Guilty Crown

On December 24, 2029—the day colloquially known as the "Lost Christmas"—the Apocalypse Virus spread across Japan, bringing death to its citizens and plunging the country into utter chaos. In an effort to establish order, the United Nations sends the GHQ to assist with the crisis by containing the outbreak while removing all political autonomy in the process. A decade later, the country still lives under their control, unable to break free from their draconian rule.

Frustrated with the state of the nation, a resistance group named the Funeral Parlor aims to liberate Japan from the GHQ. Led by the charismatic Gai Tsutsugami, the group plots to steal a vial containing the "Void Genome" to further their goals. The vial falls into the hands of internet vocalist Inori Yuzuriha, who ends up being hunted by the GHQ's Anti-Bodies forces. Having nowhere to go, she seeks refuge in a warehouse where she meets Shuu Ouma—a socially awkward high school student who is a huge fan of her music.

Shuu gets dragged into the conflict the moment he rescues Inori, and the Void Genome shatters in his hand, granting him the "Power of the Kings." While learning how to control his grand new ability, Shuu must now fight to liberate Japan from its cruel oppressors.

[Written by MAL Rewrite]

Yuzuriha, Inori Main

Kayano, Ai Japanese

Ouma, Shuu Main

Kaji, Yuuki Japanese

Tsutsugami, Gai Main

Nakamura, Yuuichi Japanese

Shinomiya, Ayase Supporting

Hanazawa, Kana Japanese

Tsugumi Supporting

Taketatsu, Ayana Japanese

Menjou, Hare Supporting

Shimamura, Yuu Japanese

Segai, Makoto Waltz Supporting

Canna, Nobutoshi Japanese

Yan, Daryl Supporting

Uchiyama, Kouki Japanese

Ouma, Mana Supporting

Kayano, Ai Japanese

Kido, Kenji Supporting

Okamoto, Nobuhiko Japanese

Cook, Justin Producer

Wada, George Producer

Kimura, Makoto Producer

Nakatake, Tetsuya Producer, Production Assistant

Reviews

Mar 16, 2025

Amitrk

Recommended

Ok so guilty crown was a fun watch. Lets get into it!

Animation- 8.5/10

The first thing that I found impressive about guilty crown was the sick animation. For it's time it was amazing and a visual treat.

Music- 7/10

The music was also good and praised by many but in my opinion it was just “good”.

... Story and plot 6.5/10

Without spoiling much i would say that the overall story of guilty crown was disappointing. It had a lot of potential but in the end plot holes everywhere.
Mana's powers, the whole apocalypse viruse logic, shu's sudden character development - it all kinda happens cause the writers wanted it to. They don't explain it in a way that truly makes sense. And the ending feels like everything happened for nothing,just for the vibes.

Characters- 6.5/10

They were fine. I really liked some of the side characters but I found the main characters to be pretty average. Gai really wanted to be lelouch so bad imo.
Dude had the drip, charisma and sacrifices for the greater goods but his execution was all over the place.

Overall enjoyment- 7/10 (good).

It was entertaining and a fun watch. Sometimes emotional and the fights with the music was a treat.

Overview-

Guilty crown is something that delivers on the hype, emotions and visuals but when you step back, the story kinda collapses under its own weight. It is still entertaining and fun. Just go with the flow and don't look for logical explanations and you'll mostly likely enjoy it.

Reviewer’s Rating: 7

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Nov 29, 2025

SSJ-SUP3RM4N

Mixed Feelings

Original anime are some of the more interesting in the medium to examine critically. Since there is no source material to keep the on-screen product anchored in place, the approaches taken towards original stories have tended to be hit-or-miss due to having to tell a complete story at a much quicker pace. Guilty Crown is one of the most popular original anime on the site when looking at the numbers, but its rating is a bit disproportionate to that popularity. In this review, I’ll provide some insight as to why I find this may be the case. Let’s begin.

The general narrative is post-apocalyptic and anti-establishment ... in tone and messaging but at the core, this is an action sci-fi that takes place in the near future. When looking at the general flow of events, there are two inflection points where the story really changes shape. The first is at around the usual half-way point but the second is only a few episodes after that. To avoid spoilers, I won’t get into the specifics of what exactly happens at those points. The first half takes from many genres and lays down a story with lots going on. There is some action, some sci-fi, some drama, some romance, some coming-of-age, and even some fan service. Not every event that goes on makes sense and it takes a while to clearly define some of the characters’ roles, but the story moves forward reasonably and the breadth of events means there’s a bit of many different things going on. There are some issues though. The pacing is pretty quick. Though events make sense, they sometimes fall flat and/or are not properly explained. Events will occur in ways that seem like they can be reasonably explained, but said explanations are often either given too indirectly or not given at all. Annoyingly, though such events themselves and their causes are not that predictable, what is predictable is that the explanation follows shortly after an event occurs. In the worst case, there are some reveals where the only hint towards them is an indirect hint dropped 5 episodes ago with no reminder of that hint when the reveal occurs. That particular case did not happen often but did so with important enough plot points to be noticeable. Devices that anime use to catch viewers up with the story are not used enough here, potentially leading to some strong disconnects with major reveals and plot points. Since many of the events in the first half did not really need too much deeper context, however, these problems were not as flagrant as they end up becoming later on.

In the second half, and especially in the final third, the story flips on its head, becoming much more character-driven and the post-apocalyptic themes become much more apparent as the lore takes center stage. Unfortunately, this is where many issues with the story composition and general flow of events become the most apparent. The pacing, which was somewhat decently quick in the first half, slows down for a bit following a major climax, but then moves way too fast in the final third. Due to the back third also being the most lore-heavy in terms of the story and mechanics of the world, this is a severe problem. These issues are compounded on top of those that were already happening since the beginning, resulting in a lot of incoherence and plot holes. It could be argued that the breadth of topics covered in the first half result in this issue, since a lot of that time could have likely been better spent focusing on these later plot points. The last 3 to 4 episodes spend so much time answering questions that should have been discussed more or at the very least been more directly hinted at much earlier in the series, which leaves no time for the final plot points to ruminate. This is especially the case with the ending. On its own, it is a decent conclusion, though not without several unresolved questions. The main issue is that the message, the point of why things happen the way they did, is never fully shown or even talked about amongst any of the characters, main cast or otherwise. They show the very basic aftermath of things and that’s simply that. In the end, it feels as if this anime got caught in the two main traps that many original anime fall into: (1) spending a lot of time building up the characters and general landscape while failing to do so with the narrative, resulting in (2) a slippery slope so steep that there seems like no pleasing way to stick the landing.

The characters are good. Shu, the MC, is a point of controversy among watchers and reviewers. He is immature, reckless, and contradicts himself very often. Quite simply, he is not very likable. That said, especially in the beginning, these aspects are intentional. Many of his associates and even his closer friends constantly remind him of his weak points. His development does happen but it’s not paced consistently enough to be enjoyable. As the synopsis lays out, he is thrust into the events of this anime by complete accident. He acts like a child who believes he knows what he is getting into but constantly comes to realize he really does not, whether it be through him seeing it directly or having it impressed upon him by someone else. That said, while the points of contention around his character are important to keep in mind since it is not the most enjoyable experience as a viewer, having the context of realizing that is how the viewer is supposed to feel is still needed when looking at Shu critically. The rest of the characters are fine, if not a bit unremarkable. If anything, there are maybe too many of them. Inori, the main girl, is the driver of most of the romance beats, though she doesn’t do much of that herself directly. Her relationship with Shu goes through a lot of phases, keeping it from getting stale. The quiet moments between the two are some of the few moments viewers get to sit back and take a breath in the back third. Gai, the third MC, is a somewhat generic anti-hero badass in writing, but the execution is done well. It helps that his true motivations are actually somewhat unique especially when completely laid out by the end. Funeral Parlor is a fun group with sympathetic motivations, with getting to know them being a highlight of the first half. Shu’s friend group at school is generic, likely intentionally so, but also not bad. The larger roles they end up playing in the story are unexpected but still mostly interesting. Though the political nature of events is the main thing that gets muddied by the final third’s breakneck pace, there’s a decent amount of time spent on the bad guys as well. The relationships between the protagonists and antagonists appear to be pretty complex given who is involved, like Shu’s mother for example, but the actual aspect of that is not covered consistently enough.

Unfortunately, the issues with the back third extend to the main cast as well. There just is not enough time set aside to let things marinate, to let Shu and the characters really evaluate things and lay out responses that allow for viewers to connect with them. It is not as much an issue as it is with the story, but that same ‘falling flat’ feeling shows up in a noticeable amount of character interactions. Shu’s arc also suffers due to the pacing. In the first half, viewers will see a lot of and may grow weary with Shu’s hesitation and indecisiveness but he does grow out of it just a bit over time. In the second half, though, Shu’s gradual development up to that point is wholly discarded for a pain-train of suffering that is even less enjoyable than his childishness in the first half. Though his motivations do make sense as to why, his character does a complete 180 in a single exact point in time, a maneuver that instantly snatches away any depth that he has up to that point. In the first half, while he is not likeable, he is consistent. In the second half, he is dragged, pushed, and pulled in so many different directions that viewers may lose sight of his core. Though his arc is decently resolved by the end, the weight of the resolution is not there, mainly due to the aforementioned pacing problems.

When looking at the early 2010s, most viewers will be hard pressed to find a better audiovisual package than what is shown here. Even though this anime is one of Hiroyuki Sawano’s earlier works as lead composer, the level of quality you expect from the name today is present from start to finish here. The OST is equally bombastic and exciting as it is somber and brooding. The first OP, My Dearest, is an all-timer. The voice acting is top-line with many household names tapped in, including Yuki Kaji and Ai Kayano as the main duo. I mentioned earlier that Shu is an inherently controversial character, but a lot of that also has to do with Yuki Kaji’s performance as Shu being so effective in relaying his hesitation and other negative aspects to the viewer. Ai Kayano’s performance as Inori was also pretty good, but she doesn’t get to use much of her range often given how soft-spoken Inori is.

Visually, this anime is fantastic, especially when looking at it from the perspective of the time period it was released. The art and animation have aged wonderfully. The art style and balanced color palette feel almost too reminiscent of late-00s/early-10s designs, but the quality is nearly unmatched for the time. Character designs are kept realistic with a few exceptions and are clean and consistent the whole way. The city landscapes they show, while lacking a bit in color, look very good and contribute to the near-future vibes. The sci-fi elements are all a bit tame though. The effects of the Void system are very dynamic but those effects and also those of the Apocalypse virus are lacking just a bit in color. In addition, though this is advertised as a mech anime, it doesn’t really feel like it much, because the mech designs typically look too generic. Still, the mech’s movements are animated very cleanly with no noticeable blemishes or 3D smoothing, so it’s not all bad in that aspect. As a whole, action set pieces are brilliantly animated. The Void system makes for some very unique sequences and gives a decent variety to the fight scenes.

In all, this anime is another entry in the long debate of how much great animation and sound can (or cannot) bail out an inferior narrative. Since this is a controversial topic, this is naturally a controversial anime, though it certainly has numerous strong points. The art and sound are top-notch. The direction and narrative at their roots are very cinematic. The breadth of genres this anime gets into is very wide as well, making for a good variety of story beats, though it could also be argued that is the root cause behind all of the narrative issues that compound as the series progresses. What starts out as a relatively accessible and enjoyable post-apocalyptic coming-of-age action drama, to its own detriment unfortunately, devolves into a rush of ideas and events in an attempt to tie everything up, which it fails to properly succeed at because the pacing is simply too quick. While the overall story and landscape of events is interesting, the progression of events involving this cast of characters is too haphazard and too abrupt. It is not too much better or worse than the average original anime, but it is still a shame to see. If you’re expecting a deeply character-driven story, there are some elements of that here but it is better to look elsewhere. If you are an action watcher and place high value in animation and music, there is a lot to like here. Overall though, it is hard to give a general consensus recommendation. To this anime’s credit, it has loads of style, even in terms of its story, but it lacks the substance and depth needed for a viewer to truly resonate with it, making for a watch that feels shallower than it ought to have been.

Reviewer’s Rating: 6

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Feb 12, 2025

Nikosloler

Not Recommended

Funny

Guilty Crown. An anime that aired in 2011-2012 and was especially popular because of its catchy openings and stunning animation.

I must say ,going into Guilty Crown blind, without having seen or heard spoilers and
only knowing the MAL score of the series, I had quite a lot of expectations.

This is one of my first ,few reviews, but I felt the need to write one for this absolute circus of madness.

The first half of the story (episode 1 - 12) focuses on the cliche archetype of :"boy with hidden past and memory loss meets emotionless girl and gains power to save the girl and the world".if ... done properly , a series like this can yield great results, however this wasn't the case here. It's a mix of all the generic tropes one can imagine ,mashed into an amalgamation of "soulless". Up until episode 12 ,the story ,as generic as it may have been , atleast tried to stay on track with the mediocre plot it set the viewers up for. After episode 13, right when the second half of the story starts, the story takes a weird turn. From corrupt government that wanted to create a new race of humanity fighting opposing revolutionary army with no end goal, to students trapped in a school during a new outbreak of the virus, isolated.

I must say , the ability to manifest weapons out of the "heart" of someone is rather intriguing and slightly reminiscent of Bleach, with a much less inconsistent , illogical and annoying execution.Apparently ,some people faint by having their void manifested ,others don't, some of the abilities can somehow be combined (like when Shu stopped the Leukocyte beam), while others can evolve when used by Shu , or cant.

Let's not even start on the characters.Shu, the protagonist, is as one dimensional and childish as it gets, second ,in horrible writing, only to the piece of cardboard Heroine: inori. I can see they tried to create a flawed kid with responsibilities of an adult ,but all they managed to do ,was disgrace the interesting initial concept of Guilty Crown. On the one hand, Shu is quite literally bipolar, as his mindset fluctuates throughout every single episode between being an antisocial coward to heroic to coward again to more heroic to emotionally scared and coward AGAIN to sociable hero to psychopath. On the other hand, inoris personality is nonexistent. She first follows Gai completely ,because why not? Then she switches over to Shu , because of love I guess ,and that's that. She never takes action without being told to ,except for 1 time when she tried to save Shu. She also shows a few signs of madness ,but that's irrelevant. The supporting cast are also dreadful, so I won't go into any more detail about them.
Then there is the Right ability at the right time trope (Deus ex machina) , the protagonist making immature decisions and later regretting them etc

However ,credit must be given where credit is due. The animation of this show is phenomenal ,with no repeating frames and solid CGI, especially considering it came out in 2011. The music is good, both the OSTs and the Opening (the endings were okay) so no significant complains here. The artstyle is okay, nothing outstanding, new or unique, but gets the job done and works well with the vibe of the show.

Iam very disappointed because this show could've been so much more and yet ,fell short of every single expectation I had for it ,in story writing, world building, characters.

Better alternatives to this ,in my opinion, are "Project K" or "Kiznaiver". They obviously aren't perfect either ,but I was a lot less confused ,annoyed when watching them ,over Guilty Crown. They both have a similar "path" to follow (as in lost memory ,new power ,emotionless girl, save girl and world etc) but personally delivered a more enjoyable and interesting experience.

Thank you for reading and I apologise if the composition of this review is a bit messy, I wrote it relatively fast.

Reviewer’s Rating: 4

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	Poll: Guilty Crown Episode 19 Discussion ( 1 2 3 4 5 ... Last Page ) tsubasalover - Mar 1, 2012	493 replies	by BigC_-69420 »» Sep 19, 9:09 PM
	Poll: Guilty Crown Episode 15 Discussion ( 1 2 3 4 5 ... Last Page ) Yumekichi11 - Feb 2, 2012	642 replies	by BigC_-69420 »» Sep 19, 1:33 PM
	Poll: Guilty Crown Episode 22 Discussion ( 1 2 3 4 5 ... Last Page ) tsubasalover - Mar 22, 2012	1,165 replies	by whitebeartigtig »» Jul 19, 6:10 PM
	Poll: Guilty Crown Episode 21 Discussion ( 1 2 3 4 5 ... Last Page ) tsubasalover - Mar 15, 2012	310 replies	by whitebeartigtig »» Jul 19, 5:41 PM
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