Rokka no Yuusha

Okay, now this was a really good show. And I mean REALLY good. Not objectively flawless (what anime is?), but tremendously enjoyable and definitely addictive.

It starts off as more of an action series, with the main mystery only really being introduced around a third of the way through. Although the series does change tone quite a lot once the mystery is introduced, if you liked the beginning few episodes chances are you’ll like the rest. On the other hand, if you didn’t like the first few episodes, give it a few more – up till about ep 6 - before deciding one way or the other. You might be surprised.

The setting was really unusual, what with the Aztec theme and everything. It gave a unique feel to the show, and was altogether a nice change. There wasn’t much world building that wasn’t directly related to the Braves. I wouldn’t have minded a bit more exposition, but it could easily have just become useless filler, so I’m basically glad they stuck to the parts they did.

Whilst the story had some generic elements to it, there were a few twists that gave it more depth – the idea of the recurring 6 braves, the saints, the fiend culture and their relationship with humans. The whole way magic was portrayed in this show was unique and interesting.

The characters were probably one of my favourite parts of this anime. The MC, Adlet, was exactly the type of character I can’t stand in most anime. However here I thought he was brilliant. His characteristics were just done right. Appropriate backstory, and only brought in when necessary. His backstory actually added a lot, explained his character, and was quite interesting. it didn’t feel like filler when brought in. He was also a character who was consistent in his personality traits, but mature enough to recognise his faults and overcome them. Above all, he wasn’t a hypocrite. He practiced what he preached, and I think that’s why I liked him so much, despite being fed up of hearing the words ‘strongest man in the world’ which he seemed to use every time he spoke.

Fremy was also an excellent character. Her development was lovely to watch, and quite emotional at times too. Her backstory was fascinating, and, like Adlet’s, brought in at exactly the right time. I actually didn’t like her much initially, but by the end of the series she had completely won me over.

Most of the other major characters were developed decently. Hans’ character in particular was fascinating, and I looked forward to every time he came on screen. Nachetanya and Mora could have done with a bit more time spent on their backstories, but the only one who really needed some more depth to them was Goldov. He was the only one dimensional brave, and as a result the only one I couldn’t have cared less about throughout the series.

The mystery next. Some might call it slow paced, but I think the pacing was perfect. Each part of the mystery is explained in enough depth for the viewer to understand, but without going into every little detail. The anime managed to keep the suspense up throughout – you really are guessing who the 7th is right until the end. And it doesn’t contradict itself either, there are a lot of little hints hidden along the way but you can only put them together one you have enough info to understand what they meant in hindsight. It’s clever. I do think that at one point very near the end there was just a little too much coincidence at play, it was more like the screenwriters said ‘Oh hey! We’re nearly finished, and they haven’t got anywhere near close to solving it yet! Let’s just give the characters an epiphany!’ That part needed to have been drawn out more, although not at the expense of any of the other scenes. The anime really needed more than 12 episodes to get everything in properly.

As for the art and animation, they were great. Lots of vibrant colours, which then darkened as the mood became grimmer. The way the op changed throughout the series was a nice touch, and fitting. The character designs were fine, although none of the animal characteristics were explained for anyone besides Hans. (I’m a bit curious about this. Maybe the light novel explains it?) The action scenes were mostly marvellous. Really well animated – well, except for the CGI attacks, some of which quite frankly looked poor. Especially Mora’s. A few CGI scenes didn’t make much difference overall though. The sound was good, no complaints on that front.

Minor bugbear: Flemy’s outfit. There doesn’t seem to be excessive fanservice in this show or anything, so I’m not taking a point off, but dressing her like that didn’t add anything whatsoever to the show. Whatever. Moving on.

The ending was slightly disappointing, it felt rushed compared to the rest of the series, and I know I for one could have done with some more explanation on a couple of the events. Hope there’s a second season, I’m anxious to see how the rest of their adventure unfolds.

Overall: A great watch. A few parts that felt rushed, but on the whole really enjoyable and entertaining. I’d recommend if you like whodunit mysteries, anime with good action, or adventure series. XD