Review of Strike the Blood

My expectations for Strike the Blood were simple: I wanted lots of action with some romance thrown in. Instead, I feel like I got the opposite. Overall, I was disappointed in some areas and pleasantly surprised in others. Though I don't regret watching it, I wish the show had only 12 episodes instead of 24. Story: 6 To put it simply, the story for this show is mediocre. It isn't outstanding, but nor is it bad. It simply fulfills its duty to carry along the main premise of the show, which focuses more on the relationships between characters (primarily, of course, between the leading hero Koujo andthe ladies). The show is divided into several arcs, which range from 2-5 episodes long. After the first few arcs, a general pattern of events begins to emerge and repeat itself. Though this has no real severe implication on the show, it does make it a bit predictable.

The only significant issue I have with the plot is that it never addresses the circumstances in which Kojou becomes the Fourth Progenitor. Though it is mentioned several times in the show and there are a few short flashbacks, the questions surrounding Kojou's mysterious transformation are left unanswered--though I suppose that if there's a possibility for a second season they could be answered then.

Art: 10

By far the best thing about this show was the art. Very crisp, exciting animation, with exciting colors and fantastic fight choreography totally fulfilled my expectations. Character designs were spectacular, the magic was interesting, and the scenery was beautiful.

Sound: 7

The sound was not particularly memorable. It, like the plot, fulfilled its purpose, though unless you're paying attention, it's not very noticeable. The OPs and endings were fine, but not anything out of the ordinary.

Character: 5

The characters in a romantic show, especially a harem, are its driving force, and I feel like this is where Strike The Blood's mediocrity prevails.

I found the main character, Kojou a bit two-dimensional and simplistic. He was likeable, handsome, decent, heroic, and pretty much everything a good (but not particularly interesting) protagonist should be. He had only a few minor flaws, leaving little room for character development or improvement.

The girls in the show, however, are a different story. Their personalities are more clearly defined and more developed than Kojou's, and they don't really follow archetypes, so they're certainly more interesting. Himeragi, the female lead, is the most developed, and she undergoes the most noticeable character development in the whole show.

The one thing that bugged me most about the girls, however, is that no matter how smitten they were with the main character, they constantly berated him, calling him an indecent pervert even in situations that are totally out of his control (this is especially true of the main female character, Himeragi.) Though I can understand that this was meant to be comedic relief, hearing "HENTAI" screamed in various high pitched girly voices episode after episode starts to grate on one's nerves.

Supporting/side characters were incredibly bland. For example, Kojou's male friend with headphones was so underdeveloped that those are the only two things I can remember about him. A few side characters, like the First Progenitor, could have been really interesting, but they were sort of put on the back burner to all of the romance going on.

Enjoyment: 6

This is the sort of show I'd recommend to someone who wanted to shut off their brain for a while, watch some cool magic, and see a couple panty shots. It certainly wasn't bad, and I can't say I disliked it, but overall, it fell straight into the mediocre category.