In general, I do not understand why the story had so many subplots that added nothing to it overall. Focusing on its most interesting plot would have spared us most of the shallowness, clichés, and bad writing that resulted from this blundering change in narrative.
Instead of getting to experience an ending that would be equally great we were led into alleys and dead ends that were resolved by deus ex machina: 4.5/10
The rest of the cast consists of Hiro, who usually manages to come through in the end against all odds and hardships, the bossy and meddlesome Ichigo, and a bunch of fillers who were needed for the story but are ultimately not worth mentioning or remembering when we look at how careless the story was treated overall and in the end.
I also disliked how weak the children (that's how our group is addressed by others) behaved when they met with adversity. I understand that they were quite naïve as they were kept in the dark on purpose about many things, and even were duped, but the magnitude of their helplessness and the impotence displayed by the group, notably with social interactions but also with independent thinking, was seriously infuriating.
While all that may have been so by design, I cannot perceive it as a success when the final result was frustration. This also had the effect that clashes and fights within the group lacked credibility, and with no plausibility for them, the drama was often murdered before it managed to take its very first breath: 5.5/10
Other points where the anime excelled were close-up expressions and emotions: Visual quality made a big jump whenever a close-up was on display. Scenes with wider areas or less zoom, though, made the lack of details apparent.
The design of the mechas was unique. Some people rejected the looks strongly while others liked their warm faces and eyes. I felt neither the first nor the latter, and they did not impress me either way, but some mechas were rather bad-looking.
The enemies and monsters, however, with their primitive shapes, forms, and colors, made me think of a different anime: Kemono Friends, which is not flattering: 6.5/10
The opening song has become a favorite and I’m praising it at least just as much. Kiss of Death, its name, was produced by Hyde (a legend of the Japanese rock scene) and performed by Mika Nakashima, a name that may sound familiar to some. It was no coincidence that great things came to be when these two reunited.
The ending song, though not on the same level, manages to keep the quality high, and it is worth mentioning that it was performed by the entire female cast: 8/10
Enjoyment
I enjoyed it a lot in the first half and resolved to ignore what bothered me for the sake of what I already had seen, but had I known where everything was going...: 5.5/10
