Reviews

No Game No Life has gained pretty high popularity in the anime community. It is a psychological thriller much like Death Note or Code Geass except with a much lighter tone to the whole experience. Readers may want to immediately stop reading after that sentence if they have indeed seen any of those shows. What I mean by this is that it is a psychological thriller in the same vein as those shows, in that the thrill comes from the anticipation of what the characters are planning. Not from special attacks or epic battles but from seeing how these geniuses at what they do, utterly destroy anyone who stands in the way of their goals. But does this show deserve to be compared to such great shows in its genre? Or is it just a failure? Let's find out!

STORY
POSITIVES
The way each situation is laid out and plays out gave me feelings similar to the ones i felt while watching Death Note. A show that is widely considered to be among the best. The different races also add to the show with some being better at certain things and having different abilities that affect they way some of the games are played.

STORY
NEGATIVES
The plot is quite un-inspired. The 2 main characters are dropped into a world where everything is determined by the outcome of games. While on the surface this may seem like a very original idea, it is very similar to a show about a certain "King of Games" you may have watched when you were younger. Also the driving force for the plot is not done very well in my opinion with no satisfying conclusion for the actual anime. (Although i bet there is one in the manga)

ART
POSITIVES
The art is very unique! This anime has a color pallet which even extends to the outlines of the characters. Often being a dark purple instead of just solid black. There is also an excellent use of bloom which isn't present in many other animes.

ART
NEGATIVES
This show resorts to loli fanservice in the first few seconds of the first episode. While usually the fanservice in this show isn't too intrusive and most of the time i didn't mind it, this just sets a bad tone as the first time you see Shiro, you see her panties first.

SOUND
POSITIVES
Intense/Cheerful songs mixed with silence for more serious moments works well in this show as the tone of the whole show is rather upbeat. I also quite enjoyed the intro song.

SOUND
NEGATIVES
Nothing Special.

CHARACTER
POSITIVES
The genius duo in this show are quite entertaining to watch. As the show repeatedly says, the duo are one person known as Blank. 2 halves of the same genius. They are so closely tied together in fact, that one cannot function without the other. I found this a very interesting character trait that i rather liked.

CHARACTER
NEGATIVES
All characters besides Blank are rather bland. Once you get past their interesting appearance, there really isn't much that's memorable about any of them.

ENJOYMENT
POSITIVES
I absolutely loved the interesting games that were in the show along with how Blank went about winning each one of them. The shows appeal is not in whether or not Blank will win but HOW they will win and how their opponents will TRY to win.

ENJOYMENT
NEGATIVES
You are taught very quickly that Blank is not going to lose. This takes away from the enjoyment a little bit. The show also doesn't make you feel very invested in the subplot involving the kingdom. You also don't get a satisfying conclusion to the MAIN plot.

OVERALL
If you are interested in a show about psychological warfare similar to Death Note and Code Geass without expecting an incredibly satisfying ending, this is for you. With the exception of the weak story and side characters, This show was a joy to watch!

If you like this review, check out some of my others! Tell me what you think! ^_^