Story: 8/10
Ironically this is one of the weaker aspects of this season. I won't go into spoilers but I will say that there are tons of new characters added, and keeping track of each of them, their motivations, and the overall arc of the story can get a bit complex. The "good" and "bad" guys blended together far more this season and by the end it was hard to really tell who was right and who was wrong, which I think was a good thing. I REALLY enjoyed how this felt more like 2 sides struggling to achieve a goal without necessarily a good/evil though the "monsters" were likely the supposed bad guys I found myself rooting for those same bad guys for more than half of this season. If you're willing to focus and pay close attention (and perhaps rewatch a bit) the story is solid and has interesting twists and turns.
Art: 7/10
Nothing different from the prior iterations. The art is good. Nothing amazing but definitely good.
Sound: 7/10
Again similar to prior seasons. The opening and ending themes are great (as usual) though there aren't as many memorable songs during this season as during the 2nd season.
Character: 10/10
This is where this show blows it out of the water. When you can't tell who the "bad" guys are and everyone comes across relatable and sympathetic you know the character development is amazing. Granted the story allows for this but I truly enjoyed getting to know each of the characters. Yuuji and Shana were both given a bunch of development, but you also learn a lot more about many key Flame Haze and Bel Masque members. There are a few characters who don't get a deep development but I found this OK because it left more room for intense fighting and more time to focus on the characters you've been building up a relationship with since the earlier seasons.
Enjoyment: 9/10
I got a ton of enjoyment from this series (and this season in particular). The fact that they went outside of the box seemed to disappoint a few of the fans but not me. I think this departure helped keep the series fresh while pushing through to what I consider a strong and satisfying ending.
Overall: 9/10
The story had confusing moments, and the art and sound were similar to other seasons but where this REALLY stood out was the character development. I truly cared for each of the major characters (both "good" and "bad") and this is the first anime in a while where I was able to understand both sides and feel like everyone was fighting their hardest for their own beliefs and there wasn't "good" and "evil" but just differing and justified goals. I strongly suggest this season (and in fact the entire series) to anyone looking for a solid fighting/romance anime with a good deal of emotional impact.
