jmaddio

This is probably the best film made from an anime series I've ever seen. I began watching the initial series because the animation was outstanding, and the music was equally brilliant. The story is a very slow burn and requires a lot of imagination and emotional investment in order to achieve its aims, but if you're willing to really focus on the characters, inhabit their minds and their world, and follow Violet's journey with attention and suspended disbelief, it pays off big in the end. The series as a whole, and the film in particular, are extremely cathartic and achieve a happy ending without being... See full review

As a climber I was super glad to see an anime about climbing, and as far as the basics of the show are concerned I thought it was pretty solid. the problems all stem from a lack of episodes. Characters remain underdeveloped, plot points rushed or entirely dropped, and a lot of potential goes untapped. That being said, 11.5 of the 12 episodes are still quite good, and the only thing that let's me down is that it ended, and quite abruptly at that. 

I only gave it 3.5 stars, but honestly this anime has so much potential! The pacing is rushed, which makes it less spectacular than it could be, but if it had been drawn out longer in order to focus more on character relationships and to really flesh out the tactical and strategic elements of the battles and coups, this could've easily been a 4/4.5 star anime. It took on adult themes a little to lightly, but, again, extending the series would've allowed it to flesh out the relevant story/animation choices and really offer something a lot better than the typical PG-13 war story, without going overboard like... See full review