Rakudai Kishi no Cavalry is easily one of this season's best productions and a wonderfully refreshing addition to the harem genre. Scratch that. This isn't a harem, but it certainly feels like one for the first few episodes. Does this mean we finally have a protagonist who has the balls to choose a girl??? Indeed he does and early on in the show too. As a consequence, we as anime viewers actually get the rare opportunity to see how a relationship progresses beyond the confession stage. Imagine that.
Here, the romance between Ikki and Stella definitely deserves much praise. The writers and producers did a great job fleshing them out as characters and paced their relationship appropriately. Like any couple, they have real arguments and issues which they talk over. The producers don't even shy away from the blatantly obvious sexual tension that is often dismissed in ecchi shows . Instead, these sexual issues are actually confronted in some of the conversations that Ikki and Stella share, making them more like a real couple.
Thus, I found the show's strongest point to be its characters and their relationships. I'm not just referring to the romance between the leads but also to the relationships between all the characters. You feel as though you understand where these characters are coming from and why they are fighting so desperately to win. They aren't doing it just to prove that they're strong.
Ikki certainly doesn't. He fights to prove a greater message - that hard work can match or even exceed natural talent. Easily the show's most likable character, Ikki only seems "overpowered" because he gives every fight his 100% and trust me, he doesn't win by whipping out a new ultra-powerful technique for every fight. This makes him less like a character and more like a person - someone you can stand behind and root for because you know he's trying his very best to match his opponents.
By the way, this show has some of the best action sequences I've seen in recent years. They're thrilling and have a tendency to keep you on the edge of your seat because the action is incredibly fast paced. Instead of standing around and conversing, most of the dialogue occurs within the character's minds during a fight. In other words, we witness how they're analyzing the battle as they're constantly moving. If that isn't impressive enough, Kotaro Nakagawa's incredible score will definitely keep your heart pumping through them.
Still, Rakudai Kishi no Cavalry isn't without its flaws. Like I said, the plot isn't anything new and basically identical to that of another magic-school anime this season, The War of Asterisk. Furthermore, I felt as though Stella started off as a strong female lead who was unnecessarily developed into a more feminine one as the show went on. The ending leaves many things unanswered but I can't complain because it follows the source material exactly and we can only hope for a second season.
Overall, this anime is worth a watch for anyone who wants to have a good time. I highly recommend it to anyone who likes romance, magic-sword fights, and the occasional dose of fan-service. For those of you who are turned off by the show's generic plot, watch until episode 4 and give the character development a chance to hook you. Don't let the synopsis fool you because Rakudai Kishi no Cavalry is definitely not "The Worst One" in its genre.
