Art: 8
One of the more praiseworthy aspects of this anime is the art. Especially in the opening theme. Overall the backgrounds were nice, the style of the characters were quite detailed, not the most detailed but it wasn't a copypasta of the same design with different colors either. The opening songs had enough effects that it was comparable to unlimited budget works as far as particle effects, cg, detail, animation etc (OP gets a 10, ED about 8-9). The show was nice to look at, overall. It isn't a masterpiece in the art department for its time, by no means, but it is at least above average. The only reason why some points were taken off were really just the fact that the quality was mostly in the OP and ED and the rest of the show didn't consistently follow through with the art quality (about a 7 for most of the show).
Sound: 7
The songs in this show are quite decent. Not sqeaky kawaii songs; decently spirited OP and chill ED. Sadly, despite the good use of sound in the OP and ED, the overall BGM is kinda lacking in iconic pieces. This isn't a Hiroyuki Sawano or Kajiura show, sadly. And the OP and ED were really just good for the budget this show had spent (8 each). The BGM sits at about 5 in that my ears weren't begging me to mute the show but I literally remember no pieces from it either. Voice acting was nothing special. This isn't like some of the older dub anime where I just want the characters to shut up but it's just standard Japanese voice acting.
Story: 5
Sadly, this is where the show falls flat. We have a post-war world with some plot going on with people who werent happy with how the war turned out. That's...about enough to sum it up. Yup, just that bland. Ok, there's a bit of "will of the fairies" shit going on too. Yeah but...Nothing intricate, no really good literary devices or story telling techniques to reeeeeally heighten the reader's emotions. The best scene was in the last episode and that's the only one that made me utter a "oof...". If there were morals to be discussed, they were not exactly any new ideas or topics and were rather cliche.
Character: 6
This bit had potential between Marlya and Veronica. It really did. There were parts where this could have gone REALLY far. The writers sadly...didn't really pick up on it though. Like that sisterly spark is there... but it was lit up too late and just not given enough time resource within the story to really shine. Free and Marlya's relationship could also really be improved. Sure they spend a lot of screentime together and I don't need them to get together romantically, but it felt flat. Then there's other characters who I really didn't feel any attachment for because there just wasn't really enough time to develop them. They were distinct enough to remember by appearance and ability but not really enough to cry for if they died (ex: a certain Holy Britannian Emperor). Some shows like Gundam Seed had Flay as a very passionately hated character, and these types make great antagonists but the ones in this show...I couldn't relate to or understand the logic for why they were doing what they were doing and they were just shadowy/edgey...not really anything to hate on and get emotions worked up when they do something bad.
Enjoyment: 6
It's a "eh". The characters are what makes a viewer grow attached to a show (ex: Macross Frontier did a great job growing the three characters they focused on and maturing them, Fate/Zero had broskander and AUO). The plot is what keeps a viewer hooked for more (Code Geass and it's infinite plot twists). This one didn't quite hit home in either department...
Still, it's watchable. Just, nothing amazing.
Overall:
7 (Would've been a 6 if the OP and ED weren't so nice to look at/listen to)
