Rakudai Kishi no Cavalry

Don't get me wrong, I liked this anime, but it's nothing original. If you have watched many animes, then this will feel like 'been there, done that' kinda stuff. If you're new to anime, then you may really enjoy this one...

Ikki Kurogane is 'the worst' magical knight ranked F in a school of magical knights. All his peers have better magical abilities than he does and even his father has always treated him with contempt due to his lack of magical aptitude and he only got into his school by having some strings pulled for him. There he meets Stella Vermilion, a foreign princess ranked A at their school. He ends up dueling her and wins and people begin to realise his F ranking is not necessarily justified...

The story is interesting enough, the characters likable and the animation is great. However, it just seems generic to me but maybe that's because it's probably aimed at a mid-teen audience and I prefer more adult anime. Anyway, worth a watch if you're into magical anime.

If you're an avid anime fan, this anime is your standard "rags-to-riches" storyline which follows Ikki Kurogane, who's ranked F in the academy, progress through the ranks to determine to people that being ranked based on your magical aptitude is not accurate to a person's ability. He meets Stella Vermilion, a princess from another country who's ranked A, who ends up becoming rivals with him and challenges him to a duel after Ikki saw her mostly naked in HIS bedroom. The two end up duelling each other and Ikki wins, with Stella slowly beginning to fall for him as he doesn't see her for her status as a princess, but as herself. From hereon, Ikki slowly rises up to the top with Stella by his side.

As you watch on however, the minute details begin to separate the show from it's other Typical counterparts (Asterisks War, Infinite Stratos, etc.). There are a few girls who get introduced, enough for the show to fall into the "harem-trap" that most shows go for. However, the one thing the writers' nail is Character Development. The side girls aren't love interests, they don't want to fall in love with Ikki, they either become his friendly rivals, his student's or best friends. It's refreshing and interesting. Including the development between Ikki and Stella, it's wonderful to see them grow with each other!

The animation, considering the small studio and budget, is pretty damn good! Best thing about it, it's also used as a storytelling piece. Soundtrack is okay, not much to talk about there (nothing that caught my attention, aside from the opening theme). Overall, it was an enjoyable watch. Not exactly world-class, but it's generic storytelling told in a refreshed way! So whether your a long-time anime fan, or your starting out, Chivalry of a Failed Knight is an alright watch to see. I'd definitely recommend it.

The relationship between Ikki and Stella is surprisingly well portrayed. The show plays with some cliches like sister love, jealousy and thick-guy-who-doesn't-get-it, but it never does so ad nauseam. I am also surprised by how natural characters react in comparison to many other animes. I found that refreshing.

The show has several subplots, which are interesting, but they also have terrible character obsolescence, meaning the characters of those subplots will never be mentioned again. There is some vague grander plot going on, but it's weak and it doesn't really get resolved.

The fight scenes are visually impressive and well choreographed.

Apart from Ikki, we don't learn much about the other characters. The biggest weakness of the show is its short length. There is also some tedious monologuing going on.

Yes, it is true there is nothing new under the sun - after all, we've kept reading and watching Shakespeare for over 400 years and haven't gotten bored with that yet - but what is interesting about a story is the way they develop it, particularly with plot and drama. The concept of a failed knight who is trying to work his way up is not novel (rags to riches and so forth), but they do it well enough here to be interesting. Stella and Ikki are neat characters and the plot line centers around them and how they develop their lives, their education, and their relationship, problems we all have at one point or another. Add a little magic and the occasional fight for your life, and you have an interesting story. It's humorous at many points, dramatic at others, and altogether an enjoyable feature to watch.

CoaGK falls in the action, fantasy and romantic comedy categories and does a pretty job with each.

Pros:

• Typical tropes have some quality "twists".
• Underdog / non-OP protagonist.
• Good balance of action and story.
• Excellent balance of humor and heart.
• "Bad guys" are a little more flushed out than in other series, and same is true if the "Hero's".
• Consistent Animation.
• Good English Dubbing.

Cons:

• Some heavy fan service.
• A few story points are predicable.
• Occasion heavy cheese factor.

All in all it really deserves a second season.