Release Date: April 8, 2017 to September 16, 2017
Number of Media: Original anime, adapted into a manga (2017)
What's It About: Fictional characters (Creations) are brought from their fictional universes to the real world and locked into battle against one another for the fate of the world. They meet their creators, who are akin to gods in their eyes, and explore the relationships that they have with them and learn about the real world that their fictional world was born from.
The Good: Excellent character writing, a very nuanced fictional world and strong human characters. The animation is great, and this includes the action sequences. If you've ever watched Aldnoah.Zero, you'd be able to tell that this show is made by the same studio (this is a far superior show, for the record). The soundtrack and OP are by Hiroyuki Sawano, of Shingeki no Kyokin and Kill la Kill fame, and although the soundtrack isn't as iconic, the OP is definitely another solid winner (I originally watched the show because Sawano was attached to it). The climax of the series is emotionally tense and some of the twists are profound. This show really knows how to pull on the heartstrings and left me thinking about it for a long time after finishing.
The Bad: The pace is very slow, up until the last 4 or 5 episodes. I had trouble keeping up and there were times in which watching this felt like a drag. Some of the Creations feel like superficial parodies of the deeply-developed characters that they're based off of, and some are so obvious that the likeness becomes distracting from the story. The action can also feel a little bit contrived, but in this instance is justified, as characters are deliberately boxed into their roles by the context through which they are written (Alicetaria February is obsessed with protecting her village and is a character written for the purpose of fighting hordes of beasts). Criticism can also be leveled at Souta, the main character, for having a weak personality and contributing little to the main plot.
Best Character: Absolutely, by far, the Gunpuku no Himegimi, named Altair. She is the primary antagonist who is on a mission to cause the destruction of all fictional and real worlds, and the reasons for this are shrouded in mystery. She maintains an aura of secrecy and hides behind cold, smug expressions and declarations of impending doom. She can back this up with seemingly limitless powers that extend beyond time and space. We find out everything about her quite late into the series, but the conception behind her character is definitely the most extensive, unique and emotionally impactful. Magane Chikujoin is also worthy of note, as an agent of chaos, but her characterization ultimately pales to Altair's.
Should I Watch It: This series was highly underrated last season, and actually dropped as the series progressed. This is a real shame, because this is a total reversal of the Isekai (another world) series, and by far the most unique and interesting. There are very very subtle and profound details in the writing that are easy to miss- for example, Magical Slayer Mamika causes alot of widespread destruction in her duel with Selesia and Meteora, and this is an alien concept to her because in her own universe, which is a show targeted at children, her attacks do not cause destruction there and thus she is shocked to see the damage she has caused. This type of writing is very nuanced and contextual, and it implies that the realism and depth of each of the fictional worlds is determined by the level of detail the creator has put into them. This comes to a head in the climax of the series, where one character's entire consciousness is a manifestation of one person's subconscious. For the details and concept alone, I would recommend this show, but there's alot to put up with before the payoff at the end.
Similar Shows: Shirobako (2014), Fate/Zero (2011), GATE: Jieitai Kanochi nite, Kaku Tatakaeri (2015)
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