This show is at it's best when the main character is out adventuring in the world. The animation is breathtaking at times, really bringing to life the beauty of the world Ivy inhabits. I enjoyed following Ivy on her journey in the first half. She has an adorable charm and the show itself has a remarkable calming quality.
Unfortunately the second half is exasperatingly bad. The author tries to put together a semblance of a plot that brings back memories of middle-school creative writing classes.
Character Growth:
There are two main inner conflicts that Ivy has from the beginning.
1. Can Ivy find people that she can trust? Are there people in this world that would care and protect her instead of take advantage of her?
2. Can Ivy find a purpose in this world? As someone blessed (or cursed?) with the weakest magical power, can she find a place for herself in this world where magical power is paramount?
The former point is handled fairly well in the show; watching Ivy develop relationships and learn who to trust was sweet and comforting. The latter point though is handled through one of the most bafflingly non-sensical plot points I've ever come across. The show solves this conflict by giving Ivy a ridiculous cheat card that although has no use in combat, allows her to become the invaluable key to quickly defeat the antagonists of the second half.
Cheat Skill:
I'm going to talk about the actual skill because I think it's important to know in order to judge whether this anime is for you or not. In the most broadest of terms, she basically gets an ability that allows her to tell if somebody is "bad" or not. Putting aside the enormous issues surrounding the skill itself (literally what standard is being used to judge if someone is "bad"? If you stole an apple 3 months ago are you marked bad?) it's just atrociously lazy writing. The introduction of this cheat code pretty much robs Ivy of meaningful character growth.
Instead of having Ivy struggle with being weak and overlooked in what could've been an incredibly meaningful journey of self-discovery and self-acceptance, the author just handwaves it all away and gives her an ultra rare and useful skill that nobody else has. She doesn't work for it, there's no downside or limit to using it, this overpowered skill just falls into her lap and all of a sudden she's useful, she's valuable, and she's constantly praised.
Weakest Tamer??
The title suggests that this story is different. In a genre filled with overpowered protagonists that can solve every problem, finally we might get a true underdog tale. I wanted to root for Ivy, watch her get challenged by different problems and figure out her own ways to solve them. Unfortunately, just like every other cliched fantasy anime, our mc gets a poorly thought-out cheat skill instead of character growth... :/
Positives:
Though this review seems negative, it's really only directed at episodes 8 and on. I really, truly enjoyed the first half of the show. There's no wacky anime hijinks, no annoying sidekicks, no unnecessary romance or fanservice. I felt a real sense of love and compassion poured into the animation. Ivy's journey of learning to trust the adults around her was heartwarming and touching. I rooted for her and even shed a few stray tears. It had a lot of potential.
Overall: 5
Ivy is adorable. Her pets are cute. The side characters are enjoyable and the relationships are sweet. The atmosphere and animation are beautiful and healing. However, the plot in the second half will cause you to roll your eyes unless you just treat it like a children's picture book.
