For the past summer-season, Sekirei was one of the series I was least looking forward to. I mean, the premise was a guy who collects a bunch of big-breasted girls (or Sekirei as they’re called in this series) who like to show off their goods, and these girls fight each other. It just had a premise that sounded so much like those other shounen-fanservice series. Now that it has ended, I must admit that it turned out to be much better than I expected.
As it turns out, the series tries to explain the fact that every single female falls in love with the male lead through its concept: Sekirei naturally fall in love with the ones they form a contact with, and so if you can collect a lot of these Sekirei, you can create your own harem. I admit, it’s much better than your average harem that has females falling for the male lead for no possible reason, but at the same time, it does feel a bit lazy.
Thankfully, the series makes up for it through its characters. There’s a wide variety of them in the series, and the creators succeed in actually making the viewer care about them. This is also the biggest strength of this series: it knows how to tell its story (which turns out to be much more complex than I originally expected) and keep the viewer interested. Overall, it was a very pleasant surprise.
Some of the main characters do have the ability to get on your nerves pretty fast, though. Especially some of the main characters: Kuu and Tsukiumi, who are a bit too eager to express their love, and feel a bit too 2-dimensional. The series also plays around with coincidences a bit too much, and especially the beginning has too many people coincidentally meeting the right people, in order to set up the story.
The big flaw of this series, however, is its ending. Sekirei is part of a much larger manga, and at one point, it just stops, while the manga goes on. This of course isn’t such a big problem. There’s room enough for a second season, which will most likely get announced. The problem, however, is that the final episode is downright terrible. This series worked so well at building a nice story, and it threw everything down the drains with a bunch of horribly blatant Deus ex Nachinas (and not just one, there’s a whole BUNCH of them), that try way too much to end the series on a happy note. In terms of plot, I can understand how these twists had to happen, but please: make at least an effort to build up for these twists. Don’t introduce them at your own convenience because the plot needs them.
While it’s nowhere near a great series, my faith in bishoujo-series that got pretty much blown apart by Kanokon and To Love-Ru managed to get restored by the past summer-season. Sekirei is a nicely written series, which may focus a bit too much on its fanservice, but underneath it’s got a charming cast of characters to boast.
| Storytelling: | 7/10 |
| Characters: | 8/10 |
| Production-Values: | 8/10 |
| Setting: | 7/10 |
Yes, I agree, Kuu turned very annoying especially with that ‘angry/jealous’ expression they kept plastering to her face every other moment she gets screen time. That turned her from ‘cute/adorable’ to ‘ugh’. The outfits were also quite out of place and non-flattering. o_o;
The only nice scene she probably had after her introduction was when she told that water Sekirei that she wasn’t a real wife cause she didn’t want to help her master.
Hey, at least it’s a lot better than Zero no Tsukaima ~Princesses no Rondo~, ZnT is unwatchable for me.
I was actually thinking checking it out. Hard to do so when you are constantly disappointed in these fighting/romance/whatever else shows.
Might still though. Hasn’t stopped me in the past from watching these kind of shows (not all these kind) like night wizard, kaze no stigma, etc…
All terrible (night wizard is possible the worst show I have ever seen).
Ah, well that’s the way she goes. Hopefully sekirei turns out to be at least a decent watch between the good anime I am planning on seeing.
I am going on antique bakery next after junjou romantica (wow, I am a straight male and at first I was a little awed off but it turned out to be such a great show. Am REALLY looking forward to the next season)
What ??
Why now they were just getting to the good part in the manga ….
Its a nice series, aka: rosario + vampire…, but could use a little story depth, bring out more of the characters into play… Minto the guy, he must get a little more backbone, with all those girls…, I like how, he starts to learn about sekirei’s and the game, and wants to fight against it… its neat that his Mom, works for MBI.
I’ve actually been reading the manga (I’ve finished all that are out, waiting for the next chapters) and some of the complaints are gone in the manga (Rich, he DOES have to get a backbone when stage three starts, because he has to actually help fight). Haven’t watched the anime yet, but I plan to.
Anime never seem to do as well as the manga. They have to change some stuff, and it usually ruins important parts.
I found this anime the best anime I have ever seen! The storyline was the best storyline ever… and the girls that look very pretty are all owned by 1 lucky man…. I wish I was in the Sekirei world… Who’s with me?