~STORY~
NGNL's story is, for lack of a better phrase, a slightly more imaginative take on the now very common story of 'people go into a game world'. Rather, instead of being stuck in a game world where you're essentially living in a video game, health bars and skill trees included; NGNL's world is one that is run BY games. Want to do something that would normally be done by violence? Nope, play a game to decide the outcome instead! This difference in plot compared to similar shows of its kind is what gives NGNL more possibilities. Add magic (Since it is a fantasy world) and you can make these games as complicated (or convoluted) as you like. When the brother-sister, NEET, gaming genius pair are brought into the fantasy world they are finally able to shine with their gaming abilities (See where the wish-fulfillment comes from?). The overall story is... pretty simple. "What" will be done is predictable, but "how" they do it is a completely different, and that's where NGNL's actual GAMES come into play.
The games that are played in NGNL are... interesting. This is where opinions will vary when discussing NGNL. I personally like Liar Game style games, and NGNL does have that sort of out-think your opponent mindset in most of its games. However, there is a point where cleverness (like the Shiritori game, my favorite) turns into 'Really? I know it's fiction but REALLY??'. Depending on your tolerance levels for that sort of thing, where you've thought 200 steps ahead several days before something even takes place (exaggeration, but not by much), will determine how you enjoy them.
~ART~
You know what? I really enjoy the art of NGNL. The backgrounds look pretty, the fantasy world looks nice and the effects that they give to the more magical elements is just fine. The character designs are a bit... standard, I guess is the word I'd use. Moe-blob loli's; big-breasted, large-eyed girls; and a male protagonist looks like a cross between Steins;gate and Bakemonogatari's protagonists. But where the art in NGNL really shines, and I mean REALLY is the colouring. Oh man it looks great and shiny and clean and oh I just love it~
~SOUND~
No tracks I particularly care about, but it did fit and it worked fine. Nothing outstanding, nothing terrible.
~CHARACTERS~
Let me set aside the main character and get to the side characters first...
They're just kind of okay. There. I said it. The princess girl, angel girl, mysterious anti-hero (sorta) girl and elf girl are all just okay. One is bad at games but means well, one pursues knowledge and is a pervert, one seems to be a 'baddie' but is misunderstood and can't trust the protagonist, one is... uhh... almost completely undefined but she knows magic so yay. They'll get stripped and be embarrassed, blush and dress provocatively and whatever. They can be funny, they can be annoying, but what they don't do is be any more than average side characters that will either endear or annoy you based on their quirks.
The main pair Sora and Shiro, together known as the blank, are a little better. First Shiro, the moe-blob, imouto genius girl; she's cute, she's (unexpectedly) bad-ass, and she was actually pretty fun. Aside from all the genius stuff, I'd say her personality is more like a kitten, all cute and cuddly and cute and cute. Yeah okay, she's cute. She's also 11, so I wish I didn't get so many panty-shots of her. Sora is, however, my favourite character with the widest range of expression. Yeah, he's a straight up NEET and pervert, a strategist that thinks a hundred turns ahead, he'll suddenly get bursts of confidence and he'll have moments where he gives nice little speeches. But above all, he's fun. In lots of shows about playing games, often you see hardly anyone having 'fun', but not NGNL. Sora has fun, so I have fun. The interactions between the two are also very enjoyable, and they nicely highlight each others character differences. The two of them certainly aren't deep, but they're enjoyable to watch.
~ENJOYMENT~
If it weren't for the two protagonists being a enjoyable, I feel like I would've enjoyed the show a lot less. If it went the Yu-gi-oh! route of game playing where everyone is serious despite playing games all the time, the show would've certainly fell flat. However, NGNL is fun, and it is enjoyable, and it gets it. It understands that, despite often high stakes, they're playing games and they're having fun (well, the main characters anyway). So well done NGNL.
~OVERALL~
I like a well written story and well written characters, and to be honest, this show has neither. But it has a solid core that allows for variety, it has energy, and it has fun. And hey, it tells you that it's going to have fun from the get go, so props to it. So while I can't say it is a "great" anime, it is definitely an enjoyable one. I'll be watching for a second season.
Toodles~
