Review of Blood Blockade Battlefront

It's always hard to express why Kekkai Sensen is easily a 10/10 for me, mostly because I'm aware that it's very subjective. Kekkai Sensen might as well have been made for me. But I'm always sad to see people giving this series 5s or below especially on the front page for it, and so I finally wanted to take the opportunity to write something on its behalf. I will not be breaking it down by categories like many reviews do, because I want to talk about the experience holistically and personally. I never get tired of watching Kekkai Sensen. Perhaps that's one of the bestthings I can say for it. I've watched the series, subbed and dubbed, probably over ten times. I never rewatch anything. A lot of that can come down to the outstanding voice work, the outstanding animation and, most importantly, the outstanding direction. I will follow Rie Matsumoto wherever she goes. Every thing in this show does its best to remind you that you're watching something. Leo is supposed to be the observer of everything after all, and the anime adaptation holds on to that idea. We see things through cameras frequently, and the characters even dance for us in the ED. They don't hide the stage here, and that choice allows them to up the ante stylistically until the show is bursting with cool. Kekkai Sensen is easily one of the coolest shows ever made

Now, if you're looking for a deep story full of lore and mysteries, rife for theorizing and packed with twists, Kekkai Sensen is not for you. Stuff happens because it puts the characters in fun scenarios and allows you to learn more about them. The narrative thread of White and Black added by Matsumoto gives you just enough of a narrative to hold the vignettes together while still following the themes of family and incorporating some of the monsters (Blood Breeds and the 13 Kings specifically) already introduced by Kekkai Sensen's manga. White and Black also give a quieter sounding board for Leo, allowing his character to shine through.

But mostly, I want to talk about Leo, because he's the reason that I love the show so dearly. It's easy to dismiss him as another one of those shonen heroes who are nothing remarkable and yet have super cool adventures. But that's just how Leo sees himself. He sees himself as worthless, because he thinks that his kindness, curiosity, and bravery are just the stuff that everyone is made up of. Him being able to find his worth through the influence of people around him who see him as he actually is- that's a worthwhile story, no pun intended. Mob Psycho 100, another show I love, touches on this theme as well. Everybody is just as special as anybody else, whether they can fight with their blood, see into the farthest depths of reality, or even if they just have a deep love of burgers.

You should watch Kekkai Sensen only if you're okay not having all the answers. It's effortlessly fun while still giving you things to think about- only the things you can think about are hate, love, and family, and the way we treat each other instead of guessing plot points or anything like that. The anime focuses more on the characters, the setting, and the themes than the narrative which is what I prefer in a show anyway. Both the sub and the dub are great-if you have trouble focusing with subs, the dub really works well.

I know this review has been a bit emotional, but I hope it has expressed just how much I adore this show and why you should give it a chance. Just let yourself have fun, be moved, be awed. They're on the stage for you, so let yourself be entertained.