Review of Deca-Dence

Consider the following before reading this review or watching the anime: - This is an original anime series. Not based in anything like manga or light novel or game, so it didn't pass through the popularity filter before getting green lit for animation. Taking that into account, I got to say that this is a very good anime series. It is quite hard for original series to have a good plot and good pace. At first it seemed like the usual isekai, only to have one revelation show up and throw everything you had accepted so far out of the window. It's up to the viewer tosee through the hole that has been opened before your eyes. If you peek, you might enjoy what you see.

Plot wise, it was quite predictable after a certain episode mid point through the series but don't let this drive you away from it. It is quite enjoyable. It had many original elements in it, or usual elements applied quite creatively.

There were some characters introduced in the first episode that I thought were gonna play a larger role in the series, but it wasn't. While their lack of screen time didn't affect my score for this series, it left me wondering how much potential this series might had if they were given more participation.

Many questions has been left unanswered, but the studio had limited budget and time. Considering this was an original series probably made just to show off the capabilities of the studio (it is fairly new), those questions will be left unanswered for eternity with no second season or sequel planned.

So... story wise, it was very good. Not your usual adventure series and had many plot twist that made it quite intriguing. Still, left me with many questions that might never be answered, so I give it an 8.

Art: it is quite good. Drawings might not be everyone's favorite but they were acceptable to me. Nothing outstanding but not bad either. Animation was quite good too. Landscapes were beautiful many times. And the 3DCG was quite good. They really wanted to show off their 3DCG and I'm quite sure Production Committees will consider this studio for their projects.

Sound: nothing outstanding but not bad either. Opening and Ending theme were very enjoyable. The opening is one of my favorites if not the 1st place. Gets you hyped up for an adventure.

Characters: well, some of them didn't get proper development or enough screen time, others had plenty of story to be told, but given time and budget constraints, they might never get their background explained. Otherwise, they were quite good. I found Natsume relatable at times, especially at a certain episode (and you might identify it immediately as soon as you get there).

Enjoyment: Very good, very good. As I have said before, the plot was predictable after episode 5 or 6, but I didn't know it was going to unfold in some unexpected ways. Actually It surprised me how it was actually executed. It exploited many things in a good way and gave me entertainment no other original anime series gave me in recent times. And I have just realized, there aren't that many original anime series that made me truly enjoy them.

Overall, Deca-Dence is very good. Wish it had 13 episodes instead of 12 to explain some bits (no pun intended) or expand the lore a bit more but other than that, You might enjoy it. Give it a try and don't drop it, at least until you get past episode 4.