Kaze no Stigma

I started this thinking "alas, another predictable action anime which I may end up dropping" but it had me sucked in to the very end. The reasons? I'll try to explain: Storyline: 8.5/10 Most action fans would see the storyline as very cliched and predictable, having seen it all played out before. It's storyline does lack, with some filler episodes (such as amusement park visits and hot bath days), and random bad guys which pop up, get defeated, and so moves on to another scenario. However, even though it does lack originality, it's done well and to a good enough standard to enjoy watching it all unravel. Art:7.5/10 In one angle, the characters are done well, as your average anime. Not brilliant, but not too bad either. However, sometimes the backgrounds (such as on a busy street) are at a stand-still which is noticeable. Sound: 7.5/10 Again, your average action themes running though it, which aren't brilliant, but not too bad either. At the very least they don't get annoying or anything, and stay well positioned in the background. Character: 9.5/10 At this point, you're probably thinking why the heck you should watch this anime. Well the secret to it all, which sets it apart from others and keeps you watching, is the characters. The characters themselves are likeable and fit in with the general mood of the anime (some-what cute comedy moments but gets serious when they need to). In one angle they do seem a bit cliched, the average stubborn bad-tempered in-denial girl with the cheeky cold-yet-nice guy but has a dark past, plus the extra nice-but-serious-when-needs-to-be little guy. But the development of the characters, and the development of the romance between the two main protagonists is what really sets it apart. You are kept glued to the screen and get awarded appropriately in the little delightful developments in every episode, and you grow to love every minute. Not to mention the various twists and turns as well, (with added drama) which keep you on the edge of your seat. Enjoyment: 9.5/10 Sure it's all been done before, sure it's not mind-blowingly good, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. It was a secure anime to watch and enjoy ~ having everything from love triangles, nice friendships, happy-happy-days-of-fun, comedy moments, love; but also drama, action: all balanced perfectly. Overall: 8.5/10 Overall, it was a good watch, and those who are into romance/action types will surely enjoy this.

Kaze no Stigma I believe had a lot of potential. It started off interesting, not entirely compelling but interesting. Then it went downhill faster than I could write this review. There was also another thing that bothered me, which was the way they handled deaths. When someone not particularly important died, the main characters just shoved it past their shoulders and act like nothing happened. Human life doesn't seem to hold much importance here(particularly to the heroine). Then again what was I expecting? It wasn't entirely an disappointment, I didn't expect much from it but I didn't expect it to be this bad. Story: 3/10 Itdoesn't exist. There was a few tidbits of potential at the story but I have to say it just dragged on to different story lines that ended predictably. Characters: 2/10 Kazuma to me was the only likable person there. If I looked past the fan service and pretty art, he was the only one remotely interesting. Everyone else seemed like filler characters. Ayano to me, was extremely annoying. Whenever something went wrong, it was automatically Kazuma's fault. Especially at the first episode when she disobeyed orders and followed Kazuma which had two people killed. She is irrisponsible, short tempered and incredibly flawed. I did not find a single redeeming factor about her character. And really, screaming Kazuma at pretty much every single episode was not an attractive trait what so ever. Ren is someone I wanted to like, and I admired his peaceful personality in contrast to Ayano's. But he ended up somewhat annoying with his seriously childish antics, and the only time I appreciated him was when he was being useful. Sound: 5/10 Average, the OP and ED were truly nothing special. I could forget them and not miss them one bit. That said they weren't that bad, could be a lot better but if it had been any worse, I might have started crying. Art: 6/10 Probably the highlight of it all, and even then it's not that entirely impressive as it lacks personality. Shiny art is shiny, but shininess doesn't mean it's amazing. Like a higher quality of a mediocre show. While the characters are pretty, the backgrounds are really unmemorable. The action scenes are visually pleasing but not very engaging. Enjoyment: 3/10 I really did not enjoy it very much. It lacked so much that even if I didn't take it seriously, it was still rather bad to me. The execution of the story was terrible. Overall: 3/10 I would not recommend it. That said I'm sure a lot of people would enjoy this type of anime. It has magic, romance and all the shoujo elements that tweens would like. It just wasn't my cup of tea. I couldn't take it seriously and even the funny parts weren't all that funny, I found myself smiling at best but most of the time I was just waiting for the episode to end.

A friend highly recommended Kaze no Stigma to me one day, so I finally got around to watching it. While it was entertaining, I was disappointed with the anime as a whole. It didn't match up to the high recommendation I had received. However, I do appreciate the fun, entertaining aspect. Story: It was interesting, but not well done. Many things were highly predictable, but I do love the concept of element magic-users and whatnot. Art: Fair art; some things did not flow well, and just in general, the art is simple. Not necessarily a bad thing, but I didn't enjoy all the fight scenes dueto animations. Sound: Nothing amazing, nothing to complain about. (: Character: The characters didn't connect with me much. They felt too shallow. Nevertheless, they were likable. Enjoyment: I enjoyed it enough to be happy about finishing it, but it's not very memorable. It's a good anime to watch if you're looking for a simple entertainment anime. Just don't expect for it to be a favorite (in my opinion, at least). Hope I helped!

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