The animation quality is excellent and the choreography of the fight sequences is well done. It actually made me think that spears could be cool weapons too (though I'm now unsure, is the spear more of a phallic object than a sword or not?). Actually even if fantasy adventures aren't your thing I'd recommend it just for the spear action.
When watching the end you should probably keep in mind that the series is an adaptation of one book in a series. When I first saw the ending I was a little disappointed, but when you realise the ending isn't the end per se then the fates of the various characters involved makes more sense. I haven't read the book but it’s been said that the anime has expanded coverage of a number of characters and their background relationships, while the book itself is aimed at a somewhat younger audience. The series of books is currently been translated into English so I think I may pick up the first volume and see.
