A first impression of this anime would be “K-On + Military”. It’s not hard to assume this; the art style is very similar to K-On, and the cast is composed of five girls with traits that seem very similar to the five girls from K-On.
Story: 9
As a slice of life, most of the episodes have rather slow and simple plots. Some of them are light-hearted and enjoyable, but still develop the characters brilliant and are relaxing to watch. Others, especially the ones that develop the characters’ back story, have a much darker tone. Each episode also takes care into establishing the world that the story is set, as well as the town’s culture. Near the end things take a far more serious tone, focusing on the war between Helvetia and Rome.
Art: 10
The beautiful background art illustrates the charming town of Seize perfectly. The scenes are extremely detailed, and help to capture the calming mood of the series. Other times, the background shifts tone and instead portrays the horrors of war. The art style of the characters is similar to K-On, which I don’t really have a problem with.
Sound: 10
The hymn, Amazing Grace, plays an important part in the story of Sora no Woto. Also important are the various bugle tunes played throughout the story. The background music is equally good, mostly composed of calming pieces to illustrate the mood of the series. A standout is "Servente du Feu" a sojng sung in French that is absolutely brilliant. The opening, Hikari no Senritsu by Kalafina, is beautiful as well. However, the ending is rather generic J-Pop, and doesn’t fit the series very well.
Character: 10
The characters seem to be cookie cutter moe stereotypes at first, but they actually have great, developed personalities. While the characters still “fit” into their stereotypes, they also have many other aspects to their personalities that are explored very well. The side characters are also well developed, and every character has their own unique charm.
Enjoyment: 10
This show is mostly very calming and has a very relaxing effect with the simple but enjoyable plots and great art and music. The times when it becomes more serious are also enjoyable as well.
Overall: 10
Charming plot, well developed characters, beautiful music, and a unique and detailed setting. What’s not to like?
