Shin no Nakama ja Nai to Yuusha no Party wo Oidasareta node, Henkyou de Slow Life suru Koto ni Shimashita

Story This anime had a lot of potential. A high-ranked adventurer getting kicked out of the hero’s party and starting over at the edge of the world could have been great. But the way it’s written feels wasted. The hero is forced out under false pretenses, and he can’t even take his own equipment, only a basic sword. The party struggles without him, but it’s handled poorly. Even the romance feels shallow and childish. Illogical writing, weak worldbuilding, and silly situations drag the story down. Artstyle The art is typical for this kind of fantasy anime. Some parts look decent, others look worse. Animations are fine, just average, nothing that stands out. Conclusion I can’t really recommend this anime. Even if you’re a fan of the genre, there are much better shows to spend your time on.

That's what you get when you try to squish 4 ln volumes into 13 episodes. The slow parts — the slice-of-life, the romance and the character drama — were good, though messy sometimes. The problem lies within the "big plot". While being generic, it somehow still doesn't make sense. The twists are hard to follow and the hype/drama moments completely miss and come out laughable since it takes literally 2 minutes of screen time between a character making an epic entry to the scene and being dispatched. Some of the characters' motivations are an absolute mystery (either because it wasn't adapted or the original source was missing it in the first place), while the others' are not only primitive but also repeated over and over again. The last arc's mess could be written off as a poor adaptation, but the whole drugs/politics bulshittery makes you really question the quality of the source material since it didn't have nearly as much moving parts and action scenes as the latter arcs while lasting approximately as many episodes and still being the same mess. Overall it's disappointing on multiple levels at once: first, how much of a confusing mess everything beyond the slice-of-life bits is in this show; and second, how much better this anime could've been if the story (and by that I mean the original as well) only stuck to either the chill slice-of-life or the character drama instead of trying to implement everything at once with some kind of evil-plot epic saga on the side — it just seems redundant, especially with such poor execution. Despite that, I must admit that I had a blast with first 5 episodes or so.

Ugh what a name. On first glances I had really low hopes with whatever this anime was to offer. The rating definitely lowered my expectations as well. I told myself I would drop it if the anime wasn't as promising. That seems to be the opposite though. Genre. I am really into my romance-anime mood and this definitely satisfied my crave for a romance anime. The romance and slice of life genre was absolutely marvelous. Why? For one the romance didn't feel as forced as most other anime. It was written absolutely well imo. The scenes between Rit and Gideon felt natural and was really nice. This anime obviously has a brother complex and it wasn't annoying like how other anime do it. The focus on a simple life is well balanced with the history of Gideon's life. The adventure genre was good, nothing to note but satisfies if you are in a mood for an isekai-like world. A basic fantasy world of heroes and demons that didn't go wrong I suppose. The action was nice as the animations were quite mediocre. Story 8/10 It's nothing special but it does the work. The flow of the story wasn't irritating though I would probably enjoy it more if it touched more upon the members of the hero party. The only con of that is that it wouldn't be a 13 episode series and would've dragged it to a 24 episode series. That being said the anime isn't about the hero party but is about Gideon's life and I think it was done perfectly as I don't have any complaints for it. The story take's a turn of that cliche hero anime where the MC has that sense of pride of being the hero and having to live up to that name. This anime, well if it isn't obvious from the title takes the other route. What if you were manipulated by your teammate? What happens to your team without you? From then on the anime's-well written story stuck to it's idea throughout. Character 9/10 I can't say I enjoyed the characters personalities in an anime in a while. This anime really did it. Gideon isn't your pushover MC that constantly looks like a wimp and acts like a 12 year old boy, Rit is the main female lead with a really clear written romance story, she also isn't too afraid to project her feelings and accepts the fact she is in love with Gideon from their first meeting. Ruti, might just be one of the most well written kuudere characters i've seen. With her emotions surpressed due to the hero blessing, The ending made it feel perfect for her character development. I like her brother complex too, it's not forced. I absolutely loved this anime. The romance was perfect. The way they hinted a next season is also very cool. That is my only doubt about this anime though, I can't see the direction of the sequel, it feels like the anime had a good ending already. I am left wondering how a sequel would compliment the idea and name of the anime. That all depends on how they write it huh, only thing you can do is read the LN/manga or wait for the new season I guess. It's a good anime to waste your time with if you want a romance anime. No forced harems, just good ol' romance. Would give it 8 but the anime wasn't memorable enough, I simply just enjoyed it lol 7/10

Are you tired of overpowered heroes and non-stop battles in your anime? Look no further than this gem of a show about a guy named Red, who after being banished from the Hero's party decides to live a quiet life in the countryside. And let me tell you, he's living the dream! With a slow and peaceful pace, this anime is perfect for those looking for a break from the usual action-packed fare. But don't let that fool you, because Red is actually a bit overpowered himself, which makes for some really fun and unexpected moments. The building of relationship between Red and his live-in partner Rit is so well done, you can't help but root for them as they navigate their new life together. And the fact that Red has a secret past as a member of the Hero's party only adds to the intrigue. But don't worry, I won't spoil anything for you. All you need to know is that this anime has a satisfying ending, even if the last few episodes feel a bit rushed. And hey, let's not forget the title - "Banished From The Hero's Party, I Decided To Live A Quiet Life In The Countryside" - it fits the show so well that you can't help but appreciate the cleverness of it all. So if you're looking for a refreshing change of pace in your anime viewing, give this one a shot. Who knows, you might just find yourself wanting to leave the hero's party too!

This anime is much more about the story of an adventurer who retires and lives in a village and marries a woman he likes. The MC's story is that a hero's party partner who he then kicks out isn't really necessary. The concept of demons in his world is also interesting, but it gets a little weird the longer it goes on. I would have preferred the story to be more of a story of the MCs being happy in a new place after being violently chased away then crossing paths with the hero's party again by accident. Then the Hero Party realizes their mistake and invites the MC back but the MC refuses and the Hero Party understands and continues fighting the demon king, while the MC returns to live in the countryside. If indeed the concept of a hero being kicked out wants to be maintained.

Short review of the anime: The story offers an unique perspective on the classic hero vs demon lord fantasy gimmick with a quiet life, however it quickly falls short when it strays from that. Literally everything that wasn't part of it was poorly written, thus giving the overall score only a 7. The last episodes didn't make sense, were very skippable and villains were extremely bland. Overall it felt like they could've focused on the apothecary life and romance instead of throwing ideas out there and leaving them undeveloped. Main characters like Ruti and Rit could've used more explanations on why they act and feel the way they did in the show, the village could have more time to get properly developed and the overall world building around that remote area could've added different unique perspectives that come with living a calm lifestyle such as Red's.

Decent anime series, and the art style, and animation are quite decent, the story is slow-paced, there will be less fights and it will end also soon. There are some little ecchi scenes scattered here and there throughout the show. What I liked about this series were the characters which gave some depth to the story. The characters are also decent but sometimes boring, I suggest this series to those who want a quiet slow-paced story and a calm, soothing atmosphere. It isn't suited for action fans, it's a mix of slice of elements and will certainly soothe your heart. I give it 5/10.

This is one of the shows that I managed to watch and finish this season (Even though this got released on 2021). Art (Decent) I think that the art is decent enough for me. It's generic but not too generic that it makes me believed that it's going to be one of those boring anime that airs every season at least. Animation (Good enough) I think the animation is good enough. While the fights scenes are bland, slow and lacks a couple frames, I really like how they animate Rit. Her expressions are well animated in some scenes, if not, most scenes. Plot (Meh) The plot is a meh, opinion aside, it still a meh. Im lazy and i wont elaborate why. Despite my opinions on the plot, I still recommend this show specially to people that wanted a light plot. I still enjoyed it because I didn't watch this for the hero stuff or what not. I continued watching this because I like the romance, the somewhat peacefulness and the idea of the main character having great abilities yet wanting something simple.

Plot: First half - Mostly slice of life & romance, with small splashes of adventure that create mini story arcs, as well as introduce us to the characters & world order. The pace can feel a bit slow (especially towards the middle of the series) if you're expecting more action & plot. Second half - A larger arc with the main story. Most of the adventure, plot progression & character development happens here, but still contains moments centered on slice of life & romance. The genre-switching between scenes can be a bit abrupt & so may feel like a disruption to the main adventure or romance (depending on which you're expecting from this anime). The pace also significantly speeds up, & some leaps in world logic & character motivations are made towards the end. This may make the plot feel rushed & confusing. Characters: Character development for the main characters (Red & Rit) is mostly shown through their backstories, which only occupy a short segment of total viewing time. Hence, they may feel a bit flat/lackluster as characters to some. Arguably though, the main focus of this anime is on the blossoming romance between Red & Rit - how they first meet, reconcile their differing lifestyles/worldviews & build a life together. It's a straightforward romance made up of everyday moments, with no melodrama or mind games. Interestingly, it's the supporting characters who undergo the most character development, especially Ruti whose motivations, relationships, dilemmas & growth we get to see in the second half of the series. The majority of the plot & drama centers around this. Themes: Stays true to its premise of living a quiet life away from the Hero's party. This anime may appear simple at first glance. However, a deeper look will reveal that it explores themes like fate vs free will, responsibilities/expectations others place upon us vs our own desires, talent vs diligence in achieving mastery, following our calling vs appreciating everyday pleasures to find fulfilment in life. Art: Adequate to portray the everyday life of Red, Rit & the townsfolk. Good enough where it counts, e.g. a few of the battle sequences, how Ruti's character development is conveyed through her facial expressions. A bit heavy on the fan service in some episodes. Sound: Nothing spectacular. A pretty chill OP & ED. Voice-acting was good enough to make the romance, conflict & battle scenes convincing. Overall: • A blend of everyday romance & simple adventures in a fantasy world. Could leave you feeling dissatisfied if you're looking for the emotional kind of romantic drama or a story-rich adventure with a complicated plot/mind-blowing twists. • More focused on the character relationships than character development. • Unique in its take on the usual overpowered hero trope, which it then uses to explore deeper themes. This is what pushed up my enjoyment & rating of the anime.

Fantasy world, heroes, special abilities, demons, etc- we've seen it all before, right? Yes, so that means the show largely depends on the story and characters. So how did this show measure up to those two standard? Pretty damn good. I gave it an 8/10, although the true score is more 7.5/10, but since there isn't an option for 0.5 points, I rounded up. So what makes this show so good? There's a few, but I'll name 2 reasons why it's worth watching. 1.) The characters are really well written. The MC Gideon or Red, is really likable. He's kind of like if you and I were thrust into this world and kicked out of the hero party- well yeah why not settle down with a beauitful girlfriend and start a business. I also like that he isn't cliche. He isn't dumb/oblivious to obvious signs, especailly when it comes to his love life. He's also pretty strong, but at the same time pretty weak compared to the hero and his other team members. His gal is Rit, and she is also amazing. She's very forward, which is an A+ for me. Those two's relationship mostly carries the show. There's also plenty of character development and a peak into their past, which makes their actions more heavy. Speaking of which, I really like the hero Rit. Maaann they really did a great job with her development. At first when you see her, you might think oh boy another cute loli hero, but no- they actually make her story really interesting. 2.) The world this anime is set in. The way humans get their powers is through Blessings, but there is a twist. I won't ruin it, but the more the show revealed, the more I wanted to know! It's quite different from any other fantasy world I've seen, and brings up many good delimmas. So what are the weak points? Well, there really isn't a true villain. We don't even get to see the Demon Lord. Also, halfway through the series, it kind of drops off because they go into a rather...pointless storyline that I think could've been cut out completely to make more room for Red/Rit/Ruti's development. The ending is solid. Nothing special, but it leaves a lot to wonder, and I would definitely watch a season 2 if it gets made. I don't wanna bore ya any more than this, but if you want to watch a laid back and different fantasy anime, this one hits the spot. Go for it my friend!

I was honestly surprised how good the fist half of this anime. Watched the 4 episodes and I rated it around 8 and feels like it can go higher...but after the first half is gone the story just went downhill really fast. I was thrown with suspension of disbelief multiple times after the first half like characters popping out with any days or even years pass by. Since they are located on the edge of the world, characters should have travelled years to get there. I really believe that the anime should have stick to the story beat of the first half dealing mundane and slice of life adventures. It honestly felt like that what's the creator intended for the story in the first place but was stuck on how to finish it since they need to meet the requirement or rules on how to write a story. But I still give it a 7 or good anime rating since the first half truly shines with me and I really wish they have kept it like that throughout the 13 episodes. I would have give this anime below 5 if weren't for the first half.

Honestly this is not the best show ever made. Not the best written, not the most interesting characters, not an interesting story, not the best dialogs. Yet, if you mix these bog standard elemenets together somehow it just works. It is a quite chill and really enjoyable lighthearted slice of life fantasy experince. What I loved about this show is the pacing of the romance. It wasn't too slow. The relationship between Rit and Gedeon started quite early. The pacing of their love was really good and their love was well developed (even though the dialogues between them were avarage). They even had the balls to commit heresy by not stopping with hot steamy handholding and a kiss. Like you know what teen would do more than that? None, I suppose. Sarcasm aside, it was refreshing to see a couple who acted like people would in real life, despite how generic they were. It was really joyful to watch how they just enjoyed they slow life and the company of each other without worring much about anything. There were a few advanture, but they were so powerful it was like a little bit of holyday fun for them. I can recommend this to everybody who wants a little bit of relaxation.

With the flood of fantasy anime that have been coming out lately, you really need to make yourself stand out if you want to be remembered among some of the more unmemorable titles. Banished from the Hero's Party, I Decided to Live a Quiet Life in the Countryside isn't an MMO based one per say, but it makes you feel like you're watching one. I sense that this is the initial appeal, as it will allow you more freedom to get away from MMO slow start. The problem is that this series really has a difficult time keeping up the momentum after a decent start to their tale. Story: Banished from the Hero's Party, I Decided to Live a Quiet Life in the Countryside tells of an adventurer, Gideon Ragnason, who is part of the "Heroes Party". They're basically an MMO group where everyone has very defined roles and the 'Hero' is his own sister, Ruti, with the goal of defeating the Demon Lord. Everyone in this world is blessing with a Divine Blessing, which is basically everyone's special ability or something that defines their job. Gideon is defined as a D-Rank adventure, which means he's not the greatest party member in terms of physical skills. When the rest of his party ups their rank above his, one of the members, Ares, deems Gideon unfit to be in the party. This causes Gideon to abruptly leave the party, create a new name for himself known as Red, and open an apothecary in a small village known as Zoltan. The series itself makes you feel like you're watching an MMO because they do so many things that many MMOs usually add in - special abilities, announcing spell casts, naming each Divine Blessing, etc. Like I said in the intro, this is actually just a fantasy anime that has multiple MMO themes included. It's weird, but really, it's just a different world than we're used to seeing. That in itself isn't bad. All major characters have interesting Divine Blessings. When Red finally starts to settle into his new life as an apothecary owner, Rit, who once travelled with the Heroes Party, seeks out Red and they start to live together in a new life. The start of the story is actually a ton of fun. Red's new adventurer in this, seemingly, quiet town takes some interesting turns and his willingness to help others makes you realize he's a fantastic character. The story takes on a romantic aspect when Rit enters the picture and their goal seems to be going for a really wholesome romance story. The minor hiccup in all this is that romance is very hit or miss. Some nail that goal while other moments feel really awkward. Late into the story, Ruti's party starts to get involved with Red and Rit's little story, but I was horribly underwhelmed by it. There are a lot of aspects that feel like they're missing important points and the writing in general feels really sloppy. For example, does everyone's weapon have to magically break in the final bunch of action scenes? The ending is fine so the decent start and poor third quarter balance off each other. (6/10) Characters: I really liked Red. He's really smart and, a fantastic character to teach us through the story. He has his own talents that aren't really combat driven, and these characters can thrive, when done well. Rit has more combat experience behind her character, but I feel like they could have shown more about her backstory. I did find it odd that they didn't really do anything special with her offensive abilities though. Ruti, as said earlier, is the Hero, which allows her to gain immense power, but is unfortunately void of many human emotions as a drawback. Due to this, she comes as having a bland character, but her condition does improve as the story carries on. Side characters mostly consist of either the heroes party, or villages that interact with Red. The villagers are all fairly close to each other and it creates a village mostly free of conflict on its own. This really does link to why the start does so well, but the story starts to fall apart at the back half because the Heroes Party gets to Zoltan, and everything just becomes a mess. (6/10) Art: I wasn't the biggest fan of the animation style here. The romantic parts actually look decent, but the animation starts to fail during the action scenes, most noticeably during spell casts, which almost never look good. It just doesn't feel like this was given the amount of care that many other series were, especially when you consider this to be a fantasy anime. (5/10) Sound: The other aspect of presentation - sound - wasn't anything special either. The OST wasn't noticeable and the OP and ED play out too similarly. I wasn't the biggest fan of the VO cast either. Aaron Campbell (Red) was probably the best of the bunch, but Dani Chambers (Rit), Brandon McInnis (Ares) and even Tia Ballard (Ruti) didn't feel like they had everything in it for this one. They all had very awkward moments and the lack of polish kind of matched the questionable art. (6/10) OVerall Enjoyment: Banished from the Hero's Party, I Decided to Live a Quiet Life in the Countryside was pretty mediocre from top to bottom. It had a very promising start to it, but not only did they halt momentum, but the story just had way too many holes in it. Presentation didn't help it's cause, as there were too many random blips present. There were decent moments throughout the runtime, but there weren't enough highs to even off the lows. (6/10)

This anime is a hidden masterpiece! It has the perfect balance of action, romance, drama and mystery, but the central point of this anime is largely misunderstood. It's not about the romance or the action or even the drama - although there's plenty of all of it in the storyline and it's nicely interwoven to keep your attention! No, the underlying theme of this anime is choosing your own path in life. I love the way the anime forces you to register the struggle each character has accepting their current role as something they don't like or want to do, but are resigned to, as a facet of the character. I love watching the slow realization that, although their god gave them a "purpose" in life, it isn't set in stone. S/he also gave them the free-will to choose what they do with their blessing. They aren't being forced into anything they don't want to do. I also love the fact that the male MC's rank and blessing are kept a mystery until the very end, even though it's quite obvious throughout the anime that he is much stronger than he pretends to be. I found myself shaking my head at the end thinking "I should have seen this coming! The signs were all there!" Honestly, I didn't see it because I've come to expect a certain outcome with this genre and I was pleasantly surprised to be dumped on my bottom at the end! The artwork is beautiful and detailed. I admit I'm a snob about the artwork. If the backgrounds don't have as much detail as the characters, it's bad artwork because it's lazy artwork. At first the character development seemed kind of stagnant, but once I reached the end of the storyline it made sense. In that respect, the writer did his/her job a little too well! The soundtrack was good. Not the best of the season, but it fit the anime well. I think they did a good job selecting voice actors for the anime as well. I don't know about you, but in some anime the voices just don't seem to fit the characters. Sometimes, I can barely stand to watch anime because the female voices are too grating on my ears or the males sound like girls. Thankfully, this anime did not disappoint in that area! I had one small disappointment with the anime during the last two or three episodes. The setting went from "historic fantasy" to "Sci-fi fantasy." It doesn't kill the anime, it just seems out of place and adds a layer to the anime that was never brought into play in the storyline. It's not important for story progression or the "lesson" the story is delivering. It just leaves questions hanging about how they lost all that technology- but, again, it's not really important to the story. I'm just being persnickety. Overall the anime was excellent. Once I completed it and understood the premise of the storyline it went from a great anime to a masterpiece. It takes a lot of skill to weave all the different genres into a storyline and surprise your viewers at the end. So, BRAVO Studio Flad and Wolfsbane! You produced a masterpiece and should be proud!

I had a good time watching Banished from the Hero's Party. I was surprised how much I liked it actually. Here's the TL;DR - Story 6; Art & Animation 5; Sound 5; Character 8; Enjoyment 8; Overall 7. If you like romance stories or slice of life stories with two main characters with great chemistry then this is certainly a show to check out. If you're here for fantasy and action then you might want to reconsider. The show does have this but it's not the spotlight. I'll be giving a very brief overview of the first two episodes, so there will be spoilers from here on, you've been warned. The show follows the story of our first main character Red. He is the brother to the Hero Ruti, and he has been banished from her party by one of the other members. We join him in a lazy backwater region called Zoltan, where life is slow and things are peaceful. He has been taking on low rank adventure requests gathering herbs, saving up to one day open his own apothecary. By the end of episode one he's achieved his dream and opened his shop - this is the beginning of his slow life. It's at the beginning of his new life that we're introduced to our next main character, Rit. Rit is an old comrade-in-arms from Red's days as part of the Hero's party. Now that she's reunited with Red she decides that she wants to stay in Zoltan with him and give the slow life a try too. To that end she convinces Red to let her stay with him in his new shop and help him run it. This show is at it's strongest when it's focusing on Red and Rit. The chemistry between these two characters was the greatest source of enjoyment for me while watching this series. They're both cute and charming, and watching their relationship blossom over the course of the series was a delight. I mark the show down a bit for some lack-luster art and animation in places. It's never bad, but it's not often good either. The SFX and music weren't anything to write home about either. Very middling. There's more I could say really, but I think I've said what I really wanted to communicate.

STORY: The story is one of those wherein the MC gets kicked out of the party for whatever reason. That kind of plot seems to be getting some traction and it also got me interested. Like, we get curious on an MCs story after leaving the party, right? That's why we're even here. Basically it became like a SOL. However, his past won't just let him have a quiet life. So he has to face them once and for all. ART: Very simple Imo. Not good, not bad. However, they did change the appearance of some characters, like one of the demons who was a satyr woman in the manga. I personally prefer the manga version. SOUND: The sounds are fitting but the OP seems a bit to mellow for this anime. CHARACTER: All have some sort goal, with some being selfish. Their personalities work for me. ENJOYMENT: It's ok. I enjoyed it as much as the manga. OVERALL: It's worth watching whether if you're new or an old fan of fantasy adventures. Also worth it even if you read the manga.

The fact I went through the trouble of making an account just to write this review shows just how much I love this anime. I started it last night, went to sleep, woke up, and immediately kept watching. The story is fantastic and makes sure not to give you too much anxiety, even in the most dire situations. The art was amazing and really helped give you that lazy town feel. The sounds were realistic. The characters were masterfully planned out, watching each of them change was satisfying (Mild yet obvious spoiler: especially Red and Rit’s relationship developing and the tragic downfall of Ares). I enjoyed every second of this anime. Not once did it feel boring or dragged out. I love wholesome animes and this delivered on so many fronts. You can usually tell how good a fantasy anime is gonna be from the creatures/monsters that reside in the world as well as the quality of fights and this anime has all that down to a T. Like what the fuck is an owlbear, it’s awesome. What I’m trying to say is this anime is great and you should watch it.

Shin no Nakama etc... is an enjoyable show despite its shortcomings. The cast "especially Red and Rit are really enjoyable. I honestly wish the show was just about them solving the town's problems. The shortcomings are in the budget and "action" in the later half of the show. I could tell from the start that this show is not Attack on Titan with blending its CGI. I chuckled every time I saw bad CGI or stilted fighting animation. This show doesn't have the budget to being the action anime that it desperately wants. We just wanted to see the slow life between Red and Rit. The other problem is its muddled message about blessings and how blessings don't control you, free will, blah blah blah. They just keep going over this blessing message and it gets more and more confusing every time they bring it up. Despite me complaining, its not a bad show its just not a great one. I'd recommend watching it dubbed and doing other more important things.

I can't really understand why it has a low score. [ Minor Spoilers ahead ] The story is fine which focuses on Red or Gideon left the heroes party to live a slow life as a herb seller. Well it's really good to have a warm and fluffy anime in the middle of action packed shounen series. It has a good music which really matches the anime's mood and title. The animation is mid, which I can say it is suited for a slice of life genre with a bit of fighting scenes. It really captures the beauty of Red's slow life together with Rit. The comedy troupes are good and not awkward at all, it doesn't ruin a certain scene at all. Overall this series is perfect for a slice of life and romance anime. I can recommend this to those people who is tired of watching action packed series, mind games kind of theme or even horror to watch this anime for a breather. If I can score without the indicator here, I would rate it 7.8 and as it may seems I rounded of to 8.

Minor/ non-specific spoilers in this review. This anime centers around an adventurer turned apothecary and his “slow” life in the countryside with the woman of his dreams. However, Red’s life is anything but slow, as he encounters numerous obstacles that could hinder his slow life in the countryside. It also features a side story with the Hero, Ruti, on a quest to gather a party to defeat the Demon Lord. Story: 5 The story in this show is mediocre at best. It’s basically about how each person has a special gift, or “Blessing” that makes them good at something. The show explores a common trope in Japanese culture in that it should be okay to move beyond the confines of one’s chosen role and live life as you see fit. Japan is a very collectivist society, so seeing a message like this is not surprising. The main reason why people came to this show (myself included) was the romance between the main characters Red and Rit. The romance was the only good thing about the story, in my opinion. Anytime the story tried to get serious and dramatic, it came off as boring, average, and contrived. There was nothing there to make the story interesting. Each episode (except episodes 10-12) are comprised of 80% boring drama and 20% romance. Episodes 10-12 are purely drama, which make them easily the worst episodes of the season. The show would have benefitted greatly from more slice of life moments and romance and little to no drama. Some drama is okay to keep things interesting, but the drama needs to be interesting in the first place to make the show better. Art: 7 Overall, when used in the slice of life/quieter moments, the art is nice. There are scenes in this show that are very well designed and drawn, such as some of the scenes that take place at night. The characters are all well drawn. Rit is especially beautiful (and voluptuous). She is the best designed and drawn character (other than maybe Ruti) in the show. However, the art begins to falter when action occurs on screen. The action is poorly animated and framed. The fights are all boring and poorly choreographed. The fights feel lazy and rushed, which only brings down the show more. Once again, the slice of life aspects of the far exceed any drama or action the show tries to throw in. Sound: 5 The sound is average. The music and sound effects aren’t bad, but they’re not good either. There is nothing that makes it stand out in any way. The music is a list of extremely generic tracks that simply exist to meet the mood of the moment. Sound effects are pretty standard. Nothing spectacular in that department. Character: 6 Overall, I liked most of the characters in this show. The main ones seemed to have some sort of character growth throughout the show, especially Ruti. Of course, there are some characters who are extremely one-note (mostly the side characters). One of my biggest problems with this show is how the writer’s treat Rit’s character in the show. After introducing her to the audience, we learn why she arrived in Zoltan and her history with Red. Her and Red’s relationship soon escalates after that. Once their relationship is established, however, Rit’s character development seems to fall right off a cliff. She becomes a one-note fan-service character with a large boob window for viewers to gawk at. We see her in numerous nude scenes just because she can be. She feels more like a plot device for developing Red’s character than she does her own character. It’s quite a shame, as she is perfectly capable of being top tier waifu material, both in her character and looks. If there is a second season, she needs to have significant character development alongside her inevitable nude scenes. While she had one character flaw that she was trying to overcome throughout the show, it wasn’t really wrapped up well enough in the last episode. Enjoyment: 6 When there were happy slice of life scenes and romance, I immensely enjoyed the show. Whenever there was drama, I really didn’t like the show. The best way to watch this show is to skip all of the drama and just watch the slice of life moments and romance. Overall: 6 I came back to anime after a long time to watch this show after seeing clips of it online. I am definitely disappointed that the show didn’t live up to my expectations of being primarily slice of life, but it had its good moments. If the show was purely slice of life and romance, it could easily be an 8 or 9/10 for me. On the contrary, if the show was strictly drama, it would probably be a 4 or 5/10 at best. I definitely can’t give this show a 7/10 or call it “good,” but it has enough good moments that make me believe it is an okay show for the most part. Therefore, I’m giving this show a 6/10. If there is a season 2 planned, I hope the team behind the show can improve it for the future.