Classroom of the Elite Review

Classroom of the Elite Review

Warning: The following review may/will contain spoilers of the series Classroom of the Elite. If you wish to stay clear of what happens in the show's story, please exit the tab, and join me once you've watched said show. Or, you know, you can take that warning with a grain of salt, and still read on anyway. Whatever floats your boat.

Anyways, with that said, thank you, and onto the review:

I've mentioned this fact somewhere in my reviews (probably back when I first started), but aside from being a fan of anime, I'm also a fan of reading and books. It started with comics, graphic novels, and the shortest of chapter books when I was young, but I never really appreciated the hobby as a whole until I started reading young adult chapter books in my free time and not just for school. Divergent is what started it all, but has since expanded to a TON of novels.

I'm more interested in contemporary books nowadays (the ones that exist in our world and are more realistic), but my heart always has a soft spot for futuristic stories. Even though some of them are cookie-cutter and don't go beyond the checklist on how to make this kind of narrative, there are some good ones out there, whether in anime or books. That's where this show fits in.

Before starting Classroom of the Elite, I thought it was going to be the snarkiest thing I had ever watched. With the premise and the two leads' personalities in mind, the idea for a Wataru Watari and Mari Okada crossover did come to mind. After all, these two are prolific in making unlikable characters who bad-mouth literally everyone who walks into their lives.

Either way, I was interested to see where this show would lead. With many leaving with mixed reactions, I was hoping to land on the positive side of things. After all, I try to be optimistic in a form of media unless it's promised to be absolute trash. So, what'd I get?

Well, I didn't get what I was expecting in terms of tone. Classroom of the Elite wasn't a sheer snark-fest. Rather, it investigated its school and students with a keen eye, moving like a novel (which is ironic, considering the source material for this show is light novels), building up interest, developing most of its core cast (also strange), having great animation, a dope OST, good voice acting, and being an enjoyable series to binge in a little over a week. Yes, four day weekends did prove to be useful again. Thanks, school district!

I still wished that one element didn't intrude into the series as much (pointless fanservice), because that way, this would have been perfect. Alas, we don't always get what we want. This is a LN adaptation after all. We're used to this kind of stuff. Other than that, though, this was surprisingly great.

Let's talk about the story:

Story

In a not so distant future, the Japanese government has developed the Tokyo Metropolitan Advanced Nurturing School. The school is dedicated to training the future leaders of Japan with high education and ample job opportunities. However, what they don't tell you on the tin is that the school is divided into four classes, all letter-ranked, from A to D. A has the best performing and behaved teens, and D has the students who behave badly and perform lower than average. If a student also has a weakness in their personality, yeah, no A for you.

At the start of a new school year, students fill the Tokyo Metropolitan Advanced Nurturing School's halls, one being Kiyotaka Ayanokoji, an emotionless soul who doesn't seem to react to a whole lot. He is put into Class D, along with Suzune Horikita, an ice queen, Kikyo Kushida, a happy soul who could be hiding dark desires. and other students who range from a shy photographer, an aspiring pro basketball player, and slackers.

At the beginning of April, their homeroom teacher, Mrs. Chabashira, allots them 100,000 points to use at local stores, where they can get extra essentials for their stay as long as they use them wisely. They are promised a new set of 100,000 per month, but when May rolls around and those aren't distributed, it's revealed that the students were being watched all along. With high cell phone usage in class, slacking off, low test scores, and breezing through their points on average, Class D proved their name all right.

But it's not all bad news. As long as Class D improves on their exams, they will be able to outplace Class C, and could eventually go on to hit Class A. But there's a catch: anyone who fails the next test will be expelled. With that warning in mind, they're left to deal with this shocking news.

Believing she has been placed in Class D by mistake, Suzune decides to recruit Kiyotaka to help her raise Class D so that she can worm her way up to Class A. As one student from Class D is almost expelled twice, we as viewers get a more expansive look at the school's hierarchy, and as some students are shown not to be dangerous, others are. When a "fun vacation" on a cruise ship turns out to plop everyone on a island for an annual Survive in the Wilderness test, it's anyone's game. Will Class D manage to rise from the ashes and show that they are not completely useless? Or will plotting get in the way?

This show's plot really surprised me. It flowed seamlessly like reading a book, each episode feeling like a chapter in a big story. Again, it's ironic, considering the source material, but even though I've watched other LN-based adaptations (plus read a few of them from series I've watched in the past, courtesy of Yen Press), this is the one where it feels like a novel the most. Everything fits together very well, the pace is perfect, the content is engaging enough that I don't see a lot of people becoming bored with it (outside of the pool episode), and I just enjoyed watching it. It's clear the original writer (Shougo Kinugasa) put a lot of thought into this world, and the adapters put a lot of effort into creating it for the screen. It's a win-win scenario.

We get a glimpse into each class of the school, and they're all equally fascinating. From Class A's head imbalance, to Class B's steadiness, to Class C's mafia-like run, and to Class D's seemingly normal structure, we get to see the students interacting outside of their classrooms and I liked it a lot. No one's a hero, but there are very few villains; it's clear that the main adversary is the head of Class C, Ryuuen, but seeing how the students have their own secrets is pretty cool and I like how they're not just limited to Class D.

Granted, I could have done without all of the pointless fanservice, because there was a lot of it, such as a plot to peep into the girl's locker room when the classes all go to the pool (because of course), and someone stealing a pair of panties from a girl's bag during the survival test (because of course, though we never find out who did that in the chaos of everything else), but I shouldn't have expected that to go away. It's a light novel series published towards men, after all; there has to be some action to reel them in outside of the story, which is far more interesting.

The cherry on top of the milkshake is Ayanokoji himself. When the series starts, he appears to be secretive and emotionless, but more questions are raised as the series goes on. Why does he not like the spotlight? Why does he seem to get the same results on his tests? Why does he work with Suzune with no objections? And more importantly, what happened to him in the past that made him this way?

So many questions, and this show does an amazing job at slipping details in that leave you wanting more. It's not a full circle like some will want, but it's satisfying enough that you'll get some answers/make some assumptions about why Ayanokoji acts the way he does. You may even find out his motivation!

Enough hints? All right, time to go on to:

Characters

In the recent reviews I've done (unless it's a harem), I've done a good job at keeping my character limit consistent, which is six. Considering that I want to touch upon the three leads, along with characters that managed to get a good chuck of focus placed on them, it seems that lucky number will come back again.

Boy, are there a lot of good ones. While some will be developed thoroughly later down the line, we got to see various characters that other series wouldn't even bother touching. Yes, they even go beyond specific tropes. WHAT IS THIS SHOW? Not like most, that's what.

Let's first talk about our leading man, Ayanokoji:

Unmotivated to do anything and typically blank-faced, Ayanokoji doesn't communicate well with others. He's also a pretty mediocre student, hence why he was placed in Class D to begin with. You may just write him off now, but I wouldn't do that. There's more to this guy than meets the eye.

For starters, despite being a blah student, there's a pattern to these scores: the number 50. As in, he seems to get 50 out of 100 every time he does a test. Now you may think that's strange, or brush it off as a coincidence, but then it gets stranger.

Ayanokoji also seems to be an excellent mastermind, coming up with plans that are pitch-perfect in their thought process and execution,. allowing others (mainly Suzune) to help with them, and slinking back into the shadows so they can take the credit. "I don't want the attention," he claims. "It's too unnerving."

But how can Ayanokoji bend the school rules so well, why is his body defined more if he claims he didn't do sports as a kid (aside from just going through puberty), why is Mrs. Chabashira asking Suzune to be on guard around him, and what's with the flashbacks? Who exactly is Ayanokoji, and how he is so damn perfect at being a mastermind?

One characters comes to mind when other viewers have talked about Ayanokoji, that being Hachiman from My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU, which I reviewed three years ago (at least the first season). Both of them are pretty deadpan and don't take anything seriously, yet while I like both, I personally find Ayanokoji more interesting. After all, this show was more entertaining as a whole, plus was futuristic. Guilty pleasures incoming!

But back to the man of the hour, this is probably the most developed main character I've seen this year in anime. Heine had his backstory, but Ayanokoji is like a matryoshka doll. HE'S GOT LAYERS UPON LAYERS OF DEPTH! KINUGASA PLAYED NO GAMES! It's incredibly fascinating to see Ayanokoji interact with others as the show goes on, and getting little sneak peaks on his upbringing was a real treat. It's made clear that he's in Class D for a reason, despite having the power to be in Class A if only he allowed himself to. I wonder why?

I don't want to spoil too much, but let's just say that a inner monologue said in the final episode made me giddy with glee.

IF YOU SEE HOW WELL HE BROUGHT THAT OUTDOOR SURVIVAL GAME TO ITS KNEES, THEN YOU'LL UNDERSTAND MY POINT! THIS MINDF**K TRAIN'S GOT NO BRAKES!

Can we have more MC's like this, please? You know, the ones who aren't bland or perverts or both and actually have common sense rather than being as satisfying as paste? Because Ayanokoji is a total boss, and these are the LN boys I LIKE TO SEE!

Moving on to Suzune:

Suzune is Class D's local ice queen, unfriendly and aloof. While she does bond with Ayanokoji (they have similar dispositions), she would rather meet him alone if trying to discuss something. This is the reason why she ended up in Class D, despite being a very smart student.

Her older brother, Manabu, the student council president, distances himself from her because he is ashamed that his sister's personality got her in Class D in the first place. Wanting to prove her brother wrong and thinking she was placed in the class by mistake, Suzune wishes to advance to Class A, and perhaps she can find an ally in Ayanokoji.

Ah, Suzune was a fun character. She does have an attitude, but she grows to trust Ayanokoji in a sense where she can let that go, despite knowing there's more to him and being thrown into the wild for some of his schemes. While she also admits that she isn't better then her classmates when faced with a serious problem, her guard drops more as the series goes on. 

It's not all the way gone, but I doubt the same girl who figured out she was set up immediately when Ayanokoji was asked by Kushida to try to let the other girl open up (not the best third impression), outright said no when Ayanokoji was able to get The Three Fools in a study group thanks to Kushida, and when noticing shoes on Ayanokoji's dorm room floor when trying to think up ways to battle Ken's second expulsion, said she was leaving. Don't forget the time when she stabbed Ayanokoji with a compass!

But in all seriousness, would the same girl admit that she's grown to Ayanokoji (not romantically) and sees him as an ally by the end of the series? Not a chance. Poor girl needs to realize that she's being used, though. Other than that, Suzune's initial disposition was funny yet frozen solid, but her growth was the real upside.

Now time for Kushida:

Kushida is very well-liked in her class, as everyone is charmed by her looks and personality. Her goal is to become friends with everyone in Class D and beyond! Underneath this exterior, however, is a girl who is violent and ill-tempered. In this personality, she reveals that she envies Suzune to the point of wanting to kill her. This is strange, considering her philosophy outside of that, but all right.

Ayanokoji becomes acquainted with the alternate personality following a party to celebrate the two being able to not get Ken expelled for the first time when Kushida leaves her phone behind. As Ayanokoji goes to give it back to her, he notices her not walking back to the female dorms. He then continues to follow her until she gets to a railing, where she reveals how much she hates Suzune. When Kushida notices Ayanokoji there, she tells him to not tell anyone about her secret, unless he wants to be accused of sexually assaulting her. Her evidence if Ayanokoji spills the tea? Fingerprints on her uniform where her left boob is. Since he's a good secret keeper, it's safe with him. 

Well, until it's revealed later on to everyone else. This is a light novel series after all; it's bound to happen.

Kushida was another character trope that was flipped on its nose in terms of these adaptations. One female character in a main ensemble tends to have the Happy Go Lucky archetype, and it didn't surprise me to see Kushida having that. To see she had additional characteristics beyond that (around the time Episode 3 aired) was stunning. It also isn't conveniently dropped, as that dark personality comes back in Episode 8 and slightly in 12. Again, characters like these are hard to come by, so seeing them makes me excited for what future adaptations of LN's will hold. We're far past the formulaic stage, and thank god for that.

Let's move on to the side characters that managed to impress me the most, starting with another member of Class D, Sakura:

Sakura was placed into Class D due to not communicating well with her fellow classmates, but for different reasons then Suzune. While Suzune is just ice cold, Sakura is very shy. She is nervous in large group settings, and prefers to be alone with her camera. She becomes the only witness to the incident regarding Ken's second attempt at getting expelled, as she was taking pictures of herself in the same building when the incident happened. However, it takes convincing to get her to offer up testimony, and while it doesn't give Class D the clear advantage, it does bring the case to a stalemate.

The reason as to why Sakura takes pictures of herself is because she is a gravure idol, a female model who poses for men's magazines, photo-books, or DVDs, with poses that range on the sensual side but not going past coy (an interesting fact is that Sakura's seiyuu, M.A.O., has done a few gravure idol DVD's). Her development revolves around an electronics store worker who has been stalking her, such as watching her with cameras when she came into the shop he worked at to get her camera fixed (after Sakura accidentally dropped it when Kushida asked if the former could provide evidence for Ken's case), and harassing her with love letters and texts to the point where she is on edge. 

During Episode 6, while the sun is setting in the sky, he jumps her in an alley and tries to force himself on her, declaring his undying love for her idol self (named Shizuku). Before she is attacked, she calls Ayanokoji, who then enlists the help of Ichinose to find her, using the tracking device in his phone after exchanging contact information with the former girl, along with the security cameras near the scene of the attack (he also takes a picture of the guy trying to strip Sakura on his phone as additional evidence). Due to saving her, Sakura feels indebted to Ayanokoji and starts to develop romantic feelings for him.

Yeah, I guess we have 3 love interests now, but does anyone care about the ship wars here? Because I don't.

Regardless, I liked Sakura. Her story arc was very compelling, and she was able to break out of her shell around Ayanokoji. She's still shy in big group conversations, but when she's around Ayanokoji, she's more comfortable to the point where Ayanokoji could consider her a friend if he wanted to. I'm not the most informed on Japanese idol culture (despite going to a panel at my local anime convention last year and watching some idol anime), but seeing a character working as a secret gravure idol was fascinating (even though they didn't directly state it in the show outside of just idol). I remember seeing one seiyuu from the ICONIC OVA Eiken worked as one, but having a character in a series be one is another thing entirely. I'm interested to see if the same thing exists for women audiences in Japan, or if it's more raw sexuality.

Time to move on to Ichinose:

Ichinose is in Class B. Despite her high class-standing, she is very sweet and down-to-earth with lower-ranked classmates, even though it's common policy to be looked down upon. She bonds with Ayanokoji when she asks him to help her with a love confession from one of her female classmates. The latter than talks with Class B to help put out messages regarding anyone potentially knowing information about an attack that has been referenced several times throughout this review. When doing so, Ayanokoji discovers that Ichinose's point balance is far too high, having obtained a good bit of private points. How did she get all of them? And what is her motivation in using them?

Well, you can find that out if you look on Wikipedia, but the anime doesn't go that far. Regardless, it's a pretty interesting reason I think could shock a lot of you.

Anyways, Ichinose is another great character. Getting to see glimpses of her personality was pretty nice, as she may be good-matured and innocent, but she does have secrets. I liked how she doesn't simply view others in lower classes as inferior, like most people would do, and is similar to Kushida in the fact she wants to be friends with most of the people she meets. It's really sweet and makes her not as corrupt as some of the other notorious students from the school.

Now time for the unexpected favorite out of the side characters (in both likability and focus), Ken:

Not a screenshot I wanted, but meh. It works anyways.

Wait, I think a brief intermission is starting. Please stand by:

Me at Episode 6 of the anime: Hey, Classroom of the Elite, I'm surprised that you're managing to develop this character that I just dismissed as pure fodder in the beginning.

Classroom of the Elite: Yeah, but you love it.

Me: Right, that is true.

I was not expecting to grow to Ken (full name Ken Sudo) as much as I did throughout this show's run. Ayanokoji is my favorite (probably like many others), but I couldn't help but grow to Ken as well. Starting off as a member of Class D's Three Fools, Ken is short-tempered and not intelligent, preferring to play basketball rather than study. These two traits cause him to get into trouble while at school, almost being expelled twice. Once is for scoring below the minimum score on the exams where classmates could get expelled, and another is for fighting Class C students where he was claimed to start the brawl. Ayanokoji and Suzune do offer their assistance both times, which causes him to not get expelled, and as such, his demeanor has softened to where his explosions aren't as bad.

He and Suzune also got off on bad terms, as she insulted his dream to become a pro basketball player (she thought it was foolish). However, she does clear the air, and Ken gets a crush on her following him not getting kicked out. This is noted when The Three Fools are talking about the girls they like and when Ken asks Ayanokoji what Suzune's given name is (as he's only called her by her last name, Horikawa). It's pretty funny and adorable, especially when one of them, Ike, leads his confession to Kushida to where he can refer to her as Kikyo.

Also, he's voiced by Brandon McInnis in the dub, and I'm starting to really grow on Brandon McInnis. Samon Goku will do that to you. 

Ah, the monkey boys are so nice.

So, yeah, Ken was good. Out of all of the side characters in Class D, he was the one who got the most focus, and I didn't mind. I liked seeing more to him outside of "Self introductions are for babies" and his sass talk. His friends are lovable goofballs, and I do like how he grew to trust our two leads because, hey, in a sense, they do care about him and saved his ass on two occasions. Apparently his bond with Ayanokoji runs deeper in the LN (not romantically, mind you), and if we get more of this anime (which I seriously doubt), hopefully we'll see more of that, because this guy is quite precious.

Other characters include Yosuke Hirata, Kei Karuizawa, Rokusuke Kouenji, Kanji Ike, and Haruki Yamauchi, fellow classmates of Class D. Yosuke is good-natured and intelligent, Kei is the former's girlfriend (though the LN will later indicate that their relationship is apparently a ruse), Rokusuke is a narcissist from a rich family, and Ike and Haruki are a part of The Three Fools, both liking video games and girls, though the former's experience with camping is appreciated during the survival test. 

Then we have Class C, whose prominent members are Kakeru Ryuuen and Mio Ibuki. Ryuuen is the ruthless leader of Class C, while Ibuki is one of his latchkeys, despite not liking how the former runs things. For Class B, there's Ryuuji Kanzaki, who is Ichinose's right-hand man. And finally, for Class A, Alice Sakayanagi and Kouhei Katsuragi are our prominent members. Alice is typically seen walking with a cane and Kouhei has the bald head. Both are pretty smart and are good leader types, hence why there's some tension between them.

We then have Manabu and Akane of the student council, plus Mrs. Chabashira and Mrs. Hoshinomiya, who are the teachers of Class D and B respectively.

Animation

The animation for this series was produced by Lerche, who are also known for their work on shows such as Monster Musume, Scum's Wish, and Unbreakable Machine Doll.

Overall, I thought the animation for this series was quite good. At some points, it did falter a bit, but it stayed mostly consistent and popped from the screen thanks to its lush coloring. All of the characters looked really good design-wise, and I especially liked the detail to lighting when the time of day changed. It also gave a focus on a dead butterfly being picked apart by bugs during a scene in Episode 4 during a discussion between Ayanokoji and Kushida, regarding how in most murders between two suspects, most people believe that a well-behaving member of society would be less innocent compared to someone who has committed crimes before.

Still not sure whether I should applaud Lerche for being clever or applaud them for unsettling me. Whichever works.

But one thing that I wasn't a big fan of was the fanservice. Again, this is a LN adaptation, which means that it's going to be present regardless, but at most times, it felt so unnecessarily jarring. You have a good story here, Classroom of the Elite, and being remembered for a lot of TNA isn't going to work in the long run. I don't want to see Class B's teacher massaged on the cruise ship topless, nor do I want to see her or Ichinose's crotches, please and thank you.

Although, seeing the guys in swimsuits did counteract that a bit. I especially liked seeing Ken's defined abs.

*ahem*

Sorry, I just had to appreciate that for a second. Again, it's not every day where you get to see boys in swimsuits and the animators show you more than just no shirts, no shoes, and I still get service.

Wrapping this up, though, I liked the show's animation even with its faults. Lerche has typically been a consistent studio, and I'm glad they're keeping up the good work. Still want to get to Danganronpa, as that looks to be their best, but that'll be another day.

Sound

The score for this series was composed by Ryo Takahashi, who is also known for his contributions to ACCA, the currently airing (at the time of this review) Code:Realize: Guardian of Rebirth, and Regalia: The Three Sacred Stars.

I don't know what's going on currently, but I keep on finding bomb AF anime OST's. Classroom of the Elite is easily one of them, especially for this being the first time I've heard Takahashi's work on a score he's led. This one reminded me of Qualidea Code's, what with its electronic flair, mystery, intrigue, and occasional hype. Granted, there isn't any epic battle music, but there was one piece that only played in two episodes (2 and 6) that I became deeply attached to. As of the time of this writing, the soundtrack release coincides with the last DVD/Blu-Ray release, which is in January of next year. Thankfully, my memory's a strong one, so knowing me when I sit down to listen to it, I'll be able to recall pieces as they pop up.

THERE'S EVEN A CLUB BANGER ON THERE! WHAT THE HELL IS A ULTRA MUSIC FESTIVAL PUMP UP JAM DOING HERE AS BACKGROUND MUSIC FOR AN ANIME SERIES?

JK I loved it.

The voice acting is also pretty good. I remember being pretty happy to see that Akari Kito was on the cast list, since she played Aryabhata in Taboo Tattoo and I loved her there (then again, I love the character, too). Her tone as Suzune is very similar to her "breakout" role, but it's definitely more composed. Regardless, she plays her character very well.

Same goes with Shoya Chiba, whose Ayanokoji is incredibly deadpan and nonchalant and gives me life. But then again, I don't have a lot to complain about here, with Yurika Kubo's vocal switch as Kushida being marginally different, Rina Sato tapping for a more mature side to play Mrs. Chabashira, and Masaki Mizunaka giving his best Daisuke Ono crossed with Ryota Takeuchi impression to create an intimidating Ryuuen. It's a nice package all around.

I've seen bits of the dub, but I am planning on watching it eventually. It sounds good so far, and I'm interested to see what the cast will bring under promising direction from Apphia Yu.

Highlights from the original Japanese are Shoya Chiba, Akari Kito, Yurika Kubo, M.A.O, Ayana Taketatsu, Ryota Osaka, Toshiki Iwasawa, Eiji Takeuchi, Daiki Abe, Masaaki Mizunaka, Mikako Komatsu, Nao Toyama, Rina Hidaka, Satoshi Hino, Yuichiro Umehara, and Rina Sato.

Verdict

This show turned out to be more enjoyable than I thought it would be. Granted, there was a bunch of fanservice that didn't belong, but everything else held my attention and hidden strength. The story and characters took a few turns I didn't expect, and hopefully with more LN adaptations come stronger characters and great plot lines. Well, unless the "little sister" trend starts to take off. Then we're all f**ked.

For viewers I'd recommend this show to, I'd say those who like high-stakes drama in a school setting, people who love to expect the unexpected, want to see something that's very akin to reading a book, or those who want to see a main character that's like Ayanokoji. Because there isn't one I know who's quite like him.

Score: 9/10

Positives:

Engaging story.

Pace is very reminiscent of a book; won't leave you bored.

AYANOKOJI HAS LAYERS!

Characters are better developed than they have any right to be.

Nice animation.

Moderate manservice I needed in my life.

Awesome OST.

Good voice acting.

The last scene.

Negatives:

Too much fanservice.

Katsugeki Touken Ranbu Review

Katsugeki Touken Ranbu Review

Warning: The following review may/will contain spoilers of the series Katsugeki Touken Ranbu. If you wish to stay clear of what happens in the show's story, please exit the tab, and join me once you've watched said show. Or, you know, you can take that warning with a grain of salt, and still read on anyway. Whatever floats your boat.

Anyways, with that said, thank you, and onto the review:

Touken Ranbu is something that I've heard about, seen gameplay of, seen fanart of, and watched this action-oriented anime from Ufotable of (duh), but I haven't actually played it yet. I do know that it's a big phenomenon over in Japan, with a ton of collectible sword boys in game that come in many types and flavors, a look into Japanese history that some probably didn't pay attention to (though I am fascinated by what I've heard so far), and in real time, helping the Japanese government fund restorations of the real-life swords. There is so much dedication and love here that it makes my fanboy heart swell with pride.

Now I'm going to reiterate points made when I briefly discussed this show in my update post back in August. I've only really talked about Touken Ranbu with the same online friend who pushed me towards Haikyuu in the Facebook group I've been in for a while now. Favorite characters, fanart, and just plain freaking out: that's what typically goes on. And while I was curious to see this anime while it was airing, I was too focused on Sin: Nanatsu no Taizai finishing in order to get to it at the first possible second. Plus, I was still unsure if I wanted to start with Hanamaru, the slice-of-life comedy based adaptation.

Well, here comes AnimeIowa with the promise that this is screening on Saturday. Shall we do it, Dazz? We shall. I was able to catch the ends of Episodes 1 and 4, plus the entire Episode 2. Enjoying it a lot more than I thought I would, I decided to give it a chance right after the convention ended.  I need sword boys in my life, I need something to fanboy about in my life, and I need to see if clothes get damaged or torn on male characters once in a while in my life.

What? I've seen Awakening stuff in in-game art. It's pretty hot, if you ask me.

*coughs*

So after a college visit one day with just me and my dad, I sat down to give this anime the full treatment it deserved. I then followed up with the rest that had aired that week, which led into Episode 6 airing that Saturday, and me having to watch it weekly. What did I find?

A fanboy's wet dream, that's what.

Kidding, kidding. Or am I?

Anyways, this was my Haikyuu this year. I was fully engaged in literally everything this anime had to offer. While there were slight problems in the storytelling and some of these characters probably didn't act with as much clarity as their game counterpoints, I WAS STILL HAVING THE TIME OF MY LIFE! This anime could shoot a big fat Deus ex machina with a bow and arrow into the fray and I'd still be like, "THIS IS A MASTERPIECE! THE BEST ANIME EVER MADE! ANIME OF THE YEAR! ANIME OF THE SEASON!"

Oh, wait, they did that, didn't they? Whoops.

Regardless, I liked learning about more boys I hadn't heard about yet, saying hi to familiar faces I've seen around the internet, how the story progressed, the unit shifts (even though I'm more into The Second Unit), the glorious animation, the cinematic OST, the voice acting. I could go on and on and on and on about this show and it'll probably never get old.

IT'S BEAUTIFUL AND SHOULD HOPEFULLY GET ANOTHER SEASON BECAUSE GODDAMN DO I WANT TO SEE MORE IN ACTION! I'M NOT SURE WHAT THE MOVIE PROJECT ENTAILS, BUT I'D LIKE TO SEE MORE HUNKS IF YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN, OKAY?

Time to move on to the show's story before I accidentally excite myself into shock:

Story

In the game world, you, the player, take on the role of Saniwa (translated to sage), who is able to travel to the past and animate legendary swords, who take on the form of beautiful young men (who, again, come in many different styles and flavors, from cute to STEAMING HOT). While Saniwa's gender can be up to the user (from what I've seen of Hanamaru, Saniwa's addressed by gender neutral pronouns), this version's Saniwa is a young boy (voiced by Junko Minagawa, no less). Though he does have projection prowess of his own, he is able to send Touken Danshi (Sword Warriors) into the past to fight the Time Retrograde Army, who plan to alter the course of history no matter the cost. These sword boys are in charge of protecting it, as expected.

As I liked to joke throughout this show's run, that's history for ya!

As there are a buttload of sword boys and it would be too much of a hassle to include them all, the production team decided to pick 12 men (six to a unit, as there's Unit 1 and Unit 2) to focus on. Mainly, we get to see the second unit and how they work together. Horikawa Kunihiro, who has recently manifested into a human form, reunites with his friend and comrade, Izuminokami Kanesada, who served under the same master as him (Hijikata Toshizo for anyone curious). Transported to 1863, the two work together on the latest threat before Unit 2 is officially BERN.

With Mutsunokami Yoshiyuki, Yagen Toshiro, Tonbokiri, and Tsurumaru Kuninaga (whose, to the surprise of no one, the last to join), it's time to buckle up and kick the Time Retrograde Army's ass! And with Kanesada in the lead, surely nothing can go wrong, right?

When a mission nearly goes awry and the Second Unit, backed to a wall, is forced to retreat, Kanesada begins thinking: Is protecting history worth the cost when more innocent lives are put on the line? And when the swords are transported to a time where Sakamoto Ryoma and Hijikata Toshizo once thrived, how does one react upon being face to face with their former master? Would they want to continue sending them to their doom? Or would they want to save them?

Also, let's see Unit 1 kick ass, because that's where it's at! Let the senpai show you how it's done!

This question becomes incredibly important when Horikawa up and disappears from the Second Unit's base of operations when the group is fabulously teleported to the Keiou era (starting in 1866, as it extends beyond that. Since the sword boys are probably immortal and hella fierce, they don't age). And when that Sword Warrior wants to save his master for his dear comrade's sake, things get even more shaky. Can Unit 2 be able to reunite on the battlefield in one piece without the drastic change in Japan's timeline? Or are we in deep s**t?

Like I mentioned in the introduction, this anime's story isn't 100% A+ perfect. Aside from the clarity issues, the pacing is a bit slow in the beginning and it takes a bit for the Second Unit to finish their first mission as a whole.

Also, for those wanting to see more of the sword boys, you'll only get 15 on screen outside of cameos. And when we get a look at this version's Citadel, there's plenty of boys running around.

OH LOOK I RECOGNIZE AT LEAST HALF OF THEM! JOLLY DAY!

But even with the story's obvious faults, THE ATTACHMENT FACTOR MAKES UP FOR IT IN TENFOLD! BOI!

I DIDN'T EXPECT TO HAVE AN EMOTIONAL ATTACHMENT TO THIS ANIME! LIKE WITH HAIKYUU AND SERAPH OF THE END, IT COMPLETELY SNUCK UP ON ME AND LEFT ME DEFEATED IN ITS WAKE! HOW? WHY?

LIKE, THIS ANIME SENT ME INTO CARDIAC ARREST AT LEAST FIVE TIMES! I'M NOT KIDDING! THE ACTION, THE CHARACTER INTERACTIONS, THE HIGH STAKES, EPISODE 10!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

LET'S NOT FORGET THAT I FOUND THIS SHOW FUNNY! I DIED OF INTERNAL LAUGHTER VARIOUS TIMES THROUGHOUT THIS SHOW'S RUN! LIKE, HOW DID I GET SOMETHING SO PERFECT? I NEVER KNEW THAT I NEEDED THIS TO FILL MY VOLLEYBALL BOY-SIZED HOLE IN MY HEART THIS YEAR! I THOUGHT IT'D BE WELCOME TO THE BALLROOM, BUT APPARENTLY THAT SHOW'S REALLY SEXIST OR SOMETHING? THAT'S IRRELEVANT! JUST KNOW I HAD A LOT OF FUN WITH THESE BOYS AND EVERYTHING THEY OFFERED!

ANOTHER RANDOM FACT, BUT ...READY FOR IT CAME OUT THE DAY I SAW THE TENTH EPISODE! SO I WAS SLAYED TO HEAVEN AND BACK TWICE THAT DAY! TRUE STORY!

WATCHING THIS ENTIRE ANIME WAS LIKE ME BEING EXCITED TSURUMARU FROM HANAMARU TIMES TEN BECAUSE I WAS SO HYPED FOR EVERY EPISODE AND EACH ONE DELIVERED BEYOND MY EXPECTATIONS (episode 8 was the weakest, but it was still really good)! LIKE WHY? WHY WAS THIS ANIME THE ONE THAT BLESSED MY CROPS, CURED MY ACNE, MADE ME FORGIVE MY ROWDY GEOMETRY CLASS OF LAST YEAR, AND GAVE ME THE THOUGHT TO SPREAD THE FEELINGS OF HAPPINESS AND RAINBOWS TO EVERYONE I KNOW?

MORE IMPORTANTLY, WHY IS THIS SHOW OVER? I NEED MORE SWORD BOYS IN MY LIFE AND IN ANIMATED FORM LIKE THIS IS SERIOUS! WHERE ARE MY PRECIOUS ANIME MEN WHEN I NEED THEM MOST?

I UNDERSTAND THERE'S HANAMARU, BUT STILL! THIS IS THE SHOW I CRAVE MORE! SECOND SEASON WHEN? MORE CUTE VOLLEYBALL PLAYERS AND SEXY AF SWORD BOYS WHEN? I DON'T WANT TO GO THROUGH WITHDRAWAL!

*coughs heavily*

I don't need to rekindle my thoughts, do I? Basically, I loved this show and want to take it home with me once the US sets come out no matter the cost and I want to cradle them in my arms and I want to whisper, "You are well-loved, you hear me? You changed my life and made me want to explore more of the sword and GODDAMN IT DO I WANT TO BE BURIED WITH YOU! LIKE GURL YAS MORE ANIME MEN PLEASE! I'D LIKE TO SEE A LITTLE MORE SKIN NEXT TIME, BUT YOU'RE AMAZING BEYOND THAT! YOU'RE THE PERFECT DATE MATERIAL! YOU'RE-"

*breathes slowly until perfectly calm*

Let's move on to the characters then.

Characters

It's obvious I don't know about half of the swords in this franchise. After watching this series, I can say that I at least know 20 of them. Knowing a few of the sword boys or being familiar with Touken Ranbu in itself is probably the best way to go into both Hanamaru and Katsugeki. In fact, maybe just doing a read-up on the franchise and on some Japanese history would do you good.

Then again, from someone who didn't do that, I came out just fine. I did go to a TR themed panel at San Japan and find out more background stuff (I even found a mini Iwatooshi plush that Luke ended up buying for me), plus watched Bakumatsu Rock a few years back, and having those connections did help in the back half of the series.

But I'm going off topic here. We're here for one thing only and that's to talk about some of the lovely sword boys that I didn't know about, had seen only briefly on the internet via fanart varying from oh look so cute to EROTIC, or had known for a while and already loved.

We'll get to you, Tsurumaru. I'm sorry to spoil the surprise, but we have others before you.

Unit 2's captain Izuminokami Kanesada is up first:

Kanesada is probably the only man thus far out of any anime I've seen who has made long hair look absolutely fabulous. Though I haven't seen a lot of them with long hair, yeah, this guy's going to hold the podium for a long time.

Crafted by a member from the eleventh generation of the Kanesada family, Kane was used prominently in the Ashikaga era, running from 1337 to 1573. Used by Hijikata Toshizo (his counterpart, despite appearing less in this anime, is actually more interesting than the one we got in Bakumatsu Rock. He's not a complete bore), the vice-commander of the Shinsegumi, he looked for a Kanesada to craft this sword to make it similar to his wakizashi (who's Horikawa Kunihiro, so no wonder they both have black hair and care for each other).

The saying goes that Kane holds some regret because he wasn't used in Hijikata's last battle in Hakodate. Instead, the vice-commander had him shipped back to his hometown along with a recent photo of himself. It's really heartbreaking to not be present when a master dies (I feel for these boys), but I do think Hijikata wanted to keep the sword preserved because he felt he was going to perish. Regardless, most of Kane's mannerisms are based off of his former master.

This was a character that made me go "Who's this?" before I even watched the anime. I then found out that he was voiced by Ryohei Kimura in Japanese shortly after, and got behind him immediately. But seeing him in action sealed the deal. I ended up liking this appointed leader more than I expected. Kanesada goes through a good deal of moral dilemmas regarding the protection of history as well as seeing his former master, and it's interesting to see how he deals with them. Sure, there's some moping and angst, but it's better than seeing characters take charge when they're in distress. You know how that turns out.

But when these situations happen, this sword boy makes sure to dust off his shoulders and comes back better than ever. He cares for his unit members, and he's definitely one of the reasons why they work as well as they do. Go, Kane! Go, go, go, Kane!

Let's move on to Horikawa:

UGH THE LAST ARC IS SO PAINFUL! WHY MUST THESE PRECIOUS MEN GO THROUGH SO MUCH PAIN?

*ahem*

Another character that I didn't hear about prior to this anime, Horikawa comes from the swordsmith Horikawa Kunihiro, who made two other swords that I'm aware of (another one will be talked about in this review later on, while one won't appear here at all). He also belonged to Hijikata, plus was left behind before the Battle of Hakodate. Horikawa has a strong kinship with Kanesada, having served the same master and fought by his side, and works best when working together with him. Though it's not shown as much here, he does try to imitate or impress him, so much so that an official tweet claimed him to be akin to a wife. So some of the creators clearly do ship it.

Mystery shrouds the sword's legitimacy, as Kunihiro was believed to have only made them measuring 60 centimeters. However, Horikawa measured at least one less. That with the fact that Horikawa's model wasn't as common in the Bakumatsu period, he is considered to be a fake. He is also a sword that may not even exist today, as after World War II and following a disarmament political measure, the Japanese government gathered up about 200,000 swords and dumped them into the ocean. Some were recovered, but others weren't. Horikawa is likely one of them.

Ah, historical facts. Some may hate them, but I've always had a soft spot for social studies and the world's history.

BUT MOVING ON. Horikawa is precious. He cares a lot for Kanesada, so much so that he slips away from the Second Unit to try to save his former master's life. He's incredibly selfless and pretty strong, and it's nice to see him fight without his trusty partner by his side all of the time. Definitely not my favorite character from this series, but the fact that he cares so much for his partner, that he goes against the master's orders to try to save Hijikata's life, just to make Kanesada see that it could be possible, warms my heart. Also, he cute.

Time to talk about Mutsunokami:

I first heard about this character through Mazjojo. Not a SFW illustration, but a censored NSFW reward for his Patreon. You can find the uncensored set on the dark corners of the internet, but just be warned that it's DIRTY.

Mutsunokami was made by the swordsmith of the same name, and was most prominent in the Bakumatsu period. He was used by Ryoma Sakamoto (who y'all probably know from his adaptation in Bakumatsu Rock, though here he's voiced by Daisuke Ono). He was one of the prime members of the Meiji Restoration against the Shinsegumi during this period, and it doesn't end happily like in BR. Whereas two of the adapted boys join the main group, here they don't (the head commander still dies, though). Acting mainly on his own, Ryoma was exposed to many Western ideals thanks to working as an assistant to Katsu Kashu, the commissioner of the Tokugawa navy, who the former actually tried to assassinate at first, and was able to unite the Satsuma and Choshu clans for an alliance, even though the two clans hated each other.

Common belief is that Ryoma died with Mutsunokami in his hands after being caught off-guard when he and his close friend, Nakaoka Shintaro, were killed at Ikedaya Inn. When Ryoma tried to reach for his sword as a reflex (rather than his gun), the assassin cut though the sheath so that he couldn't use it. Something meta does come up in this series, but I'm not going to spoil it because it will blow some of your minds.

Since Ryoma was born in Tosa, Mutsunokami has an dialect, and also uses a pistol in battle occasionally outside of his sword due to Ryoma using one himself. Also, thank new ideas from the West.

MUTSUNOKAMI IS SUCH A CINNAMON BUN! He is quite cocky and very clearly does not get along with Kanesada (the exact reason is unclear, but I think it has to do with their similar personalities. They put their differences aside for a few episodes, though), and he's also a bit arrogant. Since he does have skills with a pistol (and at the time he was prominent, it was a new discovery in Japan), he's confident in using it and thinks it can be more effective in facing off enemies than a sword. He'll still use his sword, but the rifle is just more handy to him. That's understandable.

OUTSIDE OF THAT, THIS BOY IS THE PUREST THING EVER! He gets excited about EVERYTHING. From getting a chance to chow down (especially if it's on daifuku), to seeing a steamship, to getting to steer a steamship, to bond with his unit, HE'S JUST TOO SWEET! HE CARES SO MUCH AND HE HAS LAYERS AND HE'S SO BEAUTIFUL AND I WANT TO ADOPT HIM! OKAY? NO ONE GETS TO BE THIS CUTE! NO ONE!

HIS SMILE CAN CURE ANYTHING! LOOK AT IT! LOOK AT IT!

*clears throat*

Wait, I don't need to do that. I'm just going to fanboy about the next character anyways, who is none other than Tsurumaru Kuninaga:

Ah, he's just as beautiful farther back. This boy first came to me from searching up this franchise in the first place and looking at his fanart.

WHICH IS GLORIOUS BY THE WAY I HAVE TOO MANY PICS BECAUSE HE IS #BAE AND IS MY FAVORITE SWORD LIKE WHY DOES HE HAVE TO BE SO PRETTY I CAN'T!

Wow, what trash am I, right? #humanwastebin, and don't expect that to go away because it's my new favorite thing.

ANYWAYS, Tsurumaru has a long and detailed history with many masters and rumors. I would make a Rumor Has It pun, but I doubt it's appropriate. Forged around the Heian era by the swordsmith Gojou Kuninaga, he first ended up in the hands of a 14-year old boy from the Adachi Clan named Sadayasu. After getting killed with the rest of his clan in the Shimotsuki Incident (though he ended up in that situation thanks to bad luck), Tsurumaru was dug out of the boy's grave by another young teen, this time Hojo Sadatoki, who just so happened to be the regent who gave the orders to exterminate the Adachi Clan. Awkward.

Believed to have stayed with the young boy at the time as a way to cope with the loss of his previous master, the sword stayed with the Hojo Clan until Sadatoki's son, Takatoki, was beaten in battle by Nitta Yoshisada. which overthrew the Clan's rule of the Kamakura shogunate. After they were officially annihilated, Tsurumaru was shortly presented to Oda Nobunaga, given to Akechi Mitsuhide's retainer (Mimaki Kagenori), having it taken to the battlefield by his son in 1600, getting lost before finding a resting place at the Fushimi Fujimori Shrine, before being taken away from the shrine by Koudeki from the Honami family, who was infatuated with the sword's beauty.

Perhaps this is why Tsurumaru, as a person, like surprises and mischief. He had such a turbulent life, being passed from master to master, that this is his way of coping with it. Also hating boredom, Tsurumaru tries to bring his fun personality onto the battlefield as well, which is actually pretty cool to watch. I MEAN, HE WAITS FOR THE TIME RETROGRADE ARMY WHILE SITTING AT ONE POINT!

TOTAL BABE! TOTAL BABE!

I think my previous knowledge of Tsurumaru caused me to really like seeing him in action. He's the last one to arrive for Unit 2, showing up at the end of Episode 4. I didn't really care, since I had great characters up to that point, but I WAS SO HYPED FOR TSURUMARU! Of course he made a fabulous entrance, and of course he ended up being my favorite character from this anime. Aside from being really entertaining and lovable, he's a great addition to the Second Unit. Aside from just having THE TIME OF HIS LIIIIIIFE in battle, Tsurumaru has a softer side as well, and the two do balance each other out pretty well.

He's also pretty much me in terms of energy and spirit wherever I go, because believe it or not I do have a OMG YAS MUST DO EVERYTHING side to me (like many others). It's a goal of mine to eventually cosplay as him so my state as a "dank meme" can be complete. Maybe next year?

Oh, wait, no. Definitely next year. This'll be fun after Grell, Ranmaru, and Honey.

It's now time to jump to the First Unit, starting with another iconic character I knew about before I watched this, Mikazuki:

JIJI! HELLO! HOW ARE YOU? Everyone likes to call you Jiji because you are one of the five great swords of Japan, plus you were crafted WAY earlier than the other ones mentioned, You've seen a lot, haven't you?

First seen in fanfiction (Kogitsunemaru x Mikazuki fanfic to be precise, and the former does make a cameo here), this "old man" was made in 989 by Sanjo Munechika, a well-known craftsman from the mid-Heian period. Representative of swords with the Sanjo build, he was regarded as what I mention earlier during the Muromachi era, which lasted from 1392-1573. So this guy has clearly seen the big picture. And I swear, his scars are fine. He stayed with the Tokugawa shogun starting in the 1600s until modern times

Design-wise, there are two noteworthy things about him that I just found out and think are really cool. So I'll tell them here. On his sword, Mikazuki has Uchinoke, which is crescent moon-shaped. In tune with his name (which literally means crescent moon. See it now?), it also represents his swordsmith's prowess. On his clothing, there is sayagata, a pattern of interlocking manji. Originating in India, where it was often applied to Buddhist architecture, it was introduced to Japan following imported textiles from China during the Tensho era. Associated with strength, it is known to appear most often on the clothing of strong characters, whether they are heroes or villains. And Mikazuki's pretty strong.

Otherwise nonchalant and chill when not fighting off the Time Retrograde Army, Mikazuki seems like the older sibling who wants to know what the youngsters are up to these days. I respect that. At times witty and breezy, Mikazuki also has a secret punch to him since he is so highly regarded and one of the older swords. Seeing him in action is awesome, everyone in the fandom adores him, and he's just so relaxed that I can't help but be drawn to this sword boy. He may say things some won't understand, because again, he's older, but his beauty and personality are so nice you just want them to show up in other areas of your life.

You know, the ones where you don't feel like stress is going to come knocking on your door on a weekend night. Just relax, take some deep breaths, and Mikazuki doth appear in your body.

Not psychically, of course. Like...spiritually. Ah, you get my point.

Last but certainly not least, it's time to talk about the captain of Unit 1, Yamanbagiri:

This is the other Kunihiro sword I hinted at (I couldn't call one Kunihiro because then confusion would exist), and another sword in their entirety I found out about through Mazjojo NSFW art. WOOT WOOT!

Wait, is that a good thing?

Yamanbagiri was crafted by Horikawa Kunihiro during the Azuchi Momoyama period. A replica of another nihontou, also called Yamanbagiri, this sword typically likes to wear a white cloak to hide himself, stating that he is no good only because he is a copy. The funny thing is, his swordsmith was asked to make a replica of the Yamanbagiri nihontou by Nagao Akinaga, who was then the lord of Ashikaga Castle. The latter wanted a nihontou that was just as spectacular as the original Yamanbagiri, because according to legend, the first was able to kill a mountain witch named Yamanba. And since giri is one way to say to cut in Japanese, that's where the name comes from.

Despite being a replica, the sword is said to be very beautiful. Measuring 70.6 centimeters and privately owned, it it Horikawa's best work. Some argue that since it's so pretty and a work of art, Yamanbagiri's status as a duplicate should be revoked. Time will tell whether this happens, though.

It's clear that Yamanbagiri's thoughts on being a "replica" will be on prime display in Hanamaru, but we do get a glimpse of it here when someone from Nitroplus penned Episode 7 and everyone went ballistic. Except me, who was just like, "Okay. The tone's slightly different. I've never played the game, but is this episode written by someone who has more knowledge of these characters than the main staff of writers do?"

Regardless, I liked Yamanbagiri. He's pretty cool and pretty (though he doesn't like being called pretty), and I do like his approach at being captain compared to Kanesada. It is strong leadership, but drawn back a bit, which makes sense given his personality (no one look at me I'm nothing I'm worthless I'm just a duplicate). Also, since Unit 1 has been together longer than Unit 2 has (aside from the addition of Honebami Toshiro), that plays into it too. They're comrades, nakama, whatever you want to call it, and since they've been fighting together for a while, they have a better bond.

LIKE, WATCH EPISODE 7 AND SEE HOW THEY FIGHT AGAINST THE TRA COMPARED TO UNIT 2 AT FIRST! BOI! THEY'RE SO COOL!

Other characters include the rest of Unit 2, where we have Tonbokiri (BARA DADDY), and Yagan Toshiro (who everyone loves except me. He's still cool, though), the rest of Unit 1, where we have Honebami Toshiro (precious snow child), Higekri and Hizamaru (amigas, cheetahs, bros for life), and Oodenta Mitsuyo (I am thunder HEAR ME RAWR), cameos of Kogisunemaru, Mitsutada, and Ookurikara, the master of all the boys, Saniwa (though the master in general can also be referred to as the Saniwa), Konnosuke and the First Unit's Konnosuke, and the representations of Ryoma Sakamoto and Hijikata Toshizo.

Animation

The animation for this series was produced by Ufotable, who are also known for their work on Fate/Zero, Fate/stay night: Unlimited Blade Works (or otherwise known as Unlimited Budget Works thanks to the fans), and the Tales of Zestiria the X franchise.

Everyone ADORES Ufotable. Praised for their godly production values and just general prettiness, they've become a household name. This was my first experience with them, and I was looking forward to see what would come out of this production. After all, we have so many beautiful sword boys and action to get rolling out the runway.

Well, I'm happy to say that this delivered. All of the Unit 2 boys were designed by different characters designers, but there isn't any difference. They all look like they're from the same anime rather than scattered throughout multiple shows, which is nice. Each episode has money poured into every inch of it, from gorgeous looking fight scene choreography, beautiful CGI that should not exist, the most realistic looking backgrounds I have ever seen from an anime series, and THE GODDAMN LIGHTING! YAS SLAY ME UFOTABLE WITH YOUR PILES AND PILES OF CASH AND DEDICATION! YAS!

But I expected nothing less from you in the end, Ufotable. Some may complain that your stories don't turn out well, but they lose their s**t when your animation appears on the screen. Me, liking both, collectively lost my s**t everywhere. Well done, you.

Sound

The score for this series was composed by Hideyuki Fukasawa, who is also known for working on video games such as Chaos Legion, the Marvel vs. Capcom 3 games, and Street Fighter X Tekken, as well as scores for shows like Fate/stay Night: Unlimited Blade Works, Flowers of Evil, and Vividred Operation.

Looking up Fukasawa, I was immediately appealed to his resume. I have seen and played a bit of the two fighting games mentioned above (my library used to have the Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 version, and that was my shite), so I was familiar with him and his work, just not in anime. He has impressed me in the past, and he impressed me here. I didn't even need to worry.

The best part about the score for this show is how immersive it is. It's filled with subtle instrumental textures that call back the eras of time the swords come from/travel to, epic swells when the fighting swords come out, fun electronic numbers, and beautiful orchestration. It plops you right into the setting and makes you feel like you're there with the boys. It's cool and made me feel like I was in a video game, which didn't surprise me when I found out what the composer had for his works.

Voice acting wise, there was also much to love. There's a good mix of seiyuus that I've heard of, along with others that were new to me. It provided a good balance of favorites and ones on their way to becoming them. Kento Hama made an adorable Mutsunokami, Junko Minagawa made a bomb AF Saniwa, Soma Saito voiced a character that I liked upon first sight (Yamaguchi took a few episodes to grow on me in Haikyuu), and all of the cameos made me smile despite not knowing as much about their characters (the historical figures count in that equation too). All around, it seemed like everyone was having fun, and so did I.

I'm not exactly sure what Aniplex is planning for the official release over here in terms of a dub, since FUNimation has the rights to Hanamaru and gave it a Broadcast Dub, but we'll just have to wait and see. It'll be interesting to see the talents from LA putting their spin on the characters that have already gotten life in Texas, though Vic Mignogna will come back as Mikazuki if he's in LA at the time of recording.

Highlights are Ryohei Kimura, Junya Enoki, Kento Hama, Soma Saito, Tooru Sakurai, Seiichiro Yamashita, Junko Minagawa, Takuma Nagatsuka, Tomoaki Maeno, Kosuke Toriumi, Yuto Suzuki, Daisuke Namikawa, Natsuki Hanae, Nobuhiko Okamoto, Noriaki Sugiyama, Daisuke Ono, Tetsu Inada, Takashi Kondo, Takuya Sato, and Makoto Furukawa.

Verdict

This is probably the most unprofessional and fanboy-filled review I have ever written, but yet, I have no regrets. Katsugeki Touken Ranbu gave me something fun and eventful every week, causing me to experience all of the emotions possible in 13 episodes. It's a fanboy/girl paradise, and despite having a few problems, I can easily overlook them because ERRRMAAAAHHHGAWWWWWD THIS WAS AMAZING AND EVERYTHING I NEVER KNEW I NEEDED THIS YEAR!

I was helped by the friend mentioned in the introduction with writing the Characters section, as she supplied me with a great Tumblr page detailing the sword boys' backstories in one convenient place. Since it turned out to be pretty interesting, take a look if this franchise compels you.

Anyways, this is recommended to fans of the game or the guys, and if you're new to Touken Ranbu in general, I'd say start with this instead of Hanamaru. You won't be overwhelmed by as many swords.

Score: 10/10 

Positives:

Great story.

Fabulous characters.

OMG ALL THE PRETTY SWORD BOYS I'M-

Beautiful animation.

Immersive score.

Good voice acting.

FLAIL FLAIL FLAIL FLAIL!

Weaknesses of the series are canceled out by all of the positives.

Negatives:

None major.