This series really let me down. There were times when I downright loved the show, such as those moments early on with Pacifica and her siblings. One such moment was when Pacific, when feeling depressed, went up to Shannon and leaned on him. The way the scene was shot and executed really sold me on their relationship. Despite Pacifica always whining and complaining, the way it was played off with her siblings made it feel like they all loved and cared for one another.
One segment I particularly enjoyed was Episode 16, where Pacifica loses her memory and gets taken in by another man was another episode in which I enjoyed a lot. I wasn't expecting to like it as they had her forget her memories (a plot device I have never been particularly fond of), but her chemistry with Furet was really touching. Watching them slowly grow closer, to the point that she can't stand being separated from him was fun to watch. I'm sure I could have watched a 12 episode slice of life built on those characters alone.
Shannon was by far my favorite character. Miki Shinichiro (the voice actor for Shannon) has always been a favorite of mine. They way he talks just makes me like the character, and I feel I could listen to him talk for hours. The segment where Shannon becomes really attached to a little girl he finds became one of my favorites in the series. While he seems lazy and unenergetic, he also usually feels competent and reliable.
Aside from Shannon, his dragoon whose name I've forgotten, and Pacifica, nobody got proper development. Cin's story arc went nowhere, Leo remained useless comic relief, Raquel barely did anything aside from improving Shannon's move sometimes. It makes me perhaps irrationally mad, since the setting and some of the core ideas present in this story could have made it really good. Episode one left me in such great hope. But my lack of investment in any of the characters made almost all of the drama pretty boring.
When the story started to get more into the guardian genes, and Peacemakers, was when the show slowly began its decent from potentially a favorite, to something much lower down on my list. Which is a real shame since I really wanted to love this series.
A weak ending brings what might have been an 8 or 9 down to a 6. It had its moments but I felt very frustrated and upset by its conclusion.
