There is a lot to like in this show, starting with production values. There’s a lot of great design here, from the mechas, which come in all shapes and sizes; to the characters, who do too. There’s a lot of CG, but it’s pretty well integrated with the regular animation, and there are both exciting robot-to-robot throwdowns as well as a couple of swordfights.
The story was complex, with a lot of moving parts and evolving revelations, some of which are never definitively concluded. This seems to be a theme in this series: You can’t know everything for sure; you can only take the information you have and act in good faith. Pacing is sometimes a little off, but never totally debilitates the show. Salient variables in the plot include ancient legends, a disappeared dad, Kennosuke’s loyalty to a 450-years-dead princess, aliens, and loss of innocence. And despite the more fantastical elements, when it comes down to it our protagonists are just two young people trying to figure out how to survive in a turbulent world where pretty much anything can be lost.
Characterization is where Kuromukuro most reminds me of Escaflowne. We have the brash warrior boy and the timid schoolgirl as our main protagonists. But this familiar dynamic is cleverly tweaked. Kennosuke is a young samurai who falls out of suspended animation completely naked (which is the opposite of what generally happens in anime: usually it’s the girl who comes in with no clothes on) right in front of Yukina, a hapless everygirl whose mother happens to be director of the paramilitary Kurobe Lab and whose father disappeared in a plot-related event eight years prior. Kennosuke is a great fighter and a seasoned soldier, but Yukina is the one who understands how the modern world works as well as being more emotionally mature. So while he definitely gets more action sequences than she does, she is openly confrontational with him in a way that serves to dovetail their character development. They have actual conversations instead of pretty-sounding exchanges. It is clear that they have a sense of companionship before they ever have a sense of romance, which really works to the series’ benefit. (And she does toughen up, in a realistic but gratifying way.)
The supporting cast is well-realized: some are more flat as characters than others, but their thoughts and actions work to theme and in some cases become compelling in their own right. There is definitely a flavor of NGE in regards to Yukina and Kennosuke’s classmates, but it’s not a bad thing. They do here what I wish Saji Crossroad had been used for in Gundam 00: their simpler concerns act as a foil and a sounding board to the protagonists’ more violent conflict. It’s a great emotional storytelling device. (Also, I really really liked the bombastic and foul-mouthed asshole American Marine who, in combat, repeatedly threatens to “shove this .50 mm right up your ass!”)
There is some fanservice, notably when one female character gives another a massage. But there’s no male gaze and the female mecha pilots’ uniforms are respectably formfitting instead of painted on. I should note, for the ladies, that Kennosuke's physique is glorious throughout.
In conclusion, I say if you like some realistic character drama with your mecha, then this is the show for you. If Escaflowne flicked your Bic, odds are good that Kuromukuro will too. Both leads are complex and relatable, and the story has a lot of twists and turns. At the very least it’s worth the three-episode test.
P.S. PA Works had Man at Arms forge Kennosuke’s katana here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q598DP27tGA. It’s worth a watch even if you don’t pick up the show, because they use traditional Japanese swordsmithing methods to make a truly beautiful blade.
