The tl;dr version: Blast of Tempest was able to tell an exciting adventure, filled with twists and turns around the mechanics of the universe. The main characters were al well developed and characterized over the course of the series, and the cast in general was a refreshing way of using common shounen characteristics. However, as much as I liked the show, its second half wasn't nearly as good as the first was. Finally, the art and animation were great as well, as both delivered fantastic imagery and action scenes. Now for the actual review!
Story
9/10
This story revolves around two different subplots, one of the MC's quest for revenge and the battle of two different magical Gods (the Trees - Tree of Genesis and Tree of Exodus)
The first aspect I want to bring up is the mystery and fantasy component of the series. Something that I love about fantasy in anime is when the mechanics behind it are a mystery that get well explained later on. Which is something Blast of Tempest achieved with top marks. Right in beginning, we are able to see some weird occurrences around the magic of each Tree. The way magic works in the show is revealed in the most shocking way, completely turning around what you thought you knew about it. However, most mysteries are explained in the first half of this show, which means most of the twists were also done in this first half, so the second half was more lackluster.
The next aspect is the action, it is an aspect I don't really feel passionate about in anime in general, so I'll cut down to the chase. The battle scenes were mostly short and well presented, with some great battle sequences and interesting strategies to win the fight. Again, I can't say much about it since it's not exactly my cup of tea.
Finally, the drama and the romance aspect of this series. The drama was really great, as it resolved each of the main cast's life issues and problems in a well-written manner without having unnecessary scenes (by which I mean scenes specifically done to try to get you crying). What I wasn't too fond of, however, was the romance it threw in the second half. It was what put down this half the most, as there were a lot of scenes that featured one of the strong-hearted characters going head-over-heels with the MC which, in my opinion, went against the tone of the show.
Characters
8.5/10
The main cast of this show would be: Yoshino, Hakaze, Mahiro and Aika.
Now, one thing that I have to congratulate this show for, would be its main cast. Each individual character is unique, and not in a way it has a certain quirk that makes them funny and somewhat memorable, but because the characterization they had throughout the whole show made us see just how they are, made us understand, not only their motives, but to be capable of understanding their feeling towards a certain something.
On the more particular side of things, Yoshino, one of the male protagonists, had some seriously good development. He started out as an emotionless character (not literally of course). A character that, at the beginning, didn't seem to have all that much goals that he wanted to accomplish. When he started to fight to save the world, many characters around him were wondering just why he was doing it. But, as we see more and more of him, we start to understand the motives behind what he did. And then came the development after a certain talk, at which point he started to actually cry and have more emotions.
We also have the supportive cast. It's here that there are some problems in the character department. While we have Fraulein Yamamoto, Hanemura and Samon were all well characterized and had interesting personalities, other characters of this supporting cast didn't have their deserved moments. There were characters in this show that played a great part in the final outcome, yet they were never given much attention, which is what put this part down the most.
Final thing worth noting is the character interactions and dialogue. A lot of the show is actually spent with the characters talking to each other. Not exactly in a Monogatari sort of way, since it's not at the same level, but the exchanges were still a very nice touch. Not to mention that whenever Aika's on scene prepare for some Shakespear quotes.
Art/Animation
9/10
Blast of Tempest has delivered really good and detailed frames, but there is one particular frame that I absolutely adore. The anime, between other feats, made one of the most artistic death scenes I've seen in an anime. The particular way it was detailed, the red blood contrasting with the rest of the frame, I could go on.
The animation is also really good as well, as the action sequences were all very detailed and without any immediate flaws.
Enjoyment
9/10
Now, here's the thing about Blast of Tempest, because even though the story is quite amazingly wriiten and the characters are well developped, it still has that Shounen light. It has the character that acts without thinking and goes head-first into danger; the wimpy character that later goes stronger; the nakama power-ups; and the light-hearted fanservice humour. The anime is able to pick the right moments to be funny, resulting in one of the truest quotes and an incredibly enjoyable show altogether.
Notes
This show is available on Hulu and Crunchyroll
Overall: 8.8 = 9
