For the first four episodes, there was a feeling in the back of my head, a little bit of deja vu. After a bit of a shocking cliffhanger end to the fourth episode, I thought about it for a little bit and realized what it was: every single individual element was something I've already seen before. Every character archetype, interaction, plot thread, event scenario, everything was all derivative. Clearly inspired by something else, plucked out and thrown into a stew. But whatever, I thought to myself, as long as the ingredients come together to form something interesting, I don't mind. But it only got worse, first off because the stakes of that cliffhanger were IMMEDIATELY undone followed by several contrivances, but then in the sixth episode, the show peels back the curtain and lets you see just how truly contrived it is with the entire episode serving as an exposition dump for the backstory, and its full form is unveiled. This show is the scribblings of a chuuni 12yo making his own epic grimdark fantasy, but revisited in adulthood adapting all of the concepts with none of the passion, resulting in a mess of a story that is both outrageously idiotic and yet utterly bland. In episode 7, any reason to believe that it would ever be anything else was squashed, so I dropped it, and all I have to show for it is this review urging others not to waste their time.
There are good production values, the visuals are great, and its clear that time and effort went into the show to make it look good. On the sound front though, the same can't be said. The ending theme, while it does evoke a certain emotional response, is often utilized rather questionably, occasionally coming in while dialogue is still going on dulling the impact of both the ending and the dialogue, and I have to ask what the fuck they were thinking having it come in at times like that. There are also sound effects that actually made me pause and go back because they did not fit the action that was happening at all, to a confusing degree. The sound design is serviceable but I can't call it "good."
It's a shame the high quality visuals are in service to such a garbage narrative. This anime really doesn't have a redeeming factor outside of them.
