As someone who watched and loved the first series back in 2011, and tried some of the subsequent ones, it was really nice to see overDress not following the same old formula. There is no first episode explaining the rules, there is no old characters making cameos, it is all new and it is all different.
The biggest difference between this and the older animes ("If" may be an exception here), is that it is not a story ABOUT Vanguard told USING Vanguard. It is a story about these characters and how they grow as people, and they play Vanguard in the process.
They basically take all the SoL aspects of the other animes (which are arguably the best part about these for me) and do not rush them in 10 minutes per episode so they can fit a rushed fight in the other half. It is much easier to connect and enjoy their stories beacause of this.
You are free to disagree, of course. But at least give them credit for trying. In a industry where it's really easy to just sit and repeat what made success, they took a step froward and tried to reinvent themselves.
Regarding the more technical aspects, the anime is pretty decent. With great visuals, specially in the short battle scenes with the "avatars", nice voice acting complementing fun and enjoyable characters, and a decent soundtrack.
Now we have to wait for the next season, which will probably finish the story and allow us to be able to give it a fair analysis.
