Art (9/10)
The art is great. Although I've seen better and more creatively drawn animes, with regard to the context of this anime, the art is drawn very appropriately. For example, during the comedy scenes, the art is drawn chibi but with some elements that further resonates the humor, whether it be a small action or item in the background. The art never hinders your enjoyment of this anime and even improves the experiences with elegantly drawn characters like Elsie.
Story (9/10)
The World God Only Knows is about the life of a 2-D "Game God" Keima. He is known throughout the web as the conqueror of all visual novel, bishoujo games. One day he unknowingly signs a contract with the devil, mistakenly taking the contract as a challenge to his Otaku God position, to help a demon girl Elsie collect escaped souls from hell that hide within the empty space in girls' hearts. Should he not comply with the contract, both he and Elsie will lose their heads. Literally.To exorcist the evil soul, he must make the girl fall in love with him and kiss him. The only problem is that everyone in real life calls him an otaku and avoids him for his addiction to 2-D girls and games. This story incorporates comedy right into the base and still embodies an objective to be achieved throughout the course of the series... all while giving the viewers some LOLs in the process.
Sound (8/10)
Although I do not usually comment on the sounds, I did notice that certain things were outstanding. This anime does not have a particularly "addictive" opening and ending theme, but it has creativeness that far surpasses some addictive-themed animes. In episode 4, there is an extra opening and ending that really personifies the storyline and shows diligent planning that went along with it. This ability to creatively adapt to the content of each episode with compatible musical compositions is what really separates this anime from others and also earns the music producers some well-deserved kudos.
Characters (10/10)
The characters in this anime are exemplary. Keima, especially, was someone who really stood out from the mundane, long list of modern anime characters. Although he doesn't embody the cold, taciturn personality that I usually look for in male protagonists, he is clearly distant from the level of backboneless "male" (sometimes I really do question their gender) protagonists that get beat around by the females. What I like most about Keima is that he establishes his ideals and is determined to do what he believes in. He overcomes many embarrassments and obstacles and always seems to plan for the worst (I hope some people in real life would learn that). Other times his dedicated assertions, like "Life is just a crappy video game" and "Real life girls suck. 2-D girls are better", were really similar to mine and gave me some lulz. As someone who likes to relate to male protagonists, I really felt that I could connect with Keima and understand his ideals - part of the reason why this anime drew my attention. Elsie, the pretty female protagonist, was also a very likable character. She embodies the "kawaaiii" personally and really tries her best to help Keima (despite the fact that some efforts have opposite effects). She is never arrogant or unpleasant and always tries to care for Keima to act like his "little sister" (although there definitely are some love feelings between them).
Overall (9/10)
The World God Only Knows is a great anime overall. It combines humor and adventure successfully into a masterpiece that many previous animes have tried and failed to attain. For someone who had such cynical and critical attitudes before watching, it took only 10 minutes of the first episode to turn me and my ideals 180 degrees into zealous enjoyment. If you're looking for a funny anime that still has a good story played out by likable characters, The World God Only Knows is definitely an anime that you should put on your list.
