Ranked #107

Soul Eater

Soul Eater is an impressive anime. It's one of those where you will no doubt enjoy watching

::STORY::
After watching some of the first episode you'll think Soul Eater will have your typical Shonen story. Basically, human weapons and their student technicians reside in Shibusen and have to collect 99 evil human souls and 1 witch soul, the reward being that the technician's weapon will transform into a Death Scythe.

It seems pretty formulaic, nothing you haven't seen before. The way the first few episodes pan out will make this seem like the main goal, but soon after you'll realise there is actually a deeper story developing. This story isn't something complex or too clever, but events that happen during the story makes Soul Eater watchable and interesting, the action is ever present, it always keeps humour in mind, but can be serious and emotional when it needs to be. Eventually you will forget what the main characters were initially trying to acheive because the story drags it in such a different direction. The problem is that the story isn't anything memorable. At points you might watch and forget the reason why they are doing something. That is the anime's weak point


::CHARACTERS::
This is what Soul Eater will be remembered for. Its colourful cast of characters.

Maka, our main character and a technician, despite being flawed she is always looking to do the right thing, always thinking of others, easily annoyed and determined. She grew on me as I realised she is probably the most human of all the characters. Soul, Maka's weapon. Just your typical cool guy? No. He is much deeper than he looks. Despite what he says he is only concerned about one thing: To protect Maka.

Black*Star is Energetic, rash, loud, bashful and his one goal in life is to become bigger than God. He can provide you with comic relief and become involved in intense battles yet shows his human side often, his weapon Tsubaki is always willing to help him whenever she can.

Death the Kid seems like some 'Mr Perfect' character. And he can be, but also has his flaws, most notable his obssessive compulsive disorder about symmetry. Anything slightly out of alignment will either cause him to fix the problem immediately or spiral into goth style depression. His weapons Patty and Liz are usually around to comfort him when he goes crazy or gets depressed.

The supporting cast are memorable as well. The grim reaper is always cheerful and relaxed; Spirit (Maka's father) is desperate for Maka's attention, even though she doesn't enjoy his company much; Blair is your typical fanservice character; Professor Stein is strong and clever yet deeply maniacal; Crona is shy and fearful, but powerful; Medusa, the main antagonist is pure genious; Mifune is an action and Samurai fan's dream character and plenty more who you'll come across.

Most characters will stand out at least once giving you reasons to like or dislike them. Characters are a strong point in this anime.

::ANIMATION & ART::
The good thing about this anime is that nobody looks ordinary or familiar, you'll notice every character has a certain design, from Soul's sharp teeth and Maka's plain green eyes to Kid's strange hairstyle and Liz & Patty's odd hats, all characters are uniquely styled.

All scenes are quite detailed, the atmosphere is usually dark but manages to look bright at the same time (a rare sight in anime). If its what the background artists were going for, I think they nailed it. Shortcuts are rare which is good, you can see that episodes weren't rushed. The art stays consistent (unlike Naruto) and the quality remains the same throughout.

The action is fluid, creative and non-standard (unlike Bleach) fight scenes aren't just repetitive movements shown at different angles, or just sword bashing and gun blasting. It manages to keep fight scenes interesting. Another strong point is action, which never fails.

::SOUND::
At first you will be introduced to 'Resonance'. A memorable opening track that fits very well to the series. This would be among the best if it wasn't for 'PAPERMOON' the 2nd opening which is even better than Resonance. I'm yet to come across anyone who thinks otherwise. This opening is epic. All ending themes are decent. Some are generic, the best being the current ending 'STRENGTH' and the 2nd ending 'Style' which stands out more than the 1st ending 'I wanna be' and 'Bakusō Yume Uta' which you will not remember at all.

Audio is decent, but there aren't any special moments or tracks that will hype you up or give you that tingly feeling inside when coupled with a good action scene. Songs aren't memorable like something Bruce Faulconer could cook up but do fit well with most happenings.

::CONCLUSION::
Soul Eater is an anime that manages to keep consistency throughout. It's lack of fillers (with the exception of the excalibur episodes which will drive you nuts) is enough for action fans to watch without worry, seriously 98% of the episodes are significant to the story (unlike Bleach which has whole filler arcs. 20+ FILLERS IN ONE GO!!!).

I find this more enjoyable to watch than Naruto or One Piece (which are heavily overrated). Mainly because the anime has a point and sticks to it. The Medusa Arc is to stop Medusa reviving the Demon God. The Arachnophobia Arc is to stop Arachne to allow the Demon God to spread madness over the world.

People complain about lack of originality but I am yet to find an anime that is truly similar. Shinigami's have been used before, but Shinigami literally translates to The Death God or The Grim Reaper, who in this case rules Shibusen and his son. Due to the halloween theme of Soul Eater I find the Grim Reaper necessary and is in no way similar to Ryuk of Death Note or characters like Rukia of Bleach. Let's get this straight their only link they have is the word 'Shinigami'

And finally Soul Eater is a must watch for any Shonen (Action, Comedy) fan. It has already been licensed by FUNimation which means a dub is coming soon and I believe Soul Eater will become another one of those famous anime shows. The only difference is it is actually has consistent entertainment value. show less read more

Here we have Soul Eater, a shounen anime produced by Bones (Wolf's Rain, Full Metal Alchemist, Ouran High School Host Club) that came out in 2008. I've never read the manga, so this is based solely on the anime. Set in the fantastical Death City, Soul Eater focuses on the Shibusen Academy, where students both work together and compete in order to turn their partners - boys and girls that can turn into various different weapons - into world-class Death Scythes. My university pally and I blasted through all 51 episodes in about a week, if you don't count the days that we were too busy to watch any. Let me tell you, this does not make for hard watching.

The first few episodes start off as prequels for the main seven characters - three 'Meisters/Technicians' and their 'Weapons'. These episodes are ones that I found to be somewhat disjointed, and to be honest I probably would have given up on the anime after 4 episodes or so if it wasn't for aforementioned pally. Swiftly afterwards, once the main characters start to interact together, I was hooked. And shortly after that when the frankly ingenious support characters were introduced and fleshed out, I was manic about it to the point where I was screaming in outrage at the screen if any other character DARED to so much as harm a hair on their heads.

Plot - [7/10] I wouldn't describe the plot as being either typical or particularly inventive. I will say, however, that it does dangle a standard premise in front of you for a good few episodes (in order for a Technician to turn their Weapon into the ultimate Death Scythe, they must collect 99 evil souls and then one Witch's soul; cue epic quest) and then almost entirely removes it for something much better - a pleasant surprise that, as I understand it, doesn't quite happen in the manga. While some elements of the plot remain unclear and somewhat incomplete by the end of the series, I ultimately felt that it didn't detract too much from my enjoyment. Bar the very last scenes, unfortunately, in which I was left starving for a bit more of a tie-up, or better yet, a follow-up montage in the ending credits. Still, I suppose that's what the manga's for.

Characters - [9/10] The meat of Soul Eater, with some big-name voice actors who really give the characters life. Firstly, we have Miyano Mamoru-san (Yagami Light of Death Note, Kiba of Wolf's Rain) as the symmetry-obssessed Death the Kid (an awkward-sounding name, I have to say, that belies a truly slick character); the ever-prolific and utterly fabulous Koyasu Takehito-san (Sakarazuka Seishirou of Tokyo Babylon, Zechs Merquise/Milliardo Peacecraft of Gundam Wing) as the Weapon Excalibur, who will surprise you in several different ways with his presence throughout the series; and Kobayashi Yumiko-san (Sarah McDougal of Love Hina, Dan Taichi of Prince of Tennis) as the headstrong Black*Star, to whom a nod must go for the most subtle yet engaging main-character development; to name a few. On top of these, Soul Eater showcases a surprising amount of young, new talent - notably, the voices of Soul (the title character) and Maka Albarn, the female lead who I unfortunately found to be incredibly irritating.

Let me make my point hard on this. Maka is hard-working and academically very smart, with a down-to-earth attitude that helps her to deal with her absent mother and womanizing father, who recently divorced prior to the start of the series. But (and oh, it's a big But) it doesn't last. Rather than character growth, we seem to have a case of the exact opposite as the series progresses. Maka repeatedly ends up making absolutely ridiculous decisions that can in no way be logically justified. As much as I don't like to use Naruto as a comparison, I think I have to. Maka's choices aren't a Naruto-style situation wherein Naruto makes sometimes-stupid decisions because of his raw emotions, because that's Naruto's character and way of life; plus, Naruto has (for the most part) the strength to back up his convictions. Maka, on the other hand, does not. Not only that, but she apparently doesn't learn from her monumental mistakes. And /then/ she'll bitch to the series' headstrong character Black*Star about how he acts before he thinks. Though, come to think of it, at least Maka isn't exactly a hypocrite on that matter because it's shown that she does in fact think about her actions before she carries them out, comes to the conclusion that it's stupid... and then does the wrong thing /anyway/. If it wasn't for almost every other character providing sustained interest and sheer compelling brilliance whenever Maka's off-screen, I think Soul Eater would fall far short of greatness.

Art - [9/10] And of course, there can be no characters without the visual art. While the quality of the animation itself is fairly standard shounen-style fare, the rating for this section gets bumped up enormously for originality. The designs of virtually everything - from the fantastically surreal moon and sun to the laboratory of the anime's resident Mad Scientist (who would have an entire paragraph in the above section if it wouldn‘t turn into an essay on why he’s such a /darn good character/ on both an emotional and a story-telling level) to the eyes of the later villains - positively shines with mouth-watering creativity. I could wax lyrical about the brain-melting inventiveness of the character designs all day. It's honestly worth watching for the artistic genius alone.

Music - [8/10] With the exception of the very first ending theme (which was painful, if I'm honest), I thoroughly appreciated each different ending and opening. They were well-chosen and fitted the style and feel of the anime well. The music used throughout the episodes themselves suited the atmosphere wonderfully - the fighting music was driving, the sad-scenes music was sorrowful and the cheery music gave the anime a smile. While it wasn't as memorable as, say, the music to Gundam Wing or Gintama, it did its job in style. Also in this section, I'd like to add that the song sung by the Weapon Excalibur made me almost die of Sheer Heart-Rending Joy.

Overall - [9/10] Easy to watch and a great mix of creepy, surreal and fun. Objectively, I'd give this a high 8, and then I'm going to take the liberty of bumping it up to a 9 for the downright enjoyment I experienced with this show. I thoroughly recommend this to anyone who enjoys Full Metal Alchemist or Gintama - or, for that matter, any shounen manga/anime - as well as anyone who enjoyed the quirks of such series as Ouran High School Host Club. read more

Dazzling animation, zany characters, seductive story-lines, awesome music scores - these acclamations yet still fail to justify Soul Eater enough as my favourite anime of the current season.

Produced by Bones, who brought us Ouran High School Host Club and Darker than BLACK, Soul Eater is adapted from the manga by Ookubo Atsushi. It is of personal importance to mention the manga for the animer is a very close adaptation of the latter. In a nutshell, the story follows three student weapon technicians and their respective partners, as they embark on a journey to combat evil, and yet grow up with each other at the same time. Each of the main protagonists are attractive in their own right - ranging from the slick yet ridiculously symmetry-compulsive Death the Kid, to the broodingly cool scythe, Soul, Soul Eater provides characters which are strong enough to carry the series on their own backs.

The story follows a general plot-line really, with the student weapon technicians going to school, equipping themselves with combat skills, so as to fight the forces of evil in the context of the show. Throughout however, we are treated to comedy and mere innocence from the characters - for they are really just kids trying to grow up - so Soul Eater as a show generally turns out to be quite the light-hearted pick. Nevertheless, there are episodes which tug at the strings of the heart, where the emotions of the characters really reach out to you, and also episodes which are pure comedy, where you inevitably laugh at the zaniness of the world. Why can't school and friends be like these, you wonder?

The music is awesome - produced by Iwasaki Taku, of Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann fame. Responsible for tracks in the latter, like Libera me from Hell and FIGHT THE POWER (remember?), he delivers as well in Soul Eater. The music fits the mood perfectly, fighting and comedy scenes are complimented by their music, and I really believe he does a good job here.

Art is Soul Eater's strongest selling point. Bones did really well animating the fight scenes in the manga, and the colours are so rich and beautiful, that every episode is a joy to behold. The drawing of the characters are good - but these are pretty normal, I must say. It is the sketches of the environment, and the animation that really stands out. Soul Eater was the anime which spoiled me in terms of fight scenes. Used to think that Bleach offered really good ones - but after watching this, the former seemed really average at best.

Characters are attractive, and you will find yourself liking some of them more than the others. Antagonists are seductively evil, and you cannot help but like them. Powerful, and pretty witches make up the cast of the latter - and it is quite fun to watch the inner dynamics where they manipulate each other for their own benefits. Voice talent is not too great, but it is acceptable. Most notable is Miyano Mamoru, who did Yagami Light in Death Note, but that is pretty it, really. The seiyuu for Soul and Maka are making their debuts, and they have quite a mixed reception. Not its greatest selling point, that's for sure.

Nevertheless, Soul Eater is a great show for all its strengths in animation and music. Its light-hearted tone throughout is also ideal for those who seek to enjoy the anime after a tough day at work or school. There is no need to think too much about plot implications (apologies if you are a sucker for these), Soul Eater allows you to just sit back and gawk at the wonders of modern-day art. Definitely a show worth your time.

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Soul Eater is about a group of students who attend a school for aspiring demon hunters, Shibusen. The story follows Maka, an scythe weilder and her partner, Soul, who transforms into the scythe she uses. Each hunter is paired with a partner who can turn into a weapon, and the two must fight in unison. The other main characters include Death the Kid, and his weapons Liz and Patty who become twin pistols, and Black Star, along with his partner Tsubaki, who has the unique ability to transform into several weapon types as a jack of all trades. These students as well as their teachers now fight the various demons and witches who want to destroy Shibusen in order to take over the world without consequence.

This show is incredibly stylish, literally everything has a very cool vibe about it and really stands out from other similar animes. If FLCL and Bleach came together and had a love child, that child would be Soul Eater. The characters are all likeable and unique, even if they do follow the list of shonen anime stereotypes (loud kid who wants to be the best, check; quiet cool guy, check; self-depricating girl who holds much potential power, double check.) The adult characters are less stereotypical than the kids, which can make them more interesting to watch in certain episodes, however. Even if their personalities are familiar, there is enough unique and enjoyable about them that it never becomes a problem.

The fights themselves are very well animated and choreographed. They're all ridiculous and cartoony, but they are always visceral and exciting to watch. The progression is also very shonen in nature, with enemies that are way stronger than the heroes, and the heroes having to train to beat them and gain new powers, but again its so entertaining it shouldn't become a big issue. The fights are all about style and execution though, and if you keep that in mind and don't analyze them with rational thought, they all become very entertaining and exciting. The first 26 episodes are great flashy entertainment for anime fans.

I really wish I could stop the review at this point, and tell you Soul Eater is a really fun shonen series that fans of action anime should see. Now the bad point of the show, the entire second half of the series. Around the halfway point, Soul Eater changes from a lighthearted, entertaining fun action anime into a serious, melodramatic action anime. The story starts to take itself way too seriously, and the enjoyment of this anime greatly suffers because of this. When your anime is about people who transform into guns and swords who fight witches, it's kind of hard to take the change in tone seriously.

Soul Eater ends up losing most if not all of its charm because of this drastic and unnecessary shift in tone. All of the characters become whiny punks who sulk all day, and Maka becomes borderline unbearable as a main character with her melancholic attitude and constant bitching about how she's not strong enough to fight the main enemy of the show. All of this nonsense comes together in a final episode that is so ridiculous I would sound stupid if I tried to explain it in this review. Let me just put it to you this way, all themes the show was building up to this point are thrown out the window, the main villain turns into a gigantic pansy, and the logic behind the ending makes absolutely no sense in the grand scheme of the show. Oh, and it tries to copy Evangelion in ways that are so unnecessary and artistically nonsensical in the show that I laughed out loud when I first saw them in this episode.

What in the world happened to Soul Eater? What happened to this really fun, always entertaining action anime in the second half of the show? What is with all this ridiculous emo nonsense that gets introduced in the second half? How the hell could Bones, the studio behind Fullmetal Alchemist and Eureka Seven fail so badly at this show? I have no idea how to answer any of these questions. If you are going to watch Soul Eater, watch the first 26 episodes, and then stop. Otherwise, you are in store for one of the strangest, confusing, and most disappointing action animes ever made. Come on Bones, you are better than this.

Final Grade, C- read more

This is my first anime review!!! X )

Story: While Soul Eater does have an pretty good story line, it seems somewhat stereotypical. There is an organization that was created to protect the world from bad guys, and some evil organization is plotting against them and trying to destroy them. (Other examples are Bleach, Naruto, Tokyo Mew Mew, etc). Then suddenly out of nowhere, collecting almightly weapons all over the world comes into play, and now it seems that the characters are tied somewhere between Tsubasa Chroncle and Bleach, and are doing too much at once.

Art: The art is probably one of the most unusual characteristics of Soul Eater, a sort of alternative anime look like many that have popped up over the years. The use of 3-D animation is astounding, there is pretty good detail, and colors and shading well support the story itself and the essence of the anime. The art work is not like any other anime that I have seen yet at least, most notibly the bloody sun and moon. The animation is also quite appropriate to the story line, and overall runs smoothly.

Sound: The music was what got me addicted to the show. The opening theme astounded me as I watched all the characters go through the motions. As the theme song ended, I looked forward to the show itself, a sure fire way of knowing that the music is good. But then, the ending theme comes along. While not bad, it just couldn't compare to the opening, and left me slightly dissapointed. The animation and the sound were seemed together almost flawlessly, and that highly raised my liking of the show.

Character: While not all the characters stood out to be memorable and interesting characters, there were a few characters that caught my eye: Death the Kid and Dr. Stein. Death the Kid adds a lot of the comedy with his addiction to making everything perfectly symmetrical, almost a pushover when fighting a symmetrical being, but a complete powerhouse when not doing so. The other Dr. Stein, with the awesome bolt in his head, has a fetish for dissection and experimenting, no matter how cruel. Also somewhat creepy and a sadist, but making him just a more likable character. While these two stood out the most, the other characters unfortunately seemed to blend too much in the background or were too stereotypical of commonly seen character types. All the characters were obviously well thought out however, and I praise that. Each character gets a fair amount of screen time, and have a decent past, and that just adds so much to the anime itself.

Enjoyment: As you can see, I fairly enjoy this anime for many reasons, and I hope you enjoy it too, which I'm sure you will! The show is only about half over, so there still is a lot more Soul Eater to come! : )

Overall: Overall, it's a great anime, and that's why I'll will give it an 8. read more

Soul eater, soul eater, soul eater. What can I possibly say about thee?! The description at the top tells you the base of the story but it doesn't nearly touch on how great and truly entertaining it really is! As I continue to watch this anime is never ceases to make me laugh and I just want more and more and more.

Story:
This story takes place in a area called death city where a shinagami helps humans destroy eggs of kishin by turning them in meisters and giving them weapons to obtain these eggs of kishin and one soul of a witch and turn there scythe into a death scythe. Though this is what all students at the school Shibusen school aim for they are also being taught how to fight and protect the world against the development of a demon god and a demon sword. Though the plot seems pretty basic kill the bad guys, it is far from it and has its own unique characters and twist itself. It somehow manages to tie in school life and relationships between people without being overly cheesy and turning everything into a romantic story.

Art:
THE ART IS ABSOLUTELY AMAZING! When I first began to watch this I just kept saying in my head the art is great the art is great the art is great and thats what it is its great. The art is very different from the typical anime it sleek and it gives something new and fresh to bring to the animation table. By just looking at the first 5 minutes of the show you can see that. Props to the artist. You will definitely not be disappointed in the art.

Sound:
Ah and so TMR strikes again with his poppy tunes. The opening is awesome I suppose it matches the anime very well and not mention very catchy! Th ending theme is well, I've heard better lol. But I guess it also fits it well. So music gets an A.

Characters:
I must say these characters are all hilarious! They all have their own special charm about them. My favorite being death the kid. His obsession with everything being symmetrical provides many laughs for the viewer. Black Star is the overly hyper kid who wants to be the best (sounds familiar) but unlike others he actually doesn't win all the time, very funny character as well. Maka the lovable heroine. Soul the unpredictable side kick always giving maka words of advice. All the characters as I said are very fun to watch and you get to know them well.

Enjoyment:
I thoroughly enjoy this anime. It has its action but is full of laughs. Everything in it just works out really well with each other and theres always something new to learn about everyone and everything in every episode. Very interesting, very addictive, and I expect you who reads this to watch the show!

Trust me you will laugh more than once! Its worth the watch. So now go on whatever site you go and search for it now! read more

Soul Eater succeeds in delivering large amounts of entertaining filled with a combination of fine comedy and action in every episode. Aside from the few obvious shonen-ish vibes there aren’t many flaws that I can find. I, myself, am certainly not a fan of the shonen genre however that does not stop me from finding this anime to be greatly remarkable.

Music:

Possibly the second strongest point is the music department. It’s fast paced and has a nice beat. I rarely skip the opening theme when I watch SE, thing that not always happens when I watch other anime. The new ending themes are nice to listen to. No complaints in this department.

Story:

It’s fairly good but it’s not where it shines the most. The story takes place in a Shinigami Weaponry Vocational School, where “technicians” and their partners attend in order to get rid of the evil spirits that wreck chaos upon the world. Likewise, as technicians their goal is to ultimately turn their partners into “Death scythes” for “Shinigami-sama”, the founder of the school, to use for greater good by collecting 99 corrupted souls and a Witch soul.

Art:

Not out of this world but it gets the job done. It definitely fits the anime.

Character

The strongest points are the characters in the show. They manage to be hilarious and mature at the same time. Similarly, they all have strengths and weakness but try their best to every time. Surprisingly enough, I didn’t find much of the so common “I want to become the strongest of all to “protect the people I love”, etc etc philosophy here. To be frank, I lost count of how many times I’ve heard this recycled statement and I bet you have too. Having watched my fair amount of shonen shows in the past I tend to avoid anime that religiously emphasizes this philosophy. Luckily, Soul Eater manages fairly tone it down in and present the anime in a way that you can enjoy the show if you aren’t into the genre.

Enjoyment:

Plenty. After you’re done with the silly “you know what this anime reminds me of?” phase, you will find SE to be a result of clever combinations of factors. I’ve watched 30/50 episodes and not a single one have been ever dull. Soul Eater has not disappointed and hopefully it will never. I’m tempted to buy the manga once it’s released.

Overall

Before I was introduced to SE I expected it to be yet another super clichéd and awfully overhyped show. It came as a nice surprise that it was not. I have not read the manga myself but if there are any fillers in the anime I hardly felt them. If you enjoyed Bleach or FMA there’s a high chance you’ll love this one as well. Prepared yourself to NOT be disappointed.
Verdict 8/10
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Soul Eater is by far an entertaining anime with fresh comedy packed with action.

Story: The story opens into a more comical theme with the introduction of the main characters and the important sub characters along with the purpose they carry. However, it takes a turn off the normal shounen themed animes and dives into an action rollercoaster with the plot taking a completely different direction to what is first thought. Even with the many plot twists and adventures present, it continues to keep its comedy side to an almost perfect proportion. It must be noted though that once the story diverts from the manga and into its final stages, it loses some of its fresh style and stability.

Art: Although it may not look spectacular at first compared to the many notable animes, the artwork grows on you. One of the most notable and lovable things about the art of this anime is that there is not one character in the whole show that is designed similarly to any other anime characters which is quite rare to see nowadays.

Another refreshing thing about that artwork of Soul Eater is the imaginative backgrounds and area designs, most notably the school in which the plot centers, Shibusen. Although its impossible to say that theses buildings are realistic, it can be said that they are of a unique style never before seen in any of the anime I've watched myself. This style is continued throughout the whole anime, never once changing keeping the Soul Eater style.

The animation is quite well non-standard especially during the battle scenes, notably unique compared to the normal standard shown in battle animes like Naruto and Bleach. Its this animation style which Soul Eaters animation style notable to all anime fans.

Sound: I would say the Soul Eater music isnt given enough credit, it has a brilliant choice of opening and closing themes aswell as some amazing theme songs to accompany it. Also, the music hypes you up, makes you feel the mood of the anime at the perfect moment whether its action or comedy.

Character: All of the characters, protagonists and antagonists, are lovable, colourful and refreshing in both appearance and characteristics. There is a wide range of personalities mixed into the Soul Eater world aswell as unique attributes in appearances such as the the stripes in Kid's hair and the drool mark on Soul. It is both comical and interesting to watch as these characters with almost nothing in common relate to one and other aswell as taking part in the key events of the plot.

Enjoyment: By far, Soul Eater is one of the most enjoyable anime out there at the moment. It is filled with superb action and outstanding comedy, both balanced out perfectly throughout the 51 episodes!

Overall: It is an anime well worth watching; great story, fresh art and animation, nice sound, lovable characters and very enjoyable! The only disappointing factor of Soul Eater is that its only 51 episodes long, it deserves a much longer run! read more

Okay, I'm not a fan of reviewing shows in their early stages, but when I read the other reviews here; I just had to write up one, because I don't find it as great as most of the reviewers here on MAL. I find Soul Eater to be a bit of a rip-off from Bleach. It's still decent, though.

Okay, so some people have criticized my opinion that Soul Eater is a rip-off of Bleach (though making an entire review for that is a bit over the top). I'm fully aware that Bleach is very similar to a few older animes too, but the fact still stands that Soul Eater is too similar to Bleach. And evt. older animes about shinigami or similar stuff. It's got it's original contents, but overall it's just too similar for comfort.

The story up to ep. 18 has mostly been an episode-by-episode story, but a plot slowly beginning to sneak in behind the scenes from here on. I'm not sure what direction it will take from here, and this is why I don't like reviewing so early. However, I believe that it will get better as we go on, so for now I'll keep the story at a 7, for unoriginality and because only the latest episodes have shown a continuous plot.

The animation is more cartoony than many anime out there, I feel. That's not necessarily a bad thing; I mean, coloring and shading and effects are very good, but some things bugs me a lot - f.ex. the Shinigami, the moon and the sun aren't very pleasing to look at. The animation deserves an 8: It's good quality and lovable character designs, but there's just something about the overall feel of it that bugs me.

The soundtrack isn't very remarkable either. The background music isn't anything noteworthy, but it's not bad either - it fits with the mood. The OP and ED themes are decent, but I think I'd only listen to the first ED theme outside of watching the show. The voice acting is good too. All in all, I'd rate it a 7.

The characters are fair too. I mean, they're funny to watch, but funny isn’t enough to rate it high up. They lose some points for spurs of unoriginality, but there's still some original characters there. I'm especially fond of Death the Kid and his obsession with symmetry, because I can somewhat identify with him (though not on such an obsessed level). There hasn't been a lot of character development so far either - only Maka's desire to get stronger -, and the series is already 1/3 done. However, much can happen, and again, since I'm reviewing at such an early stage, I won't prejudge them. But for now, I'm keeping it at a 7, losing points for unoriginality and low character development so far but gaining points because they're funny as well as the presence of a few original and likable characters.

I'm enjoying Soul Eater, but only enough to watch it. It loses too much because it hasn't got a large amount of originality. It's good entertainment, but not necessarily good.

To 'Not Helpful' voters (and you 'Helpful' voters too): Feedback greatly appreciated =) read more

Rating: 8-9

Overall:
Finished Soul eater about a week ago.
Loved the overall concept and the artwork.
Although the ending left me wanting more. I just felt that the anime could have done more with the story.

Story:
The development of the story proceeds pretty well with the exceptions of the excalibur episodes.(after the 2nd one, I got pretty sick of that guy)

If you read the manga(which is pretty good right now), you notice the anime stays true for awhile and eventually darts off and does its own thing, the ending really threw me for a loop.

From the way I see it, the manga is taking soul eater to its true potential. So if you love the anime give the manga a go. I think the story starts darting off around episode 38 if you don't wanna start from the beginning start there.

But the story in the anime wasn't bad, but like I said It left me wanting more and who knows if this is gonna have a 2nd season.(I hope so)

People have been saying its a typical anime with good vs bad or whatever, but looking past that, this anime is pretty damn unique. There are things to be discovered, you just have to watch. ^_^

Animation/Art:
The artwork has good texture and is unique. The animation is very smooth.

The animators did not get lazy at all. From beginning to end. The animation and artwork is top notch.

Sound:
Not too picky about it, I didn't notice anything bad.

Enjoyment:
Even though the anime darts off and does its own thing. I still enjoyed this anime ALOT, because of the fluidity of the animation, the cleanliness of the art, and I thought the voice actors did an awesome job.
When Maka yelled, it pierced my soul, a powerful performance in my opinion.

Conclusion:
-If you're looking for lovely action scenes that will blow your mind. Watch it

-Looking for unique artwork and characters. Watch it

and it's not a serious anime, so expect a few laughs. ^_^

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