STORY
Because Sengoku Warriors attempts to line up with history as much as it can, the story is predictable. If you've dabbled in the Sengoku Era before, you probably know who will win and who will lose, who will live and who will die. But the anime does take liberties when it can, adding a twist to an event you didn't see coming or creating a sentimental element that was never recorded as fact. You might get the joy of surprise if you go into this without knowing much about this period in Japan, but I think that makes more difficult to understand the motivations of the characters and how meaningful their decisions are unless you have a little background information. 9/10
ART
Because the franchise had managed to obtain a foothold in the US market, I assumed that the company had a lot of money to work with for animation. I'm not passionate enough to research the details of the budget they had, the animation studio they hired and why, etc. Maybe some other reviews touch on that. But in any case, the animation was... not good. It was alright, but I don't think it was what the series deserved. Frankly, it could be difficult to try to capture good-looking screenshots of my favorite characters because there was often something very off-putting in the frame that hadn't been corrected. And for a series based on fighting, there was very little fighting depicted in the animation which is odd when you consider the major historical battles it covered. It would cut away from combat suddenly or show a bright flash to indicate someone had swung their weapon. Basically, it was mostly filling in the details like the way fights are depicted in children's shows and movies. Perhaps it was aired at a time or broadcast on a channel that limited the amount of violence that could be shown. Again, I'm not that passionate enough to research these fine details myself. But it certainly feels lackluster when you compare it to its competitor Sengoku Basara which is infamous for its over-the-top fighting scenes. 5/10
SOUND
I don't have too much to write here. The soundtrack didn't leave much of an impression on me. That doesn't mean it was bad. It was simply not memorable to me. However, the OP was full of energy and was always successful in getting me into the mood to watch my favorite warriors in action. The ending was very pretty too. I won't reveal any spoilers here, but the scenes depicted in the ending become very powerful as the story unfolds. 6/10.
CHARACTER
It... would be difficult to write something here for someone who is not familiar with Samurai Warriors. There are certain traits that tend be consistent in varying interpretations of some characters. You might recognize Yukimura's zeal, Mitsunari's obstinacy, and Tadakatsu's strength among other things. As for fans of the series, you will absolutely fall in love with everyone all over again. It has always impressed me how the series is able to take such a huge cast of characters and find a place in your heart for each and every one of them. The animation is certainly no exception. I was so overjoyed to see the characters in combat with the armor and weapons that have been designed for them. It really is rewarding to watch, even if some of the development is limited due to how much content had to be squished into 12 episodes. 9/10
ENJOYMENT
There's not much to write here that hasn't already been said. I think if you are not a fan of the franchise, you won't miss out on much if you decide not to watch this anime. However, I think this is a must-see if you are a fan. It's one thing to play the game, stage after stage after stage, but it's entirely different to see all the events strung together in one continuous story. In my opinion, it adds an extra dimension to the game that you don't want to miss out on, though I will say that some of the negative elements (bad art, rushed story) do detract from the experience. 8/10
OVERALL
I was wavering between an 8 and a 7, but I have decided to give the anime a 7/10. The story and its characters are wonderful to take in, but the art really did suffer. I'm not sure if there were any hiccups in the process of turning this game into an animation, but I do think it could perhaps have been handled better if more thought had been put into it.
TL,DR: If you like the Samurai Warriors series, definitely give it a try. If you don't like the Samurai Warriors series, feel free to move on to something else.
