Nobunaga Concerto

Nobunaga Concerto, this anime is probably the most underrated anime this season, perhaps even this year. The reason why? The art. I'll be honest, I am one of those shallow people who judge the book by its cover, or in this case, one who judges anime by the art. If it wasn't for the suggestion of a friend, I wouldn't probably watch it, much less read the synopsis. I told him that I do not like the art, but he kept on insisting that I watch it, so I did, just to keep him off my back, and, oh god, I am so glad Iwatched it. The story was great, the sounds were amazing, the characters were fun and lovable, and somehow, the art fitted in. Like in One Piece, the art was, well, not so good, but it fits in well with the quirky characters and mood. Well, since this isn't a One Piece review, I'll go back to talking about Nobunaga Concerto. Story - 9 From reading the synopsis, I thought that it's gonna be another Oda Nobuna no Yabou, which I think was a funny anime, but Nobunaga Concerto isn't just funny, there is also drama, where I cried a few times. Not bawling, just a few tears. What happened in this anime was more realistic, well, except, maybe, the time travel part. And no harems. Not gonna give any spoilers, so just take my word. Art - 6 I repeat, the art was awful, but it was tolerable because it got carried by other elements such as the story, sounds, and characters. Now that I finished all 10 episodes, I'll be honest again, I still don't like the art. My overall score for an anime is 30% art, which is probably why Nobunaga Concerto will never get more than an 8 from me since I think that anime is a visual medium and if I just want a good story, I'll read a book. Well, usually, animes with poor art can never get a score above 7 from me, but I repeat, this section got carried, and it got carried hard. Sound - 10 The sound is was remarkable, the OST creates the mood, not fits in, creates. And don't get me started on the ED, simply put, it is sound porn. There was no OP but the ED, "Fukagyaku Replace (不可逆リプレイス)" by MY FIRST STORY, was the best ED I ever heard this season! It was, how do you say it? AH. MAY. ZING. I downloaded it and is now on my playlist, 5 times. (People from the government, please don't arrest me!) Character - 9 Ahh~ the characters~ This is hard, I'll try not to spoil. The characters were lovable and because of the art, no one really looked the same, except the two main protagonists, so it's easy to tell who is who. The character development in this series is good, however, if I were to write a review for all characters, it would take too long, so I'll just focus on the MC. The MC, Saburou, was funny, carefree, and contrary to the beginning, he is kinda smart, maybe not book smart, but street smart. If he were drawn with a different art style, maybe I would have dedicated a folder full of his pictures just to show how much I love him, sadly, he isn't. (*sobs) The other characters, to summarize, have their own charms, and it's easy to love them, like I said, their development was good. Now the voice acting. Since this is my first review, I don't know if this goes in the sound or character section so I'll just put it in a separate paragraph. I think the seiyuus completely captured their characters' character. I think that sounded weird, but you get what I mean, I hope. It felt like the characters were really alive, like they really have those kinds of personalities. I especially love Saburou's voice, I don't know why, but I just love that voice. Enjoyment - 9 I enjoyed this series greatly. Great story, amazing sounds, and fun and lovable characters. The art was not that bad I guess. Nah, I still don't like it. Anyway, this series is worth the watch, if you don't like the art, give it 1 or 2 episodes, and if you still can't stand it, then it's your lost. Overall - 8

Nobunaga Concerto - truly an epic blast which deserves more attention. Nobunaga Concerto is a forgotten anime. When people read the words "Nobunaga" they are generally put off from even touching this anime due to the endless amounts of disappointing and predictable anime which have tarnished the name. However, even if you do manage to give this anime a chance, you will be frustrated by the unique looking art. Some may say the art is absolutely horrible but I beg to differ - it begins to grow on you and it is but a minor blemish to this epic series. First off, Nobunaga Concerto is an Adventureanime with a twist - you follow the life of Saburo and his attempt to live the life of the legendary Japanese warlord, Oda Nobunaga. That being said - it can hardly be classified as an action anime, as there is very little action and the main appeal to this anime are the characters. Story The story is beautifully simple with elements of romance, loyalty and friendship. Nobunaga Concerto has a character driven story line as we follow the main protagonist, Saburo. Throughout the 10 episodes we see how Saburo evolves as a character and is obviously the most relatable due to the fact that he is from modern day time. Pros: -Each episode adds value to the progression of the story and helps give Saburo and the supporting characters more depth. This gives the watcher more emotional impact - we share the joy and sadness of Saburo, making this anime an "emotional rollercoaster" (sorry, i know it's cliche) -As stated before the story line is quite simple. There is a decent amount of plot twists but none of them will have you saying "what the f*ck was that?" or "hooooly sh*****it that was so unexpected". This may be seen as a downside but it plays it safe and it works beautifully. -Gripping - every episode pulls you into the world even more (start marathoning it now XD) -Clever alterations to the actual history which are very quirky and act like easter eggs for the people who know some of the basic history of the Sengoku Period Cons: -Nobunaga Concerto has a very compelling story, nevertheless that does not mean it is perfect. -Due to this anime being a short 10 episodes, there is no explanation of the time slip which resulted in Saburo entering the Sengoku era. -the anime ending is a read the manga type ending and the manga is not even translated to English - so you can't really read the manga after. However, this should not discourage you from the anime as the ride from episode 1-10 was truly amazing. The ending does not tie everything in a knot, but it doesn't leave you on a gigantic cliff hanger. It is better than most anime endings, despite ending in a rushed state. Art Personally i did not mind the art too much, especially because i managed to watch Kingdom - a fantastic series both anime and manga. However, if you certainly detest the CGI art you need to endure about 2-4 episodes before it begins to grow on you. If you are planing to marathon it, it will certainly grow on you a lot quicker. The story and the sound will make you forget about the art fairly quickly. I highly recommend that you give this anime 3 episodes before you make the decision to drop - the art is just a minor blemish. Sound I find sound one of the most important qualities in an Anime. A perfectly placed track at the exact time can amplify the experience so much more. The sound in this anime is amazing. It is a masterpiece. The soundtrack accompanied with the story makes this anime very entertaining and occasionally gives you chills. The beautiful sound of the Japanese flute playing whilst Saburo rides out to war - wow, it seriously is an epic moment. Character Not much to say here - Nobunaga Concerto is peppered with great characters. Honor, loyalty, humor , friendship , romance - the characters allow this anime to have such an enticing appeal. Enjoyment It is a thoroughly griping anime that is very underrated and definitely worth a shot. It is an anime which deserves more attention so hopefully they can make a sequel, but i doubt it. I would not say it is on par with titles like Steins;gate, but it is still a very well made anime which can leave you entertained for a while and hungry for a sequel - that is if you can get past the art. *note:first review - constructive feedback appreciated note: apologies for grammar mistakes and badly constructed sentences - haven't thoroughly proof read it.

I was going to give it 8 or 9 since it's a good twist on Isekai and has good comedy. But there was no alternate history in the series and it's just a high school boy following the same path of Oda Nobunaga with some jokes added here and there. And the jokes were reduced by the end of the season too and it instead became more dramatic telling of Sengoku period. If that was the intention of from the beginning, it would have been better to not have Isekai at all in the first place. Honestly, the series made me so mad at seeing so muchpotential being squandered that I ended up writing a review.

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