[Importing my old MAL review; March 10, 2017]

STORY:
Brave 10 is more concerned with looking cool than telling a decent story. I understand this is derived from a manga franchise, but as a standalone it's lacking. First, I don't connect to any of the characters because they are so flat. Saizou is the typical angsty, loner archetype while Isanami is the perky, clingy priestess girl. Cool. Let's actually build on that and not leave them flatter than a steamrolled pancake. I will give some slack because it’s probably hard to convey characters well in twelve episodes.

The episodes play out a bit like the monster-of-the-week format, but there's some decent plot development toward the end of the 12-episode run. Still, I find myself often asking “why is this person fighting that person?”

Also, I did like the actual significance of the Brave 10 a lot. It would have been too easy to assign cliché roles to the characters. Ah, but darkness is not who you think it is. wink

CHARACTERS:
The way this show goes about introducing characters leaves a bit to be desired.

Our main character, Saizou, is an ex-ninja who is afraid to fight for someone. The ninja world has left him jaded, so he’s something like a ronin. He was okay, but not much beyond "cool” and a bit hotheaded.

Isanami is bland, very bland like delicious syrup on hotdog bread instead of french toast. She’s like a shoujo lead because she gets kidnapped a lot, loves the first boy she sees, and wishes her breast were bigger. For some reason, even though there is no real development, I like her and Saizou together. Sometimes, I like cliché love. Still, I never felt a sense of urgency for her troubles.

Yukimura, I did not really get. There’s more to him than what meets the eyes, but I just did not really care. He’s a great leader, fighter, and an all-around funny guy.

Benmaru is a grating brat. Take your firebombs and go home, kid!

Anatasia, who is super busty strictly for fanservice reasons, is one of the most interesting characters. Her backstory is over-the-top, but she was somewhat cool. If there had been more episodes, I would have like to see more of her story instead of it being condensed in flashbacks.

Kamanosuke is annoying but very much wants to be loved.

I liked Sasuke a lot. He is shy, a forest boy, and an animal-lover. A little cinnamon-roll

Jinpachi, I know too little about. He likes alcohol and women, and he’s got some nice locs. Pretty handsome for a pirate!

ART:
The animation is so fluid that there aren't any wacky in-between shots. The fight scenes are cool but uncomfortably short and erratic. The characters’ designs are not to my liking, but the art style is great. I wish some of the color schemes were more imaginative. I think the characters could have undergone one more draft to fine-tune the designs. Still, I'm not complaining because I like Brave 10's art.

SOUND:
[Japanese Dub]
Isanami's voice is annoying. The End.

OVERALL:

[SCORE: 5/10 | 50% | Neutral Face :| ]

Did I like watching this show? Yeah, I did! But I had some disappointment such as how anticlimactic the final showdown was. I wasn’t familiar with Brave 10 before this, so that might have left me a bit biased.

If you can put up with “SAIZOU!” an infinite amount of times, and a story focused more on visuals than plot, then this show is for you!