It won't disappoint you.

Written by ShadowsCall on February 15, 2011 at 4:32 AM

I have mixed feelings about this anime. There are some features that are incredibly over played: Good-hearted hero with creature side-kick, cranky frenemy who is cold yet bad ass, female who is pretty yet strong and a possible love interest for aforementioned hero. These by no means are presented in a way that leave you feeling as though you've watched this series before, or bored of the set up. The plot is fresh to even this most jaded fan, with an average amount of moments that one could see coming and a pleasant sprinkling of surprise to keep the viewer interested. Like most anime, you can tell when the artists switch off with others, as some episodes are more beautifully animated than others, but not jarringly so. The characters, right down to the enemies, are hard to dislike. There's something for everyone amongst them, and each is created in a way that even if they aren't all that likable, it doesn't fill the viewer with a broiling hate or annoy the bumps off a log.

The draw back? It isn't as good as the manga. Most anime fans are used to that. Should we be?

Honestly, I'm sure the differences wouldn't be more than a small annoyance to most. I was so infatuated with Lenalee not being another mold cast that anime seems to be fond of setting for women. (Shy girl with glasses, blonde and ditzy, hot tempered and violent yet lovable somehow, blindingly cheerful an innocent, ect ect.) Blind fan service for girls that use her as a self insert or Mary-Sue type and act out their need to be blindingly awesome so boys fall at their feet. While each occurrence seems small, they continually add up to stint Allen's growth as a character and ends with him looking foolish and wimpier. Saving him here, butting in on a mission there; it feels as though the producers wished she was the lead character.