I say that everything is decided through games, but that may be a bit misleading. Sure, there are a good number of literal games one can play. You want to challenge someone to pick a specific card from a deck, by all means, place your bets. But, if you want a contest of strength, where the victor is the one left alive, that's ok too. Everything in this world goes, you just have to establish the rules beforehand.
Story: 8
I'm going to be quite honest, I loved this story. But a bit of clarification in saying that- The idea of people getting transported to a foreign world to assist some underdogs in some sort of conflict is nothing new. But thanks to MAL's scoring system, I throw both the premise and the world under the category of story. This world was one that I found entirely original, and that's pretty rare these days. As you likely gathered from my preface, this is a world where everything is decided through games, “Gift Games” to be exact. The games have predetermined rules that cannot be broken, but they do not have to be completely clear for both parties involved. The games even have overseers to ensure the rules are followed. The gift aspect of that title arises from the tools participants utilize in the games. These gifts have a wide variety of possibilities, ranging from a super-power to a magic item. Did I mention that by the way? There is magic in this world. Rather, it is more accurate to say the world is magic.
The world is named Little Garden. I don't know who chose this name, as it is pretty bloody far from the truth. The world is said to be roughly the size of the sun, which means it is roughly 100 times larger than the Earth's surface. Whoever decided to throw the adjective little into the name of that world certainly has an odd sense of humor. Many of the denizens of Little Garden are members of a community as it is recommended to be in one if you are to participate in a Gift Games. The communities are as they sound, a community of people. But I found that they were very comparable to a guild, like one may find in an MMO or watching Fairy Tail. A group of people who come together under a single banner to live on the same land, work together, be a team, be family, etc, etc. The specifics would vary depending upon the individual community.
What I really liked about this world was the lack of a happy go lucky vibe. This world wasn't perfect, there existed slavery, kidnapping, blackmail, poverty, and death was a realistic consequence. It added an extra degree of immersion knowing that though they are called games, that was really just an illusionary pleasantry. These were high stakes contests with realistic consequences.
With all of my praises, you may be wondering why it is only rated as an 8. The answer is due to the simple fact that so much of this world and its nuances remain unexplored. I have questions left about the specifics of this world, the Demon Lords and their powers, the No-Names that the story focuses on. We just aren't given enough information.
Art: 8
The animation was very solid on the whole. The action scenes seemed fluid, I loved the scenery, a wide array of vibrant colors. I also was a big fan of the character designs, they were all memorable and an aspect I was a big fan of.
I am also going to mention the ending theme in this section. Sure, "To Be Continued?" by Kaori Sadohara was a catchy little song, but the real reason I watched it so many times was the chibi art-style of the main characters dancing. It was just so much fun to watch, it never failed to bring a very large grin to my face.
Sound: 7
There isn't a ton I can say. The OST was solid on the whole, but none of the tracks jumped out at me as being spectacular.
The voice acting was pretty damn good. I have only seen the show subbed, so I cannot make any comments on the quality and/or accuracy of the dub, but the sub felt almost perfect. There wasn't a single voice I didn't find fitting, and to the opposite effect, I liked every single one.
The OP was awesome. "Black † White" by Iori Nomizu was a very good song that quickly found its way into my musical library. The visuals were pretty good as well.
Characters: 8
I don't know why, but many anime throughout the years have habits of making the main characters fairly weak characters (in terms of their capabilities). Whether or not they remain weak is irrelevant, but weak characters are a very common trope. Maybe people just love the underdog story, maybe it is so the weak and timid viewer base can insert themselves into a given situation with relative ease. Whatever the reason, thank you for the breath of fresh air Tarō Tatsunoko (the author of the original light novels, I just looked it up). These characters are immediately established as being skilled. But having skill alone is not the recipe for a good character, I can point out a dozen gary stus that suck as characters. These characters all have their own bit of charm, and it makes them an extremely fun and memorable cast because of that.
Izayoi Sakamaki- Here we the ultimate badass of this show. This guy has confidence and cockiness seeping from every pore in his body. Is that imagery a bit weird? Sorry for that, but it's accurate. He is an extremely capable fighter and he is quickly established as being intelligent as well. I'll be honest, he is a bit OP, but don't let that deter from thinking he is a good character. He isn't a perfect nice guy, he isn't the type to get involved in every one of his friends' problems. He is a bit of a pervert, but not the over-the-top get a nosebleed kind, but a confident one who will compliment a girl and give a descriptive run down of her outfit and how it perfectly accentuates her curves. This guy honestly is just a pleasure to watch.
Black Rabbit- The bunny girl who serves as the primary source of fan-service for your viewing pleasure. Ok, there is a bit more to her than that. She is a girl who brings the problem children into her community, and in a sense serves as their caretaker. Rather, that is what she is supposed to do. Quite frankly, she is outclassed. She tries to be oh so serious, but thanks to the eccentricities of the other characters, she often ends up in a flustered state. She is not incompetent, but she doesn't seem to shine as brightly as the problem children... * wink *
Asuka Kudou- She is the rich girl character. She immediately displays this high class, haughty, arrogance that could only come from someone born into power and money. That is just her initial appearance however, and you see she is actually a fairly kind girl who is also highly intelligent and perceptive. Of the main cast, she receives the most (and best) development.
You Kasukabe- Here we have the fairly quiet girl. Note, she is not a Rei Ayanami or Yuki Nagato, just a fairly quiet girl. I draw the distinction because I don't often see characters like her. She isn't shy or socially awkward, just quiet. But usually quiet characters are taken to the very extreme, but she strikes a nice balance. She is a nice girl with a good heart. Oh, and she can speak to animals.
Granted, Asuka is the only character who benefits from any real degree of development. But despite that I still give these characters a score of 8 because they felt so individualistic and memorable. It is also their capabilities. Izayoi is most definitely the powerhouse of the show, but the other characters always have a role to play. Correction, it is a pivotal role that they play.
Enjoyment: 10
I use anime as a form of escapism, and this anime fulfills that to a tee. Magic, fighting, and all in game-like format. The characters were awesome, and their early escapades across this world created fun and exciting situations with a unique flare I have not seen demonstrated elsewhere.
Overall: 8
It's a high 8, but not quite deserving of a 9. This was an amazing world and concept with a very fun cast of characters. Its greatest downfall is ultimately the fact that it only received 10 episodes. The show thankfully didn't try and cram too much into this less than one cour time-frame, but it leaves a TON to be desired.
The show is short enough that it feels just like a long movie, so it isn't even a massive time sink. This anime is most definitely worth a watch. Even if you don't latch onto the world or characters as much as I do, the whole show is just a big ball of fun.
