07-Ghost

hamletsmage Jun 10, 2011

9

As a note of reference, I have not read the manga, though I intend to at some point. Story: The story follows Teito Klein, a military slave, who escapes the military and takes refuge in the 7th district, a holy ground. There, he begins to learn about his past and about his powers with the aid of the Bishops, while being hunted by Ayanami. The story also tells of the 7 ghosts (where the title comes from) that protect the earth from the forces of Verloren. With a vast lore, the story is intriguing and enchanting. Animation: The animation has a solid mix of light and dark elements. Everything from the eyeball-fish soup to the robes of the Ghosts is wonderfully detailed. Sound: The soundtrack is full of intense moments and lulling interludes, following the course of each episode and enhancing the action. Characters: The cast of characters is pretty unique. Each character has a story behind them, and a web of interactions. I guess you could call the Bishops "Bishies with attitude" because it's really the only way to describe them. You also have the un-gendered Kuroyuri, the tsundere Hakuren, and the malignant Ayanami. The cast is well suited for an anime that straddles the border between shoujo and shounen.

ThatAnimeSnob Dec 22, 2011

3.5

07-GHOST is a series marred by lackluster storytelling, its allure predominantly stemming from titillating aesthetics rather than astute directing or immersive character development. Despite garnering a sizable following during its broadcast (for a C-tier title, that is), particularly among fujoshis (women of questionable infatuations with handsome boys), it was helmed by Studio DEEN, renowned as the company anime go to die from lackadaisical production values.A blend of medieval fantasy and science fiction, the series boasts visually appealing fairy-tale motifs, blending elements of clergy life, occult mystery, super-soldier projects, and some rather surreal backgrounds. All that get easily overshadowed by its abundance of bishounens, so it will be extra captivating to the fujoshis. Everybody is made to look like hot dreamlike figures adorned in cassocks, with glances and smirks that any fangirl would kill just to touch their hair. Although it features some women and old people as well, they serve primarily as decorative backgrounds or cute mascots, like a perky mermaid, a pink fuzzy critter, and a trio of aloof sisters.While the series may exude splendor if you focus on its still frames, its shortcomings become glaringly evident upon closer scrutiny of its abysmal animation. Action sequences and visual effects suffer from the typical Studio DEEN deficiencies, with laughable battle choreography, explosions that never damage the background, and magic attacks that exist on a different plane of existence because they are computer-generated instead of drawn along with the background. Character movements are minimal, with flapping mouths dominating motion, and instances of jumping being just a static picture that slides across the screen. I can go on for hours regarding how much the series flouts the laws of physics, but you can just check the opening and see that Teito fellow sitting on a spiky rooftop that is somehow not going up his ass. Such instances make battles tedious and visually unconvincing. Much of the action boils down to characters shaking their hands and magic stuff materialize, that are devoid of impact on their surroundings or fellow characters.The premise holds promise, featuring elements of military covert operations, mystical temples, scary ghosts, gay innuendos, a sort of detective feeling, and a lot of daily life in a fantasy setting. While the conceptual framework may intrigue, the execution falters due to sluggish pacing. Episodes often fail to advance the plot significantly, with crucial information imparted in fleeting moments. They could have taken out half the total duration and it still wouldn’t feel rushed. It is also very straightforward, despite its events affecting the lives of millions, since it centers on five people at the most. The narrative fixates excessively on the military base and the temple, and it completely ignores every other location of an otherwise huge and complex setting. You’ll often forget there is supposed to be a plot about the fate of the world as you stare at hot choir boys walking elegantly. There is no pay-off at the end either, since it escalates for many episodes and ends with the story left incomplete.Just like playing a dating sim, the series is full of ero/moe archetypes you are supposed to like for their diversity in appearance and demeanor than for substantive characterization. The majority of the cast serves little purpose beyond increasing the potential dream boyfriends you would pick to date with in some eroge. The only characters the series needed were Teito and Mikage (the main couple… er, I mean, pair), any one of the priests, and Ayanami the psycho military man. The rest are mere window dressing. Even with the major ones, viewers are only left to marvel at the aesthetically pleasing males. More specifically, their frozen-still faces, full of erotic suggestion, while their hair and clothes flap in the wind with a few repeating frames.In summary, 07-GHOST fails to captivate a seasoned viewer, offering scant substance amidst its languorous plot and formulaic characters. It was only made to cater horny fujoshis, and even then it warrants, at best, a single viewing, lacking in depth and resolution. Swiftly consigned to obscurity, it is now buried under some pile of equally mediocre anime.

Epimondas Mar 28, 2015

8

This was a very good anime.  The biggest negative about it however, is the fact that it wasn't finished.  So, I can not give it as high of marks as it probably deserves.  It is a fairly original story with lavish settings and a compelling plot.  It clearly draws inspiration from Christian traditions and the bible.  The Japanese studios often seem to love using a reverse set of antagonists or protagonists like making demons good guy characters or angels bad guy characters.  That isn't necessarily a bad thing.  There are bad guy angels in the bible too, you might have heard of the most famous fallen angel.  Perhaps in the East, demons are not seen as manifiestations of evil as mostly considered in Western cultures but maybe just manifestations of spirits.  Though some asepcts about what this church is in the anime are still left unanswered, viewers are given plenty of background and detailed setting information.  I kind of myself doubt his ultimate destiny is as a priest and you may agree or disagree by the anime's end.  The biggest drawback as listed above is not only is the story basically unfinished, but I even dare say it was left hanging on a cliffhanger plot point.  Viewers want to know what happens next but probably never will.  One of the priests is a bit of a perve and there is plenty of teasing and humor alluding to that however, unlike most animes, they do not over do it nor do they do it in atypical cliched fashion.  Though the story is mostly original there are a few tried and true cliche-ish plot points, such at the opening when the main character faces his first crisis delimna from his own people.  And one of the main early characters is also a childhood friend (cliche), but again it is not done quite as cliche as usual.  It reeks quite closely of a hidden power factor, though in kind of a layered way.   While the main character can more or less fool most people, the 7 major characters revealed as part of a powerful group are not as easily fooled by anything and it might be said the elder priest is likewise atune to the main character's past.  There is plenty of magic and elaborate use of powerful magic and magical figures in the series.  There are also secrets yet to be revealed though hinted at in the description and manga if you ever read either.  It is difficult to go far in reviewing such an anime, but what was there was quite enjoyable.  He falls about as low as one can go and gradually rises up again. That is always a pretty fascinating type of story.  Part of the appeal maybe the glimpses of one or more puzzles that drive the storyline.  Some of that is revealed and other new parts create new puzzles to solve.  There is a overhanging threat of danger, war, and pursuit that also help fuel the action.   I really do wish I could watch the rest of it however and the fact that its unfinished may well drive viewers away.  Such is often the way for some of the best though shortlived anime series.