Review of High School DxD

Ok, so I don't remember where I stumbled across this anime but boy am I glad I did. Yes it's very heavily ecchi but don't be put off by it. The ecchi serves a purpose, if you know where to look. Story - 6 Before I knew this was adapted from a series of Light Novels I probably would have rated this part higher. Then I read the Light Novels and realized that it was almost like a preview of things to come. However! This doesn't mean this story isn't enjoyable in it's own right. The two main 'arcs' within this anime are nicely paced andcome to satisfying conclusions. Credit for sticking to the source material has to be given here.

Art & Sound - 8
I'm not all that fussy when it comes to art and sound but I'll say that I found DxD more enjoyable because of it's more modern animation style. The end song has a tune that came across to me as almost something Mario-esque. The I saw that the end credits had a pole dancing nun in it and I didn't pay any attention after that.

Characters - 6
For me, and probably for a lot of readers of the novels, this anime ended too early for any real character development. The groundwork has been laid pretty well, again by sticking tightly to the source material, so that is definitely something to look forward to. I tend to tune out Japanese voice acting when I watch shows in subbed format but I couldn't when I watched this. Particularly Yuki Kaji as Issei, Yoko Hikasa as Rias and Shizuka Ito as Akeno. Their performances were exceptional in my opinion.

Enjoyment - 9
Being Welsh, a fan of chess and having an interest in the supernatural this anime ticks just about every box I have. You might wonder what all that has to do with it but you'll understand if you watch it. My enjoyment of this anime skyrocketed when I delved deeper into the other media of DxD but I would never have looked at it twice if this anime hadn't piqued my interest the first time I watched.

Overall - 9
Overall you have a decent solid story line which provided a good framework to really push on and develop both the characters and the next few story arcs. Visually very appealing with a soundtrack that is well suited and well used, coupled with some great voice performances and a flair of originality rarely seen in high school harem animes. Oh yes, and ecchi. Lots and lots of ecchi.