While I personally felt that the story lagged after the death of a certain character, the story somewhat picked itself back up after. They were missed, but their death wasn't in vain -- there was a legitimate reason behind it.
The art and attention to detail in the series is excellent. Although there are moments -- especially in the series' few action sequences -- where I feel some things are over-done a tad, it doesn't at all detract from the quality of the storytelling. The voice acting (watched in sub) and music are both excellent.
This show is truly great, and a wonderful introduction to anyone looking to get into anime.
