This show was one hell of a fun mess. It’s not bad, I can see why it’s got the cult following that it does. There’s some good stuff here, it’s just kind of buried under the load of shit it calls a story that it presents to you with absolutely no shame as if it’s that kid who shares a bit too much about themselves at school.
Its story at its best is nonsensical fun but constant deus ex machina after deus ex machina is the name of the game in a show where one of the major messages of the show can be summarized in just one quote from our lord and savior, Ace Ventura. The structure of the story is pretty simple to the point I almost wonder if this was a script someone wrote in high school. Our main leads being chased around from one action scene to the next, insert a shitty love triangle, and it builds to a climax with plot holes, plot conveniences, twists, and major gaps in logic even for this show’s standards. It’s lazy and it’s the show's biggest flaw. Nearly every rule the show has in its world is either flat-out ignored or broken in some way, shape, and form and melted down and put back together so it can be twisted into a pretzel to fit the story’s liking. Like how our main leads' powers are so weirdly specific and can almost change on a dime to fit the show's demands for what needs to be progressed. Even with all this bitching, and with how frustrating the story and its characters can be, it sure is one entertaining trash fire filled with shitty fireworks.
Just like the movie, the show excels in its quality of animation and soundtrack. God the music,
. It’s kind of a shame that an OST so beautiful, filled with orchestrated rhapsody, towering choir, a beautiful piano and violin led melodies to indicate a winding journey of love and heroism, is stuck here against its will, begging to be set free and used in a series that’ll actually make use of it. And while visually it’s not the same quality as the movies, I wasn’t expecting it to be, it’s an anime from 96’ and honestly this is better than I expected. I was expecting the same system shock I had going from the Slayers OVA’s and Movie’s to the Slayers TV series. When honestly, this shit still looks really good and holds up really well. Also, god damn man the directing is pretty phenomenal at points, being dynamic as all hell, artistic as shit, and helps bring the show's world to life thanks to the staff who we’re definitely underpaid for their work. I salute them.
click here to experience just how good the music is
I’d talk about the characters but aside from my new savior, Dilandau, I’d just continue to beat a dead horse at this point with the show's poor writing having characters act out of character for no real reason, our main leads' powers not following any sort of rules, revolutions within the story with no real meaning, etc. I think I’ll end it here with this. The series is carried beyond belief by its production outside of the writing staff. It’s thanks to its music and art direction and honestly pretty fun mech fights make it so that I can’t say I don’t think it’s worth a watch if you're interested.
