Anime-Kdrama-Cdrama-WINS

(16+) Could have been a lot better! The show is divided into two halves with the first half being the best in my opinion. There are some gritty moments and sad outcomes, but mostly the story suffers from a lack of identity, because there is a clear break from one half to the next that I can't recall seeing before. All the characters you had gotten to know and their relationships with the male protagonist got kind of thrown on the backburner as a new arc was explored - and it didn't work. Props to the specter queen, though, she was by far my favorite character and was also present in both halves (thankfully) her evil giggling "huh huh huh" + her gleeful pronouncements of doom were awesome. She stole the show. Also, what happened to the young elf at the beginning is awful, but she became a really central figure after her rescue. Neither of those characters could save this anime, though, so I give it a lukewarm thumbs up.

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(16+) An excellent series featuring two female protagonists. The voice acting (particularly Euphie & the maid) were top notch, as was the visual and battle scenes. This anime really needs a second season, though, because the ending was kind of bittersweet in that one of the female characters takes on a horrendous burden for them to win out. The "spirit contractor" actually seemed like a horrible fate, and while there is hope it could be reversed or maybe both could shoulder the burden, it seemed to be an unreasonable decision at the end - and it kind of shocked me. The super-hot/ice cold relationship stops and starts was a little whiplash inducing also, as each took a turn at being the aggressor and the pursued. Overall, though, this is a fantastic adventure and well worth the watch!

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(10+) So hard to rate this one, because the animation is gorgeous, the story is long and smartly done, all the characters are likeable, and I really admired how deeply the series dived into the sports played by the characters: badminton, basketball, and gymnastics. If just for those factors, it's an easy "10"! But, but, but... I really DON'T understand the male protagonist's choices when it comes to the romances he's offered! At all. I think the gymnast should have been an easy call, but it wasn't, and I thought she was the most likeable and interesting BY FAR. A second season has been announced, and I will be 100% watching it, but I was not thrilled with how everything shook out. Props to the two male sidekicks, both were great, as was the addition of a female secondary character in the last 4 or 5 episodes. Lots to work with for another season! Two points off on this season, though: 1 because I think there should have been a more definite end, and 1 because I'm still thinking the best character in the series didn't get a fair shake!

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