Review of Black Rock Shooter

This is my first review on this website and I hope you enjoy the read. (Disclaimer: This is entirely done by a fan of the show and should be read as such. This is purely based on my opinion. If you don't like moe or angst driven anime you will down right hate this show. This show is a hit or miss for reviews and thoughts of the anime. That being said, this show was phenomenal piece of artwork. Though if you think the show is bad then you have that right and are correct in your thinking because the show has flaws just as everyshow. Part of this review will talk specifically about the listed parts which include story, art, sound, characters and the enjoyment level as the conclusion.)

Story: The story is extremely angsty that involves teenagers misunderstanding each other and acting on that misunderstanding. Each character has a unique way of dealing with their problems and the angst ensues.
The world that most care about is often confused as completely separate when first watched. This is not the case at all. The entirety of the BRS universe is a personification of what is happening in the characters lives. Notice Mato and Black Rock Shooter herself is in the middle of the action every time (of course because they are the main character.) Think of these two worlds as being parallel and linked throughout the story and the show will make a lot of sense. Everything that happens to BRS happens to Mato at the same moment.
Complaints about the story:
1. The pacing is extremely fast since the show is only 8 episodes and concludes 5 characters stories. This is where i feel most people start to dislike the series since they become lost before the show even begins. It feels like a more complex Madoka Magica (where simplicity was a major factor as to why that show was amazing) that had 4 less episodes to tell its story. The pacing forced the complex story to be more complex and lost a lot of viewers from being able to understand the story being told.
2. The story is very over the top when it comes to the characters emotions. Each and every character takes the emotional issues they have and throw them vastly out of proportion. But some girls and boys do this during these formative years and eventually grow out of this outlandish look on their lives. Its something I noticed during watching and most reviews point about out as being the major reason they did not like the show. Its middle school girls being angsty and simply blowing things out of proportion.
Total for the story 9

Art: This is something no one can disagree on. The art is simply phenomenal and is a major part of my personal interest in the show. The back ground is well done in both worlds describing the characters and the emotions they harbor. For example, Chariot has a childish back drop that has been built out of blocks or Dead Master having a very dark themed back ground emphasizing deep depression (and I mean DEEP).
Total for art 10

Sound: The sound portrays the characters extremely well with the emotions they are feeling. Most of this portion corresponds with the art section but the art was more masterful as a whole than the music.
Total for sound 9

Characters: This is where the review will start to be more controversial (even more so than the story segment). The characters were well designed and the emotions they emit correlate well with one another very well. The issue is once again these emotions are blown out of proportion. Once again we are talking about angsty middle school girls whose emotions sometimes run rampant. The plot is not that far fetched when it comes to the characters problems. If you are wondering why I am leaving out BRS universe see the story part of the review to understand the requirement, and lack there of, of that specific portion of the show.
The other portion of the debate is the issue of having very bland or over used character archetypes. Yes its true, these character archetypes are not original, but I cant think of an anime where there is an original character let alone any other medium for story telling. Look at Gintama for example, Gin specifically makes fun of the comedy genre by saying "We cant run this show without a straight man" in reference when Shin attempts to leave. Every type of show has its own method of story telling and require certain archetypes to achieve that goal. This does not excuse the lack of innovation but merely rectifies this not being a major issue.
Total for characters 9

Enjoyment: This show reminded me of Madoka Magica, but is simply harder to grasp. The world building is hard to understand in BRS and as a result leaves a strange taste in the viewers mouth for the first few episodes. Just like Madoka Magica the show needs a little bit to bring everything together. BRS universe is simply out of place in the anime until it is explained. Very similiar with Madoka Magica and the witches and Magical girl concept, the idea had to be built before the story started getting good. It tells a story about the characters growth and should be viewed as such. If you like shows that emphasize emotions I would recommend this show. This isnt a show you can just watch. You have to review some of the content to understand the flow. Just take a few seconds of review about the events prior to being confused and the information should make sense.
Total for enjoyment 10
My personal total score for the anime is a 10.

Interesting side note that the cast was amazing.