Youjo Senki

(Review of first 5 eps)

I had no interest in Tanya when it first aired. Its preview on ANN was poor and the story sounded bizarre to me. However, after the first few episodes I noticed this anime was recieving more and more good reviews and generating some buzz, so I decided to check it out. And I'm very glad I did.

-Story-

Tanya is an original take on the now well-tred Isekai/AU genre. Firstly, the character is born (with a different gender) into the new world instead of merely being transported, as an adult, into it. Secondly, Tanya's goal is to survive in this new ... world and make a success of her life there, not to go on an adventure or defeat some bad guy.

Tanya is evil in a sense, but not in the typical villain way. Being a salaryman in the previous life, she has a drive towards success and self-preservation, no matter the cost to others. She does occasionally demonstrate a more truly malevolent streak, which is always fun to watch.

The strength of the lead's character means that Saga of Tanya the Evil is highly enjoyable both in war scenes and long dialogue sequences between Tanya and military higherups - it is a rare anime of any sort that can claim that.

-Technical-

Tanya was animated by a new studio called NUT, and they have done an excellent job. The art is detailed, backgrounds are often beautiful, and most importantly Tanya looks like no other anime char I've ever seen. She can look both adorably cute, and terrifyingly evil, in the same episode.

Tanya's voice actor has a difficult job portraying such an original MC. It took a while to get used to the way her voice sounds but now I'm of the opinion that both her voice and performance is perfect for the role. It's also worth noting the OP song which is a catchy techno beat.

-Conclusion-

Tanya is what last season's Izetta should have been. This anime could have been a failure with worse writing, less competent production, or a lack of a unique and highly watchable main character. Instead, Tanya has all 3 and more. It is already a frontrunner for most surprisingly good anime of the year.

How would a modern day salaryman from Japan, an especially ruthless and career-focused one too, manage to survive as a little orphan girl in a war ridden world where magic exists and a being that calls himself God tries his best to make things harder for said girl?
The synopsis might sound a little messy. And honestly, Youjo Senki is an anime that I didn't plan to watch but tempted by the pretty amazing opening song, I decided to give it a try when it started airing. And I'm very glad I did.

The aforementioned salaryman was in his original life a cold person that only ... focused on his job. He didn't feel any sympathy towards those he had to fire. His goal was to climb the steps of his career and to live an easy and peaceful life. And it was all going according to his plan, until the day a man he had fired took revenge on him and pushed him in front of a train. In the moment of his death, he is faced by a being that claims to be God. Believing that modern people don't need God, the protagonist denies his existence until the very end. And as a result of their conversation, he is reborn in a world of dire straits, where he needs to live on as a little orphan girl in the harsh reality of war. And in spite of the bad situation around, our protagonist - now known as Tanya Degurechaff - doesn't plan on giving up on living a proper life.
The overall concept is pretty unusual. I was skeptical at first, but in the end it works fine. The show tells not only a story of a very young girl progressing with her military career, but also a fight between her and said Being X who tries to make Tanya recognize him as God. The story is very interesting and engaging, mostly thanks to the protagonist.

Tanya is a character that is very nice to follow. She's dead set against Being X and manages to live on and be successful in spite of all the hardships he puts her in. It's fun to watch her accomplish new things and it's fun to watch her struggle. She's a strong character and, since her personality remains the same as in her previous life, she is still focused on pursuing an easy life and avoiding unnecessary mess. But if everything goes wrong, she puts her mind to it to overcome the obstacles.
Her experiences in the previous life weren't fruitless either. Not only does she have some knowledge of the war which in her original life had already happened, but her cold and career minded personality is perfectly suited for a soldier. But there's more - she's also progressing as a character in her new life. In the end, we can see she is a little different - she has gotten to know more about the human nature and its unpredictability. And she uses this knowledge. I loved Tanya and now she is one of my favorite characters in general. She fuels the story and is perfect fit for a main character, if you're not looking for perfectly moral warriors of justice. It's not that she's complete villain either. In spite of her being called evil, she's not essentially a bad person. She avoids unnecessary conflict and likes to have things peaceful. But at the same time, she doesn't hesitate to do everything to wipe out her enemies and she shows no mercy for the disobedient comrades either. And to top it off, she's genuinely enjoyng the battlefield.

Sadly, it's only Tanya that shines so brightly in this show. There aren't many memorable characters. There are many bland personalities and her soldiers don't have much to them either. There was only a little more focus on a small group of them, especially on Viktoriya. But unfortunately, the story hasn't progressed enough to put her or any other side character in the spotlight yet. Also, the main villain of the story only appears in the last episode.

As for the art, it's decent. The not so pretty CGI is used here and there but it's something I'm able to forgive - it didn't hurt my eyes that badly. No major animation problems spotted either. The character design may be disappointing for some, since it was changed quite a lot in comparison with the LN/manga designs. But honestly, I didn't mind. It's not a show where I'd like to see a cutie that ran away from some shoujo show and put a military uniform on. Which is yet another good point of the show! Tanya is not your average cute loli, and she's even less cute if you remember who she originally is. The characters in Youjo Senki aren't supposed to be some eyecandy, and I got used to the way they look quickly.

The music was very good. The background music was remarkable, but at the same time a little repetitive. It wasn't that big a problem though. It sounded good. The opening song - Jingo Jungle by Myth & Roid - is a pretty amazing song and actually the thing that made me give the show a try. The song fits the show very well. And the same thing can be said about the ending song - Los! Los! Los! sung by Tanya (Yuuki Aoi). Her VA did an EXCELLENT job not only with said song but with her voice as Tanya in general. The voice acting was generally good in this show, but it's Yuuki Aoi that shines very, very brightly this time. Her monologues are really something else. There's also another ending song (episode 8) which is Sensen no Realism by Niina Mako. The song is just about perfect, I'd say.

Another thing that is worth mentioning is the fact that this show is very detailed. More than you could think at first. I'm not gonna lie, I'm not very good at history. But there were some pretty neat details here and there. There are other details that aren't related to history, but also nice to see. Like Tanya's change of voice throughout the series, her problems with carrying the rifle (explained in the Youjo Shenki mini anime), the way conversation and fight scenes are choreographed (where camera movements tell us who is on the advantage at the moment).

All in all, in spite of its flaws (like there being no other particularly important character aside from Tanya or the last episode ending on a cliffhanger), Youjo Senki is an extremely enjoyable show that is far from being generic. And it's mostly this enjoyment, my love for Tanya and the excitement I felt waiting for each episode that make me give it a 9. It's not perfect but it's definitely solid (putting away the very personal feelings, I'd say it deserves a 7 or so) and it depends on the viewers tastes how much they are going to enjoy this anime because like I said - it's mostly Tanya that fuels the show and not everyone likes her and the overall idea of this anime. I enjoyed it A LOT and I hope with all my heart that it wasn't just an ad for the LN and that there wil be another season. Which would make sense, considering it's NUT's first anime and a pretty successful one.

Imagine the battlefields of the great war...but with flying soldiers who can use magic and a crazy and evil loli girl commanding them. Well that's exactly what this anime is, and its amazing.

I tend to have a soft spot for war based things but this spiked my interest the moment i found out magic was involved. Seeing WW1 fought with magic is crazy enough without having to including an overpowered evil loli.

The sound is so smooth. I don't know about anybody else but when an anime executes the sound correctly it makes me engrossed and unable to hear a single thing that happens outside of ... the show.

Amazing watch so far for both military and fantasy anime lovers.

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, then it’s probably recognized that the idea of a main character being killed and reincarnated as a totally new person in a new world is a recent new trope. Youjo Senki (Saga of Tanya the Evil) jumps right into the story like pouring rice. It gets more complex as we’ll learn more about the political affairs, wars, and characters. If you fancy fantasy war stories, then Youjo Senki welcomes you with open arms.

To be honest, Youjo Senki can be an intimidating title. The promotional image alone can provoke some thoughts for viewers as they will wonder what kind ... of person Tanya really is. The show label her as one of the most dangerous individuals among the Imperial army. However, the truth is that this seemingly deadly girl was once a salaryman but was reincarnated after angering a mysterious entity (Being X). The show chronicles Tanya and her dangerous adventure as a fighter on the battlefield.

While the setting takes place in alternate world, it’s noticeable that it doesn’t look much different from our very own. It has the look of the 20th century in Europe although magic exists in particular with weapon warfare. The troops involved in war doesn’t look different either with their very human traits and besides magic, there really isn’t anything abnormal. However, Tanya is a complex character that I would label as very different compared to a lot of the other characters. She is sadistic and self-serving based on her tactics and actions. Anyone that is part of her battalion can expected to be humiliated or trained in ways they can’t begin to imagine. The constant mind games she engages with Being X brings a lot of psychology to her character and we learn about her personality. Throughout the series, we see that she constantly stands up against Being X and defies it while the latter tries to break her resolve. In ways, she can even be seen more as an anti-hero.

As I said before, if you fancy fantasy war stories, then this will be your cup of tea. Just do note that the show isn’t really just about action but also a lot of internal affairs and military politics. It’s also comparable in ways to World War I on the Europe Theater. Germany can be compared to as the Empire, while the Republic resembles France. The Legedonia Federation can be referenced to a united Scandinavia. The story itself may be somewhat confusing to understand as some characters’ motives are not entirely clear. Being X is probably the guiltiest of this example. However, the war itself has a lot of reasons whether it’s related to imperialism, political, or personal reasons. It still draws out the cruelty of war though with the violence, bloodshed, and causalities. It’s also not uncommon to see trench warfare similar to those used in World War I and bombing of cities. The essence of magic brings the fantasy element to the war with flying devices and powerhouse spells. I can’t imagine if our World War I would be fought with these new gadgets.

The character cast of Youjo Senki isn’t too dynamic. As the main female protagonist, Tanya steals the most highlight from this show thanks to her personality and skills. One other noticeable female character is Visha. As part of the Imperal Army, her personality is much kinder although still tough and vigilant. She also seems to understand Tanya and even believes that the way Tanya treats her subordinates is to ensure their survival in actual war. Unfortunately, the show doesn’t really highlight many other characters from the Imperial Army as they stand behind the scenes. On the opposition of the Imperial Army, one character that stood out could be Anson Sioux, a man who develops a vendetta against Tanya. Despite some of these characters being given spotlight, Tanya is still the main event running the show.

Now as a manga and light novel reader, I have not read too far into this series but the story still expands from where the anime left off. It’s an incomplete adaptation and with just 12 episodes, I didn’t expect that they can cover everything. However, I am satisfied with the overall portrayal of the anime as it captures the mood of the war. Even the comedy and humor are thrown in right with proper timing. Some episodes will also have cliffhangers that will get viewers to speculate future events. It’s basically structured in a way that makes the show more thrilling.

As a series about war, you can definitely expect a lot of action. I am actually quite impressed by the way is animated by NUT, a studio that probably not a lot of people are familiar with. Nonetheless, the action is captured with fast paced movement and choreography. War elements are incorporated with realistic looking guns, uniforms, and its general setting. (war academies, shelters, trenches, etc) The part about magic is portrayed as crueler than what you can expect with aerial dogfights being a main attraction. Still, the most noticeable part about the show is still Tanya. She’s like an angel with the heart of a demon. It’s hard to take her seriously with the way she looks until you see her fight in battle. A running gag in the show made by older man often alludes that she looks like their daughter. What does impress me about the art expression is how it’s able to bring Tanya’s personality to its fullest to make the biggest impact. Sadistic expressions are not uncommon especially when she goes on a rampage. While the series has violence though, it does keep it less tame on television (maybe BD will leave them uncensored?). It still makes its point that the war is anything but a safe haven as bodies drop to the floor.

Soundtrack wise, I think the show made it worthy of being a war story. I can’t imagine how many times I have felt intimidated by Tanya just based on her voice alone when she’s on a rampage. Not only that, the show brings in an impressive feel of psychology whenever Being X makes its presence. That sinister voice and god complex is hard to ignore. The OP and ED theme songs has a heavy metal-like instrumental sound although they both sound pretty similar.

Youjo Senki is a show that I probably won’t forget for a while and not easily recommendable for anyone. It has the ingredients to cook up a story that can intimidate any viewer on first sight. The first episode felt like it drops you into the middle of the story but once you get into the hang of it, it can be quite a ride. Tanya is probably a character that many people will remember from Winter 2017. A loli fighting on the battlefield while giving on demonic face expressions? How often do you see that?

Let's make it really basic and simple.

Story: 9/10
I would've loved if they explained some things such as how this war started, the origin of the "mages", or even the story of the salaryman. That aside, you cannot just deny this is a hell of a story, how the salaryman(Tanya) doesn't believe in God(Mr.X) and this last refuses the fact that she/he doesn't believe in religion. You get to see some stuff that happened in the war, as well as some fiction, which is phenomenal. You get to see how anger can lead to anything in this world, which is pretty much true. IMO, i seriously ... loved it, but felt confused at the beginning, obviously understood most of the story at episode 2. Also, that ending though, the tease for a second season is too much.

Art:10/10
The art is just beautiful, pleasing to watch/see, backgrounds and landscapes were exquisite, the desings of the characters were so good, althought they were not as close as the LN or the manga, but the resemble was still there and it was beautifully made. Sometimes they used CGI, but barely noticeable and acceptable in any way.

Sound:10/10
This is what i loved the most to be honest. The background music, the sounds of the guns and everything related to the war, the voice acting, the opening, the ending, everything was spectacular. But the complain i have, is that they seemed to not have that many people for voice acting as the person doing the "Radio Command" was also used in a lot of filler people.

Character: 10/10
What can i say. Character development for lots, for every single character. How they behave, how do they get angry or happy, their likings, their emotions and expressions. Althought the story centers on Tanya, they did take the time to show the development of all the characters. (This excluding the deity called Mr.X)

Enjoyment:10/10
First 7 episodes, i gave the show a 8 for enjoyment, it was missing some points here and there but nothing from the other world. But these last episodes have been more than fantastic and i really enjoyed every single second of them.

Overall:10/10
As you see, i quite loved the show. You are free to disagree or agree, i don't really care. As always, pardon me for being redundant at times or any grammar error.

**No Spoilers

Youjo Senki's concept is kind of risky, it is hard to understand what teh fok is going on at first glance but can easily catch up if the plot is well executed by having good dialogues and decent narration. Youjo Senki is probably the best Anime of Winter 2017 ( all sequels aside ) It is the only series from start to finish delivered and surpasses my expectations, with episode 11 being all well-directed originally by Studio NUT is freaking amazing for a brandnew studio.

Story 9/10

The story is about a salaryman who was accidentally run down by a train and was reborn ... as a little blonde girl back in WW1( Tanya ). That concept alone is very interesting but a mysterious being calling himself a God just made the story more interesting.

Explaining system / strategies of the military part is complicated but in this series, they tend to rely on heavy dialogues to explain complicated things such as new experiments, device and weapons which I must admit really worked for the series. But the most intriguing part is that Studio NUT added some major events that is not part of the original light novel. yes it is major because 1. it can destroy the whole series easily if its direction is really bad and 2. putting such event makes the series more interesting if it's executed very well. A very risky decision coming from a new studio is really really bad but dude they manage to reach my expectations and with producing such great series. The plot of the series never dropped some direction from start to finish and putting such great work that is very interesting & entertaining with good dialogues and decent execution.

Art 8/10

A lot of viewers were criticizing the art style of the series. I think the studio made a good decision putting less detailed style to easily put great animation sequences if needed.

The series relies on good cinematography and well polished backgrounds when characters having interactions. The studio only animating the interaction / heavy dialogue scenes by 3 frames per second which is enough for that. They put more effort on their battle scenes and they reusing their explosion 2d animation from the entire series which is less time consuming and works perfectly. They manage to make new explosion animation on the 11th episode and really just add more quality to the production quality of the series. Having reused animation is not bad but the NUT manage to put of their reused animation in different ways. Action scenes are well directed by putting military strategies and it is not your typical shounen that only randomly fighting each other, putting decent choreography on the action scene is very enlightening. The fights also shows the character's attitude/emotions and every character differs, from very passive but very well strategic person to very aggressive but with bad coordination. It simply shows that Youjo Senki not only relies on Raw 2d animation but they also put some details to it.

The CGI is really bad on the early stages but manage to improve on the later stages. The studio's CGI was either used to put massive amount of people to cover up some time or put some CGI backgrounds to use when air fights are needed. They know that their CGI was kind of a low quality but they manage to pull that out by having quick paneling & point blank transitions and sometimes very far shot and cannot be distinguish even by zooming in. CGI backgrounds are freaking impressive tho, episode 6 was brilliant and ep 11 sky battle was also stellar. Putting good camera movements on the CGI works and by mixing up the Traditional 2d animation was amazing.Their 3d backgrounds are very well rendered and with such good details.

Sound 9/10

The Sound is very very stellar, from Myth & Roid's Jingo Jungle to Mako Niina's Sensen no Realism. the soundtrack is well done, it puts some fight scenes into more good/aggressive sequence and builds up some excitement through out the action scenes. But the one really impresses me is that they never bothered getting a 2nd Ending theme and that was done by Mako Niina and it was perfect and fits very well on the series. Episode 8 were everyone is like is the series going an anime original and everybody having their doubts of the series bu then suddenly the 2nd ending started playing and it was fokin amazing. The 2nd Ending theme is the best of winter I must admit, It puts the viewer into some excitement and yet emotionally watching the sequence. The series ending theme really differs from all the music themes from all anime this winter, you can almost compare the ending to Rakugo's ending, they both well done and the sound is just amazing. Overall great soundtrack, great opening and topnotch 2nd ending theme.

Characters 7/10

Tanya's development is nothing special but her characterization is insane, yes she is overpowered but her weakness is very noticeable. She was abandoned and its like she was very alone, only managing things all by herself.She has the knowledge but it seems like everyone doesn't understand her. Being X is a great villain, the character is very interesting and mysterious only having him on the series by saying some strange yet offensive lines that triggers Tanya.

Side characters are the same, no massive developments but their characterization from the whole series is very strong, putting the plot more interesting and managing to put great interactions through out the whole series is just really good. No character developments on a series is bad to be honest but the series just progresses very well even without huge developments. The only development I know is when tanya being reincarnated and the other one where studio NUT originally directed ( not being part of the light novel )

Enjoyment & Overall 9/10

Having Izetta The Last Witch dropped the whole plot on the 2nd half and became a disaster and also Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress with great concept but failed to impress on the 2nd half as an anime original. Studio NUT not only accomplished an amazing adaptation but also by putting their own original events on the later stage of the series just put the series on the top. Never dropped quality, stayed true to its plot and very well executed story. Overall an amazing military/magic series and very entertaining one. The series ended perfectly for a 2nd season but idk if we can get one in teh future.

Forward: As of writing this review, I am roughly 5 episodes in, and I'm fresh from watching it, ergo I haven't had all the time necessary for all of the "Refrigerator Logic" to make itself apparent yet. This is also my first review on MAL. Keep this in mind.

Youjo Senki has to be one of the biggest surprises of the season, coming from an entirely new studio and having one of the most idiotic-sounding concepts in recent memory. However, Studio NUT has come out swinging with some fine work, and the story itself becomes far more impressive with context.

Story: 9 ... / Characters: 7
Perhaps the most surprising thing about this show so far is how strong its story has been, especially in the second and third episodes. As is often the case, however, the plot summary does it no justice, and is especially bad, considering the show's outlandish concept. The actual story is somewhat reminiscent of Odysseus's struggles with Poseidon, with a god putting the main character through trial after trial to prove the value a god has to a man. It's quite an interesting argument, and one that hasn't reared its head in a while, as far as I'm aware.

Tanya's character is far from the sympathetic protagonist, however. She's cold, calculating, manipulative, and absolutely ruthless. Not only that, but it becomes clear that her one-track mind has led her to a state of somewhat questionable sanity, without care for human suffering or emotion, and much less anything resembling mercy. Everything is a means to an end.

The deity she so offended, the looming presence that is "Being X," is, interestingly enough, much more the sympathetic entity. While it's unclear whether X is a male, female, singular entity, or even possibly a collective, it appears to be an ultimately benign existence, happily handing out miracles and asking for nothing more than belief in it. For those interested in the religious aspects of the story, it takes a fairly neutral stance, incorporating aspects of several major religions. Agnostics probably won't be bothered, but I could see this being a potential turn-off for a hardcore atheist.

The rest of the characters, though, were rather lackluster. This may be due to the fact that the story is still going, and they just haven't had time to develop yet, but very few of them seem to be relevant, and I'd even go so far as to say that many of those who are exist mainly as a foil for Tanya. While this has built her character exceptionally well, and she's certainly interesting enough to hold the spotlight by herself, the presently weak supporting cast is one of the few things I feel is holding this show back.

I do really like how the rest of the world responds to Tanya, however, albeit I do find a few encounters to be excessive or over-dramatic. I definitely like how, for the most part, everyone just rolls with it after she shows her worth, which really speaks for itself. But, the thing this show really lacks is a peer for Tanya, someone near her level. Being X sorta fills this role, but its participation is limited, and Viktoriya, while she may be a good counterweight, really can't do more than be the audience's surrogate.

Art: 10 / Sound: 7
I'm not going to say it's perfect, but it blows all reasonable expectations out of the water. At first glance, it may look unbalanced and garish, but it's an easily acquired taste, and one that fits the story very, very well. Studio Nut also does exceptionally well with the good old Crazy Face. I haven't been this impressed with the animation of a single body part since the creepy hand movements in Konosuba. The eyes, the mouth, the brows, they all move so well and contort in such beautifully horrifying ways that it's hard to fault it here. At all. The combat could be more fluid, and there are a few scenes that had a bit of noticeable weirdness. That said, the animation looked far better than I expected, and some aspects, particularly the eyes, were nothing short of amazing.

The sound, meanwhile, performed exactly on-par with expectation. There are some nice bits, like the sounds of the artillery, but even they could be a good bit better. The voice work sounded rather good while I was reading the subtitles, but, well, that says about all it should. It's hard to say much, good or bad, about voice acting if you don't know the language it's in. Emotion was conveyed well enough to pick up on, but that's really all I can say. Some might find Tanya's voice annoying, I suppose, but it doesn't bother me. Altogether, in the sound department, there's nothing bad to say, but there's not much to write home about, either.

Enjoyability: 10
This show gave me what I wanted and then about a truckload more. What else can I say? It has its faults, but they don't have much presence, and almost none of them distract from the story. There's really not higher praise you can give to a show in this area. Nothing is flawless, and flaws really don't matter in the first place insofar as the audience is given enough reason to overlook them. Youjo Senki definitely does that. This is one of the most unique stories I've every reason to say that I am beyond impressed with it. This show really is something special, and so far it's only getting better.

Humanity has historically found the idea of sending our youngest to war abhorrent, yet what happens when one of the most brilliant and talented soldiers of the time is a blonde, blue-eyed little girl? Inspired by the battle-scarred 20th century European climate, Youjo Senki makes use of a variety of unconventional expository elements that prove surprisingly effective for its genre, though not without flaws.

As personal preference, I will be referring to Saga of Tanya the Evil by its Japanese name Youjo Senki for the remainder of the review. Not only does it flow better, but it sounds cooler.

Will you like it?

You may enjoy series title ... if you…
-- enjoy military themed anime, particularly those inspired by real world settings
-- seek an intriguing protagonist that easily set themselves apart from other MCs
-- consider the involvement such a young girl fighting a war interesting (my personal hook)

You may not enjoy series title if you…
-- find yourself too opposed to the idea of a “loli” soldier
-- can’t stomach episode ranges where dialogue and world-building may get a bit too dry
-- don’t have a stomach of enduring action scenes they may go on for longer than needed

Story

Youjo Senki is Studio NUT’s debut anime, an adaptation of the esteemed and eponymous light novel authored by Carlo Zen and illustrated by Shinobu Shinotsuki. Most unfortunately, there is, as of March 2017, no English serialization of the work.

In contemporary Japan, a self-centered salaryman is pushed in front of a train by a former employee he had just fired that same day. Moments before impact, time is suddenly frozen by a mysterious entity simply referred to as “Being X”. Having been a staunch atheist in his life, the man jeers at the supernatural force, refusing to accept it as his “god” even moments before death. This Being X was not impressed by such defiance, and as punishment, the salaryman is reincarnated as young girl known as Tanya Degurechaff, though retaining her memories of her past life. Quite unlike Japan, Tanya now lives in a war-torn, 20th century European landscape, under the dominion known simply as the “Empire”. Though she is but a mere child, Tanya expresses a particular affinity to magic, which warrants the attention of the Imperial Army. Here, the young girl thinks she can find climb the rungs of meritocracy in order to secure herself a comfy desk job safe from combat, but fate decrees otherwise. Tanya finds herself launched into the front lines, finding herself closer and closer to the death (and confrontation with Being X) she so desperately tries to avoid.

I’m sure what will both attract and repel potential viewers is the fact that the main character is a young girl, but I’d like to fully stress that this unconventional design is fully explained within the lore of the series. The Imperial Army exists as a strict meritocracy with little concern for gender or age, and with the circumstances regarding Tanya’s “reincarnation” being what they are, there is a believable path of progression for her. Seriously, don’t let it keep you from enjoying what is quite the intriguing exposition. Much of Youjo Senki proves extremely entertaining and invests pleased viewers with a fascinating world, explored by way of an amazing protagonist in Tanya.

Unfortunately, the anime faces a few dry spells in terms of progression, with the biggest hit in enjoyment comes from the fact that around the middle episodes. There, we see a lot of the world-building and personal conflict with Tanya formerly prevalent pushed aside in favor of a more militaristic focus. It’s not so much that I didn’t enjoy the battles and ensuing strategy, but the exposition we were originally getting and becoming used to being relegated in favor of what could be considered inferior content did prove a detriment to the overall quality. Now, it’s not to say that any given episode is straight up boring or painful to get through, but the middle section is notably inferior to the beginning and concluding few episodes.

Genre & Characteristics

As a genre I wasn’t familiar had much of a standing in the world of anime, the military theme reigns supreme as the core identity of Youjo Senki (hell, the name means something like Little Girl’s War Record). I’m not much of a military tactician, so I cannot attest to the veracity of certain strategies utilized by a given faction in the series, but they were executed in such a way that made sense to a layman like myself.

Further on this note, there is a ton of action, as would be expected in this sort of genre. What’s cool about the fighting is how the soldiers are accompanied by units of “mages”, or elite combatants that utilize magically empowered weapons or defense matrices to devastate the opposition. This is mainly the reason why Tanya is even allowed to progress as quickly as she has since she retains a high affinity for magical competency. On the whole, all of the fighting scenes were excellent and generally choreographed well. If you are the sort that enjoys watching these sorts of skirmishes unfold, you’ll be pleased by what the anime has to offer.

The supernatural plays a vital role in the lore of Youjo Senki, primarily through the force that is Being X. We are to assume contextually that he is a sort of deity, though whether he is one of benevolence or malevolence, that much is left to perspective. We do know, however, it is a entity who wields great power (enough to stop time and reincarnate beings) and seeks devotion from its inferiors (shown through the irritation of Tanya’s lack of faith). The primary conflict of the series involves that between Tanya and this Being X, which proves analogous to that between a sort of David and Goliath situation.

An element of the story that heavily cultures the story would be the inspirations drawn from our very own world at war. Youjo Senki concerns itself primarily with a fictional corruption of early 20th century Europe, with Tanya serving beneath the Empire, or in our case, Germany. The opponents of the Empire, funnily enough, are the Allied Kingdom and Republic, both the United Kingdom and France respectively. Hell, even the names of the individuals of each faction mimic their real world counterparts (Degurechaff, Serebryakova, von Rerugen, etc.) As a fan myself of this time period, I found my experience greatly enriched as a result of the authors decision to mimic such an environment. It’s not a complete one-to-one parallel, and each zone retains a variety of its own unique elements that justifies the mirror as a parody.

Now, though the lore of these states are interesting, one of the issues of the series is that they aren’t particularly explored beyond their initial presentation. I actually found it hard to really root for any side, as there’s little explanation into the history and cultural values of the Empire, Allied Kingdom, or Republic besides what little bits exist in context. I’m sure many will want to view the Empire as bad and want to root against it, but I question that considering I haven’t seen much to say why they’re a malicious faction other than their military aggression that, mind you, the opposing groups seem to offer with ease.

I do not whatsoever believe this to be an issue associated with Carlo Zen’s written work, rather it’s likely more a fault of the series director in that more of the world-building was left behind in favor of other content.

Animation

The animation is visually impressive, especially considering Youjo Senki is Studio NUT’s first load. A variety of aspects helped make the animation for me, including the creative use of lighting, beautiful cloud design, and otherwise colorful atmosphere for a dreary world at war. In regards to characters, each retained a specific “look” to them that helped bestow and emphasize their individuality.

With all of that being said, I have to mention a few oddities regarding the animation that really stand out. For one, the lips of certain characters, particularly Tanya, tread into the “uncanny valley” at times. It’s hard to say whether this is just a stylistic design by the studio or some intentional attribute made to represent the character, but considering the art of the light novel (illustrated by Shinobu Shinotsuki) is absent of this feature, it’s likely the former. A downgrade, personally, but nothing too damning.

Sound

The sound effects of the series were particularly immersive, generally capturing that gritty atmosphere you’d expect from a WWI-inspired battlefield. The magical strikes resonated strongly to emphasize their superiority not just visually but audibly as well. At times, it did feel as if certain combative sounds were overused, but nothing bad enough to break the immersion.

The soundtrack wasn’t too bad, actually. While it may have been the most neglected aspect of the aesthetic department, you’ll find yourself enjoying some of the tracks as good background music to whatever deafening battle is currently underway.

The various seiyuu throughout Youjo Senki perform their respective roles quite convincingly, with some stand out performances including Houchuu Ootsuka’s von Zettour and Tessyo Genda’s von Rudersdorf. In regards to our main character, Aoi Yuuki does well to encompass a variety of ranges in Tanya’s otherwise restrictive voice, being able to range effectively from that tough commander to adorable girl when the situation demands.

Since discussing the opening and ending is generally subjective anyway, I’ll offer my personal opinion that the opening wasn’t too great. I almost always skipped it, as I feel it doesn’t particularly fit the series and is even a bit annoying, though visually it’s okay. The ending, however, is quite nice. I’m a fan of Japanese artists trying to speak/sing German, considering brilliant tracks such as Cyua’s Blumenkranz (Ragyo Kiryūin’s theme from Kill la Kill), and the fact that Aoi Yuuki performs it as Tanya makes it even better.

Characters

Tanya Degurechaff is our main character. Shrewd and unsympathetic, she is motivated completely by the prospect of self-preservation, seeking whatever means necessary to advance her position within the Imperial Army. Whether as a result of her reincarnation or by pure happenstance, she expresses a high affinity for magical power, which in turn is only reinforced by her various prayers to Being X. As a result of her sharp mind and battle potency, she has been dubbed by enemies of the Empire as the “Devil of the Rhine“.

Overall, I really enjoyed Tanya as a character, and she is easily the driving force of the series. I don’t consider her the “loli Hitler” that some claim her to be, as while she is extremely egocentric, there is little reason you can’t understand her motives or fail to root for her on moral grounds. An argument can easily be made that she is the victim of Being X’s omnipotent tyranny, a mere product of the environment in which she was forced.

As Tanya rises in rank, she commands an elite company unit with a variety of characters. Unfortunately, I never really felt like we got proper time with these subordinates to truly care for them as much as we should, save for maybe Viktoriya Serebryakova as she’s been a part of Tanya’s team since the earlier days. Their names are sadly forgettable, and you wont even find most of them on the anime entry page. Again, this is something I’m sure isn’t much of an issue in regards to the light novel, but this is a review of the anime, and these characters were notably misused.

On the other hand, the upper-echelon military leaders of the Empire are some pretty awesome characters in their own respects. Save for Tanya herself, these are easily the best characters in the series. Kurt von Rudersdorf and Hans von Zettour are the Imperial Army Chief of Operations and Chief of Staff, respectively. These two individuals are exceedingly brilliant and also caught on to Tanya’s merit as a soldier early on. Conversely, Erich von Rerugen is the Vice Director of Strategy and Operation, and the only individual within the Imperial forces cognizant of Tanya’s mental instability. He, along with the other heads of the Imperial Army, retain a great bit of relevance, an important trait for any supporting cast.

Conclusion

At first glance, Youjo Senki appears to be a quirky, perhaps gimmicky series that holds no genuine promise of memorability save for “Oh look, a little girl with a gun!” When investing further, however, you come to engage yourself in a taste of Carlo Zen’s bizarre world of harsh wartime, supernatural influences, and intense combat. It’s not perfect, marred by a few creative flaws and progression issues, but it justifies itself as an anime worth attention, and if you’re into these kind of militarized stories, give it a shot.

Again, I honestly believe that the shortcomings of the anime are not the result of the original work, rather the fact it wasn’t adapted as well as it could have been. There’s a lot of gray space that is likely filled in by content present in the light novel, but Studio NUT seemed forced to exclude a lot of it in favor of more action scenes or military exposition. I pray often that Youjo Senki gets a proper release in the West, though Being X will likely do what it can to fuck me and other English-speaking fans over, much like he does Tanya.

“I wonder if there’s a child protection agency I could talk to…”
– Tanya von Degurechaff

Usually when I see a loli on the anime poster, I would expect cuteness overload out of the anime, even if it's about war or those gritty things, as apparent in "Girls und Panzer" and "Gakkougurashi!". But this show is completely different. From the first episode, you are treated with a psychotic smile, from the one and only loli--Tanya. Tanya is certainly one of the more interesting characters I have seen from this season. As you are watching this series, you travel through the trials and tribulations of a god denying girl, and her wish for a better life. I say it's really an enjoyable ... ride. The show really gets into the Tanya's thoughts, her motivations and reasons. I also like how the show handles it's tone: it's dark and horrid, but there's also these short breaks where it allows the viewers to experience light-hearted humor. This makes the characters feel really human. I have watched 4 episodes so far and I think that this is a must-watch of this season.

TL;DR - This anime is not for your entertainment. If you're watching it to see some badass loli do cool stuff and save the word or something then turn around. You are not the intended audience. Watch this anime and try to understand its take on wartime. Whether you agree or disagree, you should be able to acknowledge the depth of the anime. Once again, if you're coming for an isekai like Konosuba, then you're at the wrong place. There is purpose in the art, sound (and lack thereof), designs, and characters. Overall deserves a 9/10.

I've been reading several reviews and in my opinion most ... of them see the anime in a horribly surface level with the expectation of entertainment, flashy effects, mind blowing war tactics, or some novel take on the isekai trope. This anime is not about making you go "wow that character is really cool" or "what a great fight scene". It's about war. (duh) Let me explain. If you don't want to read much, just take a look at the next paragraph.

"Here we go again, a reincarnated loli who's technically a middle aged man so legal. C'mon Japan" Sorry to break it to you, but the point of having a loli as the MC is not to appeal to your sick and twisted fantasies. It's clear that she's not to be lewd. Her face is constantly warped, she's always in military garb, and she's literally flat as a board. There is only one or two slightly sexual jokes during the dress scene and a scene where a female soldier falls off a bunk. Do people not get it? It should make the viewer feel disgusted about seeing a little girl sent to war. We are okay with it if it was a middle-aged man. Then women are next? Then adolescent boys? Girls? It was nearing that point in WWI. "I have a daughter that is your age". Some variant of this quote appeared several times throughout the anime. It's a wake up call to how f**cked up war is. It's about how war is a factory for monsters. It's dehumanizing. It's purposeless. It's not about appealing to the isekai fanbase and their "extensive" war knowledge from playing Civ or Diplomacy. Tanya being a pure psychopath is not going to be for everyone. What are you expecting? A "save me onii-chan" imouto character in a show about war? Don't joke around.

Hopefully the above is enough to make you start thinking more critically. That means we can move on to art and sound. The music and especially the lack thereof is well done. Think about how music is used conservatively. Once again, this is about war. There will be no music to comfort you. There will be no music to hype you up for death. The only music played during war is gunshots, explosives, screams, and death. The palette is dark and dreary for a reason, and bright to match mood. They spoiled us with the many action scenes. They rightfully set fanservice to zero. War is supposed to be ugly. Hard to watch. Unpleasing. They do not cut corners on the art; it should be obvious from the animations. They don't want you to fawn over character appearances. Tanya's twisted expressions are a reminder to that. Pink hair's (long name) face is drawn to not be attractive. Of course that won't stop the internet.

I don't want to walk you through everything about this anime. It's a conclusion that you should reach yourself and it will make you enjoy the anime much better. Am I ignoring the stuff about Being X? For this review, yes. But you can find information on the presence of religion in Nazi ideology. This anime can only cover so much and it did well for the 12 episodes it was given.

This piece of writing is based of my viewing experience of the first 5 episodes of Youjo Senki -

Let me answer the question that comes to mind immediately when you read something like this:
Should you watch Youjo Senki?
As of now yes. It's probably one of the better anime that's been released this season.
Can I use the "you" to refer to everyone?
Probably? People who are interested in cute girls playing around or who are into Ecchi stuff probably won't find much here.
But for everyone else this show should present something.

So,
... What does this show have?
Animation:
It's done pretty well, nothing of outstanding stature but better then most of the other shit that's come out this season.
Soundtrack:
The soundtrack isn't to my taste but it suits the show well and some humans might enjoy it.
Plot:
The plot definitely offers something different but if you were to ask me it's entire premise is flawed. That's not to say that the story is bad (In fact it actually draws you in and is entertaining) but that it's, put nicely over the top.
Characters:
Young evil girl who has been resurrected by God (Nothing else to say).

How was my Experience?
This is probably one of the shows I enjoyed more this season. But I guess that doesn't really matter (with respect to this piece of writing).
Go try it out.
Note: Before dropping it watch the 2nd episode.

That is my first review and only because of my sympathy for Tanya I'm writing it. (This review has been written whilst only watching six episodes of the series, so things could possibly change.)
IMO Tanya is really interesting character after 2nd episode I absolutely fall in love with her, all those mind games with being X, fighting for easy future life trying to survive at the front.
Side Characters are also important because Tanya is trying to look like a perfect soldier to everyone.
When I watched 1st episode I thought another boring magic military anime but thankfully after 2nd episode I started feeling this anime.
Music is ... also very good and ending is just beautiful.
Also the animation is quite good especially fight scenes are very sharp and brutal which fits really good
Even if this anime will go in wrong way I will still think its one of the best military(magic) animes I ever watched.

Let's start History First :

When Germany invaded the Soviet Union in June 1941, hundreds of thousands of Soviet women sprang to join the war effort, enlisting as nurses, clerks, cooks — and snipers.
Over 2000 women were trained as sharpshooters and deployed to some of the most dangerous battlegrounds, far from their companies and required to lie still for hours to avoid detection and await the perfect shot.
Stories of their lethal nature and sacrifice abound — former kindergarten teacher "Tanya Baramzina" notched 16 kills on the Belorussian Front before parachuting behind enemy lines, where she killed another 20 before being captured and executed. But far and ... away the most notorious was Lyudmila Pavlichenko, who came to earn the nickname “Lady Death.”
Born in a small village outside of Kiev, Ukraine, Pavlichenko was a driven and competitive child. After hearing a young neighbor boast of his prowess at the shooting range, she began practicing with a rifle.
She was studying for a master’s degree in history at Kiev University when the Germans invaded, and she immediately volunteered.
Though recruiters tried to steer her toward becoming a nurse, she insisted she be given a combat role.
Stationed on a hill the Red Army was defending, she was handed a rifle and given an audition — take out two distant Romanians who were working with the Germans.
She picked them off with ease, and was quickly enlisted in the 25th Chapayev Rifle Division.

As they captured the degrees between the anime and history it is truly a great impact to were the anime's gonna take path...

In Anime/Manga/LN

One does not simply guess which is better Id say...
Anime was keep trying hard to do better than what related in the manga or
in the novel.. And Of course on how the anime started they plan to change the script Not currently in the beginning but in order us to keep us left hanging till the series gets to the Real plot and through character developments..
The main origin in this story started where he/she was just a salaryman with no glory.... until he met the god named X... Vanished and gets futile were he triggered in the wrong path.. and born as a MONSTER


Whether you're into War like Youjo Senki.. This truly fits in your category

Story : 3 : Past the basic premise and first few episodes, every episode is pretty much about war, how to war, what is war, what war is, war the war, how to war the war by warring the war, warfighting in the war against warfighters who war the war in the war.

It's kinda sorta a little repetitive and narrow-minded.

Art: 7 : It certainly has its own visual style, if only because of dem huge lips. It's also quite good at building a period and a setting.

Sound : 7 : Great VA for the protagonist and a ton of fun here and there with the ... battle sounds.

Character : 7 : Yeah, not as high as one might expect. I do like the premise a lot, and I think Tanya Degurechaff's personality is a pretty brilliant idea, once you're past the idea of a 12 year old being a war demon. Hell, this kawaii uguu ojou-chan is probably the one that'll turn you off moe girls out of fear that they pursue you to the ends of the earth to blast your limbs off one by one.

But while Tanya's personality is fine, I have two gripes with Youjo Senki:
One, Tanya herself doesn't evolve. She stays the same old thickheaded "mein career, mein results" personality throughout the entire anime, it seems. Perhaps a conclusion might change that, but for now at episode 8, this is pretty damn poor. It's always about how to destroy the enemy and how to win and have her soldiers do what she orders heartlessly. Ok. I get it. Good BASIC premise.

But they never do anything with it. She is supposedly undergoing a sort of penance by being in a WW1 setting. But she never has any real penance. She's a brutally powerful witch who cleans the battlefield so well that when she walks straight into an enemy ambush, she blasts them all away. Now she could lose, it's been implied many times that she's not actually invincible, but how long can you just tell me about that before I actually see it?

Despite all of Tanya's bitching about how she hates danger and just wants an easy and comfortable seat, I never saw her get bruised. Not once. Worse, because she never undergoes defeat or failure, she never comes to a point where she has to question herself. The point of this penance is to make her reflect on her actions as a heartless person, so why the hell is it that acting like a heartless person is in no way detrimental to her? She never has any real trigger to evolve. It's just a bad bitch who stays bad and laughs maniacally about it. She's a ton of fun, but it's just the same old crazy girl doing murderous shit until you feel like you've seen it all.

And two, besides Tanya herself, there is not a single character that matters in this anime. Anyone represented as even slightly contradictory to Tanya dies, or is too far away from her to harm her in any way. There is simply no stimuli whatsoever, it's just one girl being a horrible bitch and everyone around her being pretty much cannon fodder, or weak people who can't do a thing. Without defeats, or any valid opponents, it's just blazing through a weak adversity, and that's all that Youjo Senki has been recently, a fun, but mindless and plotless power fantasy, in the body of a 10 or 12 year old girl.

Enjoyment: 9 : As I just said, Youjo Senki has become nothing else than a power fantasy embodied by a 10 or so year old girl. It's fun.
It's just pure, evil, villainous, fun. You're on the side of a killer, a crazy murderer, who cares about nobody and only wants to further her career and her war. And it's a great load of fun.

Overall : 7 : let me completely make a completely BS prediction. I haven't seen the original novel nor the end of the series, but let me just predict the end of the plot:

The war will be lost

Tanya will be sold out by the government as "that devil that the winners want dead" and as a really embarrassing war demon they want to be rid of

Tanya will see that the machine she gave so much for betrays her and realise the error of her ways

Now I could be ENTIRELY wrong here. But from the way the story is built up, it seems to be the logical conclusion. Tanya is being punished for being a heartless creature in a heartless machine and trampling over people's feelings and lives. And in the end, the heartless machine she serves for personal profit will crush her like all the lives she crushed.

A poetic justice ending to a straightforwardly wrong ideology.

But the problem is, the war is just in its early stages. We haven't even come to the Verdun of this story. We are at episode 8, and the plot hasn't been getting anywhere, and Tanya's penance seems to be mostly about her doing whatever she likes yet.

It could last about 20 episodes before something happens where Tanya is actually challenged on her behavior, which is the point of the main plot.

And in two clear words: fuck that. Youjo Senki can largely afford to throw us a ton of bones. Side characters that aren't total idiots who die, enemies and opponents that can properly challenge her, people around her who can resent, betray or ruin her. It's in a war setting, on a side that historically loses the war. It has every occasion to give us more than "Tanya Degurechaff is evil. Look at her being evil. Just check how evil she is. Have you ever seen a little girl be this evil?" for a whole season.

Youjo Senki was an uncomfortable anime for me to watch as a man of faith. Tanya's blasphemous rants against God were disturbing to watch, but I've heard worse in sharing the Gospel with others. However, I didn't find the anime itself to be blasphemous, rather a poignant look at the battle between a God who desires to be worshiped and unbelieving Man, who refuses to do so. I think it even gave a truthful look at how God reacts to those who rebel against him. While the Church teaches that God is only love, he does have wrath, and he has ... brought calamities to those who would not believe in order to get them to believe in Him. Which is the crux of what this anime is all about.

I think you're going to have a different view of this anime depending on whether or not you actually believe in God. I didn't become a Christian until I was 20 and spent years refusing to live for God, until he brought calamity into my life like Tanya. I then submitted to Him, and realized I was a fool for not doing it sooner. But, from that perspective I understand Tanya's desire to ignore God and live the life she wants to live. But, as someone who found the peace in submission, I also felt like I wish she would just submit. The most irrational thing for her to do, in her mind, would be the only rational choice. She cannot win against God. It was immensely entertaining to watch her try, however. It made for a fantastic plot, especially intertwined with the horrors of war.

As for the characters, this anime revolved completely around Tanya and her struggle with "Being X". As such, the entire cast was pretty much cut and paste military grunts and generals around her. The only other character to stand out from the pack was her assistant Serebryakova, a strangely bubbly character for the anime, that in spite of her persona, was able to get things done and not hesitate in battle.

With Tanya being the primary focus, her character had to be excellent in order for this anime to shine, and it did. While the anime says it's "The Saga of Tanya The Evil", in reality, it's "The Saga of Tanya the Schemer.". Only twice in the whole anime does she do anything that could be described as "evil". A more apt description of her would be someone who was callous and calculating. She's no hero, to be sure. She's not even an anti-hero. She's basically a Nazi with villainous tendencies. But, she's not particularly evil. Although, you get the sense that she could become the Hitler of this world she's in and thus become evil.

Another thing this anime excelled at was the battles. Tanya leads a battalion of mages, that fight similar to Strike Witches. These aerial battles are intense, especially each time she fights her nemesis, Anson Sioux. The final battle of the anime was particularly amazing.

The animation style of this is similar to Full Metal Alchemist. Very good motion, decent character design, and full, rich European environments. I was particularly impressed with the drawings that came at the end of each episode. They were just photos of Tanya, but they were incredibly well done. Something else that stood out to me was the sound. The sounds of war were very realistic, especially the explosions. It's a weird thing to notice, but the sounds of the explosions were deafening. They sounded very realistic.

Overall, I highly enjoyed this anime and am looking forward to a second season of it. Especially if it ends like how I anticipate it to end. I would definitely recommend it with high marks.

Story: 10
Art: 9
Sound: 10
Character: 9
Enjoyment: 10
Overall: 9

First impression of this series was, what is up with those lips. Though this really only applies to two characters thus far it contributes to the comical undertone of the show. Having a genre of military and magic with a R rating leads to a more dark comedy like feel. The reason why I find it hilarious is from the many contrasts and contradictions that occur throughout the show. Some of which are as follows.

prayers to god in order to maximize magic output (that's blasphemy right there)
little girl playing the role of a military officer
main character motives differs from her heroic and patriotic image
main character's ... plans tend to backfire
art style differences (them lips)

I have been watching the sub and the dub. Quality of the dub has been quite decent.

Main area which a feel could have been better is the cinematography/directing. Not saying that it is bad but with all the aerial combat there was a lot that could have been done.

Overall, Youjo Senki had been enjoyable and the storyline has a lot of potential outcomes. *Spoilers* You may notice some Overlord posters in the background.

The diabolical ball of joy that is Tanya, see as she reins in the very heart of the skies as she battles for the "GLORY TO THE FATHERLAND".

I wish this was a game like Valkyrie chronicles, its so good...

I was entertained as she used nothing but wit and the good graces of god of war to rise threw the ranks, to become a feared as well as well respected solider. what really intrigued me the most of all while watching this very strongly narrative driven ensemble of amazing characters, was here sheer genius and ingenuity, is her countless conversations displaying a high level of intellect.

that ... is simply "delicious"

It was a joy to watch as a rag-tag cast of characters slowly meshed together in the fires of war, ah, so sweet, ah, so exquisitely delectable, what a fine meal, this 12-part anime was.

It takes more than a keen mind to flow threw the politics of war on and off the battle filed, it becomes naught but a tribute, a testing ground to the greater question that races threw, many an intellects mind, upon examining the human condition.

bravo, an excellent piece.

Youjo Senki has an interesting and relatively new premise for me, where an unbeliever is reincarnated in a troubled world in which he needs to turn around, as a trial of a deity who wants him, a cold, calculating man, to gain faith in divinity. His reincarnation in this peculiar world where magic is part of the military makes things much more interesting, giving a mystical touch to war. The narrative of the story, unfortunately, dragged itself for some time, making an exercise of the protagonist simply being invincible. This only came to change from episode 6 onwards. The studio, NUT, founded by former members ... of the Madhouse, encountered a number of difficulties throughout the adaptation. This, unfortunately, has disrupted the experience of many viewers. However, far from it means that the studio is bad, it was able to stand out and recover from episode 7 onwards.

Youjo Senki ended up with our protagonist seeing to what extent the "Existence X" would go so that he could have faith in him for the first time. Beyond, of course, the world war that would follow from then on because of the weakness and stupidity of the high echelon she served. Youjo Senki is a medium-sized work with an interesting proposal. The play has a series of imperfections and problems in the middle, yet it managed to finish decently. In my analysis, it is a good work.

First off, I just want to say this is my first review for any anime so let's just see how this goes.

I tried to keep this as spoiler free as possible.

To be honest, at first I thought this show was just going to be another boring, crappily animated, choppy shows where a character goes to another world. Althought the first episode may have been a bit all over the place, and the second episode may be a bit confusing. If you really grasp what is going on the show is very enjoyable. WW1 isn't too common in animes, and especially to see it fought with ... magic is a nice addition.


Characters:
Now I may be a bit newer to anime than some of the pros out there, but I know a good character when I see one. Tanya Degurechaff is a fresh new character that is unique in her own way. I won't spoil anything but this is probably the first anime you've ever seen where a 10 year old girl fights in WW1 and looks completely cool while doing it. Some of the other characters may be a bit bland in contrast to her however. It's intriguing to see Tanya's philosophy on certain topics throughout the show.

PS: They are NOT Nazis


Art:
The animation is surprisingly good, nothing groundbreaking but it's pretty good quality. The fight scenes are done very well and a lot of the wartime aspects look very good. The magic looks clean and so do the explosions. I don't have much else to say about the art, it's just pretty good overall.


Sound:
In my opinion, the best aspect of this show is the sound. You just want to listen to the theme song over and over and the end theme is sung by Tanya's voice actor. The soundtrack is very well done and the sound matches up to almost everything in the show. The fight scenes sound amazing and are easy on the ears. For example, the music that plays when Tanya is being all evil like just pairs perfectly up with her.

Story:
I can't say too much about the story so far as I have only watched 6 episodes but it revolves around Tanya's conflict with a "Being-X" who claims to be a god. You get to see how the god plays with Tanya during the wartime and makes her life harder. Eventually it just gets to the point where something about Tanya just enthralls you so you can't stop rooting for her in every fight. I really enjoy the story as of this point and I'm excited to see what the show does in the future.

Enjoyment:
This show is very enjoyable if you like anti-hero protagonists and the main character really just looking out for themselves. I've fallen in love with the show to the point that I can't wait for the next episode. Other people may view the show differently but in my opinion it's been amazing so far and I can't wait to see more of Tanya.

Overall:
9/10
Halfway into the show, I think it's been really good and I've enjoyed it. The sound is amazing and the art looks good. I can't wait to see how this show goes on.

Review for Saga of Tanya the Evil otherwise known as war chronicles of a little girl.

Narrative
The story is not necessarily about the war chronicles of a little girl, actually the show is about a Japanese business man who works as a HR manager in the year 2012. He dies an expected death when one of the employees in the company he works in pushes him in front of a train to kill him but before the business man dies god stops time moments before his death to start lecturing him about faith and morality moments before his death. God wills him to be ... reborn in the body of a little girl named Tanya in an alternate history ww1 in the not German empire.

In the show you get to see a very interesting alternate history of ww1 where the show explores philosophy, atheism VS theism, science, war tactics, the reality of war, and various sociological concepts like using economic theory to determine people’s actions, signaling theory, Stanford’s prison experiment and you will get to live though other interesting topics through the protagonist.

Animation
The animation of the anime is excellent and very high quality and only a few shows I have seen have better animation. Studio NUT has really done a great job with this show, the show has a little bit of CGI but so little it is hardly noticeable 3D graphics and it seems like everything was animated in 2D. the action and fight scenes in the show are well scripted and look amazing.

Recommendation
Do I recommend you buy, rent or pass on watching this show? I would suggest that you buy this show its first season and look forward to its second season as there are very few shows like this being so interesting going over various things with such interesting, well developed characters. Most shows you will see don’t stand out and don’t have anything interesting to say and fall under typical tropes like good VS evil, a love story, a drama or a comedy but saga of Tanya the evil is a interesting story rarely if ever been done before quite like this about person VS god while exploring in depth the choices the character makes and why they do what they do and think what they think and know what they know. If you really enjoyed the anime I would also suggest you read the manga and the light novels by Carlo Zen.

“Any literature that refuses to step in line with science and philosophy, is homicidal and suicidal literature”
Charles Baudelaire Quote
Posted 3 March, 2018.