Story: 8/10
The story was nicely done, even though it's a bit unoriginal. Though, Btooom! put its own twist in it by using rules from an online game called Btooom! (not a real game if you didn't know). The story had rape in it, and that's one thing I didn't like about the anime. If you're going to include rape in a survival game story, then you might as well make this whole series a hentai. Yes, I know it sounds realistic, but at least actually keep it within the uninhabited island, and not in someone's high-school life. One more thing is that the rape was also just a bit overdone, because at the start, there was rape and maybe 4 minutes later, it shows a guy trying to 'punish' a girl. Though that probably adds some effect to the psychological side. There wasn't much sci-fi, other than the ability to find players that are close to you with a 'sonar ping' and BIMs that have unique abilities, such as timer bombs, cracker bombs or even implosions. It's very violent, but hey it's a survival game-type anime, you'd probably expect something like that. If you are the type who likes a slice-of-life, comedy-type anime, then you probably should stop reading this review.
Art: 7/10
I've heard a lot of things on how the character designs were from Death Note (I've actually never watched Death Note) and yes Light Yagami and Sakamoto Ryouta look similar. The animation and the art are actually quite nice, even though the character designs do look a bit 'old'. The colors can catch your eye easily.
Sound: 8/10
The OST isn't too loud but sometimes can be used unnecessarily, because there was this one scene where it was serious, but a 'sports-event' soundtrack was playing. Didn't bother me that much, as the OST didn't stand out that much, though it did make some scenes blood-rushing. The 1st OP is probably one of my favorite OPs, because it somehow motivated me. The line "the game has only just begun" gave me goosebumps and it got stuck in my head. The OP feels like it was made just for the OP for Btooom!. The 2nd OP didn't give me the same feeling the 1st one did, but it was alright. The ED was more for an old romance anime, but it sounded relaxing.
Character: 8/10
Sakamoto Ryouta, a full-time NEET (Not in Education, Employment, or Training) and is the top Japanese player and is one of the best in the world. Sometimes, he can be stupid and act like a child, but other times, he's epic and smart. He is a kind person who thinks of others sometimes, but also has dirty intentions such as almost raping Himiko, but fortunately stopped himself before it escalated.
Himiko, a highschool girl who had a normal life until one day, where it all got twisted. She is shunned by her fellow classmates, even her best-friend, who now hates her. She hates all men except Ryouta because she is married to him virtually, but not knowing until later on. She's a fragile woman and sometimes can be weak. She almost gets raped quite a bit in the anime. Though apparently more rape = more love for Ryouta. Anime logic.
Enjoyment: 9/10
Survival game-type anime always work out nicely most of the time and I can't see why people are giving this low reviews. I really enjoyed this anime, even though I would be skipping out some boring parts.
Overall: 8/10
There are a lot of survival game-type anime. If you liked Btooom, then I suggest you check out Mirai Nikki. Would I re-watch this anime? Maybe, because it needs A SECOND SEASON.
