NoneOfYourDamnBeeswax

The same as usual. Too many average or bad episodes that lack any type of grip or enticing emotional feel, for the price of a few that will entice you and make you want to dive into the project. Secret level has three of those amongst its twelve episodes. It does come to a point when you simply ask yourself why. They're just uncompelling stories that are usually visually attractive.

I don't know why this format, the reasoning behind it, the studio limitations, but it's such a limiting factor. After Sex, Death & Robots, one would wish they had embarked on a single show for the ages. So long as they ensured the one thing they mostly lack, quality writing. With worked characters.

Many of the episodes are generic, boring, incoherent, others have characters for whom you have no single interest, and the rest mostly have stories you will soon forget for their emptiness. The virtue, at least, is that it's short, but not a wowing experience.

As said, let's hope they embark on a single series of one of those many shows that will be forever better animated than ever live, where human motion brings about limitations. Something space-themed, maybe, given how much they like it. Hell, at this point, I will be interested even if they just made a Warhammer show, or something of shorts.

The sell of this story is that it is one of the greatest revenge plots in the story of anime. Based on the novel of Count of Monte Cristo, by Alexandre Dumas. Adorned by a daring creative endeavor of animation, where weird patterns, contrasts and textures reign, showcasing something different.

That is the sell, the product meanwhile, for some reason acclaimed, is rather disappointing.

The show is hard to watch by virtue of its childish, ridiculous, over the top and obnoxious prepubescent characters and dialogue, that simply make it hard to connect to an obvious plot with tragedy overtones. You know early on what is gonna happen. Everyone is so easy to rile up, so immature and prone to the worst course of action. Everyone except for one character, conveniently. The lack of rationale and subtlety to every one of their emotions... It feels cheap, childish, in order to make some character rise while the other fall. Everything is rushed, magically falling into place, overdramatized. With theatrical type of movements that don't feel right.

It doesn't seem elaborated in spite of the diverse and complex fronts of the story, it's many characters and pathways. People that have made of themselves arriviste wonders, cunningly, vilely, suddenly, when the weight of an ominous past comes upon them, lack the character or intelligence to make a single good decision. There's no grasp or ability to adapt to the upcoming adverse conditions. Victims of a perfect plan backed by a lifetime of preparation, an indomitable desire for revenge, an irresistible charm and copious amounts of money. Women and men fawning over the Count's charm and becoming simple pawns in his chessboard. It's all so easy.

The world ain't overly interesting nor crafted, for some reason they set it in a futuristic scenario, with the society, architecture and hierarchy of the nineteenth century. It is barely presented, not well dove into and it simply doesn't merge. At times it does feel pointless beyond the fact that it allows for some ethereal scenes. There's no appeal to it and the animation ain't nothing to marvel at beyond the initial episodes. Mononoke (2007) or Sonny Boy are much greater and coherent visual spectacles. It's allure, lets call it, isn't enough to warrant this being thought of as a great show...

It even turns boring in its slow pace approach.

And we have not arrived yet at the worst part, THE MAIN CHARACTER. The show overrelies on the shoulders of two characters, and of those is Albert, who is so awful that I could dedicate myself only to find whatever ill intended adjective I can find in order to pair him with it, he's undoubtedly one the most enchanted, idiotic and irritating characters in the history of anime. Good luck in not hating him. I couldn't care less that me harboring those feelings could be attributed by some to how well he's written, when he's so one note and otherwise this show doesn't incite gasps, surprise or horror, but rather invites you to roll your eyes. The other character is Conde de Monte Cristo, who is not charming enough nor interesting enough here, in between his ambiguous dialogue, to compensate his counterpart. Their dynamic although possible, is horribly on the screen. The Count should have a much center role while Albert is tossed to the side, no show can depend on such a character.

The end is also rushed and horrible, so there's that. It isn't the conclusion to the developments, but a nonsensical, poorly written child book kind of finish. There's no trace of coherence, it's just ridiculous.

It's not a complex, novel, unique story; nor is it worthy of being singled out as the best written thing that anime's history has given birth to. Heck, to say the least, nor are the characters themselves that big of a deal. The thing is, though, you love them. Adore them. You love them vehemently. Their sweet, hopeful and noble tone, and above all the animation managed by Ufotable, immeasurable, make this series one of the best shonen ever. You will have to watch the player many times to make sure that the chapters last 22 minutes because you will barely feel that 5 have passed, such is the enjoyment that this series provides.

Qué señora adaptación.