When I first stumbled upon Shingeki no Bahamut: Genesis I was on the lookout for a series reminiscent of Berserk or Claymore: a mature medieval adventure with demons, magic and knights. SnB did not disappoint me at all. While it's lighter than both aforementioned titles, I found it much more entertaining.
Let me start by praising the art. One word: SUPERB. Everything is extremely detailed, from the landscapes to the characters, their abilities and their design. You can tell this anime has a high budget from the get-go.
The main idea is fairly simple. Bahamut, a metallic-looking dragon, is a seemingly unstoppable force of nature whose only purpose is to rain chaos and destruction upon all creation, be it Heaven or Hell. By the combined might of the Gods and the Lords of Hell, he was sealed on Earth. Satan and Zeus sacrificed themselves to create two keys, meant to be kept away for all eternity in order to prevent Bahamut from breaking free.
Fast-foward several thousand of years. Favaro, a cocky and mischievous bounty hunter, stumbles upon Amira, a very innocent girl that seems to be a lot more than meets the eye. Kaisar, a disgraced knight turned bounty hunter, blames Favaro for his current situation and is determined to regain his honor back by exacting revenge.
Favaro, Amira and Kaisar, who could not be more different from one another, get entangled into something they could have never imagined.
That's all I'll say about the plot because you will soon start discovering things for yourself. The show moves at a quick rate and does a pretty good job at keeping you entertained, be it by its humor, it's visual or it's fast-paced story. The overall feel of SnB is of semi-mature medieval adventure with little emphasis in romance. Whatever cuteness there is to be found in this anime reeks of fan service. Fortunately, it's kept to a bearable low and does not affects the tone of the show.
The main characters are different from one another and all of them get their fair share of exposure and development; the supporting cast is also quite varied.
At 12 episodes, Shingeki no Bahamut: Genesis leaves you wanting for more. The world-building was top notch and leaves room for exploration if the creators ever decide to release more seasons.
There are a few cons. The last episodes feels like they are throwing everything at your face and this can be a little overwhelming. The show goes from being fast-paced to being on steroids. However, it manages to stays inside the lines. The ending was satisfactory in the sense that it gives closure to the overall story, but it leaves a lot to be desired if you wanted to know more about the Demons, Angels and the title star, Bahamut.
Amira can get annoying and repetitive; she is eye-candy for the most part. Another thing that kept me from giving it a higher score was that some of the decision the characters made, made no sense and could be described as contrived.
If you enjoyed watching Berserk or Claymore, I have no doubt you will love Shingeki no Bahamut: Genesis. And while it's not as dark or serious as either of them, it still can be considered a mature anime for all intents and purposes.
A well deserved 7.5 rating.
