*This review contains NO SPOILERS. Please read on at NO RISK*
Story: C: Control has a unique story, I will avoid describing it as it is one of the biggest strengths the show possesses, and really draws the viewer in. The fact that there is no simple battle between good and evil, but a struggle of viewpoints, makes it complicated and intricate, tying the story in well with the characters and setting. The only issues that one can have is that it is too complex, which makes it difficult to fully understand (my advice is to rewatch it, it is only 11 episodes), and that there are several questions left unanswered at the end, to which I say that they are the right questions, all of the major issues are resolved and only irrelevant questions of personal interest remain. Story in C: Control gets a 10 out of 10.
Art: Art in C: Control is very appropriate for the other-worldly setting, especially the shapes and subtle designs mimicking the stock market and other economic symbols. The color palette is very limited, however, as well as certain scenes seeming very poorly animated as the show was clearly made with a very limited budget, which I cannot overlook. Even so, the show's use of what it has is very ingenious, and earns an 8 out of 10.
Sound: The soundtrack in C: Control is very forgettable, especially on the first watch. Having rewatched the show several times, certain tracks really stick, and at minimum it blends very well with the setting and plot. There are no bad tracks on the soundtrack, something that can kill a show for me personally. Sound gets a 8.5 out of 10.
Characters: The characters in C: Control are another strong point of the show. You have a very inexperienced, naive main character that has some of the best growth for said stereotype in all of the shows I've seen. There is of course an antagonist, but not out of evil or malice, but out of a different mindset on the solution to the issue they are faced with. All characters get a good amount of development, and the amounts of development fit perfectly with the character's role in the show, so that the main and important characters get large amounts of development, and the lesser characters get less development. The characters themselves are slightly bland, but the show will take your initial conceptions and smash them, leaving you loving many of the characters, or disliking them, by the end. Character gets a 9.5 out of 10.
Enjoyment: I personally very much enjoyed C: Control a lot, so much that I am horribly disappointed at the lack of enjoyment by the anime community. The main thing to keep in mind with C: Control is that the genres are not what they seem. I would describe it more as a drama, psychological, with hints of action and supernatural. DO NOT WATCH IT if you are looking for an action show, or a superpower show. You will not enjoy it. For me, enjoyment gets a 10 out of 10.
Overall, C: Control is a show that, if appreciated fully, can easily be liked and even loved, and claim a good spot on a list of favorite shows. If not properly watched, it can seem to be a very mundane, unenjoyable show. It is a great example of taking many risks and making them work marvelously. My final, overall rating of C: Control is a 9 out of 10.
