Reign of the Seven Spellblades
“A Dark Fantasy Anime With A Pure Heart”
We're back to summer 2023. It was a seasonal lineup that shook the anime fandom inside out, thanks to certain shows that knew how to give zero hoots. But, like me, many of you are constantly looking for new shows that serve as the perfect breath of fresh air. Besides, everyone loves an underdog story, right? Every other week, we all enjoy watching these unprecedented shows defeat the industry's best and call it a day, right?
Reign of the Seven Spellblades, the light novel turned anime, made its debut last summer, and even before that first episode went on air, the show managed to pique the interest of many people worldwide. A dark fantasy setting that used every genre the anime industry had in its arsenal was about to go all out. That was sure to hype the anime fandom.
But despite the series adding three episodes above the usual 12-episode mark, Reign of the Seven Spellblades manages to ruin a great setting without a care. It proves nothing can bring you down if you have a good heart. We've seen guys act tough when they're the biggest cowards on the planet. Or some introverts putting on the psychopath act because that's just the new cool.
In any case, Reign of the Seven Spellblades tries to establish itself as a grim fantasy wizarding world wherein, at any moment, allies can be betrayed. However, it continuously recycles tired ideas, such as the importance of friendship and other plot armor elements that even the titles in the old Shounen Jump series abandoned not long ago. Naturally, that was following the conclusion of Demon Slayer. So, let us look at how disorganized Reign of the Seven Spellblades is and why it might let you down if you ever decide to watch it!
Hyping it up
Kimberly Magic Academy is an institution that is a lot darker than it seems. With dangers around every corner and numerous trials and tribulations awaiting the students, it is natural that only a few make it to the graduation ceremony. Nanao Hibiya, who has been encouraged and talked into joining the magic academy by the instructor, has yet to learn what she is signing up for.
She and numerous others find themselves at the mercy of an institution operating extensively behind closed doors. To make it through the academy alive and well, you must band together as a team and cross your fingers that no one pulls a fast one on you—something you really must be on guard against in this day and age.
On paper, a setting where martial arts, swords, magic, and some of the best from the fantasy genre are in play sounds like something that should be the next name on your watch list. But Reign of the Seven Spellblades is nothing but a mess. It ends up biting much more than it can chew, and every other episode feels bland at best.
What begins as a dark fantasy setting quickly transforms into a slice-of-life anime in which the dark elements appear to have left the chat, only to return briefly. The genre elements are constantly hopping around, which hinders the show's ability to find its identity and the charm that will propel it to the top of the charts.
Bland characters
The character department isn't lacking in numbers regarding this anime universe. The 15-episode mark brings many characters to the main stage, even when most of them don't add anything meaningful to save the sinking ship, Reign of the Seven Spellblades.
Some memorable faces who receive a lot more screen time stand out, notably Greenwood, Nanao, and Oliver. Aside from that, the show makes little effort to introduce or develop these characters, leaving them mostly empty. You get a character in the middle of something, and then there is a flashback, you learn about their past, and then the show moves on to the next character in the next episode, making it appear as if the entire sequence was a waste of time in terms of story progression.
Romance, gore, and sporadic action are present, but in my opinion, none of that is executed properly. Aside from constantly killing the mood by being a flip-flop, at times acting like a shounen anime, sometimes a slice of life, or a magical fantasy, the show suffers from an identity crisis that makes it hard to think that the show has something great in store for its viewers. You get nothing even after waiting every other week for over three months. Sure, the ending makes you want to look up the light novel and read up on the latest stuff, but if you’re talking about the show, it doesn’t grab your attention.
Although 15 episodes are insufficient, that should be the show’s area of expertise, correct? The show constantly keeps it superficial, only touching these different elements without diving deep and trying to immerse the viewer in a setting they won't get out of their heads for a while. You cannot help but criticize the show for its mistakes and imagine what it would be like if certain things were not done, but alas, that will not go away.
One would expect the finale to be the best, but the final couple of episodes are not any different, and they do not deviate from what the show has already presented since the beginning of its runtime. I've always advocated that the world-building and characters end up making or breaking a series regarding these fantasy settings.
But for Reign of the Seven Spellblades, the power of friendship and attempting to be the likable character end up hurting it the most, and for those who were drawn to the dark fantasy setting, I feel sorry for you because this was anything but!
Reign of the Seven Spellblades starts excellently. Even after the fifteen-episode mark, you remember very little about the series, even though you start fantasizing about all the plot points the show could be pursuing. It fails miserably at hooking viewers, and the fact that it struggles with an identity crisis right up until the end makes it clear that the show could not compete with the variety of the summer lineup.
The show could've been better. Well, of course! If the show had stayed true to the dark fantasy theme, it would've gone down as a much more memorable series than it is today. It's as if the studio was trying its hardest to turn in the class assignment at the last minute, and you know things never end well when you do that!
When people start making allusions to literary masterpieces like Harry Potter, it is disappointing that the final product is so mediocre in every way: animation, sound, characters, etc. Let good old Mashle handle the Harry Potter portrayal; it is doing a great job. For quite some time, JC staff has been destroying shows. Remember what they did with One Punch Man?
If I had to give it a rating, it would be 5 out of 10. If you expect a dark fantasy anime to blow your mind completely, you are in for a letdown. The show cannot keep up the tough guy act for long, and it keeps breaking character, making it yet another title that bit off more than it could chew.
For fans of the show, I cannot say what the light novel has in store. It could be worse than the anime, or it could be better. Ultimately, we should all find out. Just watch the first two episodes to get a feel for the show. If you are not into that, I recommend reading the light novel instead; it is much better than this!
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