Senran Kagura

Note: This will be a review of both seasons. Overview: Anime have been adapted from various kinds of media over the years, to the point that there are far more anime that do have a source material than those that don't. But while most anime are adapted from manga, light novels or visual novels, "Senran Kagura" is a departure from the norm, being instead an adaptation of a series of hack-and-slash video games. Of course, the real question is "How well does it adapt the source material?", and the answer is "Not very well.", resulting in a series that, while enjoyable, feels rushed in a way thatvery few other anime I've seen do. Story (6/10): Set in an alternate version of modern-day Japan where a select few teenage girls are secretly trained in the arts of ninjutsu, "Senran Kagura" revolves primarily around the five ninja students who attend Hanzo Academy; Asuka, a second-year student and the granddaughter of her school's namesake, Ikaruga, a third-year student, the group's leader and a wealthy heiress, Katsuragi, another third-year and the teasing big sister of the group, Yaguyu, a first-year and ninja prodigy and Hibari, a spoiled but sweet first-year who's best friends with Yaguyu. Together, these five girls devote the vast majority of their time to training in order to become the best ninjas they can possibly be, with some of them being more capable than others. However, it's not long before they find themselves in a number of very real life-or-death situations, particularly when they encounter the Crimson Squad, a group of evil ninjas led by the ruthless and ambitious Homura, who quickly develops an intense rivalry with Asuka. Okay, the reason I called the Crimson Squad "evil ninjas" is because that's what they're referred to as in the show itself. However, it quickly becomes apparent that there's practically nothing evil about them, with them ultimately just being ordinary girls who have been forced into an unfortunate circumstance due to factors that were out of their control. The vast majority of conflicts and rivalries in the series result from one person's views and opinions (which stem from how their upbringing and how they were raised) colliding with another's, and while the Hanzo girls are the heroes by comparison, "by comparison" is definitely the operative term here. Sure, the term "evil ninja" really refers to the training they get and arts they learn, but I do wish that they were called "dark ninjas" or "shadow ninjas" in order to make that distinction clearer, as the term "evil ninja" became pretty hard to take seriously after a while. Furthermore, while most ninjas have some kind of tragic past, very few of these are actually important or play a part in explaining how why the characters are the way they are, Ikaruga's being the most notable exception, and the series will often randomly drop them on you in a way that just doesn't feel natural, with them often not being mentioned again afterwards. The anime is split into two separate seasons, both of which tell their own separate story. The first season's story is good enough; it's nothing special and moves a little too quickly for my liking, but it's well-told and does a decent job at making it feel like every character matters, complete with a fitting conclusion. The same, however, cannot be said for the second season, which not only introduces us to at least a dozen new characters right off the bat, but shows them already having established relationships with the characters from the first season. Sure, the second season has a few flashbacks that show how the new girls first met the old ones, but those can only help so much, and overall you'll likely get the impression that you skipped a season or two. Ultimately, the plot does have some good ideas and decent storytelling here and there, but overall it comes off as an example of how NOT to adapt a work. Art & Animation (8/10): My thoughts on the visuals of "Senran Kagura"'s first season are... mixed, for lack of a better word. The fanservice I can handle, even if it is excessive, but it's the combination of frequent rough edges and dull colour palette that really made me question the show's budget, though the animations and special effects are generally very good. The second season does look a fair bit better, but it also turns up the fanservice a few notches, to the point that there are more than a few scenes that consist of nothing but a bunch of characters taking a bath together, with their assets visible for all to see. All in all, the show never looks terrible, but I've still definitely seen better. Sound & Dialogue (8.5/10): "Senran Kagura"'s music is easily one of the highlights of the series, if not THE highlight. Both seasons have more than their fair share of great tracks, particularly during fight scenes, and the opening and ending themes (with the first season having three different ones) are all worth listening to. In particular, the first season's opening "Break Your World" is FAR more awesome and memorable than it has ANY right to be, to the point that I never started a new episode without listening to it. The voice acting is generally very good as well, with the dub featuring a strong cast that includes Felecia Angelle, Alexis Tipton, Bryn Apprill, Megan Shipman, Brittney Karbowski, Monica Rial and Trina Nishimura among others. Kent Williams also does a fine job as the narrator, who frequently puts a lampshade on the absurdity of the series, not unlike Ian Sinclair does in the dub of "Kaguya-sama: Love is War". Characters (7/10): While “Senran Kagura” is ultimately more of an ensemble piece than anything, it tends to follow Asuka the most. Compared to most other characters, Asuka’s life before the series was pretty happy, with the main reason she became a ninja being because of who her grandfather is. Her lack of real hardship throughout her life proves to be a problem in the beginning, and she initially has trouble keeping up with the rest of her team, as well has having an irrational fear of frogs, which proves to be a problem given that the frog is her family’s spirit animal (a type of familiar that ninjas can summon to aid them in combat). Over time, however, she becomes more capable and badass, going from being utterly destroyed by her rival, Homura, to being able to go toe-to-toe with her. As for her personality, she’s generally very kind and cheerful and is able to sympathise with all but the most heinous of villains, making her very likeable as well as badass. However, her character arc in the second season leaves something to be desired, as she starts inexplicably cutting people out of her life, and even when the reasons behind this are finally given, a lot of her actions still feel highly irrational, yet nobody really calls her out on them. If I were to pick a favourite character, it would have to be Ikuraga, the adopted daughter of a wealthy family and the de facto leader of the Hanzo team. Personality-wise, Ikaraga is almost as kind as Asuka, but also a lot more mature and competent from the get-go. Her upbringing likely had a hand in this, as she grew up privileged but unloved, with her brother in particular hating her for inheriting what he believes should have been his. As such, Ikaruga has learned to appreciate everything she has in life, in contrast to her rival Yomi, whose background is the opposite of Ikaruga’s in more ways than one and mistakes her for just another spoiled brat. Ultimately, out of all the rivalries in the series, it’s Ikaruga and Yomi’s that feels the most interesting and dynamic. Unfortunately, Ikaruga’s role is greatly reduced in the second season, with her being out of focus for a large portion of it and her not having nearly as many moments to shine. Another member of the Hanzo squad is Yagyu, who despite being one of the two youngest members of the team is also one of the most competent, making her a prodigy. As a matter of fact, she's the only one of the team who can hold her own against her Crimson Squad, Mirai, from the get-go, though Mirai's own lack of competence probably plays a factor in this. In terms of personality, Yagyu is easily the most reserved and taciturn of the group, though she does show a soft side from time, especially when around Hibari. Oh, and she uses an umbrella in combat instead of a sword, because... why not? As for Hibari, she's the other youngest member of the team, and is in many ways the opposite of Yagyu, being very cheerful and friendly, but also the least competent of the team by a wide margin, even in later episodes. This is due to her being coddled all her life, first by her parents and presently by Yagyu, and it proves to be a big problem since for ninjas, being able to rely on one's own strength is just as important as teamwork. Eventually, though, Hibari does manage to become strong in her own right, though it certainly takes a while. Finally, there's Katsuragi, the other third-year of the team, meaning she ties with Ikaruga for being the oldest. In contrast to Ikaruga, however, who's polite, graceful, refined and ladylike, Katsuragi is crass, boisterous, a massive tomboy and highly perverted, often acting more like a dirty old man than a teenage girl, which got on my nerves quite often and is one of several reasons as to why she's my least favourite of the group, though I can't say I hated her, and her fighting style (fighting with a pair of armoured boots) is pretty awesome. Much like Ikaruga, all three of these characters have much smaller roles in the second season than they do in the first, and their rivalries with the Crimson Squad are largely forgotten about. Ultimately, "Senran Kagura" is an example of an anime that has too many characters for its own good. Besides the Hanzo girls, there's also the Crimson Squad (who individually serve as darker counterparts to whomever they face) as well as a new squad of 'good ninjas' and a new squad of 'evil ninjas' introduced in the second season. Unfortunately, very few of these new characters are given any real backstory or development, to the point that in most cases we actually learn a lot more about the antagonists of the season. Even the leader of the new 'evil ninja' squad, Miyabi, has no particularly notable character moments or development, and her backstory is only off-handedly mentioned once by a different character. Yumi is the primary exception to this, with her backstory tying directly into those of the antagonists and her playing a very prominent role throughout, to the point that I actually found myself liking her more than the Crimson Squad and almost as much as the Hanzo girls. As for the villains, well, given the nature of the series very few characters can actually be called villains, though there are definite exceptions to the rule, with there being one character in the first season whom you will absolutely hate regardless of what you think of the character themself. Enjoyment (7.5/10): Being a series about ninjas, "Senran Kagura" certainly isn't lacking in action, with there being plenty of fight scenes throughout both seasons, be they actual fights, training sessions or anything else. There's also some genuinely funny comedic moments throughout, including plenty of snarky comments from the narrator and one particular scene involving Ikaruga of all characters. In short, while "Senran Kagura" may fall short in some areas, there's no shortage of entertainment to be found. Overall: "Senran Kagura" is far from being a terrible anime, with some good action scenes, great music and serviceable visuals. However, the story is rushed as hell (especially the second season's), the fanservice is often too much even for me, and the drawbacks of the huge cast of characters ultimately outweigh the advantages. If any of those things seem off-putting to you, then you're probably better off not watching the series, or least saving it for a time you have nothing else lined up. Score: 6+8+8.5+7+7.5=37/50=7.4/10