Erementar Gerad

Characters/Development
I was surprised after watching this one as I expected it to be your average adventure anime with the same old story, characters that get forgotten and bad flow in story. I am glad I was wrong, this was a great viewing. The story is a rather simple one but flows very well throughout the anime having some interesting action and emotional moments. Fights aren’t too alike to each other and the emotional moments aren’t the same each time because they are sometimes sad, sometimes cute. The plot also has its interesting moments, with a few awkward ones too but theres nothing overall disappointing about ... it. The action in this one as I said aren’t too alike to each other throughout the anime as the enemies have different styles for battle and different terrains were they happen at. I did however get bored of Coud getting pushed around without getting hurt too badly at the start and towards the end. I like the emotion the most in this one, especially the way Ren gets upset and learns she starts to feel jealous later on. There are also some sweet romantic moments I don’t wish to spoil, but quite unexpected which is very good. Something I’ve Noticed, the way this anime is set out and the characters, it really reminds me of Outlaw Star. First, the girl is found in some sort of container in both of the animes and are both wanting to go to a certain place with the main character who promises to do so. Second, the characters are alike. You have Coud and Ren who are like Gene and Melfina. Then you have the beast girl character. You also have a good warrior in both and the annoying “kid” if you like in both of them. Thirdly, there are always people getting in the way, some people trying to kidnap the girl and some other adventures inbetween.

Animation/Scenery
Animation is rather good as well, but there were a few repeated scenes in a few spots. The Reacting scene did however got repeatative and boring half way through but at least the studio made those scenes end quicker than near the start. The art style also looks very soft with good tones of colour, with nothing too bright or dull. I did notice the art did get more sharp and better later in the anime too. Backgrounds were interesting but nothing fantastic except a few areas in the later episodes. Character designs are interesting, Ren is very cute with the way she looks with her purple hair and green eyes which is quite different than a lot of female characters and suits her very well. Coud is also rather decent looking for an adventure anime which doesn’t go over the top with hair design and clothes. The others are also interesting without being too far fetched, except the hair style of Wolx, but I rather liked it. Characters also never get forgotten as ealier characters return later in the anime.

Audio/Music
Music adds to the atmosphere and feeling of the anime, especially the music used to explain what happened in the previous episode. They sound like some old folk/country tunes and fit well with the style.

Conclusion
A very good adventure anime, without being too farfetched. Good action and great emotional scenes with an overall good flow for the story.

Elemental Gelade (also known as Erementar Gerad) is an anime about Coud Van Guiret and his journey from being a simple apprentice sky pirate one who is responsible for the outcome of the entire world. In this world, Edel Raids are special people that react to humans to give humans tremendous powers for fighting and other means. Of course, there are people who want to use these Edel Raids for an evil purpose, and then there are those who want to unlock the deeper, more mysterious power, of these Edel Raids.

Without going too much into the story, you can already imagine, or simply ... take a guess from what it could be from the background information I presented. The plot is by-and-large fairly predictable and offers very few plot twists. And even those few plot twists can be seen coming for a few episodes. However, the over-used story of a pre-teenager kid saving the world using special powers always has some kind of mysterious charm, and that is what prevents the plot from being unwatchable. It\'s a fairly decent story.

The art is drawn well. The main characters all have some kind of uniqueness to them by their appearance. However, the non-main characters all pretty much are drawn with the least amount of detail to make them different.

The soundtrack is done by Yuki Kaijura, so you know that the score is going to be at the very least, exceptional, and that is no different with Elemental Gelade. There are many tracks in which you\'ll want to download for your private collection or find yourself humming along with the show.

The characters themselves are also somewhat predictable. After watching Coud for the first 5 minutes, you\'ll get a feel of what kind of person he is and after those first 5 minutes, you won\'t see anything different. The only character I found to be pretty much unpredictable was Cisqua, and that\'s because half the time you\'ll probably be laughing at her antics, too busy to predict what she\'s going to do. She is a very enjoyable character and makes the series much more enjoyable to watch.

In the end, if you\'re looking for something unique, different, thought-provoking, or something of the sort, the plot and characters to Elemental Gelade will provide you with none of that. However, with the formula that the series has stuck with, it is still generally enjoyable and will have you rooting for Coud and Reverie (Ren). Also, watching the romance blossom between them is also something that is interesting too.

Main
Elemental Gelade is an OK series to watch. At first it may look like a kiddie show [which I think it is], but it actually get's a little better and more entertaining so it might be something those of us over 13 might enjoy....just keep in mind it's really simple.

Art-Style
Very bright colors with simple lines and shading, typical of shounen series directed towards a younger audience. There are some pretty good landscape shots...and the floating rocks are nice. The “Reaction” scenes are reused and repeated....frequently.

Sound
Nothing especially thrilling about the OP or ED, I dislike techno very much—so ... no comment. However some a songs during the show were OK, the last song of the final episode was probably the best.

Story
Very simplistic storyline; good versus evil blah blah blah. There was a deeper moralistic tone being taught here too, which is basically about [racial] intolerance. The story does try to get more complex, when friends turn on one another and you start to wonder just who is the bad guy [and which team is the evil team?] but that all falls by the wayside and reverts back to the overly simplistic children's style of storytelling. The final battle and ending chapters seemed kinda rushed and anti-climactic.

Cast/Characters
Cou's name is annoying [couldn't they have just called him Garrett?] and so is his hair....annoying [they look like fins or gills and they don't get wet in water]. The rest of Cou is OK, the fact that he wears red is a plus [except for Inuyasha and Vash... who wears red?]. Wren was perfect, I liked her—no problems there! The supporting cast was also OK and enjoyable and funny [especially Vero, and ep.18]....but they also have deeper, more serious sides to their personality—which is always interesting to watch and see how things develop.

Worth it or NOT?
it's an OK series to watch one time only. And it's definitely suitable to just watch this on TV or web broadcasts...but I wouldn't buy it unless I had kids.

Genre:Adventure, Fantasy, Magical girl, Romance
Episodes:26
OP-Forever
ED-Yakusoku


Story-7/10-Well.. I guess.. the girl turning into a weapon.. is not the most original idea.. (Saikano) but atleast its the girl AND the guy fighting together.. Story is pretty good i guess.. in the end of most episodes.. you feel like they accomplished something.. while they are building up character most of the time.. But you really (its so obvious) see the relationship between Ren and Coud grow.. Coud stops being a jerk really quickly..and that was pretty cool.. unlike other series.. where it takes like 20 episodes.. The ending really sucked, if it was the first time you have watched ... an anime.. then the ending might be really good, but for me it was wayy to Cliche...

Character-8/10-You really see the characters grow up.. you can tell that the main part of this series is the relationship between Ren and Coud... and they do a really good job.. the other characters are there to compare and contrast relationship.. There a decent amount of main characters.. 5.. and they have their distinct personailties.. They meet a lot of people who are there just to make the series more interesting..

Music-8/10-The OP is pretty good, its by Savage Gardens and they are great.. The ED.. was slow.. but eh.. didn't really like it.. they stuck to the usual.. fast OP.. slow ED.. The soundtrack is by Yuki Kajuira.. so full points for the soundtrack part.. The soundtrack.. was pretty good.. decent.. compared to Yuki's other OSTs..

Animation-6/10-Nothing really impressive.. the fight scenes are okay.. but they replay the part when Ren becomes a weapon.. so points got docked there.. Background.. character drawings.. are all.. okay..

Value-3/5-Its a nice adventure series, with good character development.

Enjoyment-4/5-I really like this series.. its just fun to watch.. and it makes me feel "good inside" whenever they accomplish something.. they usually finish minor problems in an episode or two.. so it feels pretty fast paced.. The ending felt a little weird and too predictable, to me, the ending killed the series.

Overall-7/10

Ah yes an Action show that's actually worth it. You heard me right. While short indeed, this show doesn't fail to deliver it's action. From the Manga by Mayumi Azuma a splendid story emerges from the pages of the manga to an Anime series that has all the fun you need. A fantastic blend of Sci-Fi and fantasy, with the touches of romance on top.

This show needless to say stands out to me more than most action series. Unlike typical action series, namley naruto the female characters aren't easily faded into the background. While Ren can be the damsal in distress, there's no denying her ... own strength and abilities and there is certainly no denying her desires to protect Cou as he protects her. But probably Cou impresses me the most. At first appearance he seems to be your typical male character full of christma a bit cocky but you can clearly tell that he not only loves Ren and wants to protect her with all his might but he can be humble as well. Mostly it's because he can be humble respectful and take defeat that makes him a mature character almost unheard of in series like these. I think this probably only one I've seen, with a strong ensemble cast of males and females. He doesn't act macho all the time and doesn't have an enormous ego.

Animation wise well it's probably not THE most impressive in the world. Especially in the way it will suddenly go Chibi on you, or the fact background look like colored sketches. However the characters look splendid.

Ah music. Yuki Kajiura seldom disappoints me. Giving the mystical and bit of Irish-Celtic feel to the shows original score, while occasionally breaking out into her trademark style, of vocals and elaborate piano melodies. But I wish she would do her fanciful violin trademark some more! Music scores often suffer in action series but the original score for this show shines out as another bonus quality.

However the show is not with out it's flaws. Some beaten down clichés (Namley food food food!) are quite used as well as gender confusion, for the one of the characters who looks a bit boyish but really is an adorable little girl. (In her words anyway) It can be funny yet amusing at the same time. Fortuantley the cliché doesn't always fall into the lap of the male character. (As is commonly done) Admist these clichés the series isn't beaten down with them. Hey what show doesn't have it's share of flaws? (Even my most favorite have a fair share)

My final thoughts it's pretty unusual that I review and Anime before I even finish it. But this I just felt strongly that I should.

Elemental Gelade starts off on a simple premise, a boy promises to take a girl to where she wants to go. And, while this is the main plot point driving the story, it branches off into so many directions creating an intricate web of diverse sub plots, all of which are explained fairly well so that the viewer is able to understand it all and enjoy it all the same. The main sub plot, is that of edel (that is what i call them, although some translators prefer eldo, or eden) raids, mystical beings who can fuse with a human to become a weapon. A ... lot of effort is put into making what a realistic world would be like if edel raids really existed, how some people would use them purely as weapons, where as others would care for them as much as a human being. The whole premise is very interesting and very well explained as said above, and arcs out into a very original and epic adventure.

The art and sound are very nice, having one of the absolute best openings I have ever seen in an anime. The characters are diverse and interesting. Coud being a young lad, and a fighter by nature. At first he seems like a fairly standard hero, but as the plot progresses you find he has a few strengths and flaws that normally wouldn't surface themselves in an anime. The heroine, Ren, is quite different for the norm of an adventure such as this. Usually you'd expect to find the strong willed girl, ready to fight it up with all the men. While Ren definably has a strong will, and will fight when necessary with all her might... she really is her own original character. If I could describe her in one word... it'd probably be ... sleepy, or maybe blunt? Shes a quiet girl who doesn't warm easily to people and doesn't say a lot. Shes not shy by any means, but rather reserved and has a bit of a hatred for humans. As such, she is thouroughly enjoyable to experience as a character and can easily be nominated as one of the greatest female leads of all time.

Overall the experience gained from watching elemental gelade is a good one. The story builds and falls at all the right times, and you can fell the joy and sadness that the characters are trying to express. It is beautifully done, and an excellent watch. Enjoy.

I love this anime! at first I was skeptical about the plot but then i fell in love with the characters! Especially Cou and Ren's relationship in the end! it made me cry!!! I'm not one of those people who write long and critical reviews but if you like action packed amines with cute guys and a sappy heart warming ending, than this is an anime for you! Two lovers meant to be together but enemies try to keep them apart! I JUST LOVED IT!!! if your not into the sappy stuff then the beginning and the middle of the series would be best for ... you, its full of action packed super powered people fighting! But I was kinda disappointed in the slight lack of gore, like I mean a guy was stabbed and his shirt didn't even rip! I don't like a whole lot of blood but some sign of an actual injury would help. And I have to say the plot was very original- usually when they have a species co-extising with humans It's usually demons or monsters. All the characters were amazing and had their own unique personalities, and of course the wholes striving for world peace thing is an unavoidable clique but you cant really tell.

At first i didnt think i would love this show as much as i did. Its a great tale of friendship, courage, betrayl, and the most important love. It was amazing the amount of love. I you love a good love story this is the talw for you!

First glance, okay average action show, but when ren showed it changed. The idea of this of how ladies can turn into swords was totally creative as well, but to me, I thought that whoever made this (I don't follow publisher, only title, song for op and ed, and who sang it is what I pay attention to) could've expanded the anime because I can think of some things they could've put. Anyways when you get to the end, you'll be like a good action show with a very touching romance added in there.

This was surprisingly very good. at first i thought was going to be another cheesy anime, but i was wrong, this was very enjoyable. The story had enough depth to keep me wanting to watch the next episode, and had some nice twist as well.

i can't really judge the art because i was watching pretty bad quality files (3gp :( , but i can tell it still wouldn't have been that much of a break through, the backgrounds were simple

Soundtrack was pretty good too, love the techno-ish OP and the adventurous background ... music that is played through out. It's really the music that keeps me on the edge of my seat.

what i like most about these stories is the character development, and this show did an good job growing the main characters , little by little they grow through each episode and by end we see the results

of course this is no FMA but its still worth the watch

The story is pretty straight forward in many ways and is basically a story of a journey. The journey from two to one. It is a journey Cou and Rin take together to better understand who they are and their feelings for each other. The plot I would say is there to drive the development of two characters along. That is not to say other characters do not develop in time, just not very much. The story is kinda simple. Boy meets girl , boys falls for girl, boys and girl save the world. I wished I could have the show a better grade as ... it is pretty good, but there was something I deeply hated about it: the intro and the story teller voice recounting what had happened in the previous episodes in short. It is a voice that does not fit the show at all. Because it tries to put you to sleep. Interesting enough they did not go with the well know song+movie voice but with the once upon a time voice. So just skip that part at the beginning and you will be ok.

Alright, review number three. Not much of an acoomplishment but it's a start. You know, It feels more like i'm talking to myslef here than actually helping people decide whether to watch this or not... No way you're the best. Thanks you're too kind.

Anyway onto the review, as a side note the way i reviewed Codegeass was a bit of borefest to write and most likely to read, so i'll be going back to the first way (The way I did Sexyrei er i mean Sekirei, if anyone cares.)

Story: I'd say it was pretty good. Not heavy like other animes that really get you thinking/ ... depressed, but not so light that you have no interest in it at all. The story was fun, being action oriented, comedic at times and romantic. It was a nice story that when you were done with it you were satisfied.

Art: Pretty smooth, style wise it was cool and the battles were nice and smooth. I'm not much of an art critique so i like every little style of art in anime.

Sound: The music was great, making suspenseful scenes just that and action scenes ...action...-y. Also I really liked the voice acting in this. ( Kill me or whatever but I usually always watch anime in english.) While somecharacters had the best voices ever, others took some time to get used to. But that's not to say it sucked...just was unique at irst, though i feel in the long run it really worked.

Character: This show just had a lot of character. The interaction between ren and coud? (I guess that's how you spell it?) were always nice and cute. The interactions between Cisqua and her co. between coud was also fun. On top of that were some very fitting voices as I previously mentioned, especially for coud (Sounds alot like the english voice actor for Zack fair...instantly made it a hundred times better...eventhough it already was good.)

Overall: Again I skipped Enjoyment (Why do we even have that lever...er I guess it would be section in this case...) [Kudos if you get the reference] Anyway overall I really enjoyed this anime, It wasn't change your life crazy or...crazy crazy. I definitely recommend this to anyone who likes romance, action, comedy, animes. Also it has a similarity to soul eater, as in certain people change into weapons to fight with a human. So if you watched soul eater and like that you might like Elemental Gelade also, though keep in mind there are differences.

Well...short sweet to the point...more or less. Hope you enjoyed and hope that this helped. Stay tuned for my next review! (Hey, they have to helpful to at least somebody...right....RIGHT!?)

Until next time,
Eriad_Eternas

OK dont be too harsh with my review its my first...
The Story is very stereotypical, some nobody (Coud) who finally has a chance to rise above everyone and save the world. Like I said its pretty simple. Not much to say there.

Art, not bad not amazing I enjoyed the animation, but it was never anything amazing. Some scenes were well done, others are meh. Details with the surroundings seemed like they were quickly painted down without much intentions, but the characters themselves were well done.

Sound. Ugh, I found the OP and ending just very catchy they didnt really help with pulling me into the anime. ... On top of that the mid cut where they would insert commercials was like... is this a western? Anyways wasnt too impressed with the sound.

Characters. Not too shabby Ren is the quiet deep thinker, or so it seems. Her impressions on people are changed on a whim, while Coud is the must fight because I have to type. Cisqua is amusing has some good qualities and interesting whit :D enjoyed her.

Enjoyment overall, I wont say its bad, but I found that it just didnt quite do it for me. In the first episode I felt that when Coud was getting beat up from some random ninja (yes there are random ninjas)... why isnt he bleeding? Maybe this should go into the Animation but still I think there should be some form of blood in this.

Overall. Pretty generic anime, not sure if i would recomend but i also wouldnt say skip it.

I tend to see a lot of anime that have very strong introductions, but get worn down and end up rather average by the end. Elemental Gelade is the opposite: the opening episodes will probably not wow you. It seems pretty standard, doesn't it? A young male hero trying to prove himself, a mysterious girl he has to protect, and some pirate vs ninja action.

But the show becomes so much more.

Story: 7/10
Overall, the story is rather basic. Taking place in a world where humans live alongside Edel Raids (girls who can react with a human to become a weapon), main hero Cou is a ... sky pirate that ends up reacting with Ren, an extremely powerful Edel Raid. He promises to take her to her destination, and a three-person Edel Raid protection agency accompanies them and tries to get Ren for themselves. As Ren is such a powerful Edel Raid, the group finds themselves in a lot of trouble and such. Most of the story is just their travels and don't involve a concrete plot. A more solid story emerges in the second half, but you still shouldn't expect any amazing plot twists or anything. The story is not what this is about, oddly enough.

Characters: 10/10
Ah, now this is what I love about the series. The characters are surprisingly well done. I don't just mean Cou and Ren either; the "side" characters even get more development than main characters in most series. Cou starts out like a typical shonen hero, but he really evolves (augh, can't explain much better due to spoilers). Ren also starts out hating humans for using her race as weapons and changes as she sees the world and the circumstances people are put in. Personally, I like the three Arc Aile members best, particularly their leader Cisqua. She seems like typical comic relief with her hot-temper initially, but her ties of loyalty to her work really make for some interesting developments as she sees first-hand just what her company means to the world. Rowen also seems like Mr.Perfect with Edel Raid Kuea wanting nothing more than food, but even they have much deeper sides explored in the story. What I found great was that each of the Arc Aile members got an episode to themselves tor really explain things. Just looking at the first few episodes versus the last few shows just how much the group evolves.

Art: 7/10
The art is pretty average, if not a bit on the above-average side. It dives into chibi once in a while, which adds a nice charm. Don't expect to be blown away by the art, but it isn't bad to look at either.

Sound: 8/10
Elemental Gelade has a very different feel in terms of sound. It's very...folk-music-like. The darker tunes are also interesting with their creepy piano and whatnot. The songs the characters use to React could have been better though, considering what an important part of the plot they are. Still, it's a nice change that still fits the moment.

Enjoyment: 9/10
Really the show is about how the characters develop, and I think all the little things work together really well to show that. You also get some interesting fights, a good deal of comedy, and probably the best romance you'll ever see in a shonen.

I'm not quite sure what I was thinking when I first started watching this anime. All the warning signs were there, and I should have avoided it, but I figured I'd go ahead and watch it. What puts Elemental Gelade isn't any single thing, but more a combination of mehs and boring concepts and executions. But I digress, because we both know I put myself through this just to procrastinate. On with the show.

In the world of Elemental Gelade, there exist humans, and alongside them exist the Edel Reids. The Edel Reid are simply put, living weapons. They look just like humans, and their only ... distinguishing feature is a gem somewhere in their bodies, called an elemental gelade. These gems give them the power to transform into weapons when they React with a human, who is thereafter called a Pleasure. Reacting forms a contract between the human and the Edel Reid, so no other two can React as long as the pleasure is alive.
The main character, Coud van Gireut, has the good luck of Reacting with the most powerful of all the Edel Reid, Reverie Metherlance, who likes to be called Ren for short. Of course, many want the power of this Edel Reid, so Coud's life is often thrown into peril by those seeking to kill him. Along the 26 episodes this anime has, Coud meets several other Edel Reids and Pleasures, in a typical quest format that doesn't really create any lasting impressions or bond between the viewer and them. As is the usual for these type of series, Coud and Ren reform those who they run across, thanks to their deep bond of love.
Coud and Ren's entourage are Cisque, Rowen and Kuea, members of the Guardians, a group that seeks to protect the Edel Reid by giving them a safe, protected place. At first they try to steal Ren away, but eventually settle in with Coud and Ren on their journey to find the Garden of Eden, a place where Ren yearns to go, as she feels some strange sort of connection. This is spoilerrific, but the Garden of Eden is the base of the Chaos Choir, the main "antagonists" of the series. I put antagonists in quotation marks, because the show tries to draw parallels between them and the Guardians...and fails at really doing so. One of the methods the show uses to accomplish this is the appearance of the Edel Reid Hunter Wolx, the typical bad boy who gets reformed by the good guys. He only appears for about 2 or 3 episodes, so again, doesn't create a lasting impression, other than showing the perpetuation of yet another cliche in this type of anime.
This anime gets 6/10 from me, the concept is good, but the execution fails because of the many cliche developments this anime goes through. Good to see if you already watched better anime like Kiba, but you won't miss much if you skip it altogether.

I first posted this review here: http://otakuexperience.com/elemental-gelade-review-disappointing-short-f

The show Elemental Gelade was very well made i enjoyed most of it, i liked it because if the things that we have to go though in life and how we should people everybody the same. it's about a boy named Coud (Van Giruet, Coud ) how find a girl named Ren (Metherlence, Reverie ) and then on they go on a journey to go to the palce called Eldel Garden and on the way they meet Envatilia, Kullweet, Cisqua, and Rowen and it turn into a amazing fun but painful adventure

Elemental Gelade is a shounen adventure series exploring a young sky pirate named Cou who discovers a girl his age named Ren stashed away in the loot his gang recently stole. She is actually an Edel Raid, magical beings in the form of human women who can form contracts with others to become living weapons. Because of this, Edel Raids are sought out by criminals to exploit for their fighting power or sold off to others for personal gain. Accompanied by members of the organization called Arc Aile that protect Edel Raids, Cou promises to protect Ren by accompanying her to Edel Garden, the homeland ... and birthplace of all Edel Raids.

What allows Elemental Gelade to stick out from your typical shounen series is that it offers a solid exploration of the relations between humans and Edel Raids. There are humans that disregard the humanity of the Edel Raids, valuing them more as tools for their power as weapons or for monetary value. But there are also humans who recognize the Edel Raids as people with thoughts and try living as normal a life with them as possible. A number of episodes also explore things from the perspective of an Edel Raid, as some show hostile reaction to human treatment of their kind and even show concerns over Arc Aile's protection of them as the protection comes at the expense of their freedom and isolation from those they develop attachments to. This element effects things for some later plot and character developments that adds some intrigue to the series, notably with Cisqua feeling disillusioned with Arc Aile's handling of human and Edel Raid relations and an enemy faction of Edel Raids opposing humanity.

Beyond the solid exploration of Edel Raid and human relations, Elemental Gelade is otherwise standard fare to a great degree for a shounen series. Many of the typical character types for a shounen adventure are there with character Cou your typical good-natured and naive hero, Ren the shy and quiet girl gradually taking romantic interest in the male lead, and Cisqua being the energetic and upbeat leader of the Arc Aile squad accompanying Cou and Ren. A number of episodes focus on Cou and his allies having to fend off enemy threats trying to abduct Ren or another Edel Raid for their own gain that are overcome in battles of varying scale. There is a budding relationship between Cou and Ren that gradually develops throughout the show's run, though both are too archetypal for me to give a hoot about with their romance. Also, a fair amount of convenient deus ex machina is milked for Cou and his allies to defeat the enemy threat and get a rather predictable happy ending. This is nothing horrible in terms of plot and character development, but it doesn't necessarily do anything that breaks the mold either.

Overall, I suppose I'm kind of indifferent toward Elemental Gelade. It offers decent exploration of the relations between humans and Edel Raids that provides it some solid foundation for plot and character development. But many of the parts that make up its story are still pretty standard for adventure titles aimed for the shounen demographic. Still if you are craving for an adventure series to kill time watching, the series is at least worth a rental or single streaming depending on the means you choose to view it.

"What we have here is a failure to communicate."

The story of Elemental Gelade (EG) is an unfortunate example of an enticing premise bogged down in a mire of contrived plot devices — it has some shining moments and juicy drama, but the road to them is paved with poor choices and frustration. If you're looking for a romantic adventure/drama set against a fantasy backdrop then you may enjoy what EG has to offer, but if you expect intelligent characters making rational choices and/or growing from their mistakes then I'm afraid you're probably in the wrong place.

Oh and before we get started, if you've been taken ... in by that misleading jazz about "sky pirates" like I was, then please don't be fooled — no skyship in this entire series seems to last longer than 60 minutes, and our heroes spend the vast majority of their time on solid ground.

The story structure is semi-episodic, but executes this format better than most — many episodes (or sets of two or three episodes, in the case of some longer arcs) tell mainly self-contained stories with bits of overarching plot sprinkled in, but most of these mini-stories are quite relevant and serve to develop the world in meaningful ways. Characters from prior arcs often return to make minor cameo appearances in later episodes, providing some resolution and going a surprisingly long way towards making their otherwise isolated sub-stories feel more involved on the larger scale.

The story itself is a tale of adolescent adventure and interracial romance as our wide-eyed, idealistic protagonists attempt to traverse a world rife with racism and slavery. This classic backdrop is quite compelling and drew me in immediately, but I soon came to the unfortunate realization that it would be almost exclusively used as an excuse to have the shy, reclusive heroine kidnapped and saved by the reckless, loudmouth hero over and over again in a variety of slightly differing ways, often stemming from frustratingly painful-to-watch miscommunication between the two. We watch them make the same mistake over and over and be punished for it in the same way again and again. It's like watching some kind of shock-collar training.

Speaking of shock-collar training, they actually make use of it at one point to try and force the hero to improve himself. The results of that training last approximately until the end of that arc. Long-term character development is largely limited to the stages of the two mains' budding romance — other than that, only two or three characters stood out to me as having received any significant development at all beyond their introductions. The vast majority of characters are exactly the same in episode 26 as they were in episode 1, and those few that aren't are generally ex-villains who did sudden 180° turnabouts after our screamy shounen protagonist made them realize the error of their ways with some passionate speech about love and hope and acceptance. A few side characters deserve shout-outs for standing head-and-shoulders above everyone else in terms of development (even if it is only over the course of their particular, single arcs).

In spite of all these shortcomings, the basic premise of the story and world were still solid enough to keep me interested. Most of the minor characters have engaging tales to tell (almost all of them being more interesting than the main cast), a few arcs really stand above the rest as unpolished gems and there's at least one decent plot-twist near the end to reward viewers for sticking around. For all its flaws, it might still scratch that adventure/romance itch if you're willing to suspend your disbelief and tolerate a fair bit of numbskullery.

6/10

For my thoughts on this particular anime, I found it pretty entertaining. I would have to give props to them on character development throughout the anime as it never ceased to develop the characters properly. That is, except for Envatilia. She was mostly just a side character consistently. They did attempt to give her some sort of depth since all the other characters had way more back story and growth, but it was only featured in one of the episodes. After that, she went right back to only being a weapon for Rowen who complains about being hungry all the time. As for the ... story in the anime, it was fairly good. Sure it was done before, but they definitely executed the story much more successfully than most. I find the dynamic between Coud (Pronounced-Coo) and Rin (or Reverie) very nice, but sometimes hard to watch. Overall the relationship between the two was strange and uncomfortable at first, but most definitely got better over time. I won't give spoilers, but the ending was kind of put together haphazardly, though it didn't really effect the rest of the experience thankfully.

When i first started this anime i realice something that i'm not sure if anyone else realice it looks almost like tsubasa chronicles Coud is shaoran the girl with the pink hat is sakura the guy with the white and blue costume is fai and so one almost every character that you see in the intro appears on tsubasa. the girl that can change into that weapon look like princess tomoyo and the sword is similar to the feathers in tsubasa.
the plot is really interesting and i think that is great i'll gonna give it a 9 its not the best anime i've ... ever seen but its in my top 15
P.D-sorry about the the spelling mistakes my mother language is spanish so my english is not perfect.