Anime: Izumo: Takeki Tsurugi no Senki

Maybe a show like this would interest my six year old brother (if say he could read subtitles). I mean honestly the people who made this show took the viewers as a joke, the show itself is a joke. I am amazed this was even subbed. There are a lot of better shows to waste time on subbing, as well as watching.

It doesn't take long to figure out what type of show this will be since the first phrase you hear is "wake up Takeru". Oh my god! its a hot ass girl trying to wake up a childhood friend. Well some shows begin in the same manner and try to take a turn towards orginality or a interesting story. This show doesn't even make an attempt.

The story is about Takeru and Takeshi who are best friends and rivals, and of course they get taken to a different world (along with a bunch of girls). The first episode is a sterotypical introductory episode explaining the basic situation. It introduces all the girls, the two guys, and ends in a cliffhanger (or at least an attempt of one). Let me say this show overall is presented in a boring and predictable mannar. 80% of the dialogue in this show can ignored and you will still understand it. I don't think I even needed the subtitles.

As for the characters, I won't lie, I don't remember a single name. In fact I had to scroll through an episode just to get the names Takeru and Takeshi. Its not that I have bad memory or anything, its just that the series was packed with so much skippable information and retarded characters I found it hard to pay attention.

Just to prove my point I will draw an example from the first episode. In the first episode a girl name Sera transfers to the school. With this being a horrible attempt at a harem you would think that she would at least be used in a love triangle right? wrong, despite spending a good amount of time describing her as Takeru's childhood friend she is just a waste of screen time. Throughout the show she is always there (next to main character of course) but her actual significance in the show amounts up to a big fat zero. Save a few bitching sessions she is just there. A lot of reviewers call characters like this a cardboard box, and she fits the description perfectly.

Don't get me wrong she isn't the only character like this. The other characters are just as useless. Takeru and Takeshi are probably the only characters with some depth (very very thin depth that is).

In fact the show could have been more interesting if it only had Kotono and Himiko and got rid of all the other girls. They were all without personalities and only took away screen time from the characters that actually mattered. Now I am not saying that would fix the show, oh no, but it would give the useful characters some depth.

Kotono and Himiko actually had potential, but that was completely crushed. Himiko was just crushed in general since she had the part of a sterotypical fortune-teller that knows everything. Of course she only seems like a fortune-teller at first the actual truth of her real role in this anime is much sadder. Her conflict and the way it was resolved is the saddest part. Unfortunately her problems were the center of the show.

The general decision making of the characters would be bested by a little five-year old kid. They were just that stupid and shallow. I think the show really suceeds as a drama. No honestly, its quite dramatic watching handicapped people try and save the world. There is just no enjoyment when everything that happens is expected. There are no upsides to the show. I mean warnings are given like every other episode. "You will risk your life doing this" is said at almost every action the main character tries to make. The camera just zooms in at the main character face (a serious face), and he responds. I think you all know what the response of the brave immortal main character is. (And I do mean immortal, the scores of evil spirits can't do shit against this behemoth. Think of those american action movies where one guy destroys hundreds of lives and bullets never hit him.)

Decision making aside, I already mentioned the nature of the stupid dialogue, but I feel as if I need to stress it again. The phrase most used besides "Its dangerous" would have to be "I must save them" or "I will protect you". It actually got worse with time.

It is almost laughable to see armies of warriors fall while the innocent school girls survive. I am serious here. Not a single of the 6 school girls has the ability to fight or do anything but complain or say something compassionate. Of course at each of the girls says "Takeru" at least ten times, and I don't mean in a sentence. Its just "Takeru" in a worried tone.

Honestly after the piece of shit this anime has been good animation and good sound would have mattered little, but even that was a failure. The fighting scene were so bad they might as well have made a black screen with sound effects. It is hard to think of a show to compare them to because well... its just that bad. I think they only used about 3-5 frames for the fighting scenes. Whats worse is they would reuse them for about 30 seconds while exposing you to unrealistic sound effects.

Besides the somewhat alright opening and closing the sound had nothing to offer. It only added on to the already boring show. There is just no way I can recomend this anime. Skip this and avoid it like a plague.