Reviews

You have -got- to be kidding me. That's something that both you, the reader of this review, and myself would say. Why would someone give Arcana Famiglia an eight? Instead of clicking on not helpful JUST because I scored it as such, I ask that you try reading this review first. Anyway, let me tell you why I'd say that first line. I hateee most reverse harem anime; I usually dislike any anime too heavy on harem or reverse harem traits. I was curious about Arcana's score after finishing it. I was surprised at how low the score was. Do you know what's very interesting, though? I noticed one of the first reviews was hating on it back before I tried it out. You see, my friend said it wasn't too overdone with the whole reverse harem factor. Anyway, I checked again way way after, and there's a clear pattern to me. A hater starts out by hating it, and then others follow. I'm not saying everyone did that, because not everyone did, but I see a sort of pattern here. Go with the majority? I'm sorry, that's childish and stupid. It's like a bunch of bullies making everyone else join in.

Story: 8
Arcana Famiglia's story is interesting. Yes, for those of you who know of the ending, it was lacking, but it's not like it was bad. The fillers and off-trackness of this anime wasn't the best, but it's not like it wasn't entertaining. I liked how it was both serious and not serious. Remember that this is aimed at GIRLS, and that it's originally an OTOME GAME. If there's lack of action, how can we place any blame? So the ending left some desire for more, but I wouldn't say it ruined the rest of the show. Like MAL's guidelines say. If you need a summary, there's the synopsis up there. Anyway.

Art: 7
The art wasn't the best for me, but still pretty good. The animation quality was on the high side, but from what I've seen, the art style fell short of the official art for the game. Of course, this is an adaptation, so we can't really compare the anime to a game much. Again, art style's not the best, but it's still good. Effects are utilized nicely, and the shading was good.

Sound: 8
I didn't like the opening (a certain someone's singing is a bit off; instrumentals were good), but the ending was pretty great. Arcana's bgm is ordinary- you won't really remember it at all. The ending left a memory on me, and I remember how the opening goes. These two left a good impression overall. Otherwise, not much here.

Characters: 8
This is a tricky part, but one of the main issues besides the story. I really can't believe Felicita got so much hate. "She's too much of a good person- that's unrealistic." Wait, what? Sawako from Kimi ni Todoke? A bunchhh of female characters out there? Hello? Just because our world is filled with a lot of bad people, doesn't mean a goody-goody personality isn't impossible. In fact, I know a lot of friends like that. Even if morally bad people outnumber them. Another issue is people having an issue with Mamiko Noto's depiction of her voice. I'll admit, I found it unfitting at first. She seems like the type to have a higher-pitched voice, albeit soft (so Kana Hanazawa, then?). However, I got used to this after an episode or two. The voice becomes her, it ends up becoming a part of who Felitcita is. Another topic is how she's not the most emotionally active. Well, let's see. SHE HAS AMNESIA, REMEMBER? Why is it that Tachibana Kanade from Angel Beats! gets praise, and Felicita gets hate? I'd say both characters have their pros and cons. Moving on.

The rest of the cast in Arcana Famiglia are fairly strong. The weakness of some series is having too many characters. This also applies to the show, but there's something very notable about this one. With my knowledge, most reverse harems have multiple guys all liking the heroine in some way or another. Yet with this, you have mostly Liberta and Nova having a rivalry over her. Indeed, the other male characters show some interest in her, but it's NOT overdone. It's much more realistic when compared to others of the same genre. Felicita isn't fawned over by a bunch of guys like crazy. Another strong point is how each and every character is notable in their own way. You don't have a bland character, or the one that's mistaken for someone else. How this is executed is commendable.

Enjoyment: 8
I was shocked that I actually liked this anime. This was after a few episodes. It managed to pull me in, and I'd have that "Come out sooner," thought for it. I know it seems ordinary from my scoring, but it really isn't. I'd recommend Arcana Famiglia to anyone who is able to understand that people like Felicita really aren't that unrealistic. That there's more to this series than meets the eye. Not amazing, no, but good and notable. I really wish more people on MAL were able to see its potential.

Overall: 8
A recap of sorts. Not the most amazing plot, but still good. Somewhat rushed at the end, but a otome game-anime transition has to do with that (anime requires a huge budget, you know; it also doesn't give much profit unless really popular among fans). Art's notable, even if it's not extraordinary. Opening and ending shouldn't disappoint you with those instrumentals. Overall BGM's sup-par, though. As for characters, you'd have to skim back up. I enjoyed this anime, and wish people would reconsider it a lot more. It really isn't as bad as some make it out to be. Don't be so harsh on something when it's not horrible, y'know? Constructive criticism and considerate arguments are welcome. Have a nice day~