The story is simple superhero hijinks following one Alma Tandogi, a rather intimidating looking outcast who has inhuman powers, and keeps to himself because of them. He spends most of his free time searching for a purple gemstone in a river, a keepsake of his late mother he had lost in a bullying indecent. His life takes a turn when pretty billionaire heiress (and obvious romantic interest) Ruri Alma enters his life. She asks him to lend her his power and fight monsters called Darkstones.
The premise here is pretty basic stuff. The show sets itself up to be exactly what it is, a monster-of-the-week bash 'em up. As the show progresses and new characters are introduced, there is of course a healthy amount of plot twists and developments. Unfortunately, these are wildly predictable and cliche; enemies with less-than-villainous goals, allies with shady intentions, really nothing we haven't seen several times before. Without a doubt, the plot is the weakest aspect of the show. The only saving grace is that the show has no pretenses of being deep or complex. The creative team knew that the plot was run-of-the-mill and did the smart thing; they play plot-twists straightforward, and don't ramp up the melodrama to a ridiculous degree. They made a show that simply strives to be a good blood-pumping action, and didn't try to make it something it is not; there is something admirable about that. Still, that doesn't change the fact that the plot is as cliche and predictable as they come.
The characters are unfortunately as equally unremarkable. Alma is the misunderstood loner with a good heart; Ruri is the good-natured girl who sees Alma for who he is and yearns to be closer to him, and that about sums up their personalities. They're by no means unlikable characters but there is just nothing complex or remarkable about them. The rest of the cast follows suit; a bunch of static stereotypes, from Ruri's butler Makoto Kagami, to Alma's brooding adversary Knight Kinjima. There are bits of character development like Alma opening up to others, and an emotional punch every now and then, but they're not enough to make the characters any more interesting. Oh, and then of course there is the token mascot character Hellbrick, who uses the word 'hell' in every statement he utters.
The main draw here are the shows technical merits, specifically in the action sequences. The animation in the fight scenes is fluid, and exciting to watch. The music pumps up the excitement. Then, of course, there are the retro-tastic character designs for Alma and other combatants, which recall anime action heroes of the 70's like Casshern and Tekkaman. All in all, some very good fight scenes in the show, though outside of that, Sacred Seven isn't all that impressive on the technical-side either. Character designs and backgrounds for Alma and companies everyday lives are pretty standard, not at all bad, but ultimately won't leave a lasting impression, and the same can be said about the music.
In the end, Sacred Seven isn't really a bad show, but it isn't a particularly good show either. It is a fun action show, and that is all it really tries to be. If that is all you need in a show then you might even like this. However, if you are looking for a gripping plot or compelling characters, it is best to look elsewhere.
