Review of Absolute Duo

As far as power fantasy trash goes, this anime is very good! Like always with these kinds of shows, the characters aren’t the deepest or most complicated, it’s the typical harem subplot and the main protagonist is powerful AF. But still, it’s refreshing to see that main man, even though being a typical Jesus-kun, the supporting cast is also equally powerful. Usually, especially female leads, tend to be powerful at the start, yet once the shit hits the fan, they are about as useful as a hedgehog in a condom factory. Yet this time around the power dynamic is closer between the main couple, andthat is refreshing for a show like this.

The story isn’t the deepest, but it honestly doesn’t need to. A basic story keeps the show more light, and makes the show more enjoyable. It’s easy to follow along without having to invest too much. This is a good hangover show, or something light to watch just for the sake of entertainment without having to use too much brainpower to keep up.

The cast of characters are perfectly suited for the story being told, from main to supporting cast and even the villains. They all have an easy design, making them easy to recognize at a glance.

There is lots of fanservice, but it never goes overboard. There tends to be a lot of boob groping and such alike as soon as the Ecchi tag is attached to an anime. But this time around it’s more the girls doing the groping, measuring boob sizes with each other rather than constant male lead stumbling and accidentally groping. It’s more throughout in this anime compared to similar shows.

The girls in the show are cute as heck, and most of them have a chance to shine at least once or twice within the show. At least the main and supporting cast of girls actually have something to do with the story, making them a part of a whole, rather than just being there for the sake of fanservice or being a cute girl to look at.

The combat in the show is well done, for the most part the action is done well. The animation is fluid, and it all feels like some thought has been put into the choreography, making the combat scenes feel engaging and entertaining. With power fantasy anime too many random things tend to happen in combat, but this isn’t too bad in this show.

There are odd plot holes here and there (both storywise and with the combat), but they are not big enough that they ruin your enjoyment. It’s the odd secondary event that might have been more detailed in the source material but could have easily been left out as it didn’t have any impact on the main story. There are also a couple of minor things missing towards the end, things that aren’t explained but doesn’t matter too much the overarching story.

The power system is based on the character's motivation, feelings and determination, basically Soul Power. One character wanting to protect others due to past experiences getting a shield. Another one wanting revenge for the loss of their parents, the sometimes reckless personality due to this caused her to dual wield swords, a very aggressive and in-your-face weapon fitting the personality. One being shy and lacking confidence but wanting to be stronger ending up having a lance weapon, powerful weapons yet allowing for some distance to the target. Another one being somewhat arrogant and vain ends up with a rifle, allowing her to stay at a distance, keeping blood, sweat and gore of combat off her clothing staying clean and proper.

The weapons the cast of characters are wielding fits their personality, a very simple premise. But it makes things more interesting than just having a sword wielder for the sake of having a sword wielder. None of the weapons are unique for power fantasy, but adding this extra layer to it, makes it more interesting and well thought out.

In conclusion, I gave this anime a 7 of 10.

Not in any way the best anime I’ve seen, but way better than the normal high school power fantasy trash out there. Good story, nice characters, cute girls, okay amount of fanservice without going overboard. For a hangover show or a “it’s friday night and I’m bored”, this is a good option. It won't enrich your life, but you won’t feel like you’ve wasted some hours of your life either.