Story: 9
I gave the story a 9 because I think it balances similarities to other shows (which is impossible to avoid these days, regardless of if the creator thought they were totally original, since everything has been done in some form at this point) and uniqueness.
I like that it touches on some social issues and has a lot of deeper meaning in the characters interactions and world, psychology would have a field day researching the minds of kids who had grown up in the environment that these kids have. Especially that they seem so well-adjusted to the situation, which is much more mature than a lot of other with dystopian/post-apocalyptic scenarios. They know that they don't get normal lives but they accept it, and in ways are proud to be the ones that protect everyone. Though some speculation on the future-- I think we will see some unexpected things arise which some of them may not deal with well.
I see a lot of potential in the story and I hope we get to see more into the world itself, how it got that way, and the bigger picture of their roles within it. I really like the snapshot we get in episode 7.
Art: 9
The art isn't very unique in itself but I think it is still very good quality. I especially like the scenes with a lot of nuance, the ones where the characters are emoting with the world sprawled before them, they do those especially well in this. I am thinking of scenes like where Zero and Hiro are up on the ledge together, looking out at the city. I think it also helps to showcase the differences in their personalities. I also just really like Zero's design in general.
Sound: 7
Honestly I am not really big on sound in any anime. I don't notice it much unless it's super outstanding, or very bad, but so far the sound for this seems pretty good. Nothing incredible but I from what I can recall I think they use it appropriately for the settings and to give suspense.
Character: 9
I think I could also give this a 10, but I am being safe and giving it a 9. I really like Zero as a character, and I love that all of the kids have such distinct personalities. Some of them really annoy me, like the one boy who keeps causing the problems and tried to ride with Zero. But I think that is intended, so it also gives them points. I also think we'll see more deepening to him and the other characters along the way.
I really like how distinct they are, but not too stereotypical. I'm not sure how to explain it well, but I feel like the nuance for them is perfect, they feel like real personalities. And the fact that they did not grow up regularly and are still exploring what it means to be human really adds to the interactions. At first Hiro was a bit too weak for my tastes, but I think he is really growing into his character. I hope we get to see a lot more about Zero though, she is still very much an enigma. I have a lot of speculation about her and her origins but I won't go into them here. I enjoy her as an outcast character, since I tend to relate to those the best.
Enjoyment: 10
Enjoyment is 10 because I just really love it so far, it has a lot of great aspects that make it better than your average mecha, or average anime in general. I wouldn't call it a Masterpiece, so my overall score is still 9, but I like it enough where I'd say my enjoyment while watching is a 10. It is certainly one of my top anime this season.
Overall Score: 9
So, in the end, I would recommend this show to people who are familiar enough with anime to get to the real meat of the story and overlook some silly anime tropes, like how they ride together (lol). While not a Masterpiece, this is still a great show. Especially for a mecha (in my eyes).
