Disclaimer: This is a SPOILER-FREE review of the first season of High School DxD. Rather than a review, this is meant to serve as an elongated personal impression. I bring up very subjective points and relate DxD to other anime, however, I hope you enjoy reading this nonetheless.

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High School DxD is notorious for its copious amounts of ecchi; however, lewd fanservice is not the only thing it can provide. It most certainly does not deliver a groundbreaking, revolutionary story, but it does deliver some good entertainment. Although it's not on par with Toaru, High School DxD will possibly go down in my book as one of my favorite battle harem series. Personally, I'm not a fan of most battle shounen, but I must say that High School DxD has some aspects that I love about them. Even though High School DxD is, in reality, an ecchi battle series, the anime adaptation holds much more than that.

The story of High School DxD is nothing complex, yet it is not extremely simple. It’s not something that will make you re-evaluate your life choices; after all, it is still an ecchi battle harem series. However, DxD does have its fair share of lore. I’m not saying that it contains elements that revolutionize the world of storytelling, and I cannot talk about the story too much without spoiling anything. In terms of the source material, High School DxD’s first season does not deviate from the light novel too much. For the average viewer, this should not matter. It might have added some bits and removed others, but that does not take away from the enjoyment factor. Fights in this anime are also a joy to watch. It may not be ufotable quality, but it most certainly isn’t bad. The pacing in this anime is just right. It's not like High School DxD starts with Issei hanging out with his friends and then the next episode he's the ultimate being squaring up with God or something like that.

The characters in this show fit into tropes and it is very apparent. Tropes in anime are definitely not a bad thing; in fact, they are most certainly welcomed in my book. But, people have different tastes so they may not be enjoyable. First off, I want to talk about Issei Hyoudou, our main protagonist. I’m sure many teenagers have had their own “Issei” stage in their life. You know what I’m talking about… the stage where all one can think about is the body of the opposite sex. Issei Hyoudou has that vibe of your average perverted high-schooler with a generic shounen protagonist thrown into the mix. However, when I say generic shounen protagonist, I don’t mean the, “I’m going to fight things for absolutely no reason!” kind of shounen protagonist. The point is, Issei is somewhat likable due to his moderately relatable character. Along with the main character, the main heroines of the series are also pretty likable in my opinion. After all, what is a harem without its heroines? I won’t talk about them too much, but I will say that they do fit into stereotypical anime archetypes. For example, Rias and Akeno both fit the older sister archetype, Asia fits the younger sister archetype, and Koneko fits the “kuudere” archetype. Personally, my favorite character was Asia Argento due to her role in the story. The point is, the characters aren’t dull, but they are not vibrant. Furthermore, I’d like to talk about the voice actors. In my opinion, the voice actors in this show did a great job at their respective roles, especially Yuuki Kaji’s performance as Issei Hyoudou. At first, I didn’t think his voice fit the character, but it grew on me fast. His performance really sells Issei Hyoudou’s character. Also, the character design in this show is also nice. For instance, I really like how Yuuto Kiba looks in the ending sequence.

Speaking of Kiba in the ending, I’d like to take my time to talk about High School DxD’s infamous ending. It may be an overstatement, but the visuals of the ending sequence are astounding. The animation itself flows extremely well, and it glues my eyes to the screen like hypnosis. It’s mesmerizing. I’m not saying this because of the lecherous visuals, it just flows extremely well with the combination of the song. The ending song itself is, in my opinion, a great song. Both the ending visuals and the song itself can stand on their own. I understand that this does not add to the overall plot of High School DxD, but it surely adds some points to the adaptation.

Along with the ending sequence, the soundtrack and opening sequence are joys to the ears. I’m very glad that I have the ability to hear in order to listen to this soundtrack. It’s not a Kevin Penkin or Sawano Hiroyuki masterpiece, but the soundtrack is splendid. The way everything in the soundtrack is orchestrated is beautiful in my opinion. For example, the main combat theme 「Utsukushiku, Akai」features a violin that gives off majestic vibes; attacking the ears with flurries of alluring melodies. The soundtrack itself is one of my favorite things about the show. Also, the opening sequence is great; it’s one of those openings that I would listen to in my spare time. I don’t know how I would explain the opening song in text, so I'll leave this nice song here.

High School DxD’s ecchi factor is most likely the reason why many people came to watch this show. When the term “ecchi anime” pops up, chances are that High School DxD pops up in some people’s heads. While DxD does contain heavy ecchi elements, breasts are not shoved in the viewer’s face every ten seconds (at least in season one). However, it does have lewd moments in scenes that do not need it. The ecchi factor in this anime is not extremely overbearing, but it is not subtle.

In general, High School DxD is an enjoyable experience. I recommend it for fans of ecchi, harem, and action. While DxD’s action and ecchi balance may not be the best in the world, it most certainly isn’t the worst. The characters and the soundtrack are the stars of the show, and I would totally rewatch the first season for them alone. While the series is enjoyable, it isn’t exactly groundbreaking. So, I give High School DxD a:

7.5/10, kuma!

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