couldn’t get into Asta screaming so much at the start or the God awful production valuesfrom Pierrot for most of the season, Wistoria is a great option. Conversely, if like me you loved Black Clover and Danmachi and just want more of both of those worlds mixed together with great characters and amazing fights, this is the way to go. Wistoria’s episode 1 is hands down one of the best episodes of anime I’ve ever seen. Directed by Yoshihara Tatsuya who worked on you guessed it, Black Clover, it is truly a feast for the eyes and a visual spectacle that perfectly sets up the magic and wonder of this world and makes you want more. Wistoria takes place in a world where magic is everything and those without it are looked down upon. Will’s journey to follow after his childhood friend and ascend the tower as a magia vander is compelling and you can’t help but root for him in the face of all the discrimination he endures. As usual in these sorts of shows, the MC gets bullied at the start and then ends up saving everyone who doubted him’s asses and that trope will never get old to me. The idea that people treat you poorly and look down on you just for being different and then next thing you know, they need your help. Will and other MC’s are better than I because I’d have left all of them to die in those dungeons, but I digress. Will is an incredibly kind person, at times to his detriment but he’s faithful to his values and determined to get to his friend’s side at the top of the magical world. There’s the obvious Black Clover and Danmachi shades, but Wistoria also has a lot in common with another of my faves, Nanatsuma or reign of the seven Spellblades. Taking place in a magical school with a dungeon underneath where students often go to explore and push themselves, underdog MC, emphasis on the importance of teamwork, etc. When watching this I couldn’t help but wonder how Nanatsuma would’ve faired with this sort of animation quality. The studio really did bring this magical world alive and make you want to know more and more about it each week. A big part of the appeal of this show is how good the animation is and it really is great. the action scenes all have film quality, they’re fluid, weighty and convey the sheer scale of power that’s used in this world. Episodes 1, 5 and 11 being my favourites with 11 being on par with 1 if not surpassing it thanks to the incredible OST. The standard art and designs of the show also look great though. Even when characters are just hanging out and doing mundane stuff it feels like you’re watching a movie. Staff did an incredible job here and I can’t wait for the second season. Wistoria’s not the most original story, like I said it’s got shades of a few existing shows, but it frankly looks and handles a lot better than them which gives it an advantage. Let’s face it. This is ANIME, so animation quality is just as important as storytelling in this medium. Artistically, this is one of the best shows of the year and pushes the envelope on what we can expect from seasonal adaptations. Even with that though, I like the story as well, generic as it may be. Will, Colette, Sion and the others grew on me a lot as the season went on and by the end I found myself desperately wanting to know more about the antagonists and who was behind certain events in the show. It’s definitely got a lot of story left to tell and I’m looking forward to season 2! Wistoria gets 9 wands out of 10.