Reviewing Info: How I rate/review stuff is explained on my wordpress blog, which can be found through my profile. But TDLR; My personal opinion has much bigger weight than “critical” novel length “objective” mumbo jumbo.
Review layout: Minimal/Lazy MAL non-h
Review type: Anime
Note: Still testing review layouts. This line will be removed when I’m satisfied with the layout.
#Review (short ver):
In a nutshell: Song powered magical girls with cool transformations.
NOTE: Franchise review.
#PROS
+Great transformation
+Vocal music power/magic presentation is great
+Story starts strong
+Plenty of fun characters with pre-set stereotypes
*Cute nakama power presentations
-CONS
-Songs become a bit lazy thus waning in their effect
-Season 3-4 pretty weak (story)
-Odd art quality drops
#Review (comments/longer ver):
Review is overall thoughts up to XV (season 5)
I’ve always enjoyed a great vocal powered magic, Anime. (Remember watching mermaid melody back in days) and this Anime does such genre a fairly great justice. Let me get the main complaint out of the way, the story starts well but sadly season 3-4 were pretty dull story and character ‘wise. Didn’t simply generate the same amazing emotions as first 2 seasons, but thankfully season 5 turned up the notch again.
Anyhow, whilst the story presents the usual magical girl tropes. Character drama, growth, new villains, new powers, new transformations, this one orientates more of mecha’ish designs. Drama itself for most part is enjoyable but sadly most villains’ storytelling and drama is pretty disappointing, but in the end still enjoyable. It’s quite a rollercoaster to be honest, you get moments where you kinda support villains but then you get disappointed how silly it will seem to you and so on.
As far as character cast go, we have tons of fun stereotypes, a bit of everything for everyone. Their growth and development? I guess it does exist, but I didn’t really pay attention to it as it wasn’t focus for me. They did go through various drama scenes thus growing emotionally, but I don’t remember there being anything overly serious. At least for me.
Art, animation is good if it comes to combat and transformations. Very flashy, lot of cool looking moves & powers, but art of everything else is pretty random. I remember some scenes looking like at some sort of paint art whilst other scenes are poser art quality. But overall, it was still good enough to be called good.
Music, OST is great in this Anime, probably the strongest point. But ey, music queen Nana Mizuki has lot of tracks here, so vocal part of their magic songs are beautiful. Openings and ending as also fairly good and other OST is noticeable, thus overall I think the Audio element was amazing in this Anime. Obviously had some tracks I didn’t like, but in the end as whole, I loved music.
Finishing words, if you like “power of music/songs” type of trope, then this Anime is great. Offers you plenty of music, transformations and emotions packed in “important fight songs”. If you also like modern take on magical girls with semi machinery transformations, then it’s also solid Anime. But if you seek for some sort of high tier story writing & depth then you won’t be enjoying this show as much.
I did enjoy 3 out of 5 seasons quite a bit. Season 1-2 were absolutely stunning for me when I first watched them years ago, now I finished season 3-5 and yeah as mentioned season 3-4 was pretty dull for me in comparison, but season 5 returned the charm.
#Total Score 7/10
