Let me introduce you to the classless show. Straight-forward, no nonsense plot, getting the job done without the slightest bit of finesse or intricacy. Yeah! I’m here for It.
This show is an adventure built for short binge sessions. I completed it in 4 sessions and I definitely recommend it to fantasy enthusiasts. It’s slightly nostalgic with it’s lack of regard for the modern sensibilities, which I couldn’t help but crack a smile. Oh and when I heard you heard some of the backing music they chose for the fights, I was overflowing with goosebumps. I thought I had something open in the background, it sounded straight out GBA/DS Era Pokémon games. As for the OP/ED they sound familiar but they’re a blast all the same. The soundtrack by Kent Asahina who also did "Notorious Talker" From last year as well as the recent LOTR "The War of the Rohirrim".
Action, brawling, scuffling of an assorted kind, yeah, we’ve got it. His weakness at the start sets up some very interesting and insightful fight choreography adding a sense of realism in skirmishes. As is the case in fantasy, the MC will get stronger. Does the fighting get stronger? We reach an impass. The combat in the second half is struggles to be as delightful. It’s all too quick, too easy and lacking meaningful in-fight mechanics and strategy. Yes, I know being powerful is the point of these shows, but it was a little disappointing. Explanation of the magic or power-system is always a challenge for this kind of show. I will say they passed the test, but they can’t be proud of this. They will give you an ongoing lesson about the power mechanics, the problem is you’re being taught a picture book. It’s great that it’s so easy to understand, but it blunted the potential that it seemed the author was capable of.
Blah Blah, “slop”, blah blah “animation bad”, blah blah “generic”, I’m sick of these common complaints…. But you’re here aren’t you, how are you here every season if you hate it so much? It’s Studio A-CAT we know what we’re in for when it comes to the production values of this show, it does the job. Yes, There are some less appealing sequences and drawn areas that fall short of the wildly delusional expectation of the masses. Those road-bumps in the production seldom ruined the show or caused me to lose immersion. The standard set was mostly adhered to.
As for the story it’s keeps itself quite clean and admirably very mature most of the time. It takes care to pre-empt when when it’s switching to a comedic tone and honestly I laughed quite a lot, however there are a few times it takes you by surprise. They take good care of the characters we’re introduced to, giving them reasonable and ample time to grow. The ideals of from the hearts of the characters we’re exposed to initially are somewhat realized. The show makes good on its promises and is quite wise and tactful about the main characters I didn’t feel that any of the main cast were left hanging, they made good use of many small elements of the initial premise. I will say we were due more intersexual development here and whilst the sparks were there, they never truly lit the flame. You actually like the characters and for the most part the dialogue fits nicely.
The plot however, I understand the complaints. The people want a grander goal, stakes that shake them to the core but the show rejects their pleas and opts to go with the flow. It’s an uninspiring 3 phase plot, transitioning between them like a power-point slide, it’s utterly “classless”. It presents as a deceitful rib of meat and you’re just wishing you didn’t say no when they offered you the other piece, It’s mostly bone. Everyone’s kind of just chilling, stuff kind of just happens, then there’s some moments of magic and then we’re back to chilling. We’re lacking existential threats and because of that they’re reciting the industrial “jealousy-strife-manipulation’’ tales, to enable fights with big bad monsters. It’s played out, but I will admit it’s still enjoyable. There are techniques to do shows like this which don’t start with a world-ending crisis but the methods here left a lot to be desired.
A bird’s eye view of the character situation depicts a grand canyon divide between main and side characters. The main characters do everything in the show leaving mere scraps for the side characters. I will say, It does feel like the world is real but once the MC enters the scene, the boss music starts playing and anyone who isn’t part of the main gang becomes rather inanimate. It’s quite the loud dissonance and it somewhat relegates the experience from being truly good. This divide expands to the greater world, it’s rather myopic in the nature of the story telling. It’s practically a first person experience which is immersive but there’s a lot of the environment around the MC that just wasn’t explored. What we are exposed to is amply pleasant. After finishing it, recalling the chain of events, my brain generates a world that is mostly his home, his destination and the road to that destination. It feels like the moment he diverts from the path and attempts to enter the woods, he would meet an invisible wall, or peharps he would glitch off the map into the pitch-black unknown. To give them props, It’s a clean and inoffensive strategy to write the story but it rarely gets people invested into the piece. This is clearly a fantasy world but much of our fan-favourite fantastical elements were left on the bench this game.
Although many bask in mediocrity of the finale, in my opinion, whilst unsatisfying it isn’t so pronounced a flaw. At least it’s somewhat all tied up, which may spell disaster for a second instalment. I haven’t familiarized myself with the source yet, though I do hope for more.
I Recommend to enthusiasts. For less picky seasonal scrappers like myself, this is a good watch and for those more advanced of mind it’s completely inoffensive whilst staying fun.
