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.