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It might not be for everyone, especially if your reason watch anime is to follow the newest high tech, action packed series. But it's certainly enjoyable and here's why....

Faraway Paladin follows the day to day life of Will. From training, to daily struggles, to adventures and how his world is shaped. It's more of an adventurer's slice-of-life than a questing anime. Kind of like reading his diary instead of reading or hearing about all of his feats. It's focused on the characters and their daily struggles in life rather than the fights for their lives (though they are obviously included). It gives a simpler vibe ... while actually being more in depth than many others.

Graphics-wise Faraway Paladin utilizes this simplicity splendidly. It brings us closer to the characters and making it flashy would have been rather tone-deaf. While there is magic and heroism, it's a fallen and impoverished world. The main character has been raised to live a simpler life and be greatful for what he has. Moral values are to be put above wealth and he lives his life in servitude to others. Flashy things wouldn't support his worldview half as well.

As for character growth there is plenty, Will has his faith shaken, he has self-doubt, he wants to better himself and despair is lurking from time to time. He's not a perfect little hero, he's human. Thrown into a role he embraces but isn't always ready for. His side-kicks actually have to fulfill their role of support despite the main guy being slightly OP and through this, they grow as well.

Overall it's not the best anime you'll ever watch but it's one you can count on to make you smile in contentment.

This was one of the manga's that got me hooked and that I just couldn't put down. There are a few questions that remain for me but I think the main and even quite a lot of side devellopments were nicely finished. Even though I do regret some of the choices the mangaka made (especially the ending) this remains an interesting and very enjoyable story... like they say: it's not about the destination but about how you get there. So if I don't count the ending this one would definitely get a 9 or even a 9.5, if I do take the ending into account... ... I'm sad to say that it only gets a 7 or maybe an 8.

For everyone who only likes the scary horror hollywood-type of vampire where everything is about blood... put this away. I'm not saying that it's a lovey-dovey story but romance isn't hidden in the background. If you'd leave the romance out of this story it wouldn't be nearly as fun. The struggles they are facing are quite realistic and so are the personalities of most characters... of course there are a few exeptions but when you take a step back you realise they weren't as unrealistic as you might think at first.

So anyway... it's a great story in which the action doesn't oppose the romance (or vice versa) but rather one where action and romance mingle in an interesting, enchanting and funny plot that will keep you nailed to your seat for many hours.

Overall I give this manga a 7... I would have been willing enough to give a 9 but sadly enough I think the ending, though original and unexpected, blew it all. I really liked where it was going until the last chapter or even the last volume. To me it seems like it was finished quickly so it would be over, so the end is not really satisfying if you ask me.

The art was relatively good (though I have seen better) and the characters were most of the time surprising. Though I was sad to see some characters go, I really liked the devellopement ... from the main characters except for Kureha at some points. I liked how she was develloping in the beginning but I think that she was still a 'work in progress' character in the end.

Although I said all this I rather enjoyed reading this manga because of the unexpected twists. Whenever you were sure of something you had to change your mind about it and even then you weren't sure it was such a wise idea. Thus this is certainly a manga that can hold your attention and interest as soon as it has captured them.

I have to say that it was somewhat dissapointing, I was a huge fan of the first two seasons but thanks to certain characters dissapearing and some of the new characters the story itself lost some of it's appeal to me.

I also have to say that I'm slightly annoyed by the mix of real-life, drawings and normal anime. The RL-parts just aren't interesting after that I have to watch to kind of idiotic parts and finally I can watch the slightly more interesting normal story... for only 10 minutes. I have to admit that I skip all the other parts but only watching for 10 ... minutes is kind of... dumb, especially because there are quite a lot of fillers.

Some of my friends even have given up watching the series because it had so many fillers and because there wasn't much left from the interesting story. So I hope they'll make a 180° turn for the rest of the story.

(This was my first review ever so please don't shoot me)