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This is a spoiler-free review.

Hai to Gensou no Grimgar is a rather unique watch. Shows throughout time have had a tendency to force characters from 0 to a 100 in an unrealistic time frame. This often pertains to the widespread demands of instant gratification. Hai to Gensou no Grimgar challenges these demands by emphasising the natural growth of characters: step by step characters are built through every interaction with the plot. Closely observing this and the plot is paramount as to not miss the abundance of implicit detail dedicated to their development and characterisation. Due to this profound nature of the show, reflection is commonplace ... and as such, the watch is recommended for anyone who enjoys reading pensively into things.

An inherent feature of Hai to Gensou no Grimgar is its large main cast. There’s a greater emphasis on characterising and developing the group as opposed to the individuals; however, it is decently balanced between the group and the individuals such that neither don’t feel completely neglected; the viewers are briefly enlightened on their individual daily lives (roles, recreation, style of living etc.) and personalities. This opportunity to learn about how each character interacts with the group is one of Hai to Gensou no Grimgar best point. Note this orientates Hai to Gensou no Grimgar more towards those who are interested in group development.

The show starts off on a weaker foot but eventually progresses superbly, making it worth the watch if the initial set of annoyances can be endured. Such is also true for the pacing, as it evolves into superbness. Though, it is sometimes deemed ‘slow’, but slow is not bad. It is only when it is incongruously or meaninglessly slow it can be considered such. In this case, the creators have done a superb job at pacing the show such that the story and characters (development and characterisation) are often progressing and the right mood is established. Also, the isn't show is absolutely slow. Explicitly it might seem so but when explored implicitly, there is profoundness behind most interactions and moments (plot-wise and character-wise). Bluntly put, the show might seem slow or idle if one focuses on the explicit details and misses all the implicit detail, which is possibly consequential of not understanding the purpose of the show (detailed later).

Now regardless of the pacing, it is possible for something to be rushed. To rush something is to reach something without having the necessary details or time for the viewers to follow or agree with the outcome. Hai to Gensou no Grimgar is subject to such with the limitation of 12 episodes. This is especially pertinent to an important moment that coalesces some of Hai to Gensou no Grimgar major elements. Whether or not its failure can be pardoned (if it is viewed as such) will ultimately dictate one’s enjoyability of the show. It has been identified and explained it in the spoiler section.

Hai to Grimgar's paramount feature is its realism. The characters will have to manage basic needs, such as food and shelter. The characters will have to face the reality of the world. The dialogue, development, and interactions are all seemingly realistic. One example of such realism is the fact almost nothing major happens at the beginning. Though why should anything extraordinary happen? They lead basic lives and hold little significance. It is abnormal for much to happen outside of their daily struggles. Another excellent feature Hai to Gensou no Grimgar employ is not having over-the-top combat abilities. They were mostly just minor extensions of the human ability, which harmonises well with its realism theme.

Hai to Gensou no Grimgar is tailored to fans of slice of life. The combination of realism and narrative focus on character lifestyle and relatively slower progression makes it a natural watch for such people. A conspicuously common issue is approaching this show expecting an action, most likely consequential of the initial action scenes and seemingly shounen setup, and receiving a slice of life instead. It is also important to note that while the premise of the show was to toss the average teenager into a fantasy-themed world, it is not a deconstruction of the fantasy genre—the show lacks the focus on and the necessary intricate details characteristic of a deconstruction to be considered such—and is only one of its enjoyment factors. The watch is instead for those who are interested watching the growth of a group, the bonds they develop, the building of the character etc. It is much more of a character oriented show (60–70%) than a plot oriented one (roughly 35%). It is a show where learning about the characters is essentially progression. Understanding this and what a slice of life entails is critical when encountered with such works.


Story=7.7

Character=8.1

Art=9
The art was dazzling at most times. The beautiful scenery heavily complemented the story by aiding the development of the desired mood. Most noticeably, the watercolour backgrounds evoked a tranquil slice-of-life feel, similar to that of Mushishi. The backgrounds were also unobtrusive allowing a higher focus on the projected characters, which is excellent because Hai to Grimgar is a character-dominated show. However, this conflicted with the action scenes as the projection of the background with 2D art instead of 3D sometimes lacked stimulation, detracting from its thrill.

Sound=9
My praise for the audio component is similar to that for the art. Furthermore, Hai to Grimgar uniquely features many montages. They aided the conveyance of the mood and story and were fairly enjoyable to watch. There were however two misuses. They have been mentioned almost immediately below as to avoid spoilers.






This section henceforth contains spoilers. This section will offer the main criticism and other comments regarding the show.

Its first use (town settling) was inappropriate. It is only warranted once the characters have truly settled in, which was not the case.

The second use (graveyard location) clashed with the mood. The pacing of the song was too fast inhibiting focus on the melancholy scene. The usage of the scene also felt extremely abrupt as Manato’s time with them was seemingly short.

Shihoru is a frivolous character. She can be removed from the show with slight amendments and little difference. This was most apparent during episodes 1–5. She was, however, vital in combat post-episode 5. They need to rework her such that she serves a purpose (plot-wise) outside of combat.


Due to the limitations of 12 episodes, the development of the bond between Manato and the group is rather lacking. 2 episodes were certainly insufficient for evoking the desired sympathy for the characters grieving Manato’s death. The end of episode 4 is the weakest of the series (somewhat rushed outcome) as it draws heavily on Manato’s bond with the group. Common sense dictates that they were distraught but it is rather limited and superficial. This foundation of knowledge would have also fostered understanding of and sympathy for Haruhiro as he confronted his inner-conflict.

More application of the characters is desired; while Hai to Gensou no Grimgar does build the character, they lacked the time to further display the final product. This was most evident in episodes 11 and 12 where new details were introduced to the character but without application. This plays into the 12-episode limitation.

It was exasperating when Haruhiro uttered ‘It would be nice if you could mend clothes with magic as well.’ and proceeded to blatantly explain it. It seemed as if that line was attributed to him solely to inform the viewers. While it was natural, the interpretation should have been somehow left to the viewers.

Ranta escaping at the end was illogical. He was surrounded and barely knew the mine’s caving system as opposed to the Kobolds, which know the place inside-out. Haruhiro’s skill is essentially the visualization of that.

Experience from fighting enemies will yield knowledge about their weak points and effective engagement. The streams of light that direct Haruhiro can be interpreted as the visualization of that. However, this ‘skill’ should have not appeared or appeared so quickly against the Death Spots at the end. As he lacked combat experience specific to Elder Kobalds, it should have been a challenge not something his ‘skill’ could easily relieve him from. It was an opportunity where the creators could have explicitly and satisfyingly displayed the development Haruhiro’s combat abilities and maturity over the course of the show. However, it was wasted by rushing the fight to a conclusion.

Other comments:
They actually fully (and superbly) developed the concept of the main cast being unnatural inhabitants of the world. The main cast were evidently briefly aware of this fact, but overtime the characters neglected it such that it eventually faded. This suggests of their adaption to the world and prioritisation of their survival in the realization of the triviality of pursuing such an oddity as opposed to meeting to the demands of their daily lives; the corroboration follows. At the utter end, Kikkawa (the drunkard) shouted ‘Australia’ in a carefree manner. They could have chosen any word or omitted it all together, but why did they attribute that specific line to him? They deliberately chose ‘Australia’ to connect it with the real world and had Kikkawa, the most carefree character, utter it in such a manner to hint their accordance with and acceptance of the new world. Also, when heard in the context of the characters, the statement sounds greatly insignificant, as it was randomly blurted out by a drunkard, suggesting the same of their unnatural inhabitation of the world.

In conclusion, Hai to Gensou no Grimgar deserves an 8/10, which accordingly to MAL denotes a ‘very good’ show.

The tags and synopsis are enough to determine whether this series is within one’s interest. While there are no spoilers initially, reading this review is only recommended once one completes the show as this is more of an analysis than a review.

For an idea of the significance of each genre constituing this show, their significance from 1–10 has been rated (1/10 being insignificant):
psychological=7/10,
drama=7.5/10,
comedy=5.5/10,
romance=1/10.
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Review begins
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The show lacks the realism inherent of a slice of life or an in-depth analysis of various mental illnesses; however, pragmatism was never sought for to begin with. Most of its value derives from its dramatic theme. It is the intriguing character ... interactions with the plot that resonates enticement within this show and maintains engagement throughout.

The show features multiple sub-plots that always interestingly progresses into a satisfying climax. These sub-plots provide hints to the many curiosities evoked at the beginning, pertinent to the overarching plot and characters, while developing and characterising the characters. This progressive and questioning nature of the show is one of its most fascinating features.

The end result of all of the above is a collection of intricate and consistent characters.

Concluding scores:
story=9.5,
character=9.6,
art=8,
sound=10,
overall=9.6.

Summary:
the elements of the story were masterfully coalesced and engagement is maintained throughout;
it was well paced and every moment felt purposeful;
the characters are consistent, well designed and intriguing;
the foreshadowing was impeccable;
excellent uses of figurative language and images.

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Spoilers begin immediately below.
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Criticism: The chief criticism is the poor execution of some scenes, mostly Satou's suicide attempts. The first instance was abrupt. The build-up and mood didn't justify it. The second instance was illogical. It seemed like he was feigning suicidal thoughts as a joke or as a means of allowing Misaki to empathise with him, but unexpectedly, he ran off the cliff.
Megumi’s back-story is over-exaggerated.
The coincidental recovery of Satou and Megumi's brother was abruptly inserted for the sake of instant-gratification.
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Explanation of major components:
Satou doesn’t actually hallucinate. There are 2 corrobations. The major one is the seemingly shifted plane every time Satou began to interact with the talking props. Secondly, the props never coincidentally appear with concrete characters, suggesting the shifted plane is his mind. The props in his house are his thoughts, and their animation hints his loneliness and desire for companionship. They even initially portrayed them as companions as shown through their casual conversing Satou.

The 3 ‘genies’ inherently laughing at Satuo represent the ‘conspiracies’, which are the manifestation of his fears and his attempt at rationalising the world around him. Satou seems to genuinely believe such conspiracies are the source of his misfortune, a symptom of his hikikomori condition. Though, Satou does sometime joke about the conspiracies mainly while he is conversing with Hitomi. This further corroborates his desire for companionship as shown by his ability to overcome his fears of the NHK and being despised, when surrounded by his friends.

At the end, Satou was seen stepping on the 3 genies, suggesting his prevailment over his condition. Also the NHK was conferred a new name, as seen on the contract. This name suggests that the NHK is now viewed positively as opposed to as Satou’s bane.

Hitomi uses the conspiracies as a scape goat for her miseries to alleviate her suffering. She doesn't actually believe in their existence.

The various scenes in the opening song reflect the states of the characters. The first scene with Misaski centred on the screen but faced backward suggests her importance but enigmatic nature to the protagonist. The final erotic scenes suggest the role of lust in Satou's actions.

Satou is so often seen smoking a cigarette that it could be interpreted as a motif. It seems to mark the degeneration of his life as he often smokes during his depressive periods. He also wasn't a smoker during high school which is when he was still healthy further suggesting the smoking indicates degeneration. There is an odd instance where he smokes while searching for the erotic images. While it was a comical device, it seemed to partially suggest degeneration as perversion is a form of degeneracy. This is further corroborated by the following realization of his deterioration as he seeks redemption.

Misaski does not have BPD. A quick check of the diagnosis criteria will proclaim that.

First 14 episodes = 4/10
14–20 = 5/10
20+ = 6/10
Average=5/10

In episodes 20–38, a few episodes deserved 7-8 scores, noticeably the penultimate episode.

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Comments on plot and characters
plot=5
... Comments for episodes 1-20:
The plot is garbage. It just relies on cheap cliff hangers and plot twist to keep the audience watching every single episode.

The characters are bad. They are superficial, so little is known about them which obscures any possible affections for them. Their dialogue is also atrocious.

The protagonist is illogically over-powered, and he incessantly spews cringe-evoking dialogue.

The humour is forced and inserted wherever possible.

The execution is subpar.

It is difficult to take this show seriously when its logic is absurd.

The characters have logic defying strength and super jump. The problem is the show offers no explanation for the unnatural strength of the characters, so it cannot be accepted as anything but a flaw. The only exceptions are the clans that call upon God’s strength because there was at least a modicum of explanation.

A myriad of plot conveniences run rampant, especially in battle spoiling the mood. Also, the protagonist Xin receives special treatment because he’s the main character as opposed to any logical consequence of the plot.

A few plot holes are apparent: Xin buying armour and never using it in combat; the absurd battles throughout the anime—a tiny group against thousands; the part where Wei, Ping elected to be a decoy by leaving a blood trail, yet he was able to escape. That must mean they never followed him or caught up which is near impossible; there are also those preposterous premonitions that frequently occur.

There were no redeeming factors until episode 20.

Episodes 20+
Pass that, it’s actually enjoyable. Wang, Qi and his army became likeable despite previously being loathsome. Xin is still annoying. The only other likeable characters were the brothers that helped Xin out.

Some of the negatives mentioned above are experienced to a much less degree or are unrealized. The major flaws are still present, so this arc receives a 6.

It should be emphasised that armour cannot be easily penetrated with generic swords. A specialised weapon or sword suited to combating each specific armour is needed.
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Character=4
Most characters were ridiculous and/or unlikeable. These ratings are based on the character design and how well they were used.

Zheng=bad
Piao=fine
Xin=bad
Lei=average
Diao=bad
Bi=average
Wei, Ping=good
Wei, Dao=good
Wang, Qi=fine
Pang=bad (Too little is known about him, and he defied his own logic when he didn’t beat Wang with his own strength. Also, how the army found him to begin with is rather dubitable.)
_

Art=9
The animation style (3D and high detail) complemented the war and action theme of the anime. The 3D aspect evoked a vibrant experience. However, seldom are the wounds shown upon contact of the blade. This detracts from the show’s realism.

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Sound=9
Most of the sounds were appropriate, and the sound tracks were superb. However, one absolutely detestable thing was that song or tune that played every time Lei danced. It was abject cringe.
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Enjoyment =5
Overall=5

**THIS REVIEW CONTAINS MINOR SPOILERS**

This is the most overrated anime I have ever seen. If one is expecting a grand follow-up to Fate Zero, one is gravely mistaken. Well move closer to the screen and let senpai explain.

Story=3
The story consists of tossing a teenage boy into the Holy Grail war (an Armageddon between masters (contemporary individuals who supposedly command their respective servants) and servants (summoned titans) for the sake of obtaining the Holy Grail). This should be a gruesome event with fights to the death, BUT . . . ‘Fuck that,’ Shirou brazenly proclaims. ‘I am going to lead my harem life and ignore every ... peril.’ As one may have guessed, this anime isn’t really about the war. It’s about the harem Shirou obliviously leads. Most of the anime is focused on the relational struggles of the protagonist and some high school girl. For 8 episodes, we are forced to endure Shirou’s petty conversations with Rin inside his home or at school. Not much is done to contribute to the Holy Grail War as apparently—going on a date is more important.

Progress in this anime is almost non-existent. The characters are non-progressive as they are constantly engaged in purposeless chatter and dawdling. The story is littered with pseudo-drama, pseudo-fights, and cliff hangers, which are sometimes intriguing, that evokes utter disappointment and results in pointlessness. The fights are just random clashes with no deciding outcomes and little build-up. Oh, a few episodes later a servant dies. Due to the complete absence of characterisation, no one cared.

There are multiple flaws in the anime. One being Saber commenting on Berserker’s ability to simultaneously solo all the servants. She then proceeds to 1v1 him as though they are of equal calibre. Then she moves to ’cover’ (behind a little gravestone) and wrecks berserker. The most flagrant one is Shirou's plot armour that countlessly saves him.

Trivium; for some reason, this anime was revered as a slice of life when it was airing. Upon inspection, these ’slice of life’ moments were just fan service.

Character=3
Most of the characters were scarcely developed and characterised. Literally nothing is known about them asides from their superficial identities. The characters that received most of it were abjectly cliche and mundane.

Shirou=1
Shirou is the naivest and most idealistic cherry boy I have ever seen. His special ability is being impervious to anything macabre.

Shirou logic: I have almost been killed multiple times . . . Oh well, they must have their reasons. I forgive them.

These types of characters, the type that starts off naive and idealistic generally mature or at least develop but not Shirou. Despite all his near-death situations, he remains ignorant. What’s annoying is Shirou’s lack of concern for the war throughout the show as he seems to be preoccupied with maintaining his high school life. I just can’t help but mirror his disinterest, while viewing this show.

Shirou can be described in three words, ‘asinine and mundane’. He is so often brushed by the verge of death but lives or is kept alive because he is ’interesting’; however, that’s just his naivety and incredible plot armour rather than anything interesting. He is also indecisive and mostly follows the instructions of others. Whenever he decides for himself, the outcome is boring, being completely predictable, and/or completely irrational. Their current route with Shirou seems to be:

1. Protagonist has no experience and is completely rash.
2. Magically becomes shrewd and can pull off incredible moves in the most critical of situations.
3. Will soon surpass Rin despite being completely incompetent and useless.

Rin=2
Rin is one capricious vixen. Her daily routine involves whining to and about Shirou and then having the biggest mood swings.

Rin: I am going to kill Shirou; Wait, time to team up again.

Repeat this throughout the show, and it becomes annoying.

Her character clashes with her backstory and motives. Her childhood was riddled with traumatic events, such as her parent’s premature deaths and the early separation from her dear sister. She’s also lived independently for most her life endeavouring to further herself as a mage. She explains an inherent character of a mage is being able to further one’s goals despite the means. One would expect a more mature, traumatised, or troubled character, right? No, she’s infantile, simple, and sometimes unduly cordial. Putting it in anime terms, ‘I AM TSUNDERE INCARNATE!’

Archer=7
He is one of the better character in the show but he lacks sufficient characterisation, development, and screen-time. He also seems to be the only one taking the war seriously on team Shirou.

For anyone who has seen Fate Zero, RIP Saber’s character. There is almost a complete loss of her original character.

Enjoyment=3
The anime was initially somewhat enjoyable (6/10), but it just frivolously dragged on. As mentioned above, the fights were and the plot was largely meaningless. The anime fails to build the necessary tension and suspense to lead an engaging plot. The outcomes were predictable or completely irrational, and the story was somehow unreasonably slow paced.

Overall=3
Unless one fanatically love shounens, avoid this show at all cost. It is a blender of cliches.