Oct 14, 2010
I know that there are very different opinions on this show, especially since the adaption of the anime varies so greatly from the original manga. Fortunately excellent voice acting, nice artwork and hilarious characters are all able to save the series from a complete failure.
Story - 6/10
The story is a common one. Ordinary highschooler meets mysterious stranger and gains mighty powers with which he has to save the universe. Of course, his friends join him in the quest. And we can't forget that he has a destiny.
As if the plot wasn't bad enough, the entire series seemed to drag on, especially when it came to
...
the fights. Not even half of the episodes had any real relation to the plot and the "real" evil was only revealed in the last episode, where it all seemed awfully rushed. This could have been done a LOT better!
The major downside of Monochrome Factor is, that the manga was not finished by the time that the anime was made. Therefore what we get is something that can be compared to the first Fullmetal Alchemist series; it starts out promising, but takes a wrong turn.
Art - 8/10
As a fan of this genre, I liked the artwork of the characters. The artwork was slightly different than other shonen-ai series I had been watching and it was really nice. The background art was a bit generic though, but I like the way the characters were drawn, as at least that point stayed true to the manga. I found the transformation scenes rather silly, but overall, the artwork was just as I liked it.
Sound - 8/10
I do not remember much of the background music in this series, which drags this down to an 9, but the ending themes and voice acting was top-notch:
Daisuke Ono as Akira, Hiroshi Kamiya as Kengo, Junichi Suwabe as Shirogane and Katsuyuki Konishi as Kou. Those are just the voice actors that I can remember. The entire cast of this series was absolutely wonderful. And the ending, oh the ending! I absolutely adored the first ending, sung by Ono and Kamiya. Overall, wonderful.
Character - 8/10
Apart from being a bit flat, the characters where humorous. You have a wide range of characters with each its own personality. I especially enjoyed the interaction between Akira and Kengo, the childhood friends and between Akira and Kou, who has also have a relationship from far back (no spoilers!).
Unfortunately, this once again leaves me wanting more. I want to know more, especially about Akira's past and how he and Kengo first met Kou (which is a rather important part of the manga). Also, I slightly dislike the personality of Shirogane as he constantly flirts with Akira, something which I found non-existant in the manga.
Enjoyment - 9/10
Apart from dragging on too long, Monochrome Factor was able to keep my attention with its constant joking. Also, the appearance of Kou in the opening left me wanting to know who he was (funny how much 5 seconds can leave you wanting more).
Through the first half of the series, it was mostly the funny shonen-ai moments between Akira and Shirogane that kept my interest, as well as Kengo's silly personality. During the second half, it was mainly the flirty Kou, who kept my interest up.
Again, the reason I can enjoy the series so much is because I always enjoy series with good voice acting which can leave me watching it over and over again. So far, I have watched Monochrome Factor from beginning to end 4 times and I still have not grown tired of it.
Overall - 8/10
Despite the shallow and rather ridiculous plot, the series is saved by a wonderful cast of characters and a good dose of shonen-ai hints for the fangirls. This is not a series for people who wants a deep plot and serious characters, but rather for girls who likes a lighthearted and funny story with lovable characters.
As a last recommendation, for those who enjoyed the series and wishes to know more about the series, read the manga! You will not be disappointed.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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