I gave it a list score of 7, but if I were to be critical, it is more a high 6 for me.
Characters:
The first thing the anime introduces to you is its main cast. While some anime series slowly build up the main cast and let it grow, this one establishes them all as close friends from the start. So let's start with characters. The main cast, or rather the entire cast are all unique relative to each other. Most of the characters(not all) may fall into certain archetypes but aren't too tropey to be considered cliche in my opinion. While they may be introduced with certain tropes in mind, they aren't dictated by it after the first few episodes. No two characters are the same here and thus feel like they are irreplaceable in the narrative. Damsel in distress and generic MCs often can feel like they are replaceable but in this case none of the characters ever give off that impression.
This is all important as the cast do get some character development. However don't expect huge changes since this season covers 3 volumes out of the 12 light novel volumes out so far. But for the parts it did cover, the cast definitely did grow and develop to varying extent.
Despite the characters having a strong start, they aren't explored too in depth as of yet. We only get a broad but shallow understanding of the main cast. Some of the side characters get deeper development if they are the main focus of the story arc. However due to how the story arcs are structured, we get their back story in one big dump and usually right before the climax. This often feels forced and doesn't leave any emotional connection compared to development that is spread out over time. This also applies to the developments for the main cast. It is often quickly revealed and quickly resolved leaving little time to actually relate with the characters' struggles. An example of this is Nanao, one of the main characters. She has a twisted world view due to the environment she was from but thanks to Talk no Jutsu, she immediately concedes. This happens to some of the minor antagonists too, although they are often defeated legitimately first. And these antagonists aren't actually evil, just a bit of a douche at times. So the talk no Jutsu is not too self righteous but it does happen, mainly by Nanao. Which leaves me to say Nanao sometimes feel like a Mary Sue. She has some flaws but nothing really meaningful. Some of the main casts are kind of useless in combat with a very niche support/intellectual specialization. However unlike other series, the weaker members of the main cast aren't just cheerleaders and offer non-combat support. They also know when to stay out of the way. They are rarely a burden during combat which is nice.
Story:
Which leaves me to the next point; the story. The pacing, especially at the start feels a bit rushed. The viewers won't feel left behind, but there will certainly be moments where things seem to progress too quickly. Like the main cast being close friends by the end of the first day. Or "You aren't acting like yourself" sort of lines despite knowing each other for only 3 days. Secondly, there isn't any overarching plot tying these story arcs together. The story arcs rarely even affect one another and if they do, they do so minimally. There is a reveal on the main plot but it only ever got focus for one episode with it being teased again right at the end. In other words the main plot if (you can even call it that) never got any progression after its introduction. The rest are more like side stories in relative importance but takes up most of the time. By all means, these are interesting but they feel disconnected from one another. It is kind of unfortunate because the main plot has the potential to be even more interesting yet it gets little focus.
The Fights:
That said, I mainly wanted to write a review because the fight scenes are surprisingly good. It is well animated, and the pacing are never too slow to be boring. There aren't too much unnecessary dialogue or side kicks describing every move. This means little interruption and we get a continuous fight. The fight also however isn't super "fast paced" where you can't make out what is going on (see punch barrages that is so common in shonen fights). The fights have a good amount of intensity to them but is mainly elevated by the fact most of them requires some strategizing. In fact the tactics and teamwork is what allow the main cast to win most of their fights. The fights showcases each team member's individual unique capabilities, teamwork, and intelligence to adapt and overcome their enemies. Despite the tactics and strategizing; they rarely bog down the fight with long explanations. This is really the highlight of the series in my opinion. I only learned that this was the same writer who wrote Aldermin on the Sky after finishing the series. This explains why the tactics and team play are integrated to the fights so well.
Animation and Art:
As mentioned, the fights have some really good animations. There isn't a fight that's boring. It's actually sad when they skip through the minor fights because that's just how good the fights are. There are better actions scenes out there but considering the rather mid art quality and animations outside of the fights; they did a good job where it matters most. So yea, the art and animations is not bad, not great. It's good enough most of the time and becomes great during the fights.
Music:
The music score is pretty decent. I liked the opening and ending. Some tracks did stand out to me but nothing made me go look for them. However this doesn't mean it is bad, sometimes you don't want the music to stand out. If it blends with the scene as one; such that you didn't notice, it may be because they don't it to overtake whatever they want your focus on. It is hard to judge the music without listening to them on their own, but it is also important to keep in mind of its proper context during the episode. Unfortunately, I didn't focus on the music and am not musically trained to break it all down. So I'll just leave it at that.
