Review of Deca-Dence

Deca-dence was a surprise. It kind of came out of nowhere and I spotted it, thinking it was another AOT which studios tend to pull off quite well, and watched it out of effective boredom. I wasn't expecting what I got but I sure am grateful for it. Story- 8/10 The EP2 twist tends to put a lot of people off the anime, from what I've seen online, but really in my opinion the plot twist is what makes this anime. It's been a while since I've seen a seasonal anime do something original and new with its story that it's a huge breath of freshair from the sodden monotony of the industry as it is right now. It wraps up its story incredibly in the last episode and generally, the anime flows quite well. There are a few things I would change, such as maybe a more delayed twist, e.g. in episode 4 with hints leading up to it, but overall the story holds up on its own and works well.

Art- 10/10
The art of this show is genuinely outstanding. The animation flows incredibly and every character is exceptionally well designed. Everything from the wise-landscape shots to the close in character shots looks gorgeous, and the CGI is used to great effect and blended very well. The show sports a marginally unique art style that plays to its advantage and makes it look all the more beautiful, with character designs being reflective of their personality not only on the surface but also subtly.

Sound- 7/10
Personally I found the sound choice somewhat generic, but then again I ain't a sound guy so what do i know. The sound effects did blend quite well and the use of music is very well done, but again I don't claim to know anything of this process so I'm not really one to comment on anything other than the op and ed, which both fit the show perfectly and also sound stunning.

Character- 8/10
The characters are all very well done, their motivations are clear and they all work in each other's favor. There are some more generic characters like typical rat-man who betrays the main group or the typical scary intimidating corporate bad guy but the main characters and their interactions more than make up for this flaw.

Enjoyment- 10/10
It's not an understatement to say I've enjoyed this more than any other anime I've watched in at least the past 6 months. It struck a chord that I didn't even know could be stricken.

Overall- 9/10
Deca-dence sits at an extremely comfortable 9 in my eyes. Not only is it thoroughly enjoyable, but it also takes a twist and experiments with its story in a way I didn't expect, although it definitely worked to it's an advantage in the long run.