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Blood+ is a seriously underrated gem. It's not a masterpiece, and it probably won't top your favorite anime series of all-time (though it's possible), but it's still great and deserves far more attention than it gets.

Story (9/10):
The plot of Blood+ is almost perfect; it's what all anime should aspire to. It probably deserves a "9.5" score for story, if that was possible. It reminds me of Monster in that the plot starts with a very small focus on a specific event, and then gradually over the series, the writers pull the camera back slowly to reveal that there is a huge interconnected web of events ... behind everything. This is the right way to build plot complexity. I'll give a small warning here that this anime is somewhat dark. It's not even close to something like Berserk in terms of darkness, but there is sexual assault and murder, even of characters you may think "aren't supposed to die". My favorite aspect is that there's enough nuance in the plot that you can make some deductions of what will happen next before characters in the show do, if you're really paying attention. I've seen some people complain that there's too much "filler" in this show, but honestly, I didn't think was -any- filler in this show. Every single 'arc' (and honestly, they're woven together so seamlessly it can be hard to identify where one 'arc' ends and another begins) adds new information to the world that Blood+ is building.

Characters (8/10):
Saya is obviously the heart and soul of the show (and the plot gives very good reasons for this), but the cast of characters that assemble around her and against her are also very well characterized. The villains in particular are very unique, and the show leaves you guessing for a long time who's really pulling the strings and who's just a puppet. Also worth noting that there are some aspects of a reverse harem here, forming around Saya. There are multiple men who profess their love for her. Saya seems flattered by their interest, but she's on a very personal quest and isn't interested in any kind of romantic interludes until she's done with it. In a way, her motivations strongly mirror those of Kenzo Tenma from Monster (justice/revenge for their mistakes). I really liked this, as it is a very realistic approach. So, if you're heavily interested in romance, know that there is some, but it doesn't fully develop until the very end. There is a bit of inconsistent characterization around one plot point involving a journal that made me knock the score down here slightly. Also, there's a couple of side characters (the journalist and his friend) who don't really have a strong reason for existing. The cast was already large enough and while their adventures don't waste much screen time, there isn't much gained by their presence most of the time.

Art (8/10):
The art style is very reminiscent of the time period in which the anime was made - it's a little old-fashioned. It's very similar to other anime made back then, such as Monster and Claymore. This doesn't mean that it is bad; the art style is actually quite good and it fits the show well. However, I do generally slightly prefer the more modern styles that have more contrast in their color selection and let elements 'pop' more. This is purely a personal preference, and I know several other people who absolutely hate the more modern art styles for that exact reason. Oh, and obviously, this anime was made before widescreen was a popular thing, so it's in a 4:3 aspect ratio.

Sound (6/10):
The sound effects in the series are generally good and so is the background music. Unfortunately, the OP and ED pieces are just bad (the visuals for them are bad too). It's actually amazing that an anime with 4 seasons managed to pick consistently awful pieces for all 4 OPs and all 4 EDs. Do yourself a favor and skip these when watching.

Enjoyment (10/10):
This anime wasn't just great for all the reasons I outlined above. The best part of the entire thing is how seriously it takes itself. The only comedy in the entire show is when characters are trying to force themselves to be cheerful in order to get over recent traumas - the comedy is initiated by the characters for their own sake and never for the sake of the audience. There is no fan-service in the entire show at all. Period. Some female characters actually wear shorts instead of skirts, and skirts never magically fly upwards from sudden gusts. I don't think there's a single panty shot in all 50 episodes (if there is, it's probably on Saya during a combat sequence where she's flipping all over the place, so it seems natural). It's great. There is a single instance where an older woman wears a dress with a very low neckline which exposes cleavage at a fancy party, but she does it intentionally to try to catch the eye of a man who is ignoring her advances (and the other characters are shocked by her brazenness). This is one of the rarest things in all of Japan: an anime that wasn't made for an audience of 13-year-old boys.

Overall (9/10):
Perhaps the only real major criticism I give is that Blood+ doesn't get quite as philosophical as something like Monster or quite as thrilling as something like Steins;Gate (mostly because the length of the series necessitates some lulls in the action to build up more action later). The show does cover some deep themes, such as what it means to human, the importance of nurture in the "nature vs nurture" debate, and questions how far you can go when you're ensuring the safety of the human race. Its handling of these themes is sometimes clumsy though, and I feel it fails to make its points as strongly as it could have. Despite this, Blood+'s extremely high-quality plot and great cast of characters make it a must-watch for any fans of even moderately dark anime. If you're into any of the genres covered by this series, you will like it.