Review of Hortensia SAGA

How the heck is this below a 6/10? This an enjoyable medieval-fantasy anime. A good kind of generic, a kind that knows its own path and style while not outstaying its welcome. Moreover, it's a breathe of fresh air for a (relatively) recent anime that takes itself seriously amidst a sea of egregiously generic isekai and 'fantasy'. No idea about the game, but I recommend this show for the following reasons: -It consistently has 'good' 2d combat animation (there is bad 3d parts but they are tolerable.) -The narrative REALLY felt like I was playing a classic JRPG adventure -There are many characters, all with their ownmotives, who received an appropriate amount of character development and backstory in respect to their relevance to the plot.
-It successfully blends an immersive low-fantasy setting with high-fantasy elements (like dragons, undead, werewolves, etc.)
-Protagonists are not OP, it truly is a 'team effort' adventure where the power of friendship (generally) makes plausible sense.
-Although the soundtrack is somewhat forgettable, it still manages to hit all the right notes to evoke an appropriate feeling for the viewer (like: adventure!!! mystery? sadness...)
-Good character design and art style. Characters are appealing to look at, while not being too outlandishly 'plastic.'

To be fair, a 5/10 (average) is technically the appropriate score that this anime may fall into currently, depending on your opinion. However, compared to many 6/10 shows on MAL, this anime certainly has superior animation, audio design, and a more coherent plot!

Warning! Do not expect a complete ending. IMO it was a satisfying conclusion, however, it was also a big cliff hanger.