I think you're going to have a different view of this anime depending on whether or not you actually believe in God. I didn't become a Christian until I was 20 and spent years refusing to live for God, until he brought calamity into my life like Tanya. I then submitted to Him, and realized I was a fool for not doing it sooner. But, from that perspective I understand Tanya's desire to ignore God and live the life she wants to live. But, as someone who found the peace in submission, I also felt like I wish she would just submit. The most irrational thing for her to do, in her mind, would be the only rational choice. She cannot win against God. It was immensely entertaining to watch her try, however. It made for a fantastic plot, especially intertwined with the horrors of war.
As for the characters, this anime revolved completely around Tanya and her struggle with "Being X". As such, the entire cast was pretty much cut and paste military grunts and generals around her. The only other character to stand out from the pack was her assistant Serebryakova, a strangely bubbly character for the anime, that in spite of her persona, was able to get things done and not hesitate in battle.
With Tanya being the primary focus, her character had to be excellent in order for this anime to shine, and it did. While the anime says it's "The Saga of Tanya The Evil", in reality, it's "The Saga of Tanya the Schemer.". Only twice in the whole anime does she do anything that could be described as "evil". A more apt description of her would be someone who was callous and calculating. She's no hero, to be sure. She's not even an anti-hero. She's basically a Nazi with villainous tendencies. But, she's not particularly evil. Although, you get the sense that she could become the Hitler of this world she's in and thus become evil.
Another thing this anime excelled at was the battles. Tanya leads a battalion of mages, that fight similar to Strike Witches. These aerial battles are intense, especially each time she fights her nemesis, Anson Sioux. The final battle of the anime was particularly amazing.
The animation style of this is similar to Full Metal Alchemist. Very good motion, decent character design, and full, rich European environments. I was particularly impressed with the drawings that came at the end of each episode. They were just photos of Tanya, but they were incredibly well done. Something else that stood out to me was the sound. The sounds of war were very realistic, especially the explosions. It's a weird thing to notice, but the sounds of the explosions were deafening. They sounded very realistic.
Overall, I highly enjoyed this anime and am looking forward to a second season of it. Especially if it ends like how I anticipate it to end. I would definitely recommend it with high marks.
Story: 10
Art: 9
Sound: 10
Character: 9
Enjoyment: 10
Overall: 9
