An Unexpected Joy
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Despite what you may or may not have heard, this show is a hidden gem. An unpopular manga with a very interesting adaptation. There is much to unpack and think through as this show is worth talking about. While this will be a spoiler-free review, please feel free to skip to the
Tl;Dr if you wish to go into the series completely blind. Now, let's take a trip into the demon world.
A Casual Comedy
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This is the story of an otaku trying to live their dream... no, seriously. Blood Lad follows the tales of a demon world territory boss, Staz, as he ventures to revive an unexpected individual after a human girl gets killed. One of Staz's biggest dreams has been to go to Japan and truly experience the Japanese culture that he loves so much. That's when he discovers that a human has ended up in his world and wishes to learn more about her in an attempt to get to know things about life in Japan; then, she gets herself killed. With this story, the animation was unexpectedly amazing. While it is what would be considered "a little older" now by some people, it gives a newish kind of feel with its beautiful use of contrast between light and dark colors. That being said, let's actually breakdown the good and bad of this casual comedy show.
Great Concept, Interesting Execution
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A strength of this show lies within its concept- its plot. What I loved and what others should love is the fact that this story follows a weeb. A vampire weeb no less, who's trying to keep a promise he made to someone who piqued his interests. To me, the overview of the show speaks for itself and seems pretty straightforward, however, that's just what they want you to think. This story, while it starts that way, goes in a direction nobody could expect; and in a good way as well. You meet so many cool and funny characters who are very important to the story that lead to info on Staz and where he comes from while also seeing these characters grow with each battle of struggle they incur. I believe the way the story went couldn't have been done by just anyone and in such a creative way where a cliffhanger at the end successfully leaves fans wanting so much more.
Not Long Enough
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While many stories try, they fail to develop characters in such a short amount of episodes. With this show only lasting 10, I'd say it did a fairly decent job at opening a doorway to the hearts and minds of Staz and Fuyumi as well as some of the other characters. But, while that did happen, only so much can be said in 10 episodes and no second season in sight. Other than that... there were a few characters that still had holes in their stories and reasonings behind doing what they do that also went unanswered. This story is heavily incomplete and that's where the show is lacking because it started but wasn't finished.
Tl;Dr
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Overall, Blood Lad was really funny and unexpectedly good. I had heard nothing but mid-reviews in regards to the manga but almost nothing about the anime, so I gave it a shot. Who would've thought this show would have me "tickled pink" as they say. I was pleasantly surprised to learn the anime was actually good, with it's inviting art style and interesting characters with plenty of witty banter to go around. I truly encourage those who've read the manga (or who've not), to watch this and really allow the show to sink into your mind. The comedy wasn't forced and the fanservice wasn't too bad which are all good things so I say, give it a shot!
~8/10
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Alrighty folks, that's a wrap! I hope this review helped some of you all get a good sense of the show. Thank you for reading and do consider checking out my other
reviews.
