Combine girls with sports, then add a pinch of ecchi. Mix it very well, and you obtain Walkure Romanze.
Or so it would seem at first glance.
Set in a Middle Age-esque world, Walkure Romanze is an animated adaption of the eroge of the same name. While the NSFW content was left out, it still retains its ecchi side.
The protagonist, Takahiro Mizuno, is a student at a jousting academy (which I forgot its name... not like it's important in this particular anime, anyway). He is training to become a knight, but got injured (even though he doesn't really look like it *roll eyes*) somehow and now he can only become a begleiter, which is basically a knight's assistant. As the story progresses, he meets various girls who, in the end, all want one thing from him: be their begleiter at the annual tournament.
Story: 6.5/10
Decent story, but it needed more explanation.
However, it felt very original to have a setting like Walkure Romanze's. After all, I don't recall having watched any anime about jousting, let alone a harem, romance and ecchi (my favourite types!... kinda.) anime about jousting. Nope, this is a first for me.
But again, it falls in your typical cliche harem anime. Guy meets girls, girls wants guy, guy is indecisive and at the end can't choose anyone. *sigh* When will I get something like Mashiro-iro Symphony, I will never know. Not only that, they try to force the thing by making every single competitor in the tournament females. I swear to god. (and Mizuno is your proof that there ARE male knights in the academy. Yes yes!)
However, it was successful at one thing: making me wanna play the visual novel. While it left a few plot holes here and there, that was strategic in the sense that it sparks your curiosity: it makes you say to yourself "what would happen if...?" or "darn, would I have loved to know more about x/y person!". And for this, I raise my hat to the producers.
The lack of romance hurts, though. And I don't count prepubescent female teenagers "trying" to develop feelings for a man as real romance. You want real romance? Again, look at Mashiro-iro Symphony. Look at Clannad. Hell, look at many other anime which were successful in that aspect.
Characters: 5/10
Ehh. It's the same like the story: many holes, but these holes make you wanna play the visual novel.
And as for me, it's making me wanna play it very badly.
Kisaki Mio (pink hair) appears as a joyful girl. The oh-so-annoying voice actor was able to do her job in that sense, even though her voice is... let's say atrocious to my ears. I don't know about you guys, but god was I tired of hearing that female shriek everytime she sees her charming prince (if you didn't figure it out by now, it's Takahiro Mizuno). Though there's one thing I will never understand about her: she cut her hair in order to "joust" better... but half of the female protagonists joust with their untied hair that reach their butt! And you don't see Mio having trouble with her first joust when she had her long hair. And let me tell you something: Mio looked way better with her long hair.
Marres Ascot Noel (brown hair) is a character that has much more depth than Mio (or so it seems). A touching story behind her goal which creates a strong will within her: that's my type of woman alright. Though it feels like she's the only character who has some "true" depth (because Lisa seems to have some, but I'll explain that later)...
Ryuuzouji Akane (black hair). Beautiful woman. Beautiful voice. Deep purple (or was it blue... I was too tantalized to remember) eyes. An armor suit that ROCKS. Like seriously, she looks like a freaking samourai that could blend with the night with that suit. The downside? She's for Celia. And I mean that romantically. She wants her badly. Can we drift her emotions away in the visual novel? I hope so...
Celia (blonde hair; Cumani Aintree is her middle/last name)... should I even comment on her? My hatred for this... this shameful character runs deeper than the seven hells (what am I even saying). "I'm the best knight, but I want you to be my begleiter because lolzimtheseitokaichou" How about screw you. That is all.
Eostre Lisa (silver hair) is a first year student who is apparently a prodigy. She's ranking up among the school and is determined to win. My curiosity was sparked when I heard that she was a "prodigy", but after seeing her in action (no, not in the eroge... in the anime, when she's jousting! you pervert
