First off BB: Alter Memory is based off the popular fighting game series BlazBlue. The series adapts the first two games in the series Calamity Trigger and Continuum Shift and crams it in a 12 episode anime! The story starts off with our main hero Ragna the Bloodegde fighting some creepy robot girl named Nu. Ragna gets stabbed by Nu and we're introduced to a gothic princess girl and her butler taking about the event that just took place and the outcome of the situtation. We then see more character that are introduced and we don't know anything about them only we can infer who they are. And those are the assumptions people can piece together. But long story short the story is a convoluted mess that newbies who never played the games would be confused as hell and the fans will be very disappointed.
Characters
The characters retain their personalities from the original source but their are convoluted in the relationship area and are just thrown out there just to make an appearance but disappears for the rest of the series. You will be asking questions like why are Noel and Ragna comrades?, how are Rachel and Ragna connected to each other? How Jin knows Tsubaki? Why is Litchi worried about Arakune? and many more. The characters in the series are unique and very interesting but the show throws away the opportunity to develop them and make the audience relate more to them.
Art & Animation
Before I get to the art I have to get the animation out of the way. Like Fairy Tail the series has some cheap animation but unlike FT it drag the series down some more. Every time there's a sword fight there's a lightning like light too cover up the lacking animation. Also who can forget the infamous ice brick Jin shot out in episode 1. But the only piece of high quality of animation is in episode 2 when Noel summons Bolverk. The art on the other hand isn't special but comes off as generic. There's nothing really distinctiful about the character designs.
Sound
The background music is mediocre and forgettable. Some of the tracks are reused from the games. Except when there fight scenes the music is fairly good but still forgettable. The opening shows more of how the series is on a cheap budget since it's all rehashed scenes from the episodes and the song is okay but not a remarkable one. Same goes for the ending. The voice acting is average but I'm not those people who treats the Japanese language like its a Holy language. Kanako Kando sounds a bit annoying as Noel and it did bother me at times in the series and I felt Kana Ueda didn't sound aristocratic and condescending as Rachel and sounded a bit bland. But the only stand out is Tetsuya Kakihara as Jin who retains his ability to voice the sociopathic Jin.
Enjoyment
The series can be enjoyable if you turned your brain off and watch only for the action which is decent. But from a critical point of view you would be irritated.
Conclusion
In the end Blazblue Alter Memory is just a huge disappointment and and confusing mess to fans and newcomers. Advice to newcomers just go buy the games and enjoy a more coherent and understandable story. The show is just mediocre at best. I only time I'll be rewatching this is if the original English voice cast comes back to voice the characters. If you want a better anime adaptation of a video game watch Persona 4 The Animation. It has better character development, animation, and story that even newcomers can understand.
