STORY: 7
The story...how do I explain this? Kekkai Sensen is an example of a disjointed story where it focuses more on the characters and interactions themselves, slowly building the story itself. Anyone who has seen Gintama or Durarara!! will be understand more about where I'm going.
"A breach between Earth and the netherworlds has opened up over the city of New York, trapping New Yorkers and creatures from other dimensions in an impenetrable bubble. They've lived together for years, in a world of crazy crime sci-fi sensibilities. Now someone is threatening to sever the bubble, and a group of stylish superhumans is working to keep it from happening." (MyAnimeList)
It seems all simple at first but the characters are where the story really shines.
CHARACTER: 10
Every single character in this show is lovable. Every single one.
Leonardo Watch is our protagonist, a young photographer from Holland who comes to New York City to earn money for his little sister. Although he has a humble and fun personality, we find out more about his character as the story progresses. His sister had lost her eyesight due to a trade Leonardo made, giving him the "All-Seeing Eyes of God" which give him ocular powers and the ability to see through things normal humans would not necessarily see. He feels guilty about this throughout the anime and tries to do his best to prove himself by joining an organization called Libra.
Klaus Von Reinherz is the leader of Libra. He has a lot of charisma and always brings the best out of everyone. Klaus serves to be Leo's mentor and guide.
Zap Renfro is a part of Libra and is an eccentric, womanizing, badass. He is always hyper, hungry, and wants women. Zap's got a lot of personality and the chemistry with him and the other characters is a pleasure to watch.
White/Mary Macbeth is a young girl who Leo meets in New York City. At first, she seems to serve as a girl who Leo has a crush on but she becomes very important as it goes on. Especially when her brother, Black/Will Macbeth is introduced.
ART: 9
It's beautiful. New York City is animated very well and the lighting in each scene is perfect. The character designs are very classy and I especially love the way Leo's, White's, and Black's eyes are animated. They are bright and it really grabs your attention.
SOUND: 10
I can't remember the last time I gave a 10 for music but Kekkai Sensen NAILS it. The music ranges from very jazzy music to a great "What a Wonderful World" rendition. The music matches the characters and the setting so well, increasing the enjoyment of fun scenes but also the tragic scenes. The opening, "Hello, World!" is so great, highlighting the big atmosphere of the anime and the Leonardo's character. The ending, IS AMAZING! "Sugar Song to the Bitter Step" captures the fun and carefree nature of the show perfectly. The dancing, the partying, and the mellow moments are masterfully directed on top of colorful animation.
The voice-actors for both the sub and the dub were excellent. Daisuke Sakaguchi and Aaron Dismuke did a wonderful job with Leo's voice. I rarely watch anime in dub as well but I had no issues of going back and forth with Kekkai Sensen. People who are familiar with Gintama character will be happy to hear that almost half the cast is voiced by Gintama voice actors! Kazuya Nakai voices Zap and really gets all his energy perfectly on screen. He also voices Zoro from One Piece so fans will be able to see his more self-centered and eccentric self. Overall, the music and the voice-acting were great!
Enjoyment: 10
The characters and the music made this show for me. "Sugar Song to the Bitter Step" has become one of my favorite songs of all time and the characters leave a strong impression on you. I was fortunate to watch this anime after Episode 12 had released so for the viewers who had to wait for 3 months for it might not have liked it as much or maybe liked it more. This anime is all about having a fun time but the darker moments present some great philosophical questions as well.
If there's anything more I would want, I would like to have some more fight scenes but we saw some great ones regardless. Additionally...I WANT A SEASON 2!!!!!!!!!
Check this anime out guys! You will not be disappointed!
