Let me tell you, as someone who was once a die-hard fan of this show, I look back on this and I just want to scream. Yes, it all makes more sense when you've played the game and all that, and based on what I've read the game is way better. But I'm not reviewing the game here. I'm reviewing the anime.
I would just like to say that I adore the music and the art. And the voice acting was incredible--especially in the subbed! The dubbed was okay, but in all honesty the voices don't really fit the characters (mainly Kanato and Laito). If you really wanna watch this, I recommend subbed. Kudos to all the voice actors, artists, and musicians that worked on this! Aaaaand that's about it for my praises.
Oh, dear...where do I even begin with how unhealthy this is? It basically takes the whole concept of "No means no" and pours it down the drain, which is a mentality that countless people have fought against for so many years only to have it be essentially PROMOTED in a show aimed at horny teenage girls!
Many people criticize Yui for being such a weakling, but I would like you to think of it this way: she's nice, she wouldn't swat a fly, and these boys will LITERALLY RAPE HER TO DEATH AND/OR SUCK OUT ALL HER BLOOD IF SHE TRIES TO LEAVE OR FIGHT AGAINST THEM. I honestly think that Yui is extremely strong for keeping up with them for so long. Which is sad because that just tells you how horrible the boys are. (Except Subaru. He's okay). And throughout the show, all this abuse and mental torture is subtly portrayed as sexy and desirable.
The story's okay. It makes more sense in the game, but we're not reviewing the game. And to be 100% honest, there is a fair amount of characterization in the Sakamaki brothers that makes sense once you know their backgrounds, something that's way more fleshed out in the game. But what are we not reviewing? The game!
"So why not just play the game and review that instead, Rory?" you're probably wondering. Oh, I don't know why! I honestly don't know why. It's almost as if I, just one among many many people, don't have the console required to play it, on top of not knowing Japanese which is not a language you learn in a day. I really don't know why. It's such a shame, people actually having to properly flesh out characters and story lines rather than rely on the source material that not everyone has access to. Such a pity...
If you really want to watch this show, then go ahead. I can't stop you. But be warned: there's many a disturbing scene. If you find yourself utterly disgusted or on the opposite end, turned on, I encourage you in either scenario to close the episode and take a nice walk outside after having set fire to your eyeballs for a few minutes.
