First, if you are struggling with porn use or are not comfortable seeing nude female bodies, Season 1 of this anime will not help and you shouldn't watch it. Every episode includes nudity, including the opening.
(1) The dub’s script and voice acting is very fun and good-spirited. The script is full of inuendos and one-liners that both sound natural and land way more than they miss. The delivery by the VAs is bombastic and ridiculous, as a story of this nature ought to be.
(2) Though the show is certainly not subtle in very obvious ways, it deserves praise for genuinely thoughtful storytelling and character writingThe lore of the devil, fallen angel, and angel factions post-Great War appeals to my religious sensibilities and I thought it was interestingly incorporated into the grand scheme of the story, even if it’s primarily to appeal to a certain type of fetish. Granted, the world is probably underutilized for the sake of oppai, but I think it is difficult to argue that the events of the story fall pretty naturally into place because of the world in which it is set. The plot does not bite off more than it can chew with its two major arcs, and it doesn’t rely on deus ex machina to solve its problems, even if it is inconsistent in its execution.
(3) I’ll be clear that this is not a masterpiece of fiction, but it should be praised for its relatively subtle character interactions. Interludes like Issei’s prayers to God, or his ridiculous alarm clock, Asia’s headaches when reading Scripture, Issei and Kiba transition from enemies to bros, Rias and Akeno discussing Issei’s failure as a devil, or Issei’s various failed pacts seem suprisingly grounded and well-paced. Moreover, Issei still is not very strong even by the end of Season 1. He only has a portion of his power unlocked, and was only able to beat Riser through a clever deal with the Red Dragon Emperor. While I don’t know whether it manages to maintain this pacing, it is refreshing to see that Issei still has growth as a fighter.
(4) Finally, If you can ignore the fact that Issei proclaims his devotion to Rias continuously, yet proves how fickle that commitment is as soon as another set of boobs are in front of him, and Rias’ blaise attitude towards this inclination, it’s difficult to come away from their relationship doubting they care for each other, the team, and the Gremory cause. Issei truly isn’t just a horny teenager (though he is CERTAINLY a horny teenager), but someone reckoning with a life that he’s been given and not meeting expectations of his gift. Rias is tender-hearted and patient toward him as he struggles, but is also sincerely moved by Issei’s valuing her over her name and her house.
Is this show stupid? Yes. Is it exactly what people think of when they think anime is weird? Was the battle animation, for the most part, spent on jiggle physics? Yes. Does some dialogue feel very rushed? Yes. However, I think it deserves its status as, I don’t think I’m exaggerating, the most popular ecchi in Western anime. It really does have more to offer than “plot”, but it certainly has more of that than anyone would ask for.
