Anime: Rakudai Kishi no Cavalry 40t2s

I'll be brief.

This anime was pretty damn awesome until the last two and a half episodes (halfway through episode 10 - episode 12), at which point the person in charge of story/plot literally decided ,"Screw the fans, I want to be a pompous prick."

Those last 2.5 episodes made my eyes and ears bleed and that blood boil in rage. I watched 30 seconds of episode 12 by skipping through it. Utter drivel.

The rest of the anime is great. Amazing fight scenes(this anime has the PERFECT length fights), great story(that actually progresses), real amounts of character development, a bit of mystery, comedy, all the good stuff basically. Sure, it uses harem and action anime cliches, but it does so in a way that's both a homage to the source and yet still very funny. I was pleasantly surprised every step of the way.

Until those last 2.5 episodes. Those bring the ratings way down. I guess the problem is, "The closer to perfect something is, the more the mistakes shine through.", and boy oh boy were those 2.5 eps of mistakes frickin massive.

Also, read the manga, apparently it's better. That's my next stop.

It was a decade ago, when Shakugan no Shana popularized battle harems by making them seem like an awesome new way of merging fighting shonen with harems. Everybody went on to copy its formula with slight variations, and the result was the saturation of the whole thing. Now nothing can make a battle harem seem like it stands out from the rest no matter what it does.

There was a time when calling something a deconstruction or subversion was enough to elevate a show at the top of its respective genre. But those times are now gone, since as it turns out anything can be a deconstruction if you overthink it enough, and anything can be labeled subversion just by being a satire of stereotypes. Everyone uses them as buzzwords nowadays to excuse why they like a show, so everything is a deconstruction and thus nothing is special even when it is doing more than the average specimen of a genre. Examples:
The World God Only Knows (date sims)
School Rumble (school comedies)
Monthly Girl’s Nozaki-kun (shojo romances)
One Punch Man (fighting shonens)

A proof of which is Chivalry of a Failed Knight. It makes fun of the formula by messing with peoples’ expectations when it comes to the stereotypes. There is a scene where the protagonist walks inside a room while a girl is undressing. Instead of yelling and apologizing like a beta male, he takes off his own clothes, so the feeling can be mutual. There is another scene where upon hearing the protagonist’s sister is coming to see him, he is questioned if they are not blood related and thus there is incest involved. He replies they are blood related, which does not negate the fact that there is incest after all.

Is any of that enough to make the show actually good? Of course and it’s not, since it’s still a battle harem about an OP protagonist being surrounded by several bimbos hitting on him and constantly undress on every occasion. Many are praising it for the MC going for a steady relationship instead of never choosing a girl, but this is only making the harem to be of the type instead of the balanced one. I don’t see how that is a plus. Sword Art Online is also a harem; does that make it any less terrible?

I sort of liked the emotional baggage everyone in the cast was carrying, since subverting expectations is messing with their head even in-story. Their internal conflicts felt a lot more significant than the average bimbo who only cares about becoming the no1 bitch of the MC. That is as far as it goes though, since it’s still about an OP protagonist everybody constantly victimizes although he is constantly steamrolling one-dimensional rapist bad guys who constantly gloat and underestimate him during battle.

I liked the psychological warfare they were using in every battle, making them be more about a proper mental state that brute force. They were still coming down to the OP protagonist being the only one who can steal techniques and use them against his opponents, thus having a secure counterattack no matter what power they’re using or how strong they are. The show deviates from the path only superficially, and thus doesn’t make an actual difference in the longrun. It’s not something like Neon Genesis which becomes a completely different show by the end of it.

Is it a bit better than your typical battle harem? Yes, especially Mahouka, which is everything wrong with the genre. But not by much, and since all these types of shows are trash it is still a bad show, based on a bad light novel.

It sure is true that the action-based harem genre seems to be converging on a single formula. If you've watched Mahouka, Taimadou Gakuen, Shinmai Maou, or Asterisk War you'll be getting some level of deja-vu here. This slight variation of the premise features a protagonist who is actually pretty strong, but ranked as the "worst one" in the school due to society's failure to adapt a reasonable standardized test. This is mostly spearheaded by his family, which seems to want to disown him based on some hand-wavy explanation. Our hero walks home one day to find a girl, undressed in his room. Yep, this tsundere is a princess of high magical ability and yep this tsundere is weak against compliments. Finding out that they are now roommates at the request of the school chair, they are forced to accept each other, and perhaps more?

Though the plot follows an all-too-familiar path, this show is pretty entertaining overall. In addition, unlike others in the genre, this is less of a harem and more of a couple with a third and forth wheel. If you're looking for a standout action-based harem in the season, unfortunately you're not going to find one. They're all decent by my standards and all have their own nuances. Thus without further ado, I shall use my full strength in explicating these nuances.

Animation:
Out of all the series listed above, this comes out around average. The show has fair backgrounds and nice colorization but occasionally ends up over-reliant on crappy CGI (see ep. 9 for examples of this). The characters are fair overall as well; I personally liked the character design in other shows such as Grisaia or Shinmai more. You do get some more offbeat characters to spice things up, such as the mysterious teacher Nene and unfathomably ill Yuuri. Facial expressions are fairly average and if anything, perhaps a tad understated in our protagonist.

As a positive, certain elements of the show are uniquely stylized to give it a special feel - see the OP for a sneak peak at these uncolored, ink-like scenes. The show also delivers when it comes to action, in both physical and magical aspects. All the characters (Blazers) are able to mysteriously pull out weapons, manifestations of their souls, out of thin air in rather intricate animation sequences. They are able to use these weapons as fully physical weapons or "simulations" where they somehow only damage the opponent's stamina. All the characters have special attacks that they obviously must scream out prior to the attack. Our protagonist's rather lame special ability is a Kaioken of sorts where he concentrates his power into a five-minute long sprint. I don't know whether this is copying Asterisk or vise-versa but having two protagonists with abilities this similar at the same time is just a bit suspicious. There are random battles throughout the show but it eventually becomes more organized in the form of a tournament- yes, the dreaded tournament. Expect a fair amount of bleeding though nothing particularly gory. The show does have a fair amount of ecchi in numerous forms from the relatively-unintentional (accidental exposure, other girls randomly pushing against protagonists, girls fondling girls, etc.) to the more-intentional (kissing, cuddling, etc.). Though the primary relationship develops pretty far in this show, the ecchi level is below that of Taimadou and far below that of Shinmai.

Sound:
The show is fairly bold when it comes to OP/EDs, perhaps as a ditch effort to make the show unique? It opens with an interesting and almost old-fashioned sounding piece sung by a dude. The show then ends on a piece by Ali Project, which gives not-so subtle hints in style and tonality to Another- obviously in a completely different genre. It's an interesting choice for both but doesn't really give a sense of uniformity. The BGM is standard fare filler, with the exception of a particular tune with parts that sounds like an annoying ringing phone or alarm.

Like many other recent shows in the genre, the cast is a mix of veterans and non-veterans. Shizuka Ishigami does a fair tsundere but not as convincingly as Ayaka Asai in Testament. Likewise, though I have utmost respect for Nao Touyama, I don't think her character in this case was a good match for her particular skills. Overall, the show has a fair VA performance but nothing particularly special.

Story:
Ikki is born into the Kurogane family, a well-known family with a strong legacy of producing fine Magic Knights. Unfortunately, he did not show much talent early on and was cast aside as a disgrace to his family. Undeterred, Ikki continues to fight to be become a Magic Knight, supposedly using only relentlessness determination. Though successfully enrolled in an academy for Blazers, he is ranked F as his lack of magic talent prohibits him from placing higher. How far will his family go to stop his "futile" attempt once and for all? Stella is a stellar A-ranked Blazer who uses fire based attacks to overwhelm foes, she moved from her Empire to Japan and is furious that everyone thinks that her innate talent means that she's never actually put in effort. How will she react when she see's Ikki and his hard-work focused mantra?

The premise of the show is something along the lines of "love conquers all" where one's connections form the needed to overcome hardships and, in this case, ridiculously long odds. The show is divided into three main arcs easily distinguishable by the episode titles. The first one serves as an introduction to the main characters and showcases Ikki's rise from the "worst one". The second is somewhat of an aside where Ikki helps another girl, Ayase Ayatsuji. Finally, the last arc details Ikki's struggle against his past, almost similar in a way to Yuuji from Grisaia. Each arc has its own rising action and climax. The battles are engaging and interesting though it is occasionally a bit too repetitive in pattern (Ikki shows advantage but wait! opponent has a special ability and Ikki gets clobbered but wait! Stella is there so Ikki goes rage mode and wins yay). As with other shows, cough Asterisk, the show ends without the tournament being resolved and with lots of open questions.

The show does have good pacing and remains engaging even through the few filler episodes. I particularly liked the focused relationship approach, and some of the comedic moments caught me off guard enough to laugh out loud. Thus, though it has its shortcomings, the story is pretty decent.

Character:
For this show, this is a particularly tough category to rate. I really liked the development and dynamic nature of the Ikki and Stella relationship- it actually goes somewhere unlike the majority of other clones out there. Furthermore, parts of Ikki's personality and abilities reminds me greatly of Tatsuya from Mahouka. However, the good parts are almost completely offset by my dislike of the Shizuku/Alice pair, my dislike of Ayase Ayatsuji, my dislike of the gang-like antagonists, and my dislike of the entire Kurogane family nonsense. In short, the show has an exceptionally good main couple and way too many sub-par ing characters. While the Stella/Shizuku scuffles do provide some level of entertainment, it pales in comparison with the depth or breadth of relationships in other shows such as Shinmai or Taimadou. Perhaps some of the ing cast will show more use if there is a sequel, but many characters are introduced without contributing to the main plot.

Value:
To be honest, the genre maybe converging on a single pattern, which may be annoying, but the pattern is actually a good one. I think that overall all the above-mentioned action-based harems are above average. Unfortunately, their strength and weaknesses sort of even out and so choosing the best show starts to feel like picking the NCAA Basketball tournament winner. That being said, this one is particularly notable for its primary relationship and occasionally unexpected humor. If you're looking for something in the genre, you really can't go wrong here, or with any of the others above.

Review
One. More. Of. The. Same. Rakudai Kishi no Cavalry (Rakudai Kishi) is yet one more to the pile of a genre we have been exhausted of watching for sure. After Mahouka shone as if by miracle, the formula of magical school, overpowered protagonist, and tsundere princess grew so much it got inflated by three ridiculously similar shows airing at the same time: Rakudai Kishi, Asterisk War, and Anti-Magic Academy.

Rakudai Kishi offers no twist to the formula, following the guidelines to extremes. This is a tale of Kurogane Ikki, a boy labeled as the "Worst One" for his lack of magical aptitude. His fate starts to change after he meets Stella Vermillion, a red-haired princess known for her absurd magical prowess. The two of them fall in love as they fight against a system that mocks the unprivileged and venerates those who are born gifted.

---

1. Once again a setting about prejudice...
   ...that never makes use of it. Rakudai Kishi tackles how harsh the protagonist is treated for being labeled as a weak magical . Yet, much like what happened in Mahouka and everywhere else, this is all plain bullshit because the protagonist can kill anyone in the show between the flap of a hummingbird. His skill makes him move instantly, pierce steel, be as precise as a cirurgical machine, and so on. This social clash is even blander and more stupid here because no one else suffers from being magically weak. Okay, the protagonist is an F-ranked guy, but what about the other Fs? What about the Es? The Ds... nah.
   
   Yet this is the most perverted version of them all
   If there is an attribute of Rakudai Kishi that works in its favor is how it readily embraces its ecchiness unlike the other magical academy counterparts. The heroine clearly wants to have sex with the protagonist, she makes some approaches even with her blocking tsundere behavior, and the show give us lots of semi-nudes and pantsu and care less to develop its setting and tale. This would normally be a terrible move for a show that tackles society problems, prejudice, and complex magic organizations, but when you take in the stupid level of the similar shows in these departments, seeing Rakudai Kishi embracing the ecchiness makes it the most sincere and funny of this lacking formula.
   
   A boring couple
   Once again a protagonist who is truly powerful robs the scene and turn it into a boring experience. Kurogane Ikki is a guy who have suffered because of his lack of magical power, was bullied and tossed aside during his childhood... yet... you wouldn't even imagine with how he behaves, how he can defeat everyone in seconds, and with how he suffers from a harem-lead crisis, capable to make a move on girls that literally take their clothes off in front of him. The heroine, Stella, also suffers with an annoying tsundere basic behavior, only moving past stupidity because of her sincere, and less shameful, sexual desire.
   
   And the rest
   Oh, sure, a loli younger sister. She kisses her brother in the very first scene she appears in and sincerely wants to go to bed with him. Damn. Although she whispers "oni-sama" about 5% of what you heard in Mahouka, her very presence and concept is enough to tell "fuck off, this is another sick show for sick fetishes". There is also a slightly interesting male character in , one you can't tell for sure is gay or not, which manages to serve as fuel for a few comical scenes and insightful dialogues. Beyond them? Ah, just your regular angry little villain, horny girls with two of them receiving two episodes each for some basic development, and guys with exquisite powers that all shounens must have. Nothing new. Nothing worth it.
   
   Silver Link still has a long way to go
   Silver Link studios is all about cute girls. They did well with Non Non Byori, but here, much like in Taimadou Gakuen, they manage only a regular job. Rakudai Kishi, in special, goes beyond their typical style and more into the realm of the eroge adaptations. While it manages to catch a few stunning scenes, the quality drops drastically when animation is required or when there are no close ups on the girls or special effects.
   
   It does have a decent closure
   Another part where Rakudai Kishi deserves some praise is in its second half pace and finale. It gets more enticing considering all its limitations, there is an attempt at making the protagonist a bit less stupid, and it wraps things up with a decent closing sequence that still leaves it open for future sequels. If you want more (why you would?) it will leave you thirsty, but if you endured enough you can be satisfied and go on with something more meaningful to watch or do in your life.
   

---

Comments
Okay. That's enough. This was my third show in this same season that was a copy & paste of the already annoying Mahouka. I can't even tell how the hell I managed to watch all of these things, perhaps I am getting old... but I think it's safer to say I'm bored as hell and anything I put on screen nowadays seems to work on catching enough of my attention.

Anyway, this is terrible. At some points, I'd love to praise Rakudai Kishi for being more sincere in its ecchiness. It felt less stupid then others because it never tried to tackle important social clashes with the mentality of kindergarden. However, being a basic ecchi is not exactly something to be praised... If you were looking for a Mahouka-clone, this would certainly be the one I'd recommend, but why the hell you'd want a Mahouka clone? See my struggle here? Yeah... damn you generic shounen shows.