"Kaze no Stigma" isn't the worst anime I've seen but it's not the best either. Instead, it falls somewhere in the middle. It has some awesome fight scenes, likable characters and great comedic moments, but unfortunately these are held back by an uneven story and average animation. It's far from what I'd call essential viewing, but it's still worth a look, even if you will feel that most of it has been done before.
Story (6.5/10):
The story revolves around the Kannagi family, a family of sorcerers who have practiced the sacred art of fire magic for countless generations and are protected by the spirits of fire. Kazuma Kannagi, however, has zero talent for fire magic, which ultimately results in him getting disowned by his father and cast from the family. However, he later discovers that his true talent lies in a completely different element altogether, namely wind. Four years later, which is when the story begins, Kazuma (now named Yagami) returns to Japan as an incredibly powerful wind magic user, having made a contract with the Spirit King of the Wind, just like the first Kannagi head had done before with the Spirit King of Fire. Basically, he has all the powers of the Spirit King's domain so he's the most powerful wind magic user alive.
However, he is not the only main character. The story actually opens with Ayano, the future head to the Kannagis, Kazuma's second cousin and the girl who beat him in a battle for Enraiha, a sword that's been passed down to the Kannagis for generations. The two have a rough start but after being forced to work together to stop a revolt against the Kannagis, they start to become closer as they are paired together for more missions. The story follows an arc format. The first half is split into three arcs, then afterwards we have four breather episodes and once we reach episode 17, Kazuma and Ayano tackle a huge case that takes up the eight remaining episodes of the series, while delving into Kazuma's dark past.
Yeah, there isn't much new here. The whole opposing forces working together has been done plenty of times and the magic isn't gone into much detail- all we know is that someone makes a contract with a Spirit King and all their descendants inherit that power, though it's never made clear why Kazuma didn't inherit it. There's also the fact that despite tackling themes like family and power, these themes never really evolve beyond window-dressing, with the series making little effort to explore any of them. The arcs vary in quality, with the last one probably being the best as a lot of questions you've been asking over the series are finally answered. Unfortunately, the series ends on a serious cliffhanger that leaves much unresolved, including Kazuma and Ayano's growing feelings for each other. But with the author of the light novels having passed away in 2009, the chances of ever getting a proper conclusion are slim to none.
Art & Animation (7.5/10):
"Kaze no Stigma" is very rough around the edges. The character models have constant jagged lines and there are plenty of gratuitous panty shots. The magic effects are quite nice but I've definitely seen better. Even considering that the series came out in 2007 (more than a decade ago at this point), the animation really isn't anything special.
Sound & Dialogue (8.5/10):
The soundtrack blends into the background mostly, but there are quite a few good tracks that you will want to look up. Notably, the series uses two main ending themes over the course of the series and rather than changing the theme halfway, one plays during dramatic cliffhangers while the other plays at the end of an arc or a breather episode. The voice acting for the dub is great; if you're a fan of "Fairy Tail" like myself then you'll instantly recognise Cherami Leigh as Ayano and she delivers a great performance here. The standout performance, however, has got to be Robert McCollum as Kazuma. His deep, manly voice is perfect for Kazuma's cool, snarky character, and he ultimately walks away with the series' best lines. However, there's some pretty bad voice acting in the series as well, specifically Caitlin Glass as Catherine. She was clearly trying to put on a posh accent, but it comes out as awkwardly British even though the character is American, and just serves to make her even more annoying than she already is.
Characters (7/10):
The characters are quite good, though mostly the main ones. We'll start with Kazuma. He is frequently called a jerk by Ayano, and honestly, she's not wrong. He's brutally honest (and I mean BRUTAL), often charges money before he lifts a finger to help and always has a snarky comment ready at the expense of, well, pretty much everyone. However, believe me when I say he has a very good reason for acting the way he does. Besides being disowned by his parents, he suffered a huge loss during his years away from Japan. It's hinted on throughout the series then it's revealed in the final arc and boy is it tragic! That's not to say he's a totally bad person, of course. He's still a good person at heart and there are several moments where he shows just how much he cares for others, particularly Ayano and Ren. On top of all this, he is easily the most badass character in the series. If there is any reason to watch this series, he is it, making this one of the few anime in which the male lead and anti-hero is my favourite character.
Next up, we have Ayano, who is Kazuma's opposite in just about every way. Kazuma, as a wind magic user, is cool-headed and rational, while Ayano, a fire magic user, is short-tempered and impulsive. In other words, she's a literal fiery redhead, as well the main source of comedy in the series. Now, arguably this show's biggest problem is having two main characters of equal importance and having one much more powerful than the other. I know that's how anime like this normally start, but that's to give a chance for the weaker one to catch up. "Kaze no Stigma", on the other hand, is written in such a way that it's pretty much impossible for Ayano to catch up, so she comes off as a dead weight most of the time. Emphasis on 'most of the time', however, as she does have her moments of badassery when Kazuma's not stealing the spotlight. Then again, I don't mind Kazuma taking the spotlight so much, as Ayano can get very annoying at times. Sometimes, her temper and attitude are funny, other times, not so much. She's a very stereotypical tsundere. Another problem with her character is that despite being the future head of a family that wields fire, she nearly never uses actual fire magic, relying almost exclusively on Enraiha. Thankfully, I can say she gets a lot better in the last few episodes, earning her a rightful spot as my second favourite character.
The third character is Ren, Kazuma's younger brother who practically worships him. With Kazuma and Ayano often bickering, he serves as the series's moral centre- the heart, if you will. He practically has the third arc dedicated to him, and his story will probably make you shed a tear or two. He largely exits the spotlight after that, but he still plays a prominent role throughout, and does a good job at rounding out the main cast. The supporting cast is alright, but they tend to be in the background for the most part, and there are a couple of characters I really didn't like. Notably, however, Ayano's friends, Yukari and Nanase, turn out to have hidden depths late in the series, making them their own characters rather than just 'those two girls who hang out with the heroine'. That's a very rare thing for any anime, so to see it in one like this, which doesn't have much originality to begin with, is both surprising and welcome.
Enjoyment (7/10):
"Kaze no Stigma" is a fun series, but it's not a particularly exciting one. There are some good fight scenes, but there isn't really anything you couldn't get from a number of other, better anime. And while the comedy is great throughout, as I said, there are times when it can get rather annoying. It's entertaining, definitely, but I wouldn't blame you if you stopped watching at some point.
Overall:
"Kaze no Stigma" is the type of anime that's good fun while it lasts, but in the end fails to leave any kind of lasting impression. It's not horrible by any means you can think of, but it doesn't really stand out in any meaningful way either. And after watching several similar but better shows like "Shakugan no Shana", "Tokyo Ravens" and "Project K", I can definitely say you could probably give this one a miss.
Score:
6.5+7.5+8.5+7+7=36.5/50=7.3/10
