The Characters of this anime are all uniquely set in there role and Given names to reflect that. (Eg. Knight,Hero,Mage) I enjoy this method of naming cause it makes everyone really easy to remember and there role apparent from the start. It does away with a lot of formality by establishing the characters early. Then the show continues to pepper in details and history's of the characters without having to take up large gaps of time in flash backs. All the characters seem to fit and act correctly in the settings and keep me personally very entertained.
The two Main characters are both transparent in there intentions and honest in expression. They convey feelings and thoughts to the viewer well with imagery and just body language alone. The Demon King/Crimson Scholar is by far the most showcased and deep character of the series with many ideologies and a innocent quality that does not leave you frustrated with the character. She maintains a well balanced innocence and maturity that keeps her from getting too preachy or too cold which makes you feel invested in her character more and more. The hero himself is not as much yet and you only are set up for more thing as the series progresses.
Visually the anime is fantastic with nice rural and cityscapes. I also like how the demon realm is kept realistic and not fantastical which makes the settings more engrossing. Every character is well made and clearly a individual with nobody looking recycled or reused for lack of inspiration. Everything looks vibrant and really alive in the color tones and the general lighting of scenes. I wish more anime did what this one did when trying to portray a world instead of recycled walk cycle backgrounds.
Sound quality is fine for this anime, the one thing id like to praise is the voice acting. There is not a single intolerable voice in this anime. Everyone sounds good and not abrasive or out of place. Even the little girl character who's supposed to be cute and adorable doesn't sound too over the top.
The story of this anime is where it shines brightest, after this first episode you realize this anime does not waste your time with unnecessary back story or plot it cuts out all the generic fat and gets down to business. It gives a clear and precise objective and establishes the main characters well and then it peppers in the details about them organically episode to episode so you actually get to know the character instead of entire episodes dedicated to back story. This also creates interest in many minor and major characters cause your shown bits and pieces of them and you start eagerly wanting more.
The story is actually pretty intelligent it uses fantasy elements in a almost realistic world only to enhance the story. It uses these enhancements well too considering how much of the show is based on the politics,economics and public perception on war. Though it uses really mature plot points like that it isn't above normal understanding, the show keeps it easily understandable for anyone. The show often surprises me with just how unexpected and original it can be with the progression and i am eager to see more of this series every week.
I enjoy this anime thoroughly and while it may not be a masterpiece it surely is worth a watch if you want to see something new and intelligent instead of rehashed and recycled plots. It is a pity that it will only be 12 episodes long and i hope they develop a second season with just a strong a value as the first.
