The premise is compelling, the characters (including the villains) are given strong background stories, and there are moments in the series where I genuinely almost shed a tear over a touching scene centered on a random side character I never expected to emotionally resonate with.
This has all the makings of a potentially fantastic series, but *damn*, the art and execution consistently ruin the experience.
The characters ... have stiff expressions during certain moving / dynamic scenes. The vignettes that show important character interactions and backstories ... have almost no flow at all, have poor scene transitions, and end just as abruptly as they begin -- without any opportunity for the audience to really let the emotions sink in.
Whoever's the director of this series is not doing their job. And it's a shame, because I see all the elements that make for the greatest of stories: dramatic irony; betrayal; noble hearts forced to commit evil deeds; villains acting upon pure intentions; a cast of varied personalities whose interactions are sometimes hilarious and sometimes touching; a pattering of romance; philosophical meditations on human nature, the list goes on....
It hurts me, because watching this series feels exactly like eating a delicious birthday cake out of a garbage can...
