The Demon Sword Master of Excalibur Academy – Episode 1
A fairly unmemorable checklist of reincarnation fantasy tropes with a side of fanservice.
A fairly unmemorable checklist of reincarnation fantasy tropes with a side of fanservice.
Some beautiful background visuals are shackled to a VR setting and a fairly uninteresting protagonist.
I don’t think this has enough staying power for me, but if readers are okay with the religious set dressing then this slice-of-life romantic comedy might be for you.
Everything about it is undermined by how poorly it treats its female lead.
There’s definitely an opportunity here for this show to examine the nuances of living under capitalism and how it’s not sustainable. It’s too early to say how the series will handle its themes, but even so the production is fantastic and dynamic.
It really does take skilled creators to effortlessly depict characters going through internal struggles, which makes it so satisfying whenever good things happen to them.
The animation choices really sucked out whatever charm the original source material might’ve had.
Rushes through a checklist of upsetting tropes early on in maybe the tamest and most toothless way possible.
Raeliana is a great protagonist, but it’s a shame that the animation production isn’t as good as it wants to be.
The possibilities are endless but sadly it’s obvious this show isn’t heading in that direction.
I’m happy to report this is a sweet show about how basic kindness can really go a long way.
The manga is immensely popular and, based on the gore elements alone, I can see why folks are excited to see the supernatural narrative and action sequences in the upcoming weeks.
On paper this premise sounds interesting, but overall it felt underwhelming.
Surprisingly enjoyable due to the effort it takes establishing a more interesting background for its lead than “modern teenager or salaryman.”
The problem ultimately is the entire episode felt completely disjointed and it’s not entirely sure what kind of tone it wants to convey.
Generally competent with one big shadow hanging over it.
While I do think the creators want to say something meaningful about xenophobia and colonial violence, the show mostly feels like a B-tier horror movie with the subtlety of a sledgehammer.
Leans heavily on its live-action predecessor and treats its female characters terribly.
Everything about it is a copy of other existing isekai series.
Shine On! has fun with what made old cowboy movies good and mixes that with the vibrant background colors of old Kyoto.