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Story: 7/10
In the world of Mirai Nikki, the god of time and space, Deus Ex Machina, is coming to the end of his lifespan. In order to find out who will be his successor, he sends something called "Future Diaries" (ranging from cell phones to a coloring book) to twelve different people and places them a life-and-death game, similar to the ones in The Hunger Games and Battle Royale.
For the most part, Mirai Nikki's story is quite decent. It shows how the actions of people can change the future, because as the saying goes: "Actions speak louder than words." It also shows how events can cause an impact on their reasoning of becoming God (seeing as all the diary holders (or at least half of them) are emotionally broken in some way). However, one of the problems with the story is its inconsistency, plot holes, and predictability. While there were parts that kept me on the edge of my seat, there were also parts that just left me absolutely confused. This confusion was evident during the last few episodes, where I was like: "What the hell is happening?" The ending also left a somewhat sour taste in my mouth... (Yes, I DO know that there's the OVA, "Mirai Nikki Redial". I just haven't watched it at the time I'm writing this review)
Overall, while the story did have some hiccups, and was predictable at times, it was still engaging enough to keep me watching.
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Characters: 5/10:
Mirai Nikki has almost the exact same problem that SAO had for me: its characters. While not as frustrating as the ones in SAO, it's still the weakest part of show for me.
First, Yukiteru (or Yuki for short). His character is similar to that of Shinji Ikari from Neon Genesis Evangelion (and to an extent, Simon from Gurren Lagann), in which he's pretty much a wuss; but that's not my problem with him, because I would feel the exact same way if I were in his place. My problem with Yuki is his stupidity, as well as the inconsistency of his character. How the hell can he be still in love with Yuno after she locked him up, as well as preventing him from making any friends? I just find it mindboggling. I know he's the key to keeping her sane, but still! Another thing I don't like is how his personality does a complete 180 degree turn during somewhere within the final third of the show. I was like: "What? This came out of nowhere! Please explain to me what just happened!"
Secondly, there's Yuno, who is pretty much the fan-favorite of the show, as well as being the poster-child of yanderes. I'll be honest: I'm not a fan of Yuno. Maybe it's me, but I'm not the biggest fan of yanderes, as well as very possessive girlfriends. Yes, she does have her moments of batshit crazy awesomeness, but whenever she goes "Yuki!!!" several times, I'm just thinking "Shut up already!!" I do understand she does get some complexity, but that only really happens throughout the final episodes. And before you Yuno fans scream at me, let me say this: While I don't like Yuno, I DO understand why she's so popular, and why people do like her. I'm just not one of those people.
The supporting cast didn't fare much better. From Yuki's friends to the other diary-holders, none of them seemed memorable to me. They range from alright to just unbearably irritating. There are two exceptions to this, though. The only side characters (as well as only characters from the show in general) that I actually enjoyed were the Twelfth, Akise and Minene (9th). They were just really interesting to watch. I really wished Twelfth had more screen time, though.
With the exceptions of who I stated above, the cast of Mirai Nikki didn't leave an impact on me.
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Animation: 7/10
While the animation of Mirai Nikki isn't anything spectacular, it was pretty decent. The action scenes probably best animated parts of the show, being fast-paced as well as being VERY entertaining, especially when Yuno is on one of her many killing sprees.
While nothing special, the animation was good for what it was.
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Music: 8/10
The music, for me, is the highlight of the anime. While I can't find a song that stands out, the background music does a very good job fitting every scene in the show. Both of the openings are amazing. They have a good amount of energy and fit the tone of the show perfectly (The first opening has become one of my favorites), and while the endings didn't do that much for me, they were still interesting enough to listen to for a few episodes).
All in all, the music is by far my favorite part of Mirai Nikki.
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Enjoyment: 8/10
Despite all of its flaws, Mirai Nikki was definitely entertaining to watch. While there were parts that left me with confusion and/or frustration, there were parts that just wanted me to click "Next" to watch the next episode.
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Overall Score: 7.0 out of 10
Mirai Nikki is an anime that I have a love-hate relationship with. While the show did have some "bumps in the road" character-wise, it did not deter me from finishing the anime. While I don't love the show as much as others do, it was definitely worth the watch. It was definitely entertaining, to say the least.
*Feedback/Constructive criticism would also be nice. Just don't be too nasty about it.*
