I was very pleasantly surprised at the beginning – especially after the last arc (ouf) – but my excitement waned towards the end. The jokes really landed for me and the characters felt good, or at least not so chauvinistic and sexist lol (looking at you Tengen).
It actually made me laugh out loud a couple of times, which is very unusual for me. Of course, that's very subjective.
What is less subjective is the pacing problem this series has had since the Mugen train arc, and unfortunately this is still the case here. The character arcs feel incredibly rushed and as a viewer you don't really have time to feel as emotionally invested as the dramatic backstory recaps want you to be. The last three arcs feel like they were all written to the exact same formula, which didn't work for me in any of them. While there's nothing inherently wrong with having a formula for writing arcs, this whole systematic approach to character development really alienated me more than it made me feel for/with the characters.
[the following section contains information that some might consider spoilers]
The story also hinted at some sort of moral complexity in the human vs. demon conflict, but did not follow through, which was really disappointing. To remind the viewer that there could be a lot more depth to the antagonists, and then just do a 180 on it, is like saying: "Here's how the story could take a clever turn and stop being so black and white, but that's not this show 🤷♂️". It's so stupidly bold. I almost respect it haha
Stylistically, it can't be repeated enough how good Ufotables' production is. They have really mastered the use of 3D and post-production to create a truly unique blend of techniques. Not for everyone though! Personally, I preferred the look of the series when it first aired, where it was closer to the manga, but you have to give credit where credit is due.
Overall, the season started strong for me, but went a bit downhill towards the end.
It's a good watch if you‘re in for the effects, epic battles and occasional laughs, but it's certainly not a must-watch. Unfortunately, that's what the whole series turned out to be imo.
But I'm just a guy who said something on the internet. Watch it for yourself and enjoy it, or not, who's the right to judge? :)
