Our story sets up with an average harem, in a general setting (high school -- surprise!). The members of the schools Literature Club are meeting, and before we know it, are bestowed with superpowers (which leads to the first episode having quite a bit of action). Now, based on the title, first episode, and even some of the scenes the show's OP, you might think this is a supernatural-battle action show. Wrong. We follow around these characters and witness their (usually funny) interactions with each other now that they suddenly have magical powers (that are rather generic in themselves). The show starts off with a light tone, and as it progresses tries to take itself more seriously by introducing darker ideas and characters, often ending later episodes with darker cliff-hangers. However, the episode following never fails to return to its roots of lightheartedness, with only a minor nod to the seriousness that had transpired just moments before. In the end, this awkward, unbalanced toss back and forth between slice-of-life and darker action gives the show either a feeling of not knowing where it wants to go, or an inability to take risks and venture out of the "comfort zone" that it has already established. The ending (no spoilers) leaves tons of unanswered questions, and stops the show abruptly. You don't get a feeling of satisfaction or conclusion, and that leaves a bad taste -- at least in my mouth.
Characterization is vital for slice-of-life shows -- you need to feel connected with the characters in order to really understand their motivations behind how they act and why. Though they are molded around cliché archetypes, the main cast brings through enough emotion and authenticity to understand what they're going through. While the characters themselves aren't particularly deep, we do see some development to keep us engaged between them all, especially on the part of Hatoko. Jurai is your typical male harem protagonist, who suffers from "chunni" syndrome. While this quality in him makes the first few episodes amusing, it quickly feels overused (because that's all were really given to go off of for him) until he somewhat forms a connection with Tomoyo regarding it in later episodes of the series. Speaking of, Tomoyo is -- surprise -- the generic tsundere, but her ability to be easily embarrassed (instead of just abusing everyone around her) somewhat makes up for it. Hatoko, at least in my opinion, is the only character that really gets fully developed with an interesting personality. Her inner-conflict regarding her feelings for Jurai (which aren't as fully explained or developed) really drive her forward, showing us beyond the quiet and cheerful demeanor she's almost always portrayed to have. While I feel like her actions at the end of the series aren't totally in character, it felt as though she were the most... human. In regards to Sayumi, there really isn't that much to say, because, well... she doesn't say much. At all. Chifuyu is your loli that is cute. Really, that's it. That's her role. So, in short: The generally get the job done, but albeit Hatoko, there's nothing more to them.
The animation department pays nice attention to detail at times. While the work itself isn't stunning or phenomenal by any means, it puts-out at above-average quality. Some of the character designs were nice. Sound-wise, the OP and ED are both catchy and alright. The OST, aside for one or two tracks, is forgettable. The voice acting does its job, but I wouldn't say it really deepens or changes these already lack-luster characters.
Due to the lack of a focused story and trope-following characters, I can't say I particularly enjoyed watching "Inou Battle." There wasn't anything really good about it that made it stand out, and felt somewhat misshapen and thrown-together in terms of Episodic Value. Had there been more character development (since that's what really drives slice-of-life shows), it could have at least been a little more bearable and fun to watch.
"Inou Battle" is built on generic characters and an unbalanced story. If you're looking for standard slice-of-life, look no further.
