Taimadou Gakuen 35 Shiken Shoutai

It's becoming a common occurrence for various series that I know absolutely nothing about to blindside me and overtake a 4-5 hour portion of my life, leaving nothing but a few gasps and several wide-eyed stares in their respective wakes. In just this year alone, it's happened with shows like Ranpo Kitan, Death Parade, SaeKano, and so many others. Why do so many of the shows that I haven't looked into wind up being better than the ones I count down the days for? Am I just overhyping things too much? Anyway, Anti-Magic Academy: The 35th Test Platoon is just another example of one of ... these series to glide in under my radar and become something much bigger than anticipated. However, not everyone seems to see it that way.

Being another light novel adaptation, the Anti-Magic Academy anime already had a story set in stone prior to its creation. This is both a good and bad thing. The good part is that since the product has already been exposed to the general populous, there are a guaranteed few people who will be tuning in to see how the anime turns out. The bad part, though, is that these same people are typically the ones to shout, "Heresy!" when things don't play out exactly as they should. Personally, I haven't read the light novels. And I'm not sure if that's a good or bad thing at this point after reading so many reviews from people who did.

Written by Touki Yanagimi with art from Kippu, Anti-Magic Academy focuses on one of the many different student platoons of the aptly named "Anti-Magic Academy." However, the platoon that we will be spending our time with (Platoon 35) isn't exactly the best one out there. In fact, they're total crap in comparison to every other platoon of the school. But that all changes once Ouka Ootori is appointed as its newest inquisitor. For those that haven't watched the series, inquisitors are basically this anime's version of magic-police, or people who dedicate their lives to eliminating "Witches" which can be viewed as criminalistic mages for lack of a better word(s). Ouka Ootori happens to be a damn good one, but that's probably because she has given up everything else in her life in order to exact revenge for her sister, who was basically killed by a witch. Kind of. As for the rest of the platoon, well, they're pretty okay. I guess.

The leader of the 35th test platoon, Takeru Kusanagi, is a level-headed, semi-typical male protagonist. And I say semi-typical because he isn't an overly-dense unrealistic moron that doesn't realize he is the main character of a harem. Takeru isn't just another carbon copy of this type of character, though. His backstory, which is briefly highlighted in the later portion of the anime, is actually pretty cool. There is this whole thing with how he is forced into either protecting or murdering his sister (SPOILER: She's a witch) and it's actually really cool. The other characters are all equally memorable as well. There's Usagi: The sniper rabbit, Suginami: The girl next door if that girl never left her house, and Mari Nikaidou: The second cutest girl of the season. The cast itself is probably the most memorable of the season as far as I'm concerned, and a huge reason for that is that each one was actually developed.

Here is where the light-novel fans are probably clenching their fists and thinking, "Yo, they weren't developed at all! Suginami only had three episodes of backstory! WTF?!". The fact of the matter is this -- we're looking at a typical one-cour show. With the 12 episodes we have, there isn't a ton of time for development. But honestly, the way this development was handled was actually significantly better than a bunch of other adaptations that face the same issue. Look at Toyko Ghoul √A for example. Do you remember how they handled character development? That's right, they just skipped over it entirely. Anti-Magic Academy actually gives some thought to each of its characters, even if that time wasn't in the form of six-episode arcs for each person.

One of the best things about Anti-Magic Academy is how unafraid it is to highlight the darker portions of its story -- a feat that a lot of anime nowadays strays away from in order to achieve a better time-slot and ultimately be exposed to a wider variety of people. There is actually a ton of moments in this series that will make you think, "Wait, what is this show rated?" and those moments really go on to sculpt another unique viewing experience. But at the same time, the series still dedicates sufficient time to those fanservice-craving viewers that just want to see Suginami without her shirt on. That's not a bad thing, don't worry, guys. In fact, I think that's a totally plausible reason to watch this show in the first place. I mean, come on. We all know it.

In the later portion of the show, we are finally introduced to Kusanagi's little sister, Kiseki (Which is an incredibly perfect name for her character if you know the meaning of the word). Kiseki is basically Saya from Saya no Uta, meaning that she is basically so awesome that her awesomeness can't be contained and takes on the form of a giant monster that wants to kill everyone. In fact, she is so awesome that the inquisition has had to chain her up for years now just to ensure that she doesn't escape and kill all of their families, making her into some sick test-subject for the inquisition who, up until now, appeared to be the good guys. And so they kill her hundreds of times every day, only to have her constantly respawn as if nothing had ever happened. This sequence of events is not only disturbing and totally f'ed up, but excruciatingly depressing as soon as we find out how adorable and kind she really is. Needless to say, Kusanagi finds everything out about her being murdered all the time and totally flips on the inquisition and spirals into a madness centered on protecting his sister at all costs. And considering this is a harem, his entire platoon follows him, putting their lives on the line as well, culminating in an action-packed arc that turned this series into something even bigger -- a story about "Right vs. Wrong."

Now, I don't think I'd go as far as saying this is an essential watch or how I will remember this for the rest of my life. But it's shows like these that serve as a reminder as to why I watch anime. The first two anime series I ever watched were Love Hina and Elfen Lied. And, in a weird way, this is kind of a wonky combination between those two, as well as...Index or something along those lines. What I'm trying to say is that everyone has that niche -- that one type of show that really appeals to them in a nostalgic sort of way. For me, Anti-Magic Academy was just that. I don't care about the light novel (Though I will definitely buy it if winds up being published in the US), I don't care about what this anime "skipped." I care about what I saw. And to sum it up, what I saw was everything that I wanted to see, wrapped tightly in one unique package.

In Summary:
Despite what you may hear about it, Anti-Magic Academy is well-paced action drama that pays close attention to what its viewers want to see. Character development is executed well for the short amount of time the series has to offer, and the cast is one of the most lovable and memorable of the year. A surprisingly dark story will reel you in within the first several episodes and continue to surprise you from that point on. Though the art might not be as beautiful as some other series out there, the story and cast more than make up for it. If you like action, cute girls, an actual story and weird eyeball-flesh-monsters, this anime might just be what you've been searching for.

I did enjoy this anime even though I hate harems the characters were all cliché af but I still liked them. It is pretty simplistic but that's not a bad thing. I think it was pretty well paced for a typical harem series. I had no problems with the ending I mean I expected everything I got from an anime like this. I didn't expect anything impactful just something to enjoy with cliché characters and plot. None of the backgrounds in this anime were breathtaking beautiful just normal. :/ I wish the antagonist got more development in all honesty there was nothing deep about ... him he was just there to be there. 😂 If you go into this anime not expecting anything else but a typical harem anime you'll like it. But it's definitely not worth re watching.

It is released in October 2015 anime, consisting of 12 episodes and whose highlight genres are action, harem and fantasy.

At first glance it may seem the typical harem, but you can not judge without knowing a little more about it.

HISTORY: The anime tells the story of Takeru, a student of inquisitor (Witch Hunter) found in a firing antimagic at his academy, but not any squad, is the leading 35th and last squad, known as the worst of all platoons ...

the members of this squad have great individual skills but they are not good at working in teams, but everything will change soon with the arrival ... of a new member to the squad: Ouka, a girl who had already questioning but demoted to the squad for different reasons.

MAIN CHARACTERS
-Kusanagi Takeru: Freshman Academy, he is unable to use firearms, their clumsiness in handling them is known as a "curse", the only way to be strong was polishing his skills with the sword . Takeru decided to become a part of the Inquisition to show the world that the sword will not lose a firearm, after the defeat at the hands of Ootori Ouka, he decided to continue striving to become an inquisitor for the money. His family has a huge debt he have to pay, he also need money for the sake of his little sister. He is the leader of the 35th firing test, the worst of all.

-Ootori Ouka: Freshman Academy, moved to the school in the medium term and enlisted in 35º firing tests due to manipulation by the president of the academy whom is also her adoptive father. She has a deep hatred of witches, due to a tragic incident in the past where his family was killed by a witch. Ouka excels in any kind of combat, and possesses skills that allows her to act alone, she is a prodigious inquisitor who previously was qualified to join Dullahan: the special unit inquisitors.

-Usagi Saionji: Usagi is a sniper genius who is also assigned to the 35th squad, she is a girl from a family of high class. She is very emotional, and it shows in his face and his actions, suffers from a horrible stage fright, causing major incidents and errors.

-Suginami Ikaruga: she is also a freshman at the academy, she is a genius when it comes to maintaining and creating weapons, playing with machines, and piracy. A classmate and good friend of Takeru. Previously it was investigated to join a special division before entering high school; however, she refused saying she wanted to live her "youth school life" and continue attending school, she was assigned to 35º firing tests when entering high school.

-Mari Nikaidou: A witch previously affiliated to Valhalla (evil organization), tricked help them out with their criminal activities. Possessor of "Aurora'', an ancient attribute of magic, which specializes in high-power destructive magic. shes distinctive features are the muffler and hat she always wears, even when indoors, is currently in the 35th squad for different reasons.

ART: It highlights the simplicity of some faces as the protagonist. If it is true that landscapes and background are fairly well but at the level of character design lacks precision.

On the issue that we all like ...... .the oppais !! Well, we found some good oppais throughout the anime, due to some ecchi containing, among which are especially Ikaruga and Saionji.

As for the animation, we found a good anime, it is true that it is not packed with action scenes, but there are very well animated.

SOUND: Inside the music is a fairly regular anime, it contains the typical soundtrack and music lacks some important moments in action.

A sugarcane band in these fights would have been quite favorable in this anime.

Enjoyment: The truth is not an anime that have been highlighted especially..

Something more power demonstration in protagonist would not have been wrong.

I think it's an anime that is not bad but it could be better

This anime is all about small team of trainees at "police academy" like setting, except they're dealing with no ordinary criminal, but magic-user one. Here's my personal opinion about this show:

Story: 7/10
There is some issues about the plot, the main problem is there is no big plot or main story here. The events just start here and there without any story line that tied them together. the main villain exists just to create chaos or do some crazy-crime to be dealt by the anti-magic kids. No explanation whatsoever. I don't read the novel, so I might missed something that this show failed to explain.
The only ... reason I give decent score is, the character's arc. If you don't know or don't watch this anime yet, I'll just inform you that the story here consists of 2-3 episodes arcs. each of them tell the personal story of each "harem" character. And in my opinion, they're nicely done. There might be some filler or fan service, but you're not expecting less right? it clearly has ecchi, harem tags in the genre after all, and don't worry they're not overdoing it.

Characters: 8/10
Great aspect of this show, the MC is skilled and have strong personality, though sometimes feels awkward and cliche. The other members also not bad. Yes, they're generic stereotypes you can find in another harem anime (You'll find tsundere, kuudere, imouto, pettanko, onee-chan-type, blablabla), but that doesn't mean they're not interesting to watch. Their personality are pretty deep and distinct from each other, they're also skilled in their expertise. I really enjoy their arc(especially Ikagura's). Other characters outside the 35th platoon barely have enough screen time, so not worth mentioning.

Art: 6/10
Personally, the animation doesn't suit my taste. Including the tokusatsu-like transformation. the battle animation also looks sluggish and dull, it leaves no impression at all (at least for me).

Sound: 7/10
I have not much saying in this, except the ED song is pretty nice.

Enjoyment: 8/10
I have good experience watching this show, there are funny moments as well. It might have some pacing issue at the start, but it pick up better from that as the show going (some people might not survive though).

overall, I would recommend this show for the one who enjoy good harem, ecchi show with some action. those who seek great and depth story-line or romance might disappointed.

Ok! This is my first time writting a review so please go easy on me and also english is not my mother tongue so please forgive some of the grammar mistake i'll make in the review below.

So let go started! i'll keep this as short as possible because i don't think many of you guys have the time to read an entire essay about an anime.

-First impression: Uppon watching the first episode of the anime i think it will be just another formulatic anime with you can see all over the place now a days but boy i was wrong. For the first time in ... the history we don't have a try hard main or a dense as hell main in combine with the mix of action, comedy and a little bit of harem make it a really enjoyable serie.

I-Story: (well you guys can always read the Synopsis of the anime written by anime list above so i don't think i can out done them so i won't try)
+Main content: Well Silver Link did a fantastic job of adapting the light novel to the anime,no time were wasted not a single minute or second (Except for the beach part and those comedy part of the anime which are still really enjoyable) and although this anime is an adaption of a novel but you won't get the feeling that the anime is being rush infact this is one of the best novel apdaption i've ever seen and they end it in a perfect spot that won't leave you hanging or rushing to buy the novel to read what happen next.

II-Art:
+Overall: well there is nothing we can call extraordinary here but they did put enough efford into it so that you won't get the feeling of watching a Haft done anime.
+CGI: this is what make this serie special to me, they do use CGI in this anime but they did not over use them and even if when they are using it, most of the CGI involved scenes are really well done and fit right into the back ground, the enviroment and the overall art style of the anime. From my experience of watching the anime, from the start to the end there are no CGI scenes that will give you the impression of a 3d blocks jumping around slasing and shooting at each other.

III-Character:
+Chatacter development: Silver Link did a decent job on this one they give us a little bit of the back ground history of each and every main character and also show us the reason why they have that problem in the past and the process of dealing with that problem in the present.
+Character relation ship: They did a good job of slowly introdude us to the character's personality and then give us some comedy conflict between the characters then use it as a source of comedy giving us the viewer plenty of enjoyable moments.

IV-Sound: Ok now this is the best part.
+Enviroment sound effect: pretty common stuff can see every where.
+OST ( offical sound track ): The use of techno and semi Soft Rock music to fuel the combat scene of the anime and make them really enjoyable.

-My Personal Enjoyment: Personally this show is one of the good show i've seen in a long time , the music, the action and the story always get my eyes clued to the screen.

**Scoring**
-Story: 7
-Art: 7
-Character: 6
-Enjoyment: 8
-Overall: 7

Though it initially looks like a military-based magic-fighting show, Taimadou is actually more like your typical action-based harem in a school. It takes many of the good ideas from other shows and, in my opinion, follows many of the themes in Trinity Seven.

Our protagonist, Takeru, is the rather level-headed leader of squad 35, the worst-performing team at the anti-magic academy, which is a school that fights against magic using guns and Shana-like contractors. However, soon, their squad is joined by Ouka, an uptight tsundere who happened to be a star inquisitor but demoted due to her revengeful nature. How will she bond with Takeru and ... his other companions?

Though there are certainly flaws with this show, especially in the latter episodes, the overall execution is well done and the characters are surprisingly interesting and well developed. If you like a mix of action and harem, this is a pretty good choice.

Animation:
The animation is mostly good though there are a few qualms. The drawing style is pretty mainstream with nice coloring and average shading. Backgrounds are often plain and occasionally blurred out. The setting is actually rather undeveloped relative to the characters and takes place mostly in an urban setting. Despite the school-based theme, there actually aren't very many scenes in what you'd normally consider a school. My main criticism is the blatant usage of low-quality CGI; this is especially painful during many of the latter battles. Characters are well drawn and, compared to Trinity Seven, more appealing over all. Usagi does carry a striking resemblance to Dekomori from Chuunibyou, all the way down to the short eyebrows.

Battles are fair overall with average choreography and a fair amount of special effects. Our protagonist uses swords in an age where most sensible people use bullets, which makes for some fun scenes. Speaking of fun scenes, there is definitely a fair amount of ecchi in this show as well. Takeru has his fair share of accidental run ins with naked girls and is often teased by the team's mad scientist Ikaruga. Oh, you even get an entire filler episode dedicated to ecchi with two separate portions involving a love potion and a tentacle-wielding beach monster.

Sound:
The sound package here is definitely a pleasant surprise. The show opens with a lyric-heavy but catchy and melodic piece; it's the type that grows the more you listen to it. The show often fades into the unique ED by Kanako Itou; though her voice is very familiar, the instrumentation is a lot more electronic (fittingly) than many of her other songs. This is fitting given the show's unique and electronic-infused BGM; expect a lot of drums. There are some nice melodies in the BGM, and it sets the tonality well during both battles and peaceful/playful moments.

The voice cast is actually pretty junior and though Rumi Ookubo does a great job as Usagi, Kanae Itou's experience shines as Mari. There's a lot of character development and dialogue here and the main cast does a great job in general.

Story:
Though Taimadou reuses a lot of concepts that we've seen in other shows, it does it well for the most part. The general progression is a bit of a mix of your traditional action-based harem and the beginnings of an underdog group working to surpass expectations. As mentioned, one of the weaker aspects of the show is the weak setting explication. Why are witches at war against our protagonist's school? Why are there Shana-like weapons contracting with humans? What is the school in the first place? It feels more like the office in Plastic Memories than an actual place of learning (of which we see none of). This doesn't get any better as the show progresses as antagonists hide their true purpose and, like in Trinity Seven, there are hints of larger forces at work that aren't really explained.

Fortunately, the rest of the elements nicely conceal this shortcoming unless you really focus on it (sorry- my bad). In particular, the neatly packed integration of fluid plot progression and character development was superb. The show can be broken into character arcs, with each of the harem gals taking their turn explaining their past and otherwise getting center stage. However, the central plot moves throughout these arcs as well, which allows this show to avoid the all-too-often overly-crammed second half of the season. The show also has a good deal of cliffhangers and plot twists, though the latter isn't always positive; the main antagonist for one pops out randomly and is in general overused as a plot device.

Though I thought the story was above average overall, too much of the screen time was spent on developing subplots that go nowhere; of course this is unless they are planning a sequel.

Character:
Maybe it's just me, but I think the characters in this show were surprisingly good. Their interactions were fun and they didn't feel like flat stereotypes. Yes, almost all of the girls are slightly tsundere, but in peculiarly different ways. Mari and Usagi are both exceptionally strong as characters with depth and dynamic progressions. Though the show tries to sell orange-haired Ouka as the primary heroine, she doesn't come across as strong as the others. Ikaruga is a bit of a mystery until her arc but adds a good mature balance to the otherwise overly tsun-tsun group. Even the emotion-lacking Lapis has her comedic moments.

In addition to a strong character presence, the show actually takes advantage of the fact that they are a team. No, I don't mean the "leave this to me go on" type of "team" as seen in virtually every other show, but an actual combined effort to overcome odds using everyone's expertise. Therefore, in addition to good character development, you get actual group development as well (their first attempt as a team is quite comical).

If there is a sore element here, and it is rather small, it's the antagonists. You don't really care about them, and no effort is made to explain their purpose or rationale.

Value:
Taimadou is not going to be the next SAO but is definitely an above average watch in its category. It easily trounces other recent contenders in the genre such as Trinity Seven, Seirei, and Fafnir. If you're looking for a decent action-based harem with a bit of comedy and ecchi, and don't mind a thin setting, look no further than this show.

If you're expecting the average swordsman harem, this isn't quite it, and yet it, exactly, is. Taimadou Gakuen 35 Shiken Shoutai is a satire of the swordsman harem genre that has become the rage in recent seasons. It is enjoyable to watch and follow as it develops, while it points out the glaring, annoying holes that many dislike in the genre.

The story is divided into arcs, which is commonplace for this genre. Each arc tends to be devoted to focusing on a girl of the cast while showing how badass the main character is. The common pitfall is that, ... while they do get focus during their arcs, the girls in other anime are instantly thrown to the side when the next arc comes around. Anti-Magic Academy does not follow the common failures.

The great thing about 35th is that all the characters remain relevant with each arc. The events that help develop a character does not just happen inside that character's arc: EVERY ( main ) character develops from events that have passed, and they continue to grow as the series progresses.

For the main character's arc, it was enjoyable watching them deconstruct the flashback episode. The purpose of the flashback episode is to explain the angst, brooding, and woe that torments our main characters. When done poorly, it presents in an insufficiently short arc ambiguous reasons, like "I should have told them the truth", "I should have saved them all", or "I should have stopped them from going". Takeru's arc pokes fun by throwing you tons of info and yet you walk out with the SINGULAR reason for his lament. You understand him better as a character and you will understand the place from where he must grow.

You will, however, notice that the arcs themselves are very loosely tied together, if at all. If you are a stickler for just the perfect story, you can appreciate each arc and how it is constructed, but not the overarching story, because there isn't one.

There is, however, an overarching development in terms of the characters. You will be able to enjoy the evolution of the platoon as a team, supporting one another, and covering each other's backs.

Anti-Magic Academy's 35th Test Platoon's true strength is in its use of characters. If you like Kirito but wished he had some emotions, Takeru is your man. If you like Ayato but wished he had a few quirks, flaws, and humanizing characteristics, Takeru is the guy for you. I thoroughly enjoyed watching him grow as a character, and be a badass while being human. He interacts well with the side characters, while shining the spotlight on them. That's right! He actually steps off camera to let the other characters be awesome!

The other main characters, the harem, continuously develop as the anime progresses. Their attraction towards Takeru may seem only barely deep at first, but because the platoon develops with each episode, AND it gives events that support the supposed increase in attraction, none of the affection seems out of place.

The affection from the artists of the anime is... excessive. While the writing for the anime is golden, the drawings are fanservice-friendly. The ecchi moments can be over the top, especially in terms of Usagi. Luckily, Usagi is a well written character, if questionably drawn; but nothing beats Ikaruga's, Mari's, and Ouka's fanservice moments.

Having said that, the art is pretty good, and the action scenes are pretty nice too. Not much frame by frame fight choreography, but enough to accentuate the use of magic, guns, and swords.

The sound is amazing, especially that thrilling light techno action theme that plays, akin to Danganronpa's investigation theme. The OP is just the best and the ED was enjoyable too.

The series was enjoyable for me in that I was expecting to be turned off, it being the swordsman harem genre, but when it gave me a little too much of that, it clicked that this wasn't like the others. It presents to you the common annoyances of the genre, while showing you it can be done well. Instead of "it's so bad, it's good", Anti-Magic Academy's 35th Test Platoon tells us, "this genre can be bad, but I'll show you it can be good".

A Surprisingly Adequate Display of Genre Convention(SR);

'AntiMagic Academy 35th Test Platoon' is a 2015 Silver link light novel adaptation, the stylings of which almost all of us are very aware of. It runs through standard, highschool harem, action and romcom elements and by all accounts sets itself up to be a wholly unremarkable and forgettable experience, true to form the community in general seems to have threated it in exactly that fashion however I'd like to preface that 35 is actually quite the strong showing for what it attempts to achieve. It's arcs break from the standard 3-4 ep norms of these properties, presenting us ... with fat-free fast paced two episode tales, further said arcs are actually interlinked and the effects of them do seem to carry into the character's relatively active development and over arching story. Additionally this isn't a bad production, so without further babble, lets go through the usual spoiler free (On this occasion the whole review will be spoiler free) details and my thoughts on the general production quality.

Music and Animation - Music is an interesting one in 35's case, like with all my reviews I've been listening to 35's Ost separate of the show and in it's case the Ost is infinitely stronger as an accompaniment then as a standalone score. My general rating depends not necessarily solely on quality or my subjective enjoyment but rather on how much the elements of a show fit together, with this in mind during it's run time the Ost works perfectly. It's techno trappings and scattered tempos help to reinforce a sort of self-awareness the property has about the base level absurdity of harem show's, which in turn gives the more laid back everyday tracks a feel of sincerity, "Skippy Girl" has become one of my favourite 'attention this is a fanservice scene' tracks to date for just how simply fun it is. Conversely the Ost happily supports the more action packed scenes and has a couple of really emotive tracks for the sadder moments. So while I actually really dislike the Score when heard out of context, situationally it always fits the occasion, seldom if ever outstays it's welcome and is in general a great showing. All of that is without mentioning the wonderful Op and Ed.

The animation is something I've seen vary from person to person, those who are of the upper echelons of elitism will write off it's entire visual presentation due to the mere inclusion of CGI, however for those more reasonable among us I think this is another strong showing. By no means top marks but the CGI while noticeable, looks pretty decent and is generally reserved for mech-esk designs or suits, avoiding any jarring swaps between 2D and 3D humans for the most part. The fights are far from out-standing but they do a serviceable job and the general animation is quite pleasing to look at. The slightly hard lines used for the characters and the vibrant array of colours all gives the show a warm aesthetic befitting of this type of anime. The intro and outro animations are some of Silver links usual stylistically simple but pleasing works (as also seen in Chivalry of a Fallen Knight to somewhat better effect) and all told while by no means perfect the animation is solid, as is the direction which never quite becomes anything to gawk at but equally never fails to be serviceable.


The Story and Characters - As mentioned 35 operates slightly at odds with most other harem genre stories. While it makes the sound choice to still have the characters relax and interact with one another, with-in it's short 12 episode span it manages to give an arc to all of it's primary cast through the use of short 2 episode plots, while still having time for a nice break and change of pace for one episode near the end. Keeping spoiler free, it should suffice to say the story constantly holds your attention, while sometimes formalic and a little shallow at times (The ending in particular could be just a little bit tighter) it overall strikes a nice balance of being the light hearted entertainment it is, alongside a somewhat heartfelt set of fun fantasy/sci-fi adventures and one struggles to find much fault in it. At best the story will surprize you with it's direction and bluntness and at worst you may roll your eyes at some of the more predictable elements. An above average showing to be sure and very easy watching that you can happily dip in and out of over a period of weeks.

The characters are what you'd expect from a mere one cour show, they have disguising well trodden traits in order to speed up characterisation and they each have some pick up or another to overcome. Interestingly unlike many harems, because the 'Anitmagic Academy' isn't a typical highschool but rather-more like a sudo-military institution, the way the girls interact with one another is far more endearing then is to be expected from this sort of content. They don't just squabble over the insert bland MC but rather they each have personality quirks that bounce off one another and allow the group to form sort of miniature social clicks and partnerships. It's nothing ground-breaking but it does help them all to feel more realistic then the usual archetypal fill in's and allows for some very effective short-hand characterisation, as well as the platoon format actually giving them a good reason to all hang out and properly work together rather then the 'spurred women clubs' of Sao or Infinite Stratus. Moreover the protagonist, while relatively normal for your standard light novel harem adaptation, does actual have some scruples. He genuinely cares for his frequently mentioned younger sister, he's good to his word in some interesting ways and generally a somewhat above average version of the character type we've all seen before. Good stuff if a little unremarkable in places.


Conclusion - 'Taimadou Gakuen 35 Shiken Shoutai' is at it's heart a very simple show with the aim of being base level entertain for teenagers and young adults, a task it achieves to decently high level of acclaim. It makes efforts to be more then meets the eyes, understands how to be compelling and even emotional when the situation calls for it. It admirably characterises it's group of youths, making them far more memorable then many others in this genre. It's production values and more importantly how those same values come together are all well above average. So should you give this one a watch? If you like this genre or are simply looking for some nice light entertainment then I think you'll find 35 to be a pleasantly adequate property with enough to offer to be engaging and even a little wholesome but never overly challenging.


Afterword; Hi, if you've read any of my other work you'll note that this one is shorter then my normal output, this is due to my wanting to write on a few shows but not to my usual level of detail. Furthermore I want to work on a few longer essays, mainly pertaining to my recent decision to get back into Gundam and my completion of Revolutionary Girl Utena (Both of which I feel I have a large deal to say on). As such I'll be marking these short reviews with the moniker 'SR' and the longer over 3000 words ones with the tag 'LR'. With that out of the way, I hope you enjoyed this particular look at a somewhat underrated anime, if you want to talk more on it feel free to shoot me a message or press the 'helpful' button below (Turn phones to 'Desktop Mode') -

I hope you enjoyed,
Thanks for reading.

Overall I found the anime to be a pretty good watch with a very intriguing story. I will admit that The character development was a tad bit lacking because they were trying to fit so much information into 12 episodes which caused them to give us a lack of details when it came to the characters, and there were some cliché moments that sprinkled throughout the 12 episodes, but those little cliché moments gave the anime a very light atmosphere and kept it enjoyable. I also think that they set the anime up for the possibility of a second season where they will probably go ... into a little more details about the characters, which is why they probably gave us so little details in this season,. Its definitely worth the watch I personally loved it, because the story is different and cool the art was pleasing to the eyes and though the characters aren't developed to there full potential the are still very likable characters the will give you so moments of laughter

*****SPOILERS....MAYBE****
ok let me start by saying that i liked this anime and wont put up this "Oh look at me i am a proffesional fucking reviewer and ill give a good anime 1/10 cause im retarded" persona!.


Let let's start by saying that this anime was really enjoyable and i liked it alot. There are some problems with it like them introducing the MC sister...which just comes out of nowhere and just fucks shit up...i would prefer if they build her up and introduce her in like EP 5..because u really dont get enough time to get attached to her.She should be the main objective from ... EP 1..but she comes out of nowhere and is the object from EP 7.

I found the picture transitions very good and the music..including the outro song really good! THeve done a very good job on the music n sound in this one!

Another problem i had with this anime was the ending...the guy was supposed to die because he used that suit or whatever...but he just survived and they dident even explain that...which pissed me off.I was hoping this anime would have a sad ending where the mc dies along his sister..and make a very emotional and powerfull ending...but its just a generic rushed happy ending.

Another problem is that this is supposed to be a harem romance ecchi anime..but there was fuck all romance exept for the part where the MC says to Ootori "I will catty half ur burden" apart from that there isin't much more romance...if u even consider it romance.There was kinda a good setup for harem between MC,Ootori & Mari But that didn't really go anywhere....And ecchi...the only ecchi part was in the beginning and maybe when that older once kissed/teased the MC on later episodes!

In overall this is a OK anime..but it needs a remake or even a sequal to be perfecto!!!

8/10
Kurdo

Well, i must say, i watched this Anime, because it was available on Amazon Prime for limited time only, i was nicely surprised, despite just the average score. I was entertained for the last 2 days watching it.
The Story is light, yet for Anime with just 12 episodes it was interesting and complete, no plot holes or any uncertainties. I would say it was done just right, really. And the Ecchi Harem moments were pretty entertaining, it had also it serious moments, cause of the supernatural, scifi and military theme. This formula for a successful Anime works quite often.
Art is good, the typical Anime design, ... about the sound i have nothing to comment, i usually skipped the OP after first episode, it does not have any remarkable OSTs
Since the Anime is on the lighter side, not to deep. The characters were exactly so, light, with a backstory which had the perfect level seriousness for a short Anime, and in 12 episodes all characters had their moment of development where they could shine.
Overall i do recommend this Anime, trust me for the couple of evenings at home, perfect light Entertainment.

Mild Spoilers :)

"So then, let me carry half your burden for you" That sentence was the meme of the whole series. Chessy/Cute sayings like these are exclaimed, of course in a non-romantic way, (which somehow all the girls fell for), by the MC all throughout the anime as he sets off on his own personal mission to ensure the safety of his new and old comrades no matter the story of their past. Then at the end, it's time for the girls to "end a shoulder" on his personal situation. It very much reminded me of Grisaia no Rakuen. "Which one was better?" I hear ... you ask. Probably this one. And here's why.

This anime was very good. It was like an updated version of your classic cliche harem. Yes, there is a dense asf, innocentish, well mannered MC. Japans image of an ideal boy. Yes, there is the tit grab on the new tsundere that he just met in the first episode and ofc it takes him years to take his hand off her tit. We are off to a perfect start :/. As the story goes on I realised that unlike most animes, this one actually had an ongoing plot which was interesting. All the mini-arcs they manage to fit in the punny half season it ran for had enough detail, breakdown and character development for me to be satisfied with. There were many well-executed funny moments in this anime, which were really well done considering it isn't a comedy and the masochist side of the MC wasn't visited that often unlike most harems when so I'm glad for that change too.

The only thing I wasn't satisfied with this anime was the way they finished these mini arcs. I felt that they rushed it a bit especially the last arc. I don't know whether is me, the way they explain or the fact that they are waiting for a second season to explain it ore. Either way, I'll be crossing my fingers real tight for it. It really is a good, funny comedic watch. It's your classic cliche harem but it really doesn't get on your nerves :)))

Taimadou Gakuen 35 Shiken Shoutai (2015)

This show asks pretty much the simple question, 'Would you sacrifice everything for those you love?' The answer should always be yes. The issue, in this case, is that the suffering on one individual is so great that it takes away from love. I am sure it has a happy ending in the novels at the end but this leaves a pretty cruel message for those who are being saved for love.

The show itself is pretty hard to score for me. One big thing it has going for the show is the action is superb. It really does a ... great job at that and is thoroughly enjoyable.

Also somewhat unusually we have an array of best girls to the point that it is very difficult to choose who is best. Sometimes even a supporting character here who moves into waifu territory. This example lies with Yoshimizu because her character is the typical childhood friend type but her look combined with Nero makes for an awesome girl. That said also what is with relic girls being cute! Nero is adorable then we have Lapis who is on a different level. The beach episode is awesome and her reaction to being praised is cute beyond.

All the girls bring something to the table here and none of them are bad as they all make for a great scenario. Almost a harem I wouldn't mind. I will say Mari is my overall favourite though. Flat is justice and all to which I know brings in Lapis too but hey ho scarf girl wins.

Also, on a side note, Ootori in her look and mannerisms outside of chests is very much like Konoe from Mayo Chiki.

In regards to the story, it is somewhat rushed and comes more like a 12 episode advert for the novels but at the same time, it is also great because it covers many things in a nice way.

The art of the show is great throughout. One thing that was unusual is considering Sword Gai The Animation is 3 years newer this show did a much better example of the armour suits they fight in. To the point where it made me forgive Sword Gai slightly for its awful attempt.

The OP is pretty generic. The ED is brilliant and very unusual with its tune and its dramatic effect. Generally, the sound throughout is to a high standard too.

Characters like said are pretty great from a girl point of view. Kiseki the little sister is awesome but her suffering at the hands of the brother our MC in the name of love is a tough pill to swallow. I want her to live but also don't want her to suffer. It brings a tough moral choice on this one in that is a lifetime of suffering worth a few years of freedom.

I would say that I enjoyed this overall to a great extent. The show is brilliant in what it does best. Having so many great girls too makes for a great experience with a great set of action. I would love to see this show get renewed but it has been 5 years so I can guess it is too late. Hopefully not because it does a great job.

An unexpectedly good anime. Went in not expecting much, but was pleasantly surprised. There were a lot of things introduced in this anime that I did not expect.

The story wasn't much to brag about, but there were a few attention-grabbing parts. However, these parts are mostly part of the character story and are used to build up these characters and their relationships and goals. The overall story is fine on its own. There wasn't much of an overarching plot, and was more like the story would be slowly revealed (if that makes sense). Initially, there isn't much that keeps the anime going, but later on, ... things get introduced that help it along the way. Because of this, the plot feels stretched and chosen for specifics. Also, this anime doesn't do much with its "Ecchi" goal, except in specific scenes and plot points.

The characters were all you'd expect, but with pleasant twists to each of them. They all contrast each other well, but also feel a bit stuck. The strongest characters (aspect-wise), are probably Usagi, Sugiyama, and Lapis, as they all stand on their own pretty well (in my opinion). In the end, the characters are good, but I feel as though there could have been more done with them.

The animation is pretty good and is this anime's strong point. The 2D environments and animations are all well done and don't have any glaring mistakes when watching this (unless you're really analyzing each frame). The CGI is surprisingly well done, and there were times when I thought the CGI was 2D rather than 3D. This is one of the few animes that have utilized 3D well enough to benefit themselves.

Overall, a good anime, albeit a bit lackluster in certain areas. The first few episodes may seem a bit slow, but it picks up after a short while so be patient. This was a good watch and was a pleasant way to pass the time. I recommend you give this a watch, if you'd like.