Before I start with my review, let me preface by saying that I did play the game before watching the anime so I do have some above-average knowledge of God Eater's lore and what was the game's biggest Wham moments. Though I have since put down the game for good and cannot for the life of me get back into playing it, I did enjoy the story and the cast. I find that God Eater's story is at the top of all Monster Hunter-clones (and is even better in that department when compared to any official Monster Hunter game)
When the anime was announced and said to be developed by Ufotable, I was ecstatic. Ufotable is hands-down my new favorite animation studio. I've been in love with their works since Kara no Kyoukai leading up to Fate/Zero and then finally with Unlimited Blade Works. It was a no-brainer that I give the God Eater anime a chance.
Now if you were following the anime at the same time as the original broadcast, I will admit that it was a horrible experience. With that much delay in-between episodes, the glamour of the series diminishes after each passing week. It's easy to believe that the God Eater anime sucks.
For a time, I did think same. I absolutely placed the series in the back of my mind. My thoughts at the time were that it was an unfortunate debacle. Ufotable did not seem to reach the lofty expectations fans set after enjoying all of their continually great series.
When the delayed episodes were announced to be broadcast without any breaks, I decided to binge watch every episode again.
I was shocked. When watching every episode back-to-back, the difference in terms of enjoyment was clearer than night and day.
I know now that the blame for the poor initial reception lies solely on the delay and not on the series itself.
The animation was never the problem. It was still as good as the day I first watched them and it's on par with all of their previous works
Of particular note here is the fight choreography. On my first viewing, I did not pay particular attention to them but they were much more amazing the second time. The fight on top of the airplane, the fight near the dam, the underground fight (where Lenka was coordinating things) and the fight in the final episode clearly stand out in my mind.
Story-wise, you should expect much of the same as with Unlimited Blade Works. To the uninformed, Ufotable expanded the original story, There were much more scenarios and development in the anime that were never in the original work.
If you are a fan of the original work and are the type to hate it when the anime expands upon the story by creating new scenes, you might as well stop reading now.
Personally I really enjoyed it. The added scenarios created a new experience for me. Even though I was already spoiled from enjoying the game's original spoilers, I appreciated Ufotable by creating new surprises for me to enjoy.
In terms of character development, the original game focused on Alisa, Lindow and Soma. But here in the anime, those three are joined by Lenka and Johannes. The anime especially did a great job with Lenka and Johannes. Since Lenka was based on the blank Player Character of the game, there were a lot of ways they could have developed him. But I am quite pleased with the story they crafted.
If you could only watch one episode of God Eater, then you should really watch Episode 10. It's one of the most heartbreaking episodes of any anime and was the reason I decided to give this series a second chance.
And besides Lenka's developments, I also felt for Johannes. When you watch the anime as whole, you can truly feel that you now understand what makes him tick. His character journey is equally heartbreaking.
Lastly, there's the soundtrack. For the majority of the episodes, there is a very blood-pumping action-filled rock soundtrack on par with what the original game did. It's purpose is to tell you that a very cool fight is about to happen and it does it's job well.
But what surprised me is the soundtrack they used during the quiet moments. It definitely grabs your attention and helps make you feel more for the characters. Of particular note is the entire soundtrack for episode 10. Ruined Land by Go Shiina feat. naomi is my new go-to feelz song.
So please, if you are a fan of the original game, a fan of Ufotable or are simply a fan of the action genre, please give this series a chance. Watching the series now that it's completed will not be a disappointment.
My only disappointment is that the anime stopped right before the Burst storyline. I truly feel that Ufotable may not get a second crack at the series and may not be able to create a second season finishing the original game's story. But I do feel that the anime stopped at a satisfying point. You can still watch this series and enjoy it for what it is.
(Besides MAL, I am also posting this review on Crunchyroll so please don't be alarmed)
