I used to believe that an adaptation that follows the source is better than an adaptation that just goes anime original. Well not blue exorcist, since it somehow made me rethink that idea.
To simplify this review, and for fun i will list 5 major flaws that i disliked about the show. Why 5?
cause Rin has 5 friends.
1.7.8/10-IGN retconning.
Similar to black butler, the show just decided eh our fans have prob read the manga, so we'll just continue as if the ending didn't happen and they know the story already. I had to google it, but from what I learnt, I could be wrong on this, but after ep 15, just before Rin's sword breaks, Mephisto steps in and stop the fight, and after that the trial still happened and such but the whole part of his friends going to fix his sword apparently didn't happen. Well what a great way to start the show, just throwing us in there without telling us what was going on. Not even a single ep to tell us what happen and such, they do later on, but it's only a few scattered info here and that.
2.10/10 Villains
Don't you just love it when you don't even know why your villain is being evil? I know I sure do, and so does the author. That's why she decided to introduce a villain that we know nothing about. How did he know all of this information about the impure king eyes and such? Nope nothing. Why is he doing this? Nope nada. Instead we just have it appear in the 1st episode, which gives our main cast a reason to be on guard, after like 4 eps, suddenly appears again, and such wow he managed to make everything go according to keikaku. Then oh that's not actually his plan, this is. Then he just stays there... doesn't escape, doesn't try to actively kill people, nothing. Just hangs around like a stoner.
3.100/10 powers.
God, like i have never been so bored by action scenes before. The show tries to be both cool action and logical at the same time. What do i mean by that?
Cool action would be a show like Dragon Ball Z, there's very little rule and logic behind their superpowers and it's all raw action.It's just people throwing their power at each other, hoping to over power them.
Logical action series would be something like Hunter X Hunter where their power is well detailed and explained, we know about Nen, how it works and the limitations of it, and battles are fought with strategy and the person having the strongest Nen doesn't automatically make them a winner.
This show tries to be both, which isn't a fault by itself, but does it so badly. Like the few fights there is in the show just makes no sense. They have guns, exorcist spells, those staff things, familiar, but there's no semblance of strategy or explanation about how they use any of this and the differences and situations to use them. Then there's suddenly also elemental rock paper scissors and bullets blessed by holy water can stop the main villain.
4.1337/10 action.
continuing on from point 3, where i mentioned how the show handles fights so horribly. Well continuing on from there, the show has very little action to offer in the first place. I know i shouldn't be expecting much for a 12 ep anime series, but come on. Keijo had better fights going for it, and Keijo is a freaking anime with a stupid premise. Due to the previous mentioned point, the fights are usually boring since they dont go either way. No over the top action or destruction and also no logical thinking that puts you on the edge of your seat making you think oh crap what are they gonna do next. Add on the main villain is overpowered as hell, and that being 1 of arguably 4 fights in the series. There's no tension in that fight at all. Regen is a lame way to make your villain overpowered, and like always the mangaka didn't bother to set a limit, making that whole fight a beat down, even when they overpowered him, there's no joy in it. Don't even get me started on the final fight.
5.8008/10 atmosphere.
This is one of my major grievance with this show. Like the show has this whole serious atmosphere. Yes i know this is a serious event, and there's people who's lives are in danger but come on. It made me more apathetic towards them. It's just bleak, and what's more since the main character, I mean Rin, doesn't seem to care all that much and does nothing to help, why should I?
I don't have a good closing line, so you get this.
My overall score for the show:
Critical-2.5/5
enjoyment-1.5/5
Total-4/10
*insert feelsbadman emote here*