Hitsugi no Chaika

First and foremost, I went into Chaika without greatly high expectation as I hadn't heard too much about it, it was one of the least hyped shows airing at the moment.
And it turns out that it was also one of the most underrated!
So let's begin...

Story - 9/10.
The story of this anime may not look particularly original if you only read the synopsis, but getting into it it provides a really satisfying adventure-filled romp through various places. I didn't find the story either too simple or too complex, it was filled with just the right amount of twists and turns and didn't overcomplicate itself with overly ... wordy explanations, but you'd be doing yourself a disservice if you didn't pay it full attention, as it's full of little details. What also made this enjoyable to me was the lack of fanservice - a nice refreshing change from a lot of the anime currently airing (similar to WIXOSS), which I think would have detracted from the story.

Art - 8/10.
Although it may not be the "standard" anime style, I really enjoyed the art of Chaika. It was refreshing and original, and I thought it gave the characters actual character. It looked really nice in HD and the colours were fitting - dark and gloomy when the mood called for it, and lighter neutral tones when needed. I also enjoyed the fact that Frederica (sp?) was not animated in 3D - this can often look clunky and out of place in anime, so it was nice to see. The 3D animation that there was (the air ships, some of the magic effects) actually fit in nicely with the overall art style and did not detract from the anime at all. The fights were also really well animated - they didn't look ridiculous, or impossible, instead going for a more believable style.

Sound - 8/10.
What I really liked about Chaika was not the sound, although a really good job was done with it. The opening theme, DARAKENA, is catchy and sets the mood for the anime quite well, and the background sounds within the anime were fitting - the mood was also set by little piano parts and punchier music. The characters' voices were excellent for their character - they could have made the mistake of making Chaika too "moe", and although her voice was pretty high pitched it never seemed to fall into that trap, at least not for me. It portrayed her apparent innocence very well. I also liked the fact that Akari's voice was a bit more mature sounding, as often in anime now even girls in their 20s sound like they are 5, which is frustrating.

Character - 9/10.
And here we come to my favourite part of Chaika. The cast of characters I thought was phenomenal - you have the two main characters, Toru and Akari, brother and sister but not by blood, Chaika, the coffin princess, Frederica the dragoon and a host of other side characters, each of which added something to the story. The interactions between the main characters are funny, sometimes adorable and always somewhat believable. Akari is obsessed with Toru, but it's a running gag that this show does not overuse so it doesn't come across as needy and annoying. And they both have an actual personality to support such gags, as opposed to them being essentially token characters. Chaika is a bit of a mystery - she seems innocent and pure, however throughout the story she is made to doubt herself and her purpose. I can't say much more without spoiling the story.
I found even the side characters had their place in Chaika, either adding another bit of comedy, seriousness and depth - the mysterious entity telling Chaika where to find remains, Gilette-sama and his band of followers and various other parties are met along the way and they all add a little something more to Chaika.

Enjoyment - 9/10.
Of course I very much enjoyed Chaika, I thought it was a fun, heartwarming and exciting experience. I fell in love with the characters very quickly, they're so well written and none of them seem out of place.

I would recommend this anime to anyone who enjoys a fun adventure story with bits of comedy and a lot of magic.

Every season there are a handful of shows that are overlooked and underrated. Hitsugi no Chaika takes this fact, and shoves it down peoples' throats by making itself even more underrated. Before the Spring 2014 season began, I had mediocre expectations of Chaika. But sooner than later, I found myself as one of the lucky ones to stay with it all the way through.

Story: 8
At first glance the plot of Hitsugi no Chaika may seem "dull" or "cliche", but Chaika ultimately stands to deliver a fresh, new kind of plotline that is rather unprecedented in my opinion. It's not often you find adventure shows with ... three characters traversing the Earth and having badass fights every episode. Personally, the story saves Chaika from mediocrity and adds a lot of originalty.

Art/Animation: 7
Okay, yes, the art style of Chaika was probably the largest turn-off for most people. But all in all, the art actually complimented the show quite nicely. Although Studio Bones did choose an original style, overall it doesn't really compete with some older anime. The animation however was decent enough, and each fight scene was very engaging, especially considering how they fought. Another thing about the art that stood out were the 3D magic effects. On their own they looked nice, but together with the normal art made it seem out of place most of the time.

Sound: 9
The sound/music of Chaika is arguably one of the highest points in the show. The voice actors for Toru and Akari fit their personalities and roles quite well. Chaika herself stands out the most...why? Well...Her actress did portray Chaika well enough, but at times her voice did make her a little annoying. Also the opening (DARAKENA) is an Excellent choice for the show's tone. Personally, I couldn't get through it each episode without replaying it.

Characters: 7
The three main characters: Chaika, Toru and Akari are definitely some of the most original characters I've seen in a while. Both Toru and Akari are perpetual badasses, and while they don't have much of an outstanding personality, they are still very likable. Now, Chaika is a cute character and all, but most of the time I found myself getting very annoyed with her character because she doesn't do much more than just sit back and act as the show's Damsel in Distress.

Enjoyment: 9
I think it goes without saying that this is very enjoyable show. Not necessarily a diamond in the rough, but definitely something that will keep your eyes peeled almost every minute.

Overall: 8
Hitsugi no Chaika is definitely one of those shows that was massively overlooked during it's respective season. One thing, if any, is that Chaika does not fail to administer a dose of "originality" something that most anime seem to lack nowadays. Something as refreshing as Hitsugi no Chaika is meant for everybody, and should not be missed by anybody.

It’s always difficult to review shows like Hitsugi no Chaika - ones that are clearly enjoyable to watch, but not necessarily of high quality. The characters are nice, though flat; the world is mysterious and intriguing, though it doesn't remain so; and the politics and ideologies are interesting, though simple. It’s the type of show you might marathon some lonely weekend, enjoying as you watch it, and then completely forget about.

The show takes you through the adventures of Chaika Trabant, Toru Acura, and Akari Acura to recapture the remains of a deceased, tyrannical king - Emperor Gaz. ... The king was a “bad guy” who loved war, and thus the question throughout the series is whether war is a positive or negative good. Don’t expect this to be investigated too much; this is not one of the better shows on the morality of war, like Now and Then, Here and There. But they do interesting things with the motif. Along with that, questions of identity begin to pop up, prominently for Chaika but also for others; the question of how we determine and relate our identities to what we think, or what history claims, us to be becomes a formative point for a variety of characters.

Many of the other reviews seem to praise the storyline - and I can see why. There is a sense of scope, of ambition, in the epic suggestions the story attempts to suggest. But to end a review at what the show attempts to do, and to forget how it actually turns out, does a disservice to readers. There are little interesting details, but Hitsugi no Chaika doesn’t do this particularly well. There is a vague alliance of nations - the Six Nations - that serve as the constant backdrop to the adventures of our hero and heroines - they really only come into play when the show wants to show how badass the villain is, who will inevitably destroy their slow fleet. They might be vaguely based on European kingdoms. That “bad” king? He ruled for a long time, did bad stuff with magic. Never really elaborated. You will never truly be invested in the world Hitsugi no Chaika describes, because we’re not really meant to be invested in it.

Rather, we’re drawn to the characters. Toru Acura is a lazy bum of a saboteur, one bored dry by the armistice with the Gaz Empire drawn up fifteen years prior. His passion for fighting and the saboteur lifestyle has led him to become idle in the era of peace. Akari, his sister, is...well, into her brother. That’s really her most important quality. The show plays up her fascination to outrageous, hilarious degrees. Chaika, with her adorably broken Engrish, grows and develops as a character during their adventures to retrieve Emperor Gaz’ body parts. Soon others pop up too, but the focus remains on the core three - for awhile, at least. Again, don’t expect too much here. The characters are nice, but nothing to write a paper on.

Peppered throughout are plenty of adequate action scenes - occasionally, they’re even awesome, though only occasionally. The fights are distinguished by teamwork and cooperation, which give an exciting and tangible feel to an otherwise confusing battle system. For example: Toru and Akari - both hired by Chaika as saboteur bodyguards - heighten their powers via the Iron and Blood Transformation, an unexplained technique that, well, makes them more durable. Why? Because lineage, one supposes. The music is decent, nothing extraordinary. Decent art - nothing to write home about.

Clearly I’m not enamored by the series - but I tuned in to watch it, and its sequel, every week. As long as you don’t expect too much from the show, I recommend it to everyone - especially to those who love a series that hints at a large, almost epic scope. I don’t think the series really keeps that hope alive for very long, as most of the promising things about the series fail to live up; they are, instead of becoming great, wholly adequate.

Chaika might be among the most adequate shows I’ve ever seen - everything is fine, nothing is particularly great. I don’t intend to pretend that this show is worth a particularly high rating - it simply is not relative to other anime series, and I think anime scores should be, in some fashion, relative to the quality of other anime. Don’t let the numbers deter you, though - we all easily gravitate towards 10s and the like. Sometimes a light, lower score is still worth a watch - often, in fact. Chaika is an instance of a show that does everything alright - sometimes bad, sometimes good, but rarely great - and can entertain you without blowing you away.

At first glance, Hitsugi no Chaika (Coffin Princess Chaika) may be interpreted as a cheesy adventure. We get a trio of characters traveling on a sort of journey across the continent in a fantasy realm. And one of those characters is a young girl named Chaika with mysterious origins while carrying a coffin almost twice her size. As peculiar as all this sounds, the show has an alluring premise filled with mysteries and charming moments. From these moments also draws forward an ability to make the audience follow its story. And trust me, it’s worth every single minute.

First thoughts coming into this show is adaptation. ... After all, the show is based off of a light novel of the same name. The show isn’t unique or a solitary premise considering the idea of traveling and adventure. But what rains this show with wonders is the progress as an adventure to capture and deliver its message. Communicating that message takes effort but thankfully, this show aces through that with its story, characters, and abstractions. What the show offers is a bit more than just an odyssey but story value and integrity.

The journey our characters are part of takes place in a fantasy world where a past war resulted in various circumstances. In retrospect, the show identifies itself with its premise and follows it through with clever usage of historical events. These include the 200-year war that ended 5 years ago as well as the death of Emperor Arthur Gaz, a prominent figure of the past. Now in present time, his daughter Chaika seeks not revenge but a way to give him a proper funeral. It’s safe to say that such ambitions would create controversy. By controversy also means opposition and resistance so naturally, Chaika often finds herself in danger. That is until her fateful meeting with Toru Acura and his foster sister Akari that she sees as hope to bring purpose in her journey.

Mysterious yet reliable, Chaika is a riddle in this show. As the titular character, she is both a wizard and prominent figure in this fantasy world as various factions seeks her out in attempt to avert another war. Her encounter with the Acura siblings can be interpreted as fate or one of those classic ‘red string’ folklores. But of course, there isn’t any romance built from that in the beginning as their first encounter is also a bit peculiar. The reason being is that an abnormal unicorn attacks them out of nowhere and took their teamwork to bring down the beast. Odd as it all seems, the show has a surprising charm when it pulls this off elegantly. Despite being total strangers, they function well as a team and already has a potential as a group. Joining them as well is Akari, a girl with an unorthodox personality with her words and actions. Together, they make up a formidable trio when put together as a unity for their ability to accompany each others’ abilities. This is evident throughout the show as they are able to survive and escape death during compromising situations. All the way, the show also adapts itself as a cat-and-mouse scenario as Chaika becomes a person of interest for capture by the Gillette Corps.

Despite the premise and idea of the show being straightforward, it is also bounded by mysteries. Besides that though, we get an approach to identify and characterize the characters. Although a small group, they generate charm through their relationship building. The construction mainly details between Toru and Chaika as neither is similar but strangely provokes thought when putting the two together. It’s not a romance tale per se but rather a story of journey. And throughout that journey, we find out more about all three of the main characters with various flashbacks. These flashbacks not only tell the characters of their pasts but also reasons as to why they are as of today in the present. But more importantly is how the show puts this all together effectively to mark this group as entrancing towards the audience. That’s where the charm comes in as Chaika appreciates Toru and Akari to be more than just business partners. They become allies, friends, and even family-like throughout their journey. Specific events shows their progress and how they rely on each other for survival. Toru, a young warrior with skills he thought would be useless in the present world, suddenly now finds himself with purpose. With that in mind, it makes their journey all the more worth and something to truly treasure. The journey becomes more important than the destination.

As the show progresses, one could also realize the strange phenomenon going on. One prominent feature involves Chaika and her identity, as to who she really is and her purpose. Hints and foreshadowing are drawn out throughout the show as we find out more about her origins. One other aspect of the show that ties with this is a series of impersonation attempts that makes the whole concept more complicated as other characters tries to pass themselves off as “Chaika”. Character identity isn’t just an attribute though, as the show also has more emotional scenarios involving other characters such as the tragic Fredrica. Despite this, the show’s mystery can also be staggering when it comes to execution. Some bits of the show feels predictable while other parts are resolved relatively quickly despite the built-up. And while the series isn’t infamous to plot twists, the way it is executed isn’t spellbinding enough to seduce the audience into taking them by heart.

What I do take to heart though is the well-executed comedy. Whether it’s Chaika’s way of speech with her sentence fragments, Akari’s borderline yandere behavior, or Fredrica’s “murderous” gags, the show does itself appropriately to balance the mood. There’s hardly any explicit fan service either as the show focuses more on plot rather than substance. What we get from this show also involves a building chemistry between the three main characters. It’s the kind of relationship that expands beyond than just companionship and business. It gets personal and build itself piece by piece, all the while by maintaining decent balance with its story. The structure and setup holds itself together as the show never staggers off from their journey. Whether its character focusing or plot direction, the show stays honest with sincerity. The show’s magic mechanics are also explored with aesthetics whether it’s Chaika’s abilities with her large gun or other various spells.

While the show stays consistent and delivers promise, there are bits that can steer people away from appreciating this adaptation. One problem is adaptation as the show does omit parts from the light novel to condense material for this one cour season. Also, the comedy delivery can be a mixed flag that fall into the cliché hole. The incest innuendos does not hide itself and often or not portrayed repetitively. Even when it seems genuine, the show plays it off as a joke often with Akari’s poker face and trollish behavior. Speaking of which, Akari herself is more of a comic relief with underdeveloped traits and aspects. One could see her as both a child and warrior with her personality that can be difficult to appreciate when both traits fused into one entity. And finally, the antagonists of the show is underwhelming with their motivations. Hardly any of them are explored in depth when it comes to characterization. In general, the show delivers more of a story oriented product rather than a character-centric theater.

While the show looks simple on the surface by artwork, there is actual decent amount to take in by fantasy standards. There is exceptional mileage with character designs to make the characters look distinctive. This is especially true for Chaika and the weapon she carries on her back. Not to mention, her eyebrows and albino hair stands out to show her as the titular character. She can look adorable while being badass all the same time. Similarly, Toru and Akari are designed to fit their personalities, almost like polar opposites. Elsewhere, the fantasy world is designed marvelously with its landscapes and structures. It looks convincing with the architectures and overall style with its natural backgrounds. The monsters and beasts of the show also gives off a mystical vibe but at the same time also demonstrates ferocity to stir up fear. Fan service is minimal with action taking more of its place along with some bits of violence. Thanks to Studio Bones, the action is well coordinated whether it’s swordsplay, magic duels, or the sharpshooting curtsey of Chaika. In essence, the artwork ultimately captures the Old World feeling fitting for its fantasy genre.

To describe the soundtrack, I would say it’s clean and precise. Set by fantasy standards, the OST does itself well for action oriented scenes, emotional drama, or the more humorous displays from our characters. The more you listen to the soundtrack, the more you will get out of it with its stylish charm. And speaking of charm, Chaika is the epitome of that in this show with her personality. Aside from her broken speech patterns, she has more a serious and childish side as being naive. Her voice mannerisms captures the very essence of that. Similarly, Akari’s sisterly relationship with Chika and borderline yandere behavior with Toru are also drawn out with her tone. It’s comedic and contagious just like most of the conversational dialogues. Furthermore, the OP and ED songs are fluid with consistency and sets a fantasy show by example.

Hitsgui no Chika is a superior example of how a fantasy show should be portrayed as. Despite some general tropes we can see and draw similarity with, the show decorates itself with tolerable lighthearted comedy. Its small yet distinctive character cast sheds light with their development. And although some bits of the adaptation fails to cover every solid detail, it ultimately steers its direction with consistency in terms of its premise and story. All in all, this show is a great chunk of fantasy recreation with appreciable ideas. With season 2 in the horizon, it would be a shocking truth to not check it out.

Chaika? Yes, Chaika. Chaika.

Created by the author of Scrapped Princess and Outbreak Company, this light novel adaptation is part of Studio Bone's trio of shows in the Spring 2014 season. Surprisingly, I felt that Hitsugi no Chaika was the strongest out of the three with its quirky and well-constructed elements in the storyline, characters and action department. These things help create one of the more memorable fantasy adventure anime in recent years.

Set five year after a war, which resulted in the dismantlement of the Gaz Empire, the world is now in a peaceful state much to the detriment of Toru, a saboteur who is capable ... of performing the ironblood transformation. Without any meaningful civilian employment skills, he spends his days, along with his sister, Akari, rotting away and waiting for the end to come. One day, while foraging for food in the mountains, he comes across a 14 year old girl carrying a coffin on her back. Eventually, she hires Toru and his sister to aid her on a quest to gather the remains of her father, who is no less than Emperor Gaz himself. Along the way, they meet the various heroes who kept a piece of his body when they defeated five years prior. On the trail of Chaika's party, is the Kleeman Corporation, commanded by Knight Gillette, who is commissioned to keep the peace and capture her. There are plenty of other factions and characters that connect to Chaika in some sort of way and each one only adds the mystery surrounding her existence.

Hitsugi no Chaika's world is curious mixture of old school fantasy and early 20th century technology. The various devices that are shown reflect this odd mashup of aesthetics like the communication room working like a Skype call or laser cannons/barrier shields mounted on a flying fortress. Traditional fantasy elements like monsters and spells exist alongside with the more modern gundos and automobiles making the setting unique among its peers. Chaika assume that the audience is smart enough to figure out the mechanics by giving out just enough information and letting the viewer fill in the rest of the blanks. Things that are casually mentioned become the center of focus several episodes down the line, like the magical fuel powering all machines and spell-based weapons. This fuel, paralleled to our gasoline and diesel, is the key concept behind the core plot, economic system, and thematic overtones of this anime. Like grades of fuel at a gas station, the Emperor remains are all in a class of their own, which becomes very apparent in the later episodes. As such, all the locales visited are interwoven through this plot device making the background feel authentic and consistent. From a town's bustling marketplace to the subdued atmosphere of a mining to an ominously unsettling interior of a floating castle, this world begs to be further explored by the viewer. Just be mindful of the demonic unicorns, roving packs of lightning wolfs and the fog of despair.

Given that a good portion the current anime is overrun with loli, Chaika is a breath of fresh air because she is not defined by fanservice or pointless antics. In her profession as a badass wizard, she brings the hurt through her magical sniper rifle while lugging around a ginormous coffin. In addition, she is a skilled mechanic driver, and one of the few people in the show who can operate magical devices. Aside from wrecking people's days from afar, there is a certain charming side to Chaika that many viewers can't help but be entranced by it. While her casting skills are formidable, her attempts at cooking are just downright hilarious. By attempt, I mean that firing her magical rifle at uncooked food counts as such. Also unrefined is Chaika's speech pattern, which is filled with fragmented sentences and the subject of many GIFs floating around the internet.

Toru, when contrasted with Chaika, is far more serious in his demeanor and outlook on life. Trained as a saboteur from his childhood, his life lacks meaning in peacetimes and it is only when Chaika employs him that his mindset begins to evolve. While not as memorable as Chaika, he does have his moments of fun and is far from a cardboard cutout of a character. Although, they have completely different backgrounds, they both complement each other well both on a combat and emotional level. Both of them cover each other's weakness in combat as Toru is a close-quarters specialist while Chaika is a ranged caster. In their downtime, Toru acts as a guide and mentor to a very naive Chaika and in return, she gives him hope for a future that doesn't just involve fighting. Their relational development is very well-done as it felt natural to have this pair grow closer together on this journey.

Providing a majority of the comic relief, Akari, non-blood related sister to Toru, is deeply and madly in love with him. Incestuous vibes seems to be all the rage right now but Hitsugi no Chaika does it in an approach that is more akin to siblings bickering, rather than full on eroticism. Toru is very much aware and rather annoyed of her feelings towards him. Her suspicious timely interventions are done in a deadpan manner and is played out for laughs rather than being a detriment to the overall show. The last character, Fredrica, to join up with Chaika is most certainly the wildcard out of the entire party. Being a dragoon, which is the equivalent of a nuclear weapon in fantasy lore, tends to overshadow any foe quickly. She is not present all the time when fights do happen but make her presence very felt when she does decides to show up. Overall, I do think that she is a fun addition to the cast being the bloodthirsty loli, and is essential for saving the day when the plot calls for it.

The team under Gillette tracking down Chaika is a odd assortment of former soldiers who had nowhere to turn after the war. As Gillette is a man who believes in justice and is an idealist, they are grateful to the knight for his compassion and share his in vision to keep the peace. Not much time is spent on them but I don't consider them to be the antagonists as they are quite justified in their reasoning for chasing her down. One particular member, Viivi Holopainen, is one-noted character being her infatuation with Gillette as the defining point. In a series that has a good amount of depth to the main characters, the supporting cast is a bit of a disappointment when compared to them. Many other characters are encountered along the way and they all have their own story to tell. Some you feel sorry for, others will make you want to see them on the receiving end of Chaika's rifle.

Easily one of the highlights of Hitsugi no Chaika, the fights are expertly choreographed, fast and brutal. This is where teamwork, tactics, and sheer skill triumphs over any overpowering foe or magical contraption. It smartly avoids the shounen trap of yelling out attacks and having character reaction shots by giving the audience a straight up brawl. One of the few things that I value when it comes to character is competence and it shines through during the action sequences. Each person in Chaika's party knows exactly where to go and what to do to place their opponents into overlapping fields of fire. Traps, ranged weaponry, blades strikes and are often used in combination and in quick succession for maximum efficiency. Same goes for the opposing force as their composition is also a mixture of different class types and employ ambush tactics, which makes for some very entertaining clashes. It's not just humans that our protagonists faces for the world of Hitsugi no Chaika is filled with monsters and other very unpleasant things. A demonic-looking unicorn that shows up in the opening minutes sets the tone for how ruthless this show can be when it comes to its creature design.

The weakest part of the show is, by far, in its visual department. It comes in a distant third when compared to Bone's other offerings like the attractive looking Captain Earth and Soul Eater Not!. The problem stems from the lack of all the fancy shading, reflective flair and light bloom that modern anime seems to be so fond of, making it look rather low budget and something that aired years ago. Thankfully, the motion is fluid enough during its more intense scenes and it's only a small blemish in a show. I want to give props to the Seikou Nagaoka (Strike Witches and Pretty Rhythm) for a solid accompanying soundtrack as orchestral tones fits in well with Chaika's adventure. The opening and ending are no slouches either. Both, being of the rock genre, are filled with dark imagery and gives off a unsettling feeling that Chaika is caught up in something far greater than her goal of giving her father a final funeral.

From the reading up on the previews, I wasn't quite of what Hitsugi no Chaika was all about. To my pleasant surprise, it became one of my top shows of the season with it charming characters, seamless world building and excellent fight scenes. My gripes with Chaika is primarily with its comparatively low animation budget and the slightly weaker characters on Team Gillette. If I could give Captain Earth's entire budget to Chaika, I would do so in a heartbeat. However, these minor concerns should not deter viewers from diving into this show as they will be greatly rewarded through the one person that stands in the center of it all.

Chaika.

8.5/10

With the obvious big shot of the season being No Game No Life, a lot of otherwise also decent and sometimes even better shows get pushed in the background, while I think some of these deserved a bit more attention. One of these titles would be Hitsugi no Chaika (Chaika, the Coffin Princess) by Bones.

Just like many other titles every season, Hitsugi no Chaika falls under the category of light novel adaptations and it has many things which indicates this, such as the medieval setting with a magic system. But at some points this anime was a bit different from usual light novel adaptations. For ... example we have no teenagers as protagonists, but fully grown adults. Well, except for Chaika Trabant that is. But Toru and his half-sister Akari are both adults and saboteurs who were used in war. But since the war is over for a while now, Toru and his sister have nothing to do and are easily bored and hungry since they have no jobs. This especially affected the character of Toru as he is constantly looking for the meaning in his life in the beginning of the show, as he still sees himself as a soldier. But a soldier in a land without war and in peace is useless. Thus on an errand to gather some food for his sister and himself, Toru then proceeds to accidentally cross the patch of the awkwardly speaking, coffin carrying and confused looking Chaika Trabant in a nearby forest. After an encounter with a unicorn which gets defeated by the two, Chaika - who turns out to be a sorceress who is a bad ass with her magic rifle- asks Toru and his sister if they could accompany her on her journey. They agree and thus their story begins. I won’t go into further detail because light spoiler territory.

The story itself is rather mediocre and not that worth mentioning to be honest, but it has a few twists and turns along the way. The setting on the other hand is a nice mix of a medieval post-war world, mixed with some steampunk elements, which can be noticed especially at the clothing of some characters as well as some machines like various vehicles and guns. What really hurt the immersion of the experience for me was the severe lack of world-building and background information to the characters themselves. After the 12 episodes of the series’ first cour we don't really know that much about Toru's or Akari's past, which I personally found a bit disappointing. The world itself, besides looking pretty, doesn't offer any lore or explanations to really get invested in like say Attack on Titan or for a better example the Toaru Majutsu series does. Magic and how it works doesn't even get hinted in the slightest, and we just have to take it how it is. While this saves some annoying info dumps and boring expositions, it also spoiled my enjoyment a little, as I always would have loved to know what was going on when a spell was casted, Toru activated his blood-iron transformation, you name it, thus making the story part easily the weakest point of the show for me.

But thankfully, though we have a really lovely cast of characters to help the show along the way. Let’s start off with our main trio which consists of Toru, Akari and Chaika. Later on we get one additional side character that is rather a plot device than a real character on her own in my opinion. Like she’s just there to clear an obstacle or help a few times in battle but doesn’t do too much besides that. The main three on the other hand serve the plot very well; none of them were annoying or hurt the experience for me. And when some battles take place - which is not a rarity - the whole group got involved into the battles. No one really stood at the side lines and watched, no. They were all active which made the well animated action scenes all the more powerful. Also great to look at were some of the saboteur tactics and gears used by Toru and Akari during said fights. While we not always get explained how they are used, they are always there in the right time and are used practically to make the battles appear a bit more strategic and thought out. This was an aspect of the show I really liked in the beginning, but when we advanced after the first half of the show things started to slow down a bit. The action was still there but not in the dimensions like in the beginning. But thankfully the last two episodes speeded up again and gave me more of the exciting action I was hoping for The character development of the main characters wasn’t anything outstanding but noticeable, so it was there.

On the other side of the spectrum we have Gillette-sama and his companions, trying to stop Toru, his sister and Chaika from completing their goal of spoilers. Gillette is a soldier and nobleman trying to fight for the sake of good because they and the high class people think Chaika and her new found friends are a threat to the peace of the land. Toru and his group actually appear like the bad guys for a change as they are confronted by Gillette as they are supposedly the trigger for another war. Unlike every other light novel main character would try to fight for there to not be war, Toru doesn't really care. Why? Because he's a soldier, a weapon, and a weapon without a use is useless in his eyes. These made for an interesting change in perspective in the early parts of the show and made this show stand out from the usual clichés and tropes a bit. Unfortunately they didn't really do anything extraordinary or worth mentioning with this premise later on...

Overall the characters were all likeable in my opinion, especially Toru and Chaika really grew unto me and I even understood the "villains" as they got a surprisingly huge amount of screen time during the course of the 12 episodes. Story wise it came to a satisfying conclusion with a cliffhanger plus an announcement for a second season in October. Count me in.

In terms of visual and audio the show didn't really do much to me to be honest. Even though the colors were bright and the character designs rich it somewhat looked cartoony and lacked detail at some points, pretty disappointing for a show made by BONES. Thankfully during the fight scenes when it wants to look good, it does. The soundtrack was sadly barely noticeable and the Opening as well as the Ending song weren't that outstanding either, but fairly alright for my tastes. Otherwise the soundtrack ranged from average to slightly above average.

So, we finally get to the verdict. Should you watch Hitsugi no Chaika? Well, that depends. On its own it's by no means a special anime in any particular way, so it may be just another time sink for about 5 hours for you. But if you're trying to catch up with the less bad stuff of spring 2014, I'd definitely recommend you to check this one out. It may not blow your mind but I do think the hours with this were well spent and even if you’re just looking for a small action snack, this one should do you well.

Scoreboard:

STORY: 5/10 (okay premise but it didn't do much with it, lack of world building was disappointing)
ART: 6/10 (pretty colors and character designs but an often lack of detail, good action scenes)
SOUND: 5.5/10 (just slightly above average as the OP and ED songs were alright)
CHARACTER: 6/10 (likeable characters but a lot of background info to them was missing)
ENJOYMENT: 7/10 (I had a good time with it, only after the 1st half it slowed a bit down)
----------------------------
OVERALL: 5.5/10 (Mediocre)

Really interesting and straight-forward title if I do say so myself.

Let me start off by saying that I really liked Chaika -The Coffin Princess- It reminded me of a video game so much with it's action sequences. A JRPG to be more precise. The intense amount of action made me feel like picking up my controller (yes controller, JRPGS should only be played via console!) and mashing buttons! The story is pretty simple. I really like that Ichiro Sakaki didn't add unnescary and complicated details about certain events or characters. I like that everything naturally builds upon from the foundation. Like first we're introduced ... to characters, then the story, next the back-story and so on, which is why I say it's straight-forward. I like seeing simplicity in shows with settings placed in older times because it makes it easier to follow. Perhaps the only thing I didn't care for was the speech of Chaika(s). Her... their, speech pattern was so annoying and in addition to that, I honestly didn't care for Chika Anzai, role this time around. I like her in Sound Euphonium and a few other titles but honestly.. I just had too many mixed feelings. Lastly, going back to the story again, I would've liked to see more character development in terms of the main characters strength. The fights are great and all but I like to see new moves and special techniques that the characters learned and there wasn't any of that in Coffin Princess.

The animation was great, for the most part. I wasn't too keen on the actual character designs because I felt like there were a few too many characters with the same "gothic" style. Battle scenes were pretty great. I liked the magic battles especially towards the ending of the season 1. Everything became a lot more intense in terms of drama and the animation quality really improves the mood.
The soundtrack was pretty unnoticeable for the most part. I mean during fights the background music wasn't really intense of dramatic enough to get me exciting.


Overall, Hitsugi no Chaika is a pretty fun and enjoyable title. Again, and I cannot stress this enough it's pretty straight-forward so character has goal, character somewhat carries out that goal and so on. Overall I gave this title an 8/10 because it is indeed pretty remarkable! Great story, good and like-able characters, and lastly, pretty awesome battles!

Hitsugi no Chaika is easily classified as a standard issue, steam punk style fantasy adventure anime, but it possesses enough quality in production and story to make it something you don't feel guilty about watching.

The first thing that stood out to me about the series was that the battles were actually animated. No reused scenes of stock “moves” or fading to a screen of flashing lines while the hero screams as an attack. People actually swing swords, move, duck, dodge, and maneuver. Amazing isn't it? The “guns as magic” aspect is a little boring, but it is what it is and doesn't take too ... much away from the otherwise enjoyable fight scenes.

Getting an engaging story is the other difficulty in adventure anime. Series tend to get dry with repetitive themes, boring fetch quests, or stereotypical villains that must be put down. Hitsugi no Chaika manages to be more than this, by providing a convincing world for the characters to inhabit and giving them a unique threat to deal with, mysterious agents of a supposedly defeated mage emperor. It takes time for the plot to unfold, there are a few twists involved, and it gives the series enough time for you to possibly develop some affection for the characters involved.

We probably won't be talking about this series as a ground breaker or classic for the ages years from now, but it's a solid production I have no trouble suggesting to fans of fantasy and/or action anime.

Today i decided to do a review on a very underrated anime called Hitsugi no Chaika:

Story:

While the story and the premise arent very original (Scrapped Princess, Akatsuki no yona had a similar story and setting) the way its presented is godly something that many anime wouldnt be able to achieve in years, the execution was done perfectly, it was never predictable and in troughout the episodes they gave away a little piece of the puzzle, it looked has if you were trying to solve something that seemed awfully perdictable but it wasnt at all. The setting is generic has its presented in a ... world of magic with some kind of energy or "mana" (magic fuel) like in any other generic fantasy show.

Art:

A very light novel-esque art, quite generic however the fight scenes were done really well, the character designs are somewhat Moe but it doesnt necessarly make the anime bad ..

Sound:

The openings and sound fit the show perfectly however not something to raise the bar at has it was quite average, the same goes for the background music and endings

Character:

At first glance you see the loli silver haired girl the obcessed sister and the generic guy possible love interest.. Further on the characters develop alot and turn into something more dynamic however has the show focus solely on the story it doesnt give much priority to the characters

Enjoyment:

Has i mentioned in the story section this show is very mysterious in its own special way, not many shows would be able to acomplish what HNC reached.. It will never be boring to watch and the show has a particular diferent feeling from all fantasy generic anime out there.. I recommend to watch with Medium priority because a show like this is rather rare and of course its quite generic in other areas..

7.80 out of 10

The action genre may have been the genre that pulled in many anime fans, such as those long running shounen series that is widely known in the West. Growing up, those were the sort of things found on mediums like Toonami and introduced the medium of anime to the West. Being someone that falls into this category, I wasn't fond of the long running series, but always have a guilty pleasure of finding enjoyment in the action genre. I have been watching action/adventure series recently and stumbled across this which had a not so interesting premise but a promising first two episodes. Well this show ... certainly left a mark on me, a deep wound filled with venom that gives me nightmares just thinking about.

The plot is simple and its good that it is, anime series that expand upon the simple plot seem to do well. Chaika introduced a lot of plot points early and it seemed like it was going to have promising payout had it been handled correctly. Unfortunately for those who have watched it, no answers are given and frankly the new plotpoints brought up are just not interesting. Really, this is some of the most simplest, watered down type of writing which a 10 year old with imagination could come up with! So many plot points are shrouded in mystery and the writer had one job, to answer those in a fluid manner that doesn't detract from the overall plot yet we are given new things to think about. Closure of these ideas are critical in good story telling and if the reader of this review is looking for that, pass on Chaika.

Characters are boring, stereotypical archetypes that we find in tons of anime, exception being the male main lead, Toru. He has actually has characterization to him and I've grown accustomed to seeing "me vs the world" kind of archetypes, so I don't mind his actions. However, the rest of the cast is reduced to satisfy anime tropes. The ditz, the childhood friend jealous, dense antagonist, blah blah. Full of lame characters with lame interactions, and also the females are reduced to sexual eye candy which isn't a problem itself but the show is not very subtle with it. Development is an issue as frankly it was non existent and they seem to be there just for the plot to move along. It is a poor excuse at moving the story along and seemed force.

Sound was...wait there were sounds? Probably was but my disatisfaction for everything else must've lowered my perception of other elements. OP/ED are ok, good animation for it I guess. Sound for the voices fit their archetypes and really brought the tropes to life. Not a fan.

Animation was underwhelming to say the least, action anime should have action scenes. There was a lot of building up/setup for the fights and a lot of them ended up being a 30 second moving with commentary type of scene. In the end, resolved within seconds and not impressed. Also, what is up with the females eyes??? Who knew everyone would have mascara or eye liner w.e the fk it is above and below the eye?

Chaika is like waiting in line to get a video game at midnight and you just reached the door in the long line. People who have bought the game say there is only 10 copies left and you're the 11th person in line. Thats the feeling I get from watching this. Anticipation for plot points and the disappointment from not getting any answers. I am usually a fan of action/romance/adventure but this is just on a different level of poorly handled. Too much is left to be desired and while I haven't watched the 2nd season, I doubt any answers are in that as well. I stress the plot for the show because there are too many convenience factors within it. Characters were too meager and inconsistent for me to remember.

SPOILERS



and wassup with the romance being between a 14 and 20 year old. The brotha has a partner at the same age right next to him. SMH japan ur doing it wrong

A standard JRPG story usually involves a group of heroes rising up to fight a large and evil empire. The group grows stronger as they journey across the world and find new allies and weapons along the way. Their final goal is to beat the evil boss, be it the powerful emperor or some supernatural force lurking in the shadows, to restore peace to the world. Their actions are glorious and heroic, and ultimately, their epilogues are ones of peace and happiness.

Is life really so simple? Hitsugi no Chaika presents itself as the unofficial sequel to these stories, taking place a few years after ... a large war that involved 8 heroes and an evil emperor. Its setting is relatively standard fantasy, with melee combat, diverse magic, and medieval architecture. Magic can be used for a multitude of purposes, from basic applications of light and heat, to combat applications of cutting and destroying, to general applications of powering vehicles, to advanced applications of mind-control and other shenanigans. However, mages are rare, and most magic is highly restrictive, requiring a source magic fuel and a magic application device in the form of a long gun. These mechanics make for some really interesting world-building and action, but thankfully, the show never dwells too much into explaining the mechanics, lest it fall into boring techno-babble and textbook info dump.

Emerging from this post-war premise is our main protagonist, Toru, whose skills as a saboteur laid to waste as the world turned to peace. By chance, he runs into the other main protagonist, Chaika, who is a fairly competent mage, the daughter of the deceased Emperor Gaz, and one who seeks to gather the scattered remains of her father to give him a proper funeral. Here’s the catch: her father’s remains are strong sources of magic that were separately entrusted to each of the former eight heroes who defeated her father in the war. To gather the remains involves defeating all eight heroes and stopping everyone else who seeks those powerful remains for various reasons, among which includes the resurrection of the Gaz empire. As Toru, Chaika, Toru’s sister Akari, and a sassy dragoon adventure around the world to achieve this goal, they are met with plenty of trouble from heroes, bandits, government agents, other ambitious adventurers, and various mystical beasts.

Adventure has its fair shares of action and downtime, and the show makes great use of both. From the more passive moments of the story, the show maintains an effective balance between light comedy and serious business, sprinkling in healthy doses of witty quips and deadpan with meaningful backstory revelation and poignant character moments. I’ll admit: even the more crude physical humor within the show cracked me up, and Fredrica’s sense of play and trolling is a spectacle in itself. Within these lighthearted moments, amid Toru’s sighs and Chaika’s definitive expressions, is a sense of natural character chemistry forming between the characters. Trust becomes a foregone conclusion, and by the end of this season, it becomes obvious that the main group of four fight solely for each other, without concern of the views of righteousness or societal acceptance.

The action, animated by Studio Bones, is usual Bones quality. That is to say that the animation is consistently solid, and the choreography is excellent. From wired dagger maneuvering to dual wielding melee combat, the actions are swift, powerful, and clean, delivering both the visual splendor and the thrill of battle. The versatile magic makes fights interesting, as mages check the fighters with their range and utility (in crowd control), and there’s always the steamroller dragoon Fredrica to consider as well. Fight scenes accompany the more plot-heavy moments of the show, and while the severity of the situation escalates through the course of the story, the action is kept suspenseful and thrilling throughout.

One pervading theme in Hitsugi no Chaika is the sense of purpose that motivates each character. What do the characters fight for? While taken for granted or simplified in various other action shows, Hitsugi no Chaika challenges this theme from multiple angles, all centered on the concept of loss. After all, Toru lost his reason to fight when the war ended. Saboteurs are not needed in a peaceful world. Fredrica lost her life partner, and Chaika lost much of her memory. Heroes in the war find their exceptional combat prowess to be meaningless in everyday life, and even commoners struggle with loss of purpose and the desire for something grander. These losses all occurred as a result of peace, and it puts to question the effects of war and the value of peace. Can everyone adjust to peaceful life after spending years on the battlefield? Is peace most desirable if people lose their reason to live as a result? Many turn to violence and power in desperation, while others waste away to nothingness. Even Toru’s decision to help Chaika is highly questionable, as the emperor’s remains can cause chaos and world instability if used by the wrong people. So what? Toru needs a purpose, and Chaika gives him one. Vague ideals of morality and justice cease to have meaning when one’s own life seems worthless.

Coupled with interesting mechanics, excellent action, effective humor, well-rounded characters, and a high-stakes conflict, Hitsugi no Chaika easily stands out as one of the my favorite fantasy adventures to come out in recent years. From personal enjoyment to critical appreciation, this show delivers, and makes me thirst for more. Thankfully, the wait won’t be too long, as the second season is due in October. There’s no such thing as too much Chaika, so please, more of this quality fantasy romp. And the dragoon.

Hitsugi no Chaika is based on a novel written by Sakaki Ichirou, whose "Outbreak Company" made ​​a hit in the fall season last year. However, if you're expecting a moe comedy with big-chested kemomimis you will not find what you're looking for in Hitsugi no Chaika!

The story of Chaika and her coffin starts off with a BANG, we only get a few seconds to get to learn the protagonist Acura Tooru before the heroine makes her entrance with a bloodthirsty unicorn after her. Right here, the big adventure has already started.

The story follows Chaika, Tooru and his sister Akari with yet another companion on their ... hunt for body parts. Yes, you heard me, body parts. These body parts happens to be leftovers from a late emperor, and of course these are very valuable and powerful. However, our lovable heroine's only wish is to gather >her father's< leftovers and bury him. Simple? Not by far. If you couldn't guess, Chaika is not the only one who wants these body parts. Yet, this is not all the story has to offer.

Our protagonists are a fun bunch of people with their own characteristics and personalities that make them fun in their own way. While Tooru's character is a very common one, it's hard not to like him in some way. The most interesting character is of course Chaika though, with her lovable innocence and incoherent way of speaking. She's pure as an iris, yet she's quite strong when it comes to magic. Akari is quite charming too, with her sarcastic tone and huge brother complex, but she's not anywhere close to Chaika.

Alongside our heroes are yet another set of characters we get to know, giving us a chance to bond with the opposite side. I would not like to call them enemies, but they do want to put an end to Chaika's little journey. These are not evil people with fangs and big breasts, they are people who do what they think is right and they have their own problems they struggle with.
I was quite fond of this side of the story.

As the story progresses, more and more secrets surfaces, and the mysteries raves about our heads. It is when the story gets more and more complex and the main characters begin to realize that there's something they don't know, that it really starts to get interesting. The studio made a good job keeping the tension up, and no episode was particularly boring. However, some short arcs could have been made a little more interesting. Otherwise, the main story is really not bad.

The character design never ceases to fascinate me, Chaika is adorable and her dress is very creative and detailed. Some designs may seem a little weird, but they were definitely original and interesting to look at. It was nice that some of them were really colourful and really stands out from the environment.
The animation is really nice, but since the animation quality has risen so much recently, it's hard to tell if it's that much better than many others. However, there weren't really anything that I found unpleasant, so I can't complain about it.

Something I loved was the beautiful backgrounds and the many colours we see in certain moments. They give a great impression of the fantasy world we're supposed to be in, and it hits me right in the heart. In one scene close to the end, I had to take several screenshots just because the artwork was so beautiful.
However, in "unimportant" scenes, the colours are pretty dull and not really that sparkling, so it has it's ups and downs.

Chaika's incoherent sentences was voiced by Anzai Chika, a name I had never heard about earlier. However, she did a great job and the voice fit perfectly. Most voices in HnK were unknown to me which was nice for once. Of course I have my favorites, but it's always nice to welcome new voices, and they were all talented and played their roles well.
The music was fine, even though it was not the best I've heard this season, it's listenable. The opening theme is literally stabbing you in the chest with a sharp melody that fits the show's darker sides, and the ending follows the same theme but with a slightly softer voice. The opening and ending animation was quite nice and fitting, but I mostly skipped it since I couldn't wait to see what happened next.

With a charming heroine and a complex story, I give Hitsugi no Chaika an 8 for one of the best series in spring 2014.

Hitsugi no Chaika focuses on Chaika, the main character, who only has one meaning in her life that she knows of: to collect the remains of her dead father. If you're told you are nothing more than a tool involved in a larger plan, what would you do?

Story: 8/10
The story might strike you as that of a typical fantasy-adventure genre show, but it's not. It gives you a sense of mystery, as questions are left unanswered at first, to be answered later. The plot is not overly complicated and new ideas and plot twists are introduced not too suddenly. The one good thing is that ... there are perspectives from different sides. We don't just get to see a one-sided perspective from the main cast, but also views from other groups of characters, which was handled with enough care. The story might not be a masterpiece, but it certainly is enough to stand out from the large quantities of animes out there in some way.

Art: 7/10
The art wasn't necessarily one of the strong points of the show because I've seen better styles, but was unique in it's own way. The animation was particularly good, because there weren't any particularly noticeable reused battle scenes. Since most battles each took place at different locations, in different environments, the animated scenes were mostly original each time. The character designs were alright, but nothing to make you fall for it, but not look away in disappointment either.

Sound: 8/10
The sound played its role in this anime well. The opening and ending set the mood for the current episode and the next. The voices were fine, especially Chaika's voice, which conveyed her innocence, but also her determination. Akari's deeper and more mature voice added for a more diverse feel for the voices with a larger range.

Character: 8/10
As the story goes on, you'll not only find out more about Chaika, the main character, as she develops, but also about the side characters, as they develop. All the characters contribute to the plot and development of the main characters in some way, and aren't just there to keep the show populated. Some characters have are brimming with enough determination to keep you captivated in their goals. The Chaikas hold unique personalities even if known by the same name. The protagonist is somewhat stubborn and follows a code of honor along with her sister Akari, which is not overly stressed to the point it gets in the way of the plot. Akari has her fits of jealousy and adds some comic relief to the show, but in a enjoyable way. The main Chaika has an unbelievably strong will, despite her innocent and delicate stature. However, many characters have questions left unanswered, but there's a Second Season for that.

Enjoyment: 9/10
It might just be me, because I like fantasy/supernatural genre animes, but I found this show captivating enough to keep me busy and continue with the show, as some episodes end in suspense. The show was fun at some points and serious at others. The "fun" part of it, wasn't relieved with fan service or simple jokes, but rather each moment felt natural with the story and wasn't a compilation of acts for the characters to act out on.

Overall=8

So recently, a lot more light novels have been adapted to anime (as well as manga), to varying success (They didn't do it much before because of how poor the adaptations were, like Densetsu Yuusha). Most of them add a lot more fanservice than the originals, probably to give them some value in the case they turn it into complete garbage (ideal example of this is the second season of Infinite Stratos). Hitsugi no Chaika is another one of these adaptations, though it is quite different from its peers.

Story: 9
While it's nice that the synopsis doesn't really spoil anything, it doesn't actually tell you anything ... either. The premise (settings, backgrounds, and such) isn't particularly unique, but the story is interesting and not too cliched.

Art: 9
The art is of a much older style than what is popular nowadays, and they didn't bother adding tons of fanservice either. Art of course is a personal preference, but older art styles can be nice, where they don't just go around making girls have stupidly shiny skin (as if they were gladiators that oiled themselves every day), and guys being stupidly angular.

Sound: 8
The sound is fine; they didn't do anything spectacular, but it's fine. I really like the theme songs though.

Character: 7
While many light novel adaptations (mostly ones with high fanservice) would try to make the pace of the anime insanely slow, (with an episode exclusively about one character cooking, or something like that) and make several seasons of the same stuff with no development (allowing them to milk more $), Hitsugi no Chaika does the opposite and completely jumps the gun, skipping out on tons of detail, characterization, and somewhat importantly, explanation. All of the aforementioned are present in the novels, and the lack of can make this anime confusing, or make people unentertained, and pretty much not "get" things. (it's mostly character though). The anime adaptation is missing a LOT, and all I can say is that it could have been done better.

Overall: 8
As many may have noted, this anime is quite underrated. The truth is, people nowadays want and expect fanservice to go along WITH whatever it is they like to see in an anime; interesting plot, likeable characters, clever and entertaining dialogue etc. If there's a female character, they'd better make her show some skin, because that'll make people like it more, whether they realize it or not. I've no idea how well it's received in Japan, but for being different, Hitsugi no Chaika is most certainly lacking in love.

I turned to this anime, with the thought it would turn into a story about bloody fights, lots of blood, and creepy things, coffin anyone?!
Moving on, the very first episode hinted to that way with some gore. But this show isnt what I thought it was.
For starters it is not something that will blow your mind, there are far better anime outhere.

Chaika, Coffin Princess is a light novel adaptation animated by Bones, and while the animation was nothing outstading, it had quality to it, it was vivid and colourfull.

The story focus on Chaika and her search for hers father's remains, to make ... him a funeral... it may sound blant and void, but at first you dont even know this, as you wander who Chaika is and why does she want those remain...it even comes to a surprise to the other main cast, Tooru and Akari. Two sabouters, that choose to follow her with her's goals. Along the story they will confront enumerous enemies, and not everyone is bad or is fueled by evil intentions, some are actually kind and just people, ignorant of the real plot going by the sidelines.

The OP and END had some nice sound to it, which I was glad for, since most of the times, anime OP and END came as boring and totally skipable. The END was really good, really emjoyed the whole vibe about it.

To wrap it all, this anime can as a surprising gem, you may expect something different at first, and while throught the 12 episodes you may start to think this is going to be generic or boring, it never fully achieves it, the story can came as cliche at parts, but there is also some originality to it, and some surprises... and the cast was enjoyfull for the most part (Frederica, shut up with your fighting, you just want company!!).
Worth watching to kill time, good job Bones, definitly much better than Eureka Seven AO (last anime I have seen of them). Already watching second season, and it is a must if you found entertainment on the first season.
8.2

When you make a mystery oriented anime, an important thing to keep in mind when making an overarching plot is to never reveal the anime's mystery too quickly or the story will get boring, as well as never make the plot to convoluted or risk attention from the viewer. But when you have a story that has to do with palette swapped girls in addition to a very peculiar overarching plot, well, now you've got something. Hitsugi no Chaika, or, The Coffin Princess Chaika.

Story (7.20/10): In a postwar magical world, the land of the six allied nations is at peace, having had ... dealt with a big sort of world war that ended a few mere years ago. The story follows our main protagonist Toru, a sort of mercenary for hired work known as a sabetour. One day, he meets Chaika, a strange white haired carrying a coffin on her back whilst gathering food, (since he is poor, sort of). After talking to her, he and his adopted sister Akari are hired by Chaika to gather the remains of her dead father scattered and held by all sorts of people, so that she may give him a proper burial.

The plot is split into very apparent small arcs in its 12 episode time span. Within every arc, we get basically the same thing, which is, a part of the dead emperor's remains, a little insight into the mystery of the whole anime, as well as a look into the after effects of the war and a bit of character development. This for the series is rather formulaic, but, it works towards its favor. This is due to the fact that every tidbit that we get is different depending on which part of the story you're in. Personally, I like this, since the mystery of the anime is very clearly shown to the viewer, and it isn't obscured by a horrendous amount of other details and is actually rather straightforward.

While i feel like the actual content of the story is fairly well done, one big gripe that was apparent to me from the very first episode is the show's pacing. Mostly, pacing in anime is something I comment on and leave alone, but this show is quite different. Many times in the series, the show has the same problem of rushing out details. It's as if the creators wanted to make this somewhat slow intro to every arc, complete our main characters' goal, and then rush through the rest of the character detail or motives so that they can finish within the 23 minute time frame. Personally, I find this quite unappealing because they just glaze over a lot of character details that in the end, we wouldn't really care about since the postwar drama story is more or less given to a character we will neither see nor hear from again. (Except Fredirica, of course.)

Primarily, the pacing problem is very apparent in the first episode, since they do a lot of setting skips, putting our characters in one minute here, and another minute there. (They kill a unicorn, eat lunch, get employed, and infiltrate a mansion all in the first episode. If that's not rushed, I don't know what is.)

Overall, the story of Hitsugi no Chaika I feel was done well from a story perspective. Details of the mystery were given at appropriate times, and the story was not completely spoiled. Everything I felt made sense in some degree, and I was fairly intrigued by the story through the entire run of the anime. On a negative side though, the pacing had something left to be desired, and the story was OBVIOUSLY incomplete with the ending of the series. Like literally, it is a legitimate cliffhanger, and no one likes those. (I will forgive this series slightly for the second season announcement at the end.)

OVerview:
+ Good mystery
+ Easy to understand plot
- Awful, uneven pacing
- Cliffhanger ending. (Seriously, anime studios. NO ONE LIKES THESE.)

Characters (7.42/10): In the anime world, character troupes have been beaten to near death as their overused characteristics are served to us every single season. Thankfully, this series did not do anything of that sort, which, I am quite glad about.

Toru, our main protagonist is the aforementioned main character of the series. As a sabetour, his main job is really whatever his employer tells him to do, which can range from killing people to not killing people. As someone who was affected by the war, (mainly because he doesn't have a job now after not being a soldier of the war), he and his adopted sister Akari must try and make a living off of whatever they can really find. I find him to be an interesting character due to the fact on how serious he takes his job. He doesn't really have much of a moral compass, as he mostly views himself to be a tool to his master, told to do whatever he is ordered to do. Calm in any situation with only the goal in mind, Toru is a character I found to be a pleasantly different main protagonist than ones in recent years.

Akari is the other sabetour of the series, bearing a similar personality to her older adopted brother. With the same sort of emotionless personality, Akari more or less does the same thing as Toru, following her master's orders, thinking of herself as a tool, and putting the goal in front of her own life. Apart from that, she has a rather...obsessive personality with her adoptive brother, essentially cockblocking him in any situation with any other girl aside from her regardless of what the situation is. Apart from that, Akari doesn't really have any other character traits. She has a lot less character exploration than both Toru and Chaika, which is ok, but since she is a main character, I feel as though she should get at least a little bit of character development and backstory.

And finally, we have Chaika, the character that is more or less the main focus of the show. Chaika is a very interesting character for several reasons. For one thing, her speech pattern. Chaika speaks in a broken pattern where every "sentence" she speaks is spoken with only the important words said out loud, meaning that every conjunction, adjective, adverbs, and everything but the subject and predicate is missing. From what we do see initially, Chaika is a somewhat naive character with a singular goal in mind, gather her father's remains. For the majority of the series, that is what you see. But, as the series goes on, her character both gets explored, as well as not getting deeper at all which sounds contradictory, but to me, is actually pretty interesting. (Of course, elaborating further would be spoilers.)

The rest of the cast is split into two categories. The first is the "good guys" featuring cavaliers and people who wish to maintain the peace of the country. They don't get explored too much as characters, more or less playing the role of an "opposing force" to our main protagonists, but for being the characters they are they serve their role and some of them even get some "development" which I find to be interesting. The other category of side character is the postwar group, the characters that are directly affected by the ending of the war. For the most part, their characters are only really revolved around their war stories which is both a good thing, and a bad thing. While they do get an interesting story to them that adds a little bit more flavor to this world that we're presented, you won't really remember their character names or appearances at all.

Overview:
+ Good main characters
+ Interesting supporting cast stories

Art and Sound (8.08/10 and 7.31/10): Hitsugi no Chaika was made by Studio Bones, a studio that is well known to do rather high quality work, and this show is no different. Hitugi no Chaika is a very detailed looking show, from its backgrounds, to the magical circles, to the actual character look. (Seriously, just look at Chaika's outfit. That thing takes some time to draw.) The show is more or less standard fare for the studio, but in terms of animation quality to other shows, Hitsugi no Chaika is very nice looking.

The soundtrack for the series was sort of...meh. The opening for the series isn't really fantastic sounding in any way, but for some reason, it's a song that I can't get out of my head. It has a very unique sound to it, but it never stood out as an extremely memorable tune. (Though it is catchy.) The ED is similar, in the sense that it has a very unique sound to it, whilst also being not as memorable as it could be. It's not to discourage the series's songs in any way, as they are listenable and rather good, but they aren't the best things ever.

Overview:
+ Very nice animation
+/- Decent soundtrack

Personal Enjoyment (7.41/10): The first episode of this series really felt unfulfilling. Nothing really was explained there and I was slightly boggled by what was going on due to the horrendous pacing. But, as I continued watching, the initial thoughts I had of the series became more and more positive. I was very intrigued by how the series was being played out due to the sort of plot twist as the series progressed.

Did I like it?

Yes, I did. This series had a very original idea story idea and never ceased to bore me. I was always intrigued by what would happen next, and how the story would play out in addition to the intriguing characters that were playing a part in the series.

Is the anything I personally didn't like?

Yes, there is. For one thing, I didn't like the way the show was paced, that was something that bugged me in this show. Another thing was the sort of awkward "romance" that happened in the final episode because for me, it felt somewhat forced to put that sort of connection between two characters. (Plus, Chaika is like 13 and Toru is 20. Pedophilia anyone?) Also, Chaika's eyebrows. Enough said.

Would I recommend it to watch?

If you are interested in an anime that focuses on magic and an overarching mystery, then I would recommend you watch this series.

Overall Score: (7.62/10) Luckily, there's a second season, or this score would be lower.

Hitsugi no Chaiki a fantasy anime where Chaiki attempts to find her dead fathers body parts to give him a funeral.
Actual Score: 8.4

Story: 8
The story follows Chaika, Tooru and Akari as they search for Emperor Gaz's remains while invading multiple enemies and fighting those who guard the remains; the story in itself is rather simple and does kind of repeat itself but each new hunt for a remain will add more characters some important and some you will see again sadly.

Art: 8
The art is normal for an anime with magic and scenery being the better parts rather than the character art which nothing special.

Sound: ... 9
The opening and ending of the anime are one of the better parts of series with opening being nice to listen to as I never skipped the opening; the ending was okay not as good as the opening but does also sink really well into the show's feeling.

Character: 8
The characters were okay with the main characters being the most memorable and supports being less which me thinking when they appeared "oh yeah them I forgot they were in this" but aside from the MCs Akari and Tooru the non-blood related sibling saboteurs and the 'magician' Chaika were the most memorable will each having a good personality and slow but developing character with hinds of a love triangle thrown in them to spice things up.

Enjoyment: 9
I did enjoy this anime a great deal with its good fight scenes, slow romance, epic OST and the DRAGOON Frederica who was awesome but when ever Chaika spoke in English it kind of made me cringe at the start but it doesn't ruin the whole series.

Well, that was an...average anime. Pretty much the definition of meh-ness, the meh-est of meh, so to say. Hitsugi no Chaika, or Chaika the coffin princess a first looked to me like a fairly typical adventure anime in the style of FMA or even Berserk without all the rape and robot arms, if you get what I'm saying. Just some colorful people on a journey with a magical objective. And that is what you get with this show, just not to the extend of the aforementioned shows. What's left is, at least after the first season, a pretty fun, at times boring and overall very ... generic kind of little show you will certainly forget about rather quickly.

At first though, let me talk about setting, characters and the like. The show is set in a fantastical world, filled with magic bullet spells and animals looking like somebody had to much time on their hands while having to design a unicorn for example. This left at least the creature of the first episode for example to be a bit overdesigned, but also interesting looking. When you played any of the Tales games, you will fell yourself at home here. That though is also one of my major gripes I have with this show. If you are in any way familiar with these kinds of shows, you will find the world of Chaika to be quite boring and uninteresting. Designs of the creatures gets even duller, as the show progresses, so there is that. No upwards trend there, I guess.

Characters are for the most part nothing to write home about either. Toru is our standard anime protagonist for the day and does not have anything to him, worth writing about him here. Chaika herself seems to at least have an objective which makes her character a bit more thick layered, but her speaking quirk is the only mentionable thing about her in quite the same way. That leaves us with Akari, who has at least a bit of a character, even if she is all over the place in therms of consistency about her mood and such. She was the only character I was not indifferent to on the other hand, but that rather says something bad about the rest of the cast, than something good about her. The pseudo-anthagonist is generico-bad-but-really-just-honorable-boring-straight-guy bored me to bollocking tears and his party of sleeping pills was no different. The dragon I won't mention because the show did not mention even some personality about her either. Fair is fair.
Also their names...ugh.

Animation was quite solid for the most part. Some hiccups here and there, nothing really special overall, but serviceable. Character designs, like I said are a bit overdone sometimes, in therms of clothing and all. Characters might have to be distinguishable from the crowd of background people, but this went overboard and came off looking quite silly.

When it comes to the writing though, this show drops the ball almost completely in trying to invest me into the story. I got bored in the first third of the show and could not be bothered to be invested and thrilled right up until the final moments. They had one minor reveal, that could have potential, but nothing mind blowing or even something close to that. There was just so much potential lost and the concepts that were subject to the story were never that exiting or just too thinly spread across one or two episodes.

Never using Gillette ever again though, I mean jeez...why even? Can't you think of any other names or is that a weird thing I don't know about again? You tell me.

Suprisingly good.

As a girl, the overdone harem vibe didn't do much for me and there were times in the beginning that I found Chaika annoying. The characters are not particularly deep, they are a bit like stereotypes, and some episodes seem to have no point or impact on the story. Despite all that, by the end I was reluctantly impressed.

The world-building was admirably done. It's taken the stereotype of a fantasy kingdom and inverted it. The princess carries a coffin and causes trouble, the unicorns are wild and dangerous beasts, and the system of magic is - like our modern fossil fuels - based ... on powering the present with the remains of the dead. I also found it interesting that they've done away with the stereotype of all the regular people desiring peace and prosperity at any cost - these peasants desire war in a plausible and human way.

The princess's story arc is also remarkable. It's not the stereotype of an ordinary girl finding out she has a great destiny and learning to accept that responsibility, fight, and eventually rule. From the beginning there is no question that the princess has a special destiny. The question is whether it's a noble destiny, or a mission ordained by the devil. How will Chaika interpret her destiny, and what consequences will her actions have? because they may not all be positive. Like an dark alternative "Scrapped Princess" intended for a male audience we wonder about the princess's destiny. Is it to destroy the world or save it? But somehow the question of the ultimate outcome of the heroes' journey takes a back seat to the question "What do they, what does the princess, intend to do?" The hero in particular has no noble intentions, he acts nobly because he has a soft heart and a savior complex.

Would I recommend this anime to others? Sure. Do I think it's necessary or interesting to watch every episode? Not really, no.

So I am still watching this show, and im still not really indoctrinated to magical girl stuff. But I think this is a really really awesome show. It mixes the action and the cute stuff really well. Good balance I think is what I mean. The plot is very unique atleast in my anime repitoire, i can't remember ever seeing a group of people try to find a scattered corpse to give someone a funeral. I'm also a huge sucker for the napoleonic european setting, so that's why I gave the art a 10. The music I happen to really like, but I can ... 100% see why people wouldn't like it. Sort of a soft-nightcore kind of sound that is really an acquired taste. The character progression is very linear and so far I haven't any complaints except for one of the side characters. It was Julia the theif princess girl. I think it's assumed that she did some deep thought in the jail cell (spoiler) and she didn't try to like rob chaika after that or something. MAYBE the book goes into details idk that could be cool to read though. Of course my enjoyment is 10 because it's super moe and cool blood and action scenes really really enjoying this show, cant wait to see what season 2 has in store