Though the plot follows an all-too-familiar path, this show is pretty entertaining overall. In addition, unlike others in the genre, this is less of a harem and more of a couple with a third and forth wheel. If you're looking for a standout action-based harem in the season, unfortunately you're not going to find one. They're all decent by my standards and all have their own nuances. Thus without further ado, I shall use my full strength in explicating these nuances.
Animation:
Out of all the series listed above, this comes out around average. The show has fair backgrounds and nice colorization but occasionally ends up over-reliant on crappy CGI (see ep. 9 for examples of this). The characters are fair overall as well; I personally liked the character design in other shows such as Grisaia or Shinmai more. You do get some more offbeat characters to spice things up, such as the mysterious teacher Nene and unfathomably ill Yuuri. Facial expressions are fairly average and if anything, perhaps a tad understated in our protagonist.
As a positive, certain elements of the show are uniquely stylized to give it a special feel - see the OP for a sneak peak at these uncolored, ink-like scenes. The show also delivers when it comes to action, in both physical and magical aspects. All the characters (Blazers) are able to mysteriously pull out weapons, manifestations of their souls, out of thin air in rather intricate animation sequences. They are able to use these weapons as fully physical weapons or "simulations" where they somehow only damage the opponent's stamina. All the characters have special attacks that they obviously must scream out prior to the attack. Our protagonist's rather lame special ability is a Kaioken of sorts where he concentrates his power into a five-minute long sprint. I don't know whether this is copying Asterisk or vise-versa but having two protagonists with abilities this similar at the same time is just a bit suspicious. There are random battles throughout the show but it eventually becomes more organized in the form of a tournament- yes, the dreaded tournament. Expect a fair amount of bleeding though nothing particularly gory. The show does have a fair amount of ecchi in numerous forms from the relatively-unintentional (accidental exposure, other girls randomly pushing against protagonists, girls fondling girls, etc.) to the more-intentional (kissing, cuddling, etc.). Though the primary relationship develops pretty far in this show, the ecchi level is below that of Taimadou and far below that of Shinmai.
Sound:
The show is fairly bold when it comes to OP/EDs, perhaps as a ditch effort to make the show unique? It opens with an interesting and almost old-fashioned sounding piece sung by a dude. The show then ends on a piece by Ali Project, which gives not-so subtle hints in style and tonality to Another- obviously in a completely different genre. It's an interesting choice for both but doesn't really give a sense of uniformity. The BGM is standard fare filler, with the exception of a particular tune with parts that sounds like an annoying ringing phone or alarm.
Like many other recent shows in the genre, the cast is a mix of veterans and non-veterans. Shizuka Ishigami does a fair tsundere but not as convincingly as Ayaka Asai in Testament. Likewise, though I have utmost respect for Nao Touyama, I don't think her character in this case was a good match for her particular skills. Overall, the show has a fair VA performance but nothing particularly special.
Story:
Ikki is born into the Kurogane family, a well-known family with a strong legacy of producing fine Magic Knights. Unfortunately, he did not show much talent early on and was cast aside as a disgrace to his family. Undeterred, Ikki continues to fight to be become a Magic Knight, supposedly using only relentlessness determination. Though successfully enrolled in an academy for Blazers, he is ranked F as his lack of magic talent prohibits him from placing higher. How far will his family go to stop his "futile" attempt once and for all? Stella is a stellar A-ranked Blazer who uses fire based attacks to overwhelm foes, she moved from her Empire to Japan and is furious that everyone thinks that her innate talent means that she's never actually put in effort. How will she react when she see's Ikki and his hard-work focused mantra?
The premise of the show is something along the lines of "love conquers all" where one's connections form the support needed to overcome hardships and, in this case, ridiculously long odds. The show is divided into three main arcs easily distinguishable by the episode titles. The first one serves as an introduction to the main characters and showcases Ikki's rise from the "worst one". The second is somewhat of an aside where Ikki helps another girl, Ayase Ayatsuji. Finally, the last arc details Ikki's struggle against his past, almost similar in a way to Yuuji from Grisaia. Each arc has its own rising action and climax. The battles are engaging and interesting though it is occasionally a bit too repetitive in pattern (Ikki shows advantage but wait! opponent has a special ability and Ikki gets clobbered but wait! Stella is there so Ikki goes rage mode and wins yay). As with other shows, cough Asterisk, the show ends without the tournament being resolved and with lots of open questions.
The show does have good pacing and remains engaging even through the few filler episodes. I particularly liked the focused relationship approach, and some of the comedic moments caught me off guard enough to laugh out loud. Thus, though it has its shortcomings, the story is pretty decent.
Character:
For this show, this is a particularly tough category to rate. I really liked the development and dynamic nature of the Ikki and Stella relationship- it actually goes somewhere unlike the majority of other clones out there. Furthermore, parts of Ikki's personality and abilities reminds me greatly of Tatsuya from Mahouka. However, the good parts are almost completely offset by my dislike of the Shizuku/Alice pair, my dislike of Ayase Ayatsuji, my dislike of the gang-like antagonists, and my dislike of the entire Kurogane family nonsense. In short, the show has an exceptionally good main couple and way too many sub-par supporting characters. While the Stella/Shizuku scuffles do provide some level of entertainment, it pales in comparison with the depth or breadth of relationships in other shows such as Shinmai or Taimadou. Perhaps some of the supporting cast will show more use if there is a sequel, but many characters are introduced without contributing to the main plot.
Value:
To be honest, the genre maybe converging on a single pattern, which may be annoying, but the pattern is actually a good one. I think that overall all the above-mentioned action-based harems are above average. Unfortunately, their strength and weaknesses sort of even out and so choosing the best show starts to feel like picking the NCAA Basketball tournament winner. That being said, this one is particularly notable for its primary relationship and occasionally unexpected humor. If you're looking for something in the genre, you really can't go wrong here, or with any of the others above.
