Break Blade Movie 4: Sanka no Chi

While I am enjoying the series, the only think that really stands out is the art.

The characters are nothing special and fit pretty neatly into age-old cliches. The main character is a farm-boy, who (lacking the "magical" powers that everyone else has) is the only one that can pilot an ancient and especially powerful mecha. He's likeable enough, and he is willing to change his I-won't-kill-anyone attitude in the face of war, so that's something.

There's a queen that has the hots for him despite her being married to the king, and he has friends on both sides of a conflict.

The fights are fun, and the ... whole series had provided some beautiful eye-candy.

The mechanics of the world and the magic system are not well-explained. The plot is straight-forward, and the scripts is nothing spectacular.

What I really can't stand is the fan-service. The outfits that many of the women wear are ridiculous. The queen walks around all day with her panties showing, and the anime takes every opportunity to show us her naked body. And then there are the lolis. Why oh why is there a twelve year old with gigantic tits fighting on the front-lines of a war? I was really hoping that she would die off quickly, but instead *another* annoying loli is added. She claims to be twenty-five but doesn't look like she's graduated middle school. Both seem to be around for the long haul. I might have given this anime an 8 instead of a 7 if not for these two insufferable characters.

As the story reaches its middle part, Break Blade has continuously impresses me with the way it exceeded my expectations, true enough almost all of my earlier complaints about this movie series isn't really valid anymore. As the war deepens and all the belligerents mobilizing every resource they have to claim victory, as a viewer I could help but get amazed on how the movie gives me goosebumps as I ride on excitement every passing minute of it.

Break Blade 4 isn't a stand-alone movie as it simple continued where the last movie finished, and this movie being in the middle part didn't ended with any ... conclusions either, instead this movie is a setup for what comes next as the story is nearing its end. In this episode the viewers are treated with the introduction of the much feared General Borcuse of the nation of Athens and his soldiers followed by a very interesting battle against the forces of Krisna that ended in a draw, with the way everything balances out between the opposing forces, it is clear that the winners aren't decided yet. Viewers are expected to have watched all its previous movies to makes sense of this one.

Animation is the strongest selling point of the movie. The environment is very detailed, probably one of the best detailed environment I have seen so far. The characters are also drawn very consistently and beautifully - especially the female characters. The well detailed facial expressions of the characters really shows off their emotions and feelings expressed vibrantly that the viewers can relate on. Movements are very fluid and life-like. As for the golems, while I admit that their mecha designs could have been prettier, I eventually got used to it and eventually got a liking of it seeing how it's very mecha-like on how it looks and feels very clunky, and probably looks more mecha-like compare to other mecha shows of its type. Lastly the battle scenes, the battles are well choreograph and the animation stunning and pretty much eye-candy, detailed and well executed, I'm telling this because compare to previous episodes where the battles pretty much involved only a few golems from each side. In this episode, the scale becomes bigger in terms of sheer size, as the golems involved in the battle have gone into the hundreds and the area on which the battle occurred have also turned larger.

The music feels good enough and appropriate for the movie. The OP with its accompanying animation captures the image of the movie fairly well, it feels sad but appropriate. The ED meanwhile feels upbeat and lively which is pretty standard for a mecha show. The movie is also well covered by its different background music, while not really noticeable, I felt that the music played in any given scene is just about right and good to listen.

The movie has a fairly good cast of old characters as well as new ones. So far I like the development of the main character Rygart, initially I don't like his character believing he will turn into a character-type with a very high sense of justice and righteousness that rubs me the wrong way, the kind of character that talks too much, spouts too much justice and righteousness and goes too far in proving their point e.g. Touma (from Index) and Naruto (from Naruto), it turned out Rygart's development goes into a more interesting path of carnage and willingness to take responsibility and fight with a clear set of goal in his mind. Another is Sigyn, it's good that the movie gives some bits of her history this time, I particularly like how her past romantic feelings for Rygart will play out as the story nears its end. Then there is this new character Girge, while not is much is revealed about him yet, it feels like he has more role to play. Other characters also have their own moments as the movie goes along, each character feels unique and given enough screentime. Voice acting is also excellent, with the actors doing a fairly good job in portraying their respective characters.

Break Blade is a movie series which I initially started watching just for the sake of variety with no real expectations, it turns out to be more than what I bargain for, never a dull moment here, it has a very good story, great characters, lots of eye candies with its beautifully rendered and very fluid animation, and battles scenes that are fairly top notch. Recommended for viewers seeking a mecha show that contains a mix of both sci-fi and fantasy genre and doesn't mind the long breaks between each episode.

This is my first time writing a review so be nice to me.
There stuff I Love and hate about the forth OVA. I read the manga and watch the anime.

So lets begin with the stuff I hated. Right in the beginning they add a scene that should had be in the second OVA, but somebody fudge up somewhere so they added this scene right in the beginning of THIS OVA so they can use a DIFFERENT scene later in the OVA to make it work. If you read the manga you know what I mean. Rygart sexual harassing Narv about if she wants to ... see Rygart Tinkerbell or not, but in the second OVA before Rygart visit Dan grave you see them talking but you don't get to hear there conversation.
They when in the trouble to add it back in, so that they could use the scene where Narv and Sigyn pull a gun up to Rygart Tinkerbell. The other thing I hated was that the close quarter combat scene was so crappy. The gun fight scene was amazing, but the close quarter combat scene was so bad. Every time they had a close quarter combat scene they only show only a few second or use a still frame. The only good close quarter combat scene they had was when "One Eye" kill that women...but that the bad guys killing the good guys... In the manga it was very short, but they were able to drag it out so good. The only other good one was with Rygart and Girge training fight. If they could do the same to the rest of the close quarter combat scene it be awesome. The C.Q.C. scene in the first 3 OVA was much better. I don't know why they change there style. F.Y.I. they cut or use a lot of still frame for Girge fight scene. If the trailer for OVA 5 is any indication to what the C.Q.C. fight scene looks like it should be much better then OVA 4.

For the stuff that I like it would be the the gun combat scene. It was nicely done even if they did use some cheap animation tricks at some points. There finally have some naughty nightwear Sigyn fan service. Over all I like the art, character, story, and the music I really love. I love the mecha design. Even those I wrote more on the side I hate that only because there was some detail I hated, but over all it was very good.