HUNDRED

At this point, I'm on a streak of reviewing clichéd adaptations of light novels. Using a recipe already used thousands of times doesn't make you a terrible anime; using that recipe badly or not knowing how to exploit clichés well is what makes you a bad anime. If we compare it to a plate of food, Hundred ALMOST got burnt, but it came out quite acceptable in the end. I repeat, an anime with nothing remarkable or out of the ordinary, probably in a few months, you'll only remember a few characters. Let's say you'll be able to digest it without any problems. Without further ado, let's start with the review!

When an extraterrestrial organism known as "Savage" attacks humanity, the only technology capable of combating the enemy is a weapon known as "Hundred." A survivor of a savage attack, Hayato Hirasagi is a teenager boasting the highest compatibility level with the technology mentioned above. As a result, he is invited to master his skills at Little Garden, a prestigious military academy aboard a battleship.

Hundred | Anime Review | Worth Your Time?

Throughout his intense training for the battle ahead, he immediately attracts the interest of multiple female peers. He gets drawn into several incidents as he tries to fight against the creatures that now inhabit Earth and threaten its safety.

There is not much more to say than what is said in the synopsis. Everything is cliché, so cliché that it even makes the same cliché mistakes as other series of its kind. That and the fact that it had a terrible start makes the series try hard to recover by the third episode. For someone who follows the rule of watching three episodes to decide whether to continue watching an anime or discard it, Hundred can barely be spared. As I mentioned, it is a "not bad" product. It doesn't bore and manages to make some of its clichéd situations seem entertaining and even funny.

On the other hand, one thing that detracts from it is that it handles what is supposed to be a significant plotline horribly. It makes the ending seem like a Deux-ex machine resolved it.

I'm talking about the OP ability of the main character; when he uses it, he goes into berserk mode, and the series makes you understand that the critical part will be that he learns to control this ability. And surprise, surprise, out of nowhere, he has (of course) complete control of said ability in a well-timed manner. They discard convincingly developing the central plot of the protagonist, all to focus on the plotline of the "harem." For about three episodes, they forget about it COMPLETELY UNTIL THE END OF THE SERIES!

It's a harem that doesn't really exist or one that the writers failed to construct by not showing an equal amount of chances for each of the girls in the supposed harem. Even though the demographics tell you it's a harem, it's more than clear that the protagonist is romantically interested in only one of the girls, and the rest never had a chance.

Hayato is, all in all, a good protagonist. Is he a brave warrior with relatively simple and childish motivations? Yes, he is. Does he throw incredibly cheesy and embarrassing lines? Yes, he does. But his archetype is of the hero who stands for the values of friendship, happiness, justice, and peace. So even though the cringe-worthy lines are overdone, he is a protagonist who fulfills his role and moves the plot along.

Let's move on to the "harem" characters.

We have Emile, a character that I found the most interesting. A princess of lower rank who passes herself off as a man when she enters the academy and ends up as our main character's roommate. Emile may not have the most potent Hundred by far or an OP ability concealed under her sleeve, but she is not only highly skilled in combat but also highly skilled at wielding her weapon's resources. I feel that Emile mainly brings the best battles of the series.

Then we have Clair, a big-busted, blonde sempai with screw-curly hair. Typical. She's also the council president and, without a doubt, the best fighter. Excellent in everything, and it's not just her ego talking or what they say in school; the girl shows what she's made of. She makes it clear that her people's respect for her leading them has been earned with blood, sweat, and tears.

Karen is the typical little sister obsessed with her older brother, in this case, our protagonist. She is jealous of any woman. But among all that we could say about her, in short, she is an angel and a box of surprises.

And finally, we have Sakura, a super famous idol with a Hundred that, despite being interesting, is not very useful in combat (she is an idol and not a warrior for a reason). Honestly, her only role was to give some tension to the "harem" thing.

The animation is unremarkable but acceptable. It maintains its quality consistently and does step it up a notch when it comes to battles. There is the occasional screw-up that you won't notice unless you're paying close attention (or watching the series for the sole purpose of analyzing the series's technical aspects). The background design is adequate, as is the character design. They won't be memorable, but they fulfill their role and don't clash with the characters' personalities.

The voice actors, I think, did a great job in their performances; they fit their roles perfectly, in my opinion.

Hundred is just another run-of-the-mill series but entertaining. Don't expect too much either; as I stated at the beginning, it's steps away from being recommended. And if you're someone who's looking for a gem of a series to watch next, this is definitely not it. Hundred is more likely to take the boredom away and give you a good time. It’s light enough to be a time-killer or something to watch between the end of one season's anime and the release of the next season's new releases.