The art looks beautiful aswell

I’m surprised you didn’t mention Kujireika. She perfectly exemplified the strong female character you mentioned, but also was led down a terrible path, and nearly died holding strong to her beliefs defending against the Hiruken Emperor. GAR AS FUCK. Sure she went about everything all the wrong possible ways, but she was far more interesting in her little time on screen than Haru, Raigyo, or Midori.

Also I’m like you in that good characterization saved this series for me. Sure the plot was extremely lacking, and the ending was lackluster, the sound was decent at best, and there were some pacing problems especially after Furuichi ripped his head off in that beautiful moment and then nothing happened in the next 5 or 6 episodes.

I agree that many of the characters just couldn’t have explained what the audience wanted to know, or that it would’ve been very awkward if the plot just stopped and they gave us a history lesson. I guess they could have used a Gunbuster-like interlude omake but it would’ve boned the pacing entirely.

As for Yanjo, he was going to be the third character I’d cover in the post, but I broached the 1200 words and had to wrap it up. I loved Yanjo a lot. He rapidly developed beyond being an Akiyuki stand-in and became a legitimate, empathetic character. He embodied how the charisma of Nakiami affected those around her and had so many touching moments with her. He was also just a little bad-ass you cheered for the whole way, and one of the few characters who actually changed after the finale’s time-skip. Definitely one of my favourites.

As for understanding the rules of the world I would put forward that, one we don’t really need to as I fail to see how it would add to the story and two I think a lot of it we can come to our own conclusions about. To be honest I hope and think that the lack of detail about the world was done on purpose, I personally think we are ment to know about as much as most of the characters do which is, relatively little, and thus can’t necessarily see what plot twist may come about. Which I think is a pleasant change to a genre which as a whole is becoming more and more cliched, with most modern anime falling into any of three categories and three categories only these being action, humor and romance meaning that it is becoming easier and easier to know what will happen, who it will happen to and how early or late it will happen in the series which is a problem that excluding a few occasions I did not have in this case.

On a completely different note I feel Yango should be mentioned as I don’t think he has been so far. I particularly like the way that he starts of as a bratty little kid, even if he has got an excuse what with the whole lack of parents and living in a town were hes hated due to his race, and is consistently bratty, excluding the odd moment of insight, right up until the closing moments of the anime where we see the result of how he has developed and matured but don’t actually see it happening, I’m not sure why but I think its a nice touch. In fact I really like the whole flash forward during the final moments of the series.

Finally apology’s for the overly lengthy and rambling comment as well as any bad spelling, Dyslexia is my curse.