First impressions, so my first thoughts on this was ok this probably going to be the next generic light novel anime this season and the most part it kinda is.
But the show dose something a little different that really took me off my guard.
Story, 6/10
So chivalry of a failed knight on the surface seems like the next generic light novel anime with a school and teens with super powers.
But what I told that it does something a little different from the norm.
"Oh really please explain"
"Sure thing"
So are story begins with the usual set up
With are Main character lkki kurogane who is a Blazer and the blazer is basically this world version of people with super powers that uses magic.
Ikki goes to a very prestigious school known as Hagun academy In order to be a Mage knight. But the problem with ikki is that he is ranked the weakest student at the school because of his low abilities when it comes to the magic and other things with him having the degrading nick name "the worst one" and basically treated like shit be most people around him.
So after returning from his daily training who comes across a half naked girl named Stella vermillion who is a princess from a different country Who came here to study.
So after trying to talk to the headmaster of the school
The to of them decide to have a dual in order to sort things out where the looser is the winner slave for life.
Which ends in the usual way with the main character completely beating her.
While she is recovering from her fight she learns that her and ikki have a lot more in common than she first believed.
Because she has also had a similar experience to what ikki has gone though but from the completely opposite side.
and so begins there adventure of working together in order to rech there dreams.
Which can be helped by entering the seven start sword art festival which is a inter school tournament which is student fighting each other between other schools.
Which is done by the strongest students of each school. Which is also decided by a tournament of some sort.
So the story is basically ikki and Stella fighting there way to the top of there school In order to get to this torment with them fighting opposition of the week
and the usual shit in between.
for example they fight some sort of terrorist group in one ep and in another part is where there basically doing regular school activities and some sort of romance that's going down.
Which sounds pretty bare bones.
But as you continue watching you start to notice.
that not what it's all about.
It is actually about an under dog story done right about the Main character and few others characters as they try to slowly change the system around them for the better.
As they try to point out the flaws and hypocrisy of the system around them.
Because in this society if you have low magic power your basically trash and people with high magic power can kind of do what they want.
For an example of this we find out that ikki is part of a prestigious clan of magic knights. Who after finding out ikki condition basically ignore is existence and continue to try and stop him from becoming a magical knight and even when ikki left his home and managed to get into this school in order to become a magic knight by the skin of his teeth.
Still unable to take part in classes because the kurogane clan basically got the school head master at the time to change the rules so he won't Be Able to past his classes.
And for a whole year he was basically in a no win situation at his school.
But though strong will and determination he continued to try and get stronger.
But now an opportunity has presented its self.
With the new headmaster that has told ikki that in order for him to become a magical knight and reach his dreams he must win the seven star sword festival for his school.
And that is basically what the story is about.
Which is quite interesting because I never expected something with actual deepth in a light novel anime.
Basically this is a story that subverts all expectations when it comes to the generic light novel type story's.
Now it nothing ground braking.
But at the end of the day it kind of refreshing in a way that they decided to take it.
Especially with the writing.
Because it has a sort of self awareness to it.
Which doesn't mean that's it good because it self awareness because it doesn't do much with it. But it has a sense of charm to.
For example there is this one scene where ikki is telling Stella that is Little sister is going to be at school and she sied to him your not going to tell me that you guys aren't related by blood or something like that with him reply no we are related by blood and then she says ok that's fine.
With that scene there basically saying yes we know what type of series this.
Another thing that makes the story stand out from the norm.
Is the fact that there is an romance that actually goes some where for a change.
Because it nice to see the moan character pick a girl and stick with it.
Plus they take seriously enough for you to by into it.
Characters, 6/10
The main character ikki actually has some sort of personality.
But what Made him stand out for me for example was his determination to continue fighting against a system that for most of his life pretty much backed him into a corner. Because he didn't have much magical abilities.
Like his personally is pretty much this.
He is pretty much a calm and collected guys that is very noble at heart.
Another thing that also stands out from him is that we are also showing that there things that will get to him.
For example there is this one scene where he is so nervous about this fight with this one guy.
Because of an encounter with this person in the past that really made him really struggle at first with his big fight with him at first intil they managed to up him get back into his normal state of mind.
Stella also has some sort of personality as well.
At first she seems like a basic tsudare character type.
But like ikki there is more the Meets the eye with her and I am not saying she deep or anything like that. Because she isn't.
But she a pretty interesting back story which is quite relateble and her dynamic with ikki more than makes up for it.
Also she never felt like the carbon copy of what a tsudare is.
On the topic on there dynamic they have very close blond which eventually becomes love which at times a little rushed but very genuine.
Another thing which made there romance interesting as the fact that out of the both of them she is the more sexually promiscuous.
which is something you don't see that often because generally it the male partner that is more of the pervert.
For an example. There is this one scene where they are in a log cabin in the woods and they are basically resting inside and both of them are basically half naked well you know hormones and the mood being set she asks ikki if he wants to have sex with her. Of course he turns it down because he is more of a traditionalist when it comes to matters of a sexual nature while Stella is not.
Which was quite interesting.
Now I am going to go more in depth about to more characters because I believe that these to especially at the moment of doing this review need to be addressed.
So i am going to talk about is ikki little sister first.
Shizuku who has a massive brother complex.
I know some of you are oh my god here we go again.
But unlike some shows that do this kind of trope mostly for comedy or fan serive in my experience. Which it kind of is but that's beside the point.
There is an actual good reason why she is like that.
Because she was probably one of the few members of ikki family that didn't treat him like shit. And when she found out about what her family members where doing to him she basically hates her family minus for brother and decides that she will become the subtitle for the love that he never received from his family. And has no problem show casing this is because I. One scene where it's the first time she had meet ikki in about 4 years she pushes him to the ground and kisses him in front of a large group of people and talks about her feels to her brother.
Even though it kind of shallow they at lest have some sort of context to why she is like that.
Another character I want to talk about in a bit of detail is Alice.
Who is basically a transgender or transsexual person (and don't quote me on this because I get confused on which on is which because I don't really care and plus I kind of forget the difference between trans- sexual and trans- gender people)
And in most cases of anime I have seen with these kinds of character they are generally used as some sort of joke which when I think about it is kind of insulting
To people who are like that and to the character them selfs.
Because they could have been interesting if taking seriously enough.
But Alice on the other hand is actually taken seriously for the most part which was also somethings I didn't expect from this kind of story.
And for the most he was quite the interesting character to watch.
Now for the side characters that where for the most pretty average for the most part
Most of them are pretty one note.
Some of them where a bit more interesting than other that.
Nothing else really noteworthy.
Art, 7/10
The animation was very well done.
All the back ground also like very nice.
They also have a very bright colors scheme.
Which actually changes when there some serious shit going down.
Because when characters are feeling depressed or there a lot of tension in the scene.
The world becomes red , black, gray and sometimes there some blue in there to.
They also like to use expressive animation when the come to what the characters are generally feeling.
There is also some very good fight choreography.
It has a very generic style to it.
The character designs are basically your run of the mill light novel designs.
Sound, 6/10
The quite enjoyed listening to bouts the opening song and ending song.
Because it kind of got my attention and it has a nice beat to it.
The ost was on point most of the time but nothing really standing out that much.
But I think that the op and end song are worth a quick listen.
Enjoyment, 6/10
So when it came to this anime what I enjoyed.
Is that it took the basic light novel formula and put actual effort Into it.
And it was refreshing and quite endearing.
Even though it had quite a few generic shit that kinds of bothered me it actually never felt like that. I also found this to be a good time passer as well.
Overall. 6/10
So if your are new to anime or just starting to dive into more titles then check this show out because it's a very good entry level show.
But if your a veteran of anime or you think light novels is the cancer of anime then probably stay away.
