Back to abotreika's Profile abotreika's Profile

I can’t tell, why exactly I picked up this show. No, seriously, why did I? Maybe I wanted to see a big load of crispy action paired with a bit of romance and some comedy. I can’t say that I didn’t receive all of that. I had my fun with Kaze no Stigma, but I actually should’ve avoided this show. I’m going to tell why.

Story (5/10)
The story of Kaze no Stigma is divided in a few arcs. We got to see some entirely comedic episodes, some episodes focused on investigation and few ones with a highly serious undertone. Yep, there is pretty much no ... major story arc in Kaze no Stigma. Don’t get me wrong, there is slightly someone bigger in there who might actually be the “end boss”, but… that’s all? Come on now.
So, the story. The beginning, pretty much the first half of the series is pretty good – easy to watch and really entertaining. The show is throughout great at not taking itself too seriously. Well - at first, because the second half is the total opposite of the first episodes. While still not being too serious about itself, Kaze no Stigma now feels like an old chunk of bread – chewy and unbearable. The comedy factor is pretty much dead while the drama is being forced out of literally nowhere. It feels like Kaze no Stigma is not working anymore in its own pace. The execution of the so-called plot twists is downright ridiculous, just like some strange and long passages which are completely meaningless – but we still get to see them.

Art (6/10)
The show is pretty old, I understand that. Yeah, so is the art in there. It’s doesn’t bother me too much at this point, I don’t need a show to be an artistic masterpiece. But still, while some effects are pretty good, the majority of the art we see looks pretty unattractive today.

Sound (6/10)
There is not really much to say about the sound part. The opening and closing songs are fine, they fit the idea of Kaze no Stigma in a good way. Sadly I couldn’t find any memorable music in the show itself, the number of the songs is small, but at least it’s not getting annoying.

Characters (5/10)
Oh boy. That’s pretty much the weakest point of Kaze no Stigma. I have to agree, Kazuma might be a really good character. Might be, because the basic approach is fine, the later execution’s not. Kazuma starts off pretty damn cool, being a badass mage out of nowhere. As the show advances, he is getting completely soaked in into the mash of generic and poor characterization. But, oh well – there is the rest of the characters in there already! Seriously, we can completely forget about the character cast – they‘re all highly generic and replaceable, not a single one of them is somewhere near unique. Character development? Little to zero. I don’t intend to make it look bad, but what we get here is not much.

Enjoyment and final rating (6/10)
Kaze no Stigma is not great. There are weaknesses all over the place and it could’ve been much, MUCH better. BUT – it’s not that bad at all. So, let me leave a little advice here: don’t take this show too seriously and you might find your peace in it. Or just a little piece of enjoyment.

The following review involves only my very own opinion and my personal experiences. Minor spoilers included, read at your own risk. You may or may not like it. Provided that you do not like my review, feel free to vote it down. Or even better: write an own one.

Foreword

You are looking for a funny and entertaining romcom? You might have found one - OreImo is quite funny and somewhat entertaining. But be aware: Do not expect too much, this show truly is about reckless, brave and yeah, pretty silly people.

Story 5/10

The core point of OreImo is a highly complicated (love?) relationship of two blood relatives. ... This anime shows us how a sister relearns to trust her brother, and how a brother is trying to get in touch with an odd culture.
The story about siblings falling for each other is nothing new. However, the side stories (Otaku culture, Saori’s arc) are pretty interesting and well executed. I wish I could say the same about the main story: for the most part of the series there is no story at all, which is very disappointing and unsatisfying. Near the end of season two the main arc gets more intense and culminates in a fairly peculiar ending. While being a romcom, the show is not efficiently romantic or funny at all. But for all that, the part I disliked the most is the ridiculous attempt on a harem in the last episodes. Out of nowhere.
Whatsoever, all those things fits the show pretty well. Even though the plot routes of OreImo might indeed seem strange and cloudy, again: the show is about silly, grotesque persons.

Characters 5/10

OreImo is a double edged sword at this point. The show has some really nice supporting characters like Kuroneko and Saori, who do have interesting backgrounds and their own personalities. On the other side there are characters like Ayase, whose nature is just absurd. Speaking of absurd things I can’t avoid mentioning the truly weakest point of OreImo: main characters. They act, again, highly absurd. Their actions and decisions feel borderline unreasonable, beyond any belief. Oddly enough this fact fits the main arc pretty well, which may or may not be advantageous.

Animation & Sound 7/10

I love the animation of OreImo, it fits the whole show in a good manner. The colours are pretty deep and sharp, the scenes are colourful. However, in many scenes you can see some really sterile and lowly animated backgrounds, which is a pity.
A couple of words about the music. The opening and ending themes are fine and consistent with the show. The sounds in the show itself are pretty good, but sadly I couldn’t notice any memorable compositions.

Conclusion 6/10

OreImo is not that bad. The sad part is: it’s not any good, either. Even though there are some funny and good parts, in the end you might feel highly cheated and disappointed. There are tons of much better romcoms out there, so don’t waste your time on mediocre shows like this one.

If you are into siscon, try the great Koi Kaze, a mature and serious story about the forbidden love.