I will use the same format as my last review, using the rating system to help structure my review.
Before I begin I would like to disclaim that I have not played the video game, I do intend to, but at this time this is the opinion of someone who has only seen the anime.
When I first began the anime, I didn't really know what to expect. I hadn't really researched it before hand, and I didn't know it would take the same twist it did. As soon as the plot was revealed, I was drawn in immediately. If you read my review on Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica, you would know that I quite like anime that take a turn in the opposite direction of how you first imagine it. The premise of the story is quite interesting, and the idea isn't an overused trope like other anime of the same genre. However, when I reached a certain point closer to the end of the anime, I realised that there wasn't enough time to finish the story in a way that I had hoped it would and I found the ending very disappointing. I am a big fan of revisiting anime that I have previously watched and enjoyed, but with an ending like this one I can't see myself doing that. I cannot delve into what disappointed me most about the ending without spoiling things, so I will leave it with this. I felt the conclusion wasn't as thought out as the rest of the story, and I felt like there was far more room for improvement and suspense in the ending.
Next, the art. I was absolutely blown away with the use of mixed styles in the anime. I fell in love with the use of almost paper-like animation in some of the execution scenes. Absolutely brilliant! The style in the rest of the anime I found a little bit average, nothing really jumped out at me like in others I have watched. However, that being said, I adored the design of the characters. They were all very unique and I quite enjoyed all their little details that belonged only to them. I liked how the designer branched into all different ideas, like the super muscly girl or the sexy goth. The use of the varying designs also helped mask whom the murdered was every episode. You couldn't use any stereotypes to help you figure it out, because there were too many to analyse. I was surprised every time!
In my opinion, there isn't much to talk about in regards to the sound. The opening of the anime, Never Say Never, was very catchy and hip. The ending, Zetsubousei: Hero Chiryouyaku, I felt was a little dull.
The music used in investigations and punishments didn't stand out to me especially, probably because I was too busy trying to figure out who was the murderer then trying to recover after realising I was wrong.
Okay, that's probably a lie. I personally don't have too much of an opinion on the music. It was...alright. I wish I could say more.
Now I stated earlier that I loved the character design in this anime, but as far as character personalities and development I found it bone dry. I understand that the intent wasn't for the students to get close and become buddies, but I found the characters quite boring without any kind of real development. I like to relate to my characters in some way, whether it's because Tsukino Usagi (Sailor Moon) is a big crybaby like me, or because all Kaneki Ken (Tokyo Ghoul) wants is to fit in somewhere like me, or because Izumi Konata (Lucky Star) has itty bitty boobies just like yours truly - I still have one aspect that I share with a character and it helps me to almost connect with the mangaka and share how they feel about their character. Relating to a character I think is an important aspect of any story telling. The characters in this anime were all very boring to me and it made their deaths a little less intense for me.
Overall, I did like the anime. But there were particular aspects that made the whole weekend I spent binging it seem a little less exciting. If even a few of these aspects were met, I think that this anime could have been in my top 10 favourite. Again, if you read my other review, you would know I am a bit of a hard judge when it comes to my favourite anime.
It's hard for me to recommend this anime, but if you're the kind of person that likes horror but have a bit of a weak stomach, the horror is mellowed out by the use of discolouration of the blood. If you're also like me and enjoy unexpected twists, this would meet your criteria.
I hope you enjoy this anime a bit more than I did. Sadly, I have to rate this at a 4 sakura flowers out of 10.
