Whether you are new to anime, or have watched hundreds, it is immediately apparent that the art here is top notch, which is always a big plus in this media.
The sound too, is top notch. Everything from the opening song "KINGS" by Angela, to the ending song, "Tsumetai Heya, Hitori" by Mikako Komatsu, and everything in between is great. The background music throughout the show fits perfectly, and is a good choice thematically for the art style. (GoHands also uses Angela for their 2013 anime Coppelion, and her voice is superb as always).
The story has often been criticized for being non-existent or incoherent, and I have to wonder if the people saying these things are just new to anime or not paying attention in general. In short, the series follows Yashiro Isana, a high school student, who is being accused of the murder of Tatara Totsuka, a member of HOMRA (HOMRA is one of the groups pursuing him). Throughout the show, it is up to Isana to prove his innocence to the crime, or be killed by one of his many pursuers.
In general, the plot is easy to follow, and it has enough curves to keep you guessing until near the end. While there are still holes (which will hopefully be filled with the various manga series and the movie that is due for release), the story is still good, just not the best you've ever seen.
The characters in this show work with the limited time we have with them. We are introduced to many, and while some are not all too important, for the most part, they don't fall into the ubiquitous cliche characters that we are seeing so often in anime these days. Given the number of characters in this 13 episode series, and the various factions they represent, we are not given as much character development as I would like to see.
Characters like Reisi and Mikoto obviously have so much going on that we never really get to see, so the viewer ends up feeling a bit left out and things that could have had much more impact fall a little short.
In general though, most of the characters are likable or fill their roles nicely.
Overall, this anime has a lot going for it, but falls short on some aspects. I feel that with more episodes, these flaws would not be so prominent, but that is up in the air. The show is definitely worth the watch, just for the art and soundtrack alone, as they are stylistically some of the best in anime. Everything else is enjoyable, and doesn't fit into the cookie cutters that so many people are used to, and for that, I commend it.
8/10
