As I see the poster, I thought Realize will be another of one of those reverse harem with cute bishies and a little 19th-century vibe to it. But after the first half, I realize Realize:
"This show is underrated."
If we imagine it, Realize can be depicted as a new recipe to make a fresh topping for pizza. Bringing a fresh idea makes this anime unique.
The story is about Cardia Beckford, a girl with a deadly poison in her body, everything she touches can be melted, and thus she lives alone sheltered until she met a man named Arsene Lupin, a thief who brings her to London.
"Classical but fresh." also another phrase for Realize, it can be done well. The only big matter of this kind of anime is how to make a proper adaptation from this 30+ hour of gameplay. Realize pacing can be much better if it planned to be a two-cour so it can justice that hours of gameplay. Realize story revolves fast, but not in the condition where we confused to understand its story (like Occultic; Nine for example). But despite the lack of pacing, the anime drives its plot in the right direction.
The animation has been handled by M.S.C. studio (which is a quite less-known studio who works only for Tennis no Oujisama). One thing I adore is the character design, they've been done beautifully (especially for Cardia and Hellsing), the animation is not as fluid nor perfect as modern anime these days, but it manages to meet its standard.
In case of sound settings, voice actors did a very well job to bring every character alive. Background sound was decent, not a top-notch. While the opening (kalmia by Mia Regina) & ending (twinkle by Saori Hayami itself) really matching with the story atmosphere.
In terms of character, Cardia Beckford really shines as a heroine. Why? It's because she can break the sacred rules of a useless heroine. She can come in handy for the rest of the team instead always acting like 'damsel in distress'. While the rest of the bishies are cookie-cutter, they are somehow related to Cardia's past and some of them have their own past as well.
In the end Code: Realize has proven its worth until this episode. Last but not least, I would say that this show isn't for everyone. But I would comfortable to say to the readers (especially Josei and Otome Game fans) that:
"Don't trust the mean score, trust your own feelings and give it a go."
