Ranked #972

Hatenkou Yuugi

Overall I think this anime deserves an 8.5 on my scale, but unfortunately there isn't that option.

Story: The story itself is fairly basic, but has some interesting back story thrown in every once in a while. However, the anime does seem rushed. I think a lot of people did not give this show a chance because the beginning is so chaotic. The first episode does not feel like an introduction at all, in fact you are pretty much thrown into the story.

Art: I really enjoyed the animation. It seemed to be well done (it better for being 10 episodes). Maybe, it is the little girl in me, but I appreciated that they changed the main characters clothes and hair throughout the show.

Sound: Characters voices were fitting. The music throughout the show was very nice and enjoyable. Originally, I didn't like the intro song but it grew on me.

Character: This is one of my favorite things about this show, but at the same time could've been better. Rahzel, the main character, was AWESOME. She had a great back story, was interesting, kicked butt and was everything I wanted her to be. However, the other characters could've been so much more. I really saw potential for interesting characters and there were definitely moments, but I think the anime just didn't flesh it out well.

Enjoyment: Basically this show just captured me and kept me hostage. There is such a great mixture of humor, action, and friendship/love that I kept thinking "I'm going to rate this a 9!" I couldn't justify that high of a score overall, but the enjoyment level was definitely a 9. read more

Hatenkou Yuugi (AKA "Dazzle") is a short, yet fun, ten episode series. It's quite well done for such a short show. It is classed as a shoujo series, but I think it could quite easily pass for shounen as well.

Story (5/10 - Mediocre)
The story is a bit of a flop, actually. It kind of jumps around all over the place. First episode, you are thrown right into the action, and it continues in a fairly episodic fashion until episode seven or eight, when there is finally some signs of plot. It's almost like they couldn't think of any story until they got to the final few episodes and finally came up with an idea. However, if this show is given a season two, I think this has a chance to develop into something great.

Art (6/10 - Fair)
Nothing special, really. The animation is all well done, but there's nothing that really makes it stand out from other series - it's very generic looking. Still, the fight scenes are pretty good. One thing I really liked was Rahzel changing her outfit every episode (my favorite being episode four).

Sound (10/10 - Outstanding)
This is where the show really starts to shine. The voice actors did an amazing job brining their characters to life. The music is great too, it puts me in mind of Final Fantasy actually, from the nice peaceful songs your hear in country villages to the creepy sounds of dark shadowy caves. And I love the OP~ <3

Character (8/10 - Very Good)
First and foremost, Rahzel is AWESOME. She can actually stand up for herself. It's so great to see a female lead who isn't whiny and annoying. Then there's Heat, the funny one, who you just can't help but love, and Alzeid, the smexy fanbait. They are all strong characters despite being given so little time to develop due to the series length.

Enjoyment/Overall (9/10 - Great)
Despite several weaknesses, Hatenkou Yuugi is a well-rounded fun to watch series, and definitely not to be missed by any fans of the genre. If you've got some time to kill, I'd recommend you check it out. =] read more