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Reviews~
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Favorite anime:
1. Kuroshitsuji (Black Butler)
2. Mushishi
3. Gankutsuou: The Count of Monte Cristo
4. Yuri!!! on Ice
5. Space Brothers
- Created By KyraChan
Kekkai Sensen Review
So, after a long, unofficial hiatus from reviewing anime, I'm back! I've changed my reviewing setup a bit, so I hope you enjoy the new style, and here we go with one of my favorite anime that I've watched in the past few months!
Plot
The story follows Leonoardo Watch, who, after gaining the All-Seeing Eyes at the cost of his sister's eyesight, moves to a part of what used to be New York City, known as Hellsalem's lot. There monsters have begun roam the streets just like any other human after a collapse in the middle of the city connected our world with theirs. There he joins Libra, an organization in charge of making sure those monsters don't hurt anybody and maintain the barrier that prevents any further damage than that from the Collapse.
Story
The story of Kekkai Sensen is rather simple, but it works well within the anime. Watching the situations that they have to deal with in the beginning is entertaining and the overall plot of the latter half is engaging. There are a few things that are left not fully explored or answered, but it doesn't affect the enjoyment of the story too much.
Characters
The characters of Kekkai Sensen just explode across the screen with their bright energy and personality. Leonardo Watch serves a sort of foil to these characters, as he himself is a rather calm, yet extremely kind, character. Seeing the interactions between these characters is extremely entertaining (often borders on hilarious), and while some of the side characters don't get a lot of development, the development of the main characters make up for that.
Animation
The animation of Kekkai Sensen is definitely one of its high points. The fight scenes are slick and the backgrounds are detailed. There are moments that are absolutely beautiful, and the opening's animation is one of the most memorable I've seen. And its overall stylized design just adds to the great atmosphere.
Music
This is where the quality of Kekkai Sensen shines the brightest. Both the openings and endings are absolutely stunning, and the background tracks are some of my favorites. The background tracks mostly consist of jazz pieces that work well with the New York City setting and the stylized animation. The music of Kekkai Sensen is simply not one to be ignored.
Entertainment
I've mentioned style multiple times in this review, and there's a reason why. This show is stylish, and it knows it. The setting, characters, animation and music all jell well together to create an energetic, jazzy, and phat anime, and that's part of what I really loved about it.
Another thing that I loved is that this anime addresses the feelings of a great change in your life - being slightly confused, somewhat unsure of what's going to happen, and the readiness to accept whatever good and bad comes out of this change. It looks at this change with optimism and acceptance, and that was something I really needed at the time I watched this show (when I first moved to college - the first time I'd ever moved in my life).
Lastly, one compliment I'd like to give it is the quality of both the dub and the sub. It was easy to switch from one to the other, which was nice, considering all but the last episode has been released in dub.
Final Verdict
Overall Quality: 8.6
Overall Entertainment: 9.4
Recommendation: Gibbeous
This show has a lot of style, and that increases its entertainment value greatly. It's a lot of fun to watch, and there's a lot to like about it. However, if you're looking for something that's deeply insightful, or something that has a mind-blowing plot or characters, you may want to look somewhere else. This show is a playground, not meant for deep or philosophical musings. But if you're looking for a place to play and enjoy yourself, this anime is the perfect one for you.
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