Review of High School DxD Hero
The first three seasons of High School DxD were one of the first anime I ever watched. Coming back two and a half years later to watch DxD Hero after having branched out my anime horizons far beyond their ecchi and harem roots and having heard some pretty mixed reviews about this season, I didn't know how it would hold up. Well, this season exceeded my expectations and I had an absolute blast watching it, to me it's every bit as good as its predecessors. Story, 6/10 (Good) I've never been one to hold story and character development to too high a standard in ecchi/comedy/harem anime orany other genre that isn't meant to be taken super seriously. That said, High School DxD is well ahead of the pack in the story department when it comes to these kinds of anime. Its quality world-building and ability to generate hype have kept me consistently interested in seeing what's going to happen next for four seasons and I totally want more! That said, don't go expecting an intense narrative with rich thematic depth from this show, just have fun going along for the ride.
Characters, 8/10 (Excellent)
If being pandered to with waifus and fanservice isn't at least part of the reason you're watching High School DxD, then you're not part of the target audience and this show likely isn't for you. If that IS part of the reason you're watching, then High School DxD won't let you down. Most of the girls in this show are high quality waifu material and Issei is far more likeable than most harem protagonists and very easy to root for. He does have an internal/emotional conflict regarding his relationship with his harem (mostly Rias) in this season that feels a little forced. While this was a minor annoyance, it honestly wasn't that big a deal for me though.
Art and Animation, 7/10 (Very Good)
I honestly wasn't bothered by the art style change much at all. It is only slightly inferior to the older seasons, so slightly for me that it was inconsequential. The girls' character designs are still gorgeous and we still get to see boobs in pretty much every episode. One advantage High School DxD has over other harem/action shows is just how well-animated and well-executed its fights are. The fights in DxD are on par with those of a fairly high quality battle shounen both visually and in terms of how hype they are.
There are a good amount of anime where I can see really hype fights and while High School DxD is great in that department, there are definitely shows that surpass it. There are also a handful of shows that match or surpass DxD in the fanservice department, though it's definitely elite-tier in that regard. But I can't really think of a better show I could watch if I wanted high-quality full frontal anime titties AND really hype fights in the same show. DxD is the best show I know at that and this season is no exception.
Sound, 7.5/10 (Great)
The music here is as good as previous seasons, I don't really have much to say about it. I do have to say, however, that the English dub for High School DxD is one of the best there is. Unless you're someone who's completely opposed to English dubs, I'd strongly recommend watching the dub for this one. This season might just have the best dub yet, the VAs definitely had fun with this one and they're part of why the humor in this season is amazing. Actually, I don't remember laughing this much at any of the previous seasons! There was a moment where Issei told one of the villains, "I'm gonna make you eat your words like a teen doing the Tide Pod challenge" (or something along those lines, the point is they referenced fucking Tide Pods, holy shit) and I fucking lost it.
Enjoyment, 8.5/10 (Excellent)
I had an absolute blast watching this season. It was a magnificent, well-balanced blend of fanservice, hype, and comedy and while I can say with confidence that there are at least a few shows that do it better in each of those individual categories, High School DxD is still pretty top-tier in all of them and it has a distinct charm that makes it a must-watch for anyone who loves those things.
Overall, 7.5/10 (Great)
High School DxD is really good at what it does and knows what kind of show it is. While I know it's not for everyone (I mean no anime is really for EVERYONE, but this applies doubly to fanservice -heavy shows) and even some of the people that like it think its quality has been inconsistent across its four seasons, I had tons of fun watching this season and it revitalized my love for the series and got me back to my anime roots of watching dubbed harem anime. Never change, High School DxD, never change.