Chivalry of a Failed Knight Are you looking to relax and keep yourself entertained after a hectic week or simply one rough day? An Action Romance anime with a bit of Ecchi thrown in should hit the spot. No matter the occasion, an anime of this kind is good on the mind and body now and then, as long as it's enjoyable. So what are the top picks for this category? When presented with a platter of options, it's nice to have an idea about each before actually committing to it, just like in real-world romance. “Chivalry of a Failed Knight,” also known as “Rakudai Kishi no Cavalry,” “Rakudai Kishi no Eiyuutan,” and “A Tale of Worst One,” is a 12 episode TV anime series that aired from the 3rd of October until the 19th of December in Fall 2015. It was produced by Frontier Works, Media Factory, AT-X, flying DOG, Hakuhodo DY Music & Pictures, Animatic, and SB Creative. It was licensed by Sentai Filmworks and brought to life by Studios SILVER LINK. and Nexus. The main staff behind it include Oonuma Shin as Director, Aketagawa Jin as Sound Director, Takamura Yuuta as Episode Director, and Inoue Keisuke as Episode Director. It featured the genres of Action, Fantasy, Romance, and Ecchi and boasted the main theme of School. The rating received was R - 17+ for its violence and profanity is best suited for mature audiences. This is the work of Author Misora, Riku, and Artist Won, featuring all Action, Comedy, Fantasy, Romance, Supernatural and Ecchi genres. The first episode previewed at a screening held at Cinemart Shinjuku on the 27th of September 2015, and regular broadcasting began afterward on the 3rd of October 2015. The anime was adapted from the Light Novel of the same title, which was also published in English by Sol Press on the 16th of November 2019. It initiated publication on the 13th of July 2013 and is still ongoing. The world of Rakudai Kishi no Cavalry is far from ordinary. There are a few unique humans who are capable of manipulating their souls to form and utilize powerful weapons. These special people are termed "Blazers," and it is a given that they require special attention and conditioning. Thus they study and train consistently at the prestigious Hagun Academy to become Mage-Knights someday. Not all students shine at school, even exceptional cases within special schools; thus, the story’s protagonist Ikki Kurogane is a so-called failure amidst the student body and is the sole F-rated Blazer. Things were never going to stay stagnant in this state for long; when the worst student in the academy witnesses the A-ranked Blazer Stella Vermillion, who also happens to be a princess, naked, fate takes a big turn. Left with no choice, Stella challenges him to a duel with incredibly dire stakes; the loser must become the slave of the winner. Considering each of their ranks, there’s possibly no way that Stella could lose………… right? Thus begins the journey of the failed Knight Ikki, as he attempts to prove his strength and ability to a crude world that firmly believes he is the weakest of them all. His path is scattered with numerous new friends, wisdom to be obtained, and unique experiences to be had. Rakudai Kishi no Cavalry starts in a pretty generic and unoriginal way. Still, as the series progresses, it becomes evident that it's trying to be different and manages to do it pretty well. Ikki has the worst reputation and has no magical skills, while the tsundere Stella is a seemingly perfect Blazer on top of being royalty. When he walks in on her while she is changing, his reaction is both unique and unexpected, unlike most Harem protagonists. Even while using familiar schemes and tropes, the series remains refreshing and entertaining on an already established base. And no, this is not precisely a Harem show. In contrast, the main characters' relationship develops very sweetly, adding substance to the story. Romance is not the main focus, but it's certainly there and has a nice flow. Considering the Swords and Knights aspects, there are a decent amount of entertaining battles as well. Additionally, an agreeable amount of fanservice is included, which dares to walk roads not often tread. Like Ikki, the anime starts off a little sour, but its consistent attempts to get better pay off, leading to a satisfying watch, albeit generic at times. The Characters are all reasonably likable but aren’t necessarily unique. They are the commonly seen archetypes in anime titles of this sort, but they all play their relevant parts and are entertaining to watch. The opponents and adversaries throughout the series are surprisingly enjoyable too. The many female characters that progressively appear are not additions to Ikki’s harem and are overall handled well. As for the main focus girl Stella, she is shown to be beautiful, sweet, supportive, and seductive. Both she and Ikki show decent character development by the end, though not exemplary. The Art and Animation are great. Especially in the case of the battles, they are just the right length, with smooth animation and high detailing. They are both exciting and rewarding to watch and might even warrant a rewatch. The Artstyle itself is beautiful, neat, and detailed, with nearly flawless backgrounds and sceneries. The Animation is consistently smooth and dynamic, with different animation styles being used on various occasions, overall turning out better and unique than one would expect. The fanservice, despite being limited, is of great quality and a pleasure to watch. The Sounds and Music aren’t that memorable or unique. The OSTs don't stand out, but they fulfill their roles and are okay. The Opening theme is "Identity" by Mikio Sakaiis, which is refreshing, catchy, and excellent. The ending theme is "Haramitsu Renka" by ALI PROJECT, which is nice too. Both are accompanied by beautiful sequences that cater to the fanservice factor as well. Overall, Rakudai Kishi, no Cavalry is a well-done anime. Despite its many genetic tropes, it still manages to remain refreshing and unique throughout. It offers a good platter of interesting opponents, fluid fight scenes, great artwork, quality fanservice, a sweet main couple, some amount of originality, and actual effort put into it. If you are simply looking for some good action, smooth and detailed animation, good romance, and an agreeable amount of generic tropes, this is the Anime for you. It may start a bit off the rails to greatness, but it improves vastly over time. Recommended based on how well handled this series is; there were so many ways it could’ve gone south, but it is a really entertaining show here. 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