(Nitsuj): Hello and welcome to Project Nitsuj. We are now in the final week of the Mecha Arc. After the golden age of mecha came to an end mecha anime became scarce in the anime industry and with the rise of isekai anime that came to dominate the industry, it seemed like the only way mecha anime could survive was to take a page from Escaflowne and combine the two genres. Enter, Knight’s and Magic. Based on a light novel written by Hisago Amazake-no in 2013 and still ongoing to this day, this is the only series besides Escaflowne that I know combined mecha and isekai into one anime.
(Mira): And the series didn’t do itself any favors.
(Nitsuj): Mira? You’re jumping into this review?
(Mira): Not just me, I bought an assistant to help.
(Chibi Isis): Hi Nii-chan!
(Nitsuj): Okay, I can understand Mira jumping in, but why Chibi? I feel like I’m losing my mind here.
(Mira): Wouldn’t be the first.
(Chibi Isis): It’s got magic and science. Since I’m the poster child for this field it only makes sense that I join.
(Nitsuj): Oh yeah. I guess this anime does use magic in their mechs. So what exactly did you mean by the series not doing itself any favors, Mira?
(Mira): Well everything about this series just screamed plain. The synopsis was bland, the setting was plain, and even the title of the series was grammatically incorrect. It should be Knights and Magic not Kinght’s and Magic. This whole series just sounded like any other isekai series coming out at the time. On top of that, the anime which came out in 2017 was being done by 8 Bit.
(Nitsuj): For those of you who don’t know 8 Bit was the studio behind That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime which put the studio on the map. This anime came before Slime and during that time 8 Bit was known as a mediocre studio. Their animes would range from being mediocre to bad and weren’t seen as a good representation of the source material.
(Chibi Isis): However, this anime was an exception and was considered good by viewers. While I admit this series doesn’t reach the platinum level like the Four Horsemen of Isekai or the gold level like No Game No Life, Shield Hero, and Slime, it manages to reach the silver level. An isekai anime that was good and a joy to watch.
(Nitsuj): Let’s end the Mecha Arc with a blast. This is Knight’s and Magic.
Opening and Ending Theme
(Chibi Isis): The opening is “Hello! My World!!” by fhána. It’s a catchy and upbeat song that instantly gets you hooked the moment you hear it. It honestly sounds like a Vocaloid song.
(Nitsuj): The ending is “You and I” by Ayaka Ohashi. This is another upbeat song that definitely captures the feelings of a person’s feelings for another person. The one thing that really makes this ending stand out is that it does sound like something you would hear in a mecha anime. While the opening sounds fitting for an isekai anime, the ending fits more with a mecha anime.
Episodes 1-4
(Mira): The anime starts off with our main character Kurata a genius programmer who is also an otaku and loves collecting mech figurines (ah~, he reminds me of my Nitsuj. A nerdy otaku who loved mecha anime). While on his way home he gets the Yu Yu Hakusho treatment and gets hit by a car dying on the spot. He then receives the Konosuba treatment (Nitsuj: Or Youjo Senki treatment) and gets reincarnated in another world as a new person. He’s now a kid named Ernesti voiced by Rie Takahashi (Megumin from Konosuba) who is the son of a famous knight and wizard and in this world they have demon beasts (Chibi Isis: Of course they do) that attack their kingdom. In order to fight these creatures, they have mechs simply known as silhouette knights (Nitsuj: Can we all agree to call them mechs for short? (Mira): Sure. (Chibi Isis): I’m okay with that) which are powered by magic. After being saved by his older brother and seeing a mech, Ernesti vows to one day become a knight runner and pilot his own mech (Chibi Isis: As well as live out his dream of piloting a mech). So, he gets to work training in swordsmanship as well as magic where he learns that in this world magic is like programming (Chibi Isis: He’s not wrong). Three years pass by quick and Ernesti meets his two best friends Archid and Adeltrud (even by anime standards those names are weird) voiced by Shinsuke Sugawara and Ayaka Ōhashi (Kurome from Akame ga Kill). After saving Adeltrud from falling off a roof and the siblings impressed with Ernesti’s use of magic, they beg him to teach them how to use magic which he agrees to do. They all attend the knight academy where Ernesti wants to pilot a mech asap, but he has to learn the basics and they say he’s too small (Chibi Isis: This is true. And I’m the person who’s got chibi in her name, so you know he’s small if even I’m saying it). He decides that if he can’t pilot the mechs because of his height he’ll make his own mech to suit him (Nitsuj: Yes. Customization is always the way to go when it comes to mechs and weapons). He befriends a dwarf named Baston who introduces him and his friends to the other dwarves where Ernesti shows them his idea for a new magic rod, a gun rod. The dwarves like his idea and they make it for him where he shows it off at an exam impressing his teachers (scene here: https://youtu.be/Jf-MDjgnpg8. (Chibi Isis): Nii-chan, I know what I want for my birthday. (Nitsuj): Way ahead of you kid). After showing his gun rod (Chibi Isis: You’re so ecchi Mira. (Mira): *Blushes* Shut up) he gets allowed to skip fundamental lessons and take classes which teach you how to pilot the mechs (which is like a middle class if I’m not mistaken). 3 more years past and Ernesti is now 12 years old, in middle school, and is going on a field training trip with his class. While on the trip, we get to meet Steph the student council president as well as the stepsister of Archid and Adeltrud. Their mother married a noble but they’re not in the line of succession (Nitsuj: Obviously, they don’t carry his blood). As the night goes on a group of demon beasts attack the camp and the high school students defend the camp while everyone else escapes. Ernesti and his friends save Steph and the others from smaller demon beasts where Ernesti realizes that the beasts aren’t attacking but instead fleeing from something much worse than them.
Sure enough in episode 2 Ernesti’s theory was right (right on the money) as we see that the beasts are actually fleeing from a behemoth a division-class demon beast that is so powerful that even knight runners can’t bring it down (Nitsuj: One could say this thing is the armored titan of this universe). The behemoth breaks through the wall (Chibi Isis: Now he’s copying the colossal titan) and makes his way for the group. The high school students stay behind to distract it in their mechs where one of them gets scared and runs away after seeing one of his friends die saying that it’s better to live than die meaninglessly (coward! (Nitsuj): So the lives of everybody else means nothing? Screw you). Ernesti sees him flee, knocks him out, and commandeers his mech (Chibi Isis: Step aside side character. Let an MC with programmer skills show you how it’s done) but he’s too small to control it (a tradeoff for being so cute). He manages to use some innovating skills to get it to move and heads off to join the fight where thanks to his innovations the mech is more responsive to his commands and moves with good speed and agility. Ernesti fights it all by himself where he manages to drive a sword into its eye and stalls the beast long enough for reinforcements to arrive where they’re still not enough to defeat it and the mech Ernesti is piloting is at its limits but he’s got a plan. He manages to get the behemoth’s attention and using magic with the sword he fires a lightning shock into the body of the behemoth which shuts down its brain killing it instantly (scene here: https://youtu.be/h7GjviJlRes. (Nitsuj): Oh that’s clever, I like this guy). After the knights find out it was Ernesti piloting the mech and the one who defeated the behemoth they keep this knowledge a secret from the public (as it’ll affect morale big time) and the king becomes concerned about Ernesti.
In episode 3 Ernesti gets to meet the king and for his reward he can have whatever he wants. Ernesti asks how to create the Ether Reactor the heart of the mechs so that he can use this knowledge to create his own mech. The king’s adviser is against this because it’s a national secret (Nitsuj: Oh those are always getting discovered) but the king allows him to know because he’s interested in seeing what Ernesti will make with this knowledge (something that will blow your mind. Scene here: https://youtu.be/N0pPXIeWHag). But before Ernesti can get that knowledge the king wants to see his mech first. So the next day Ernesti gets to work on not only working on his future mech but also improving the current mechs to make them easier to control and fight in such as adding a second set of arms to the mechs so that they can use mana attacks and swords at the same time (now they have long range and close range combat). As for his own mech he decides to make them in a smaller frame that uses less mana. After a few trials, reconstructions, and testing they finally debut the new class for their mech (Nitsuj: We’ll call it Goro. (Chibi Isis): Name could use some work). While it has a few clinks it’s still a success and works fine (and a new mech has entered the world. This, is something to truly be excited about). They do a test battle where it performs well up until the end where it runs out of mana (this is why we have trials). They celebrate their success unaware that one of the dwarfs is a spy working for a group of mercenaries called the Order of the Bronze Fang (not even good enough to get the silver).
In episode 4 Ernesti and the others try to fix the new mech’s quick depletion of mana problem. They try adding more crystal tissue to the mech but the mech becomes too heavy to operate (Nitsuj: And nobody wants a slow mech. (Chibi Isis): It also makes the mech look ridiculous). They then try adding an external pack but that makes the mech off balance. Despite this problem Ernesti calls the new mech a success and starts working on his next project to impress the king. The headmaster of the academy does send a report of the new mech to the boys down in the lab and the Order of the Scarlet Rabbit (Nitsuj: And you lost all intimidation points) are sent to pick them up along with Ernesti and a few others to Fort Casadeus. As they head to the base, the Order of the Bronze Fang sets up a monster trap for them but they manage to fight it off and continue to Casadeus where the marquis there named Dixgard informs Ernesti that the new mechs will now be under his watch from now on. Ernesti is surprisingly okay with this (more time to work on his new mech) and after explaining the ins and outs of it Dixgard finally has enough and wants to know what his game is. You have to understand, in this world nobody has created a new mech in 300 years and Earnesti comes along and manages to not only create a new one but make it look easy (Nitsuj: He put everyone before him to shame). Ernesti pretty much made everything they thought about mechs obsolete and now he wants answers to his logical questions (Chibi Isis: And of course we have to answer it with an illogical answer). After this, not much else happens. Ernesti pretty much tells Dixgard his future plans going forward (scene here: https://youtu.be/vqybriQYE4Q, Adelturd goes through Ernesti withdraws (cute boys are good for a lady’s health after all), and the Bronze Fang set their plan in motion to steal the new mechs.
Episodes 5-8
(Chibi Isis): In episode 5 we get plenty of action (Nitsuj: Alright, I’ve been wanting to see some mecha on mecha action. That sounded wrong didn’t it? (Mira): A little). The Bronze Fang manage to break into the fortress and steal some of the new mechs (Nitsuj: We’re calling them Goros. (Chibi Isis): Oh right, sorry. (Mira): We did not agree on that name). The guards manage to stop one of them but two of them escape along with a few other mechs. As the Bronze Fang escapes on the road they run into some of the students from the academy who were making a supply run to the fortress. They intercept the Bronze Fang and manage to take down one of the Goros but the leader of the Bronze Fang escapes with one of them and sic the demon beasts on her pursuers. Ernesti shows up in the mini mech (we’ll call it the Exo-chi. (Mira): That doesn’t make- (Nitsuj): I approve) to help them defeat the demon beasts and once dawn comes, they managed to beat them all. At the end of the episode the king hears their report about the new mech and is very pleased with the results. After the incident at the fortress he decides he wants Ernesti’s new mech research to be kept safe so he establishes the Silver Phoenix Order a new order led by Ernesti and composed of the students at the academy who will work on creating the new mechs Ernesti has in mind.
Episode 6 starts off with Adelturd getting her daily dose of cuddles from Ernesti. After that, we see Ernesti return to the kingdom where Dixgard and others believe that the people who ordered the Bronze Fang to steal the new mechs was Occident the name given to the countries west of Fremmevilla (which is where Ernesti and the others are from). After that, we see the boys in the mech lab are analyzing Ernesti’s new mech and are totally stumped by it (Nitsuj: Bear witness to what a mech can look and be like) but one of the researchers is jealous of Ernesti’s work and vows to create a mech better than his. Back with Ernesti his order receives a few magius engines which if I’m not mistaken are the driving forces of the mini mechs, and are told that in 10 months the order will have a mock battle with the mech lab who will also be developing a new mech as well (Mira: Amazing how the acts of one shota can move an entire country). The order gets to work on Ernesti’s new mech which will focus on speed and mobility (Nitsuj: A mech perfect for the way of the samurais) and with the magius engines the work gets done a lot faster and more efficiently. Months pass by and Steph graduates meaning she has to say goodbye to Ernesti (Mira: Aww~, that means she won’t get to cuddle him anymore. That’s so sad). New students arrive as well as apprentices for the order, and one of them is Nora a knight who’s been investigating the mech incident from last episode. She says she found the dwarf who leaked their information however she still doesn’t know who the conductor of this scheme was and will continue to investigate. Later on, Ernesti tests out new equipment on one of the older mechs where it’s all too powerful for the mech to handle and it explodes on him. Amazingly, he wasn’t harmed (Mira: Shotas are indestructible) but he does get in trouble for destroying a mech. He refocuses his attention on his new mechs with the first one requiring two pilots because of its power and in another mech he installs a key dagger which means in order to operate the mech you need the key dagger (Nitsuj: So mechs are cars in this world? (Chibi Isis): They might as well be). The day finally arrives for the mock battle where the mech lab guys seem very confident in their new mechs (alright Mi-chan, it’s your turn to name the new mech. (Mira): Very good. We’ll call this new unit the Red Baron. (Nitsuj): I don’t- (Mira): And anyone who has a problem with that name will get whipped by me *Mira cracks her whip*. (Nitsuj): I approve). The Silver Phoenix enters the arena showing off their first newest mech I have dubbed the Centaur (Mira: Okay, that’s a good name), two new derivatives of the Goro, and finally the Guair Custom (scene here: https://youtu.be/pwG6F4O6Hf4).
Episode 7 starts off with the mock battle. The fight is okay at best. The new mechs that The Silver Phoenix have are impressive and powerful but with pilots who lack real battle experience the mechs aren’t bought to their full potential. The Red Barons are also impressive as they’ve become more balanced and easier to control which makes them quite effective when put into the hands of skilled knights (scene here: https://youtu.be/zOeob_OV1dQ). The mock battle ends in a draw (even though The Silver Phoenix took out more mechs in the battle) with both sides gaining respect for each other and everything just like the king planned. He wants Ernesti and the tech lab to work together by having the Silver Phoenix develop and make the mechs and have the lab polish the mechs to make them easier to control and improve on areas that Ernesti may have overlooked (Nitsuj: Smart move. Give the creator free reign to do what he wants and then polish out any issues without destroying the original idea behind the creation). Two months pass and Ernesti and the others graduate from middle school and get moved to a new fortress to continue their work. Around this time, they develop a new Centaur which is operated by one person instead of two and the king has decided to retire and hand the throne over to his son. For his retirement gift he asks Ernesti to make him his own personal mech and his grandson Emrys also asks for one as well which Ernesti gladly agrees to do. Seasons pass and Ernesti completes the mechs (Nitsuj: My turn. The gold one shall be called the Sun Lion and the silver one is the Moon Tiger). Both the former king and Emrys want the Sun Lion so they battle each other for it in a mech battle with this one being slightly better than the first battle. We get to see the former king show off his skills and push Emrys to the point of exhaustion but Emrys pulls through in the end with his fighting spirit and determination to show his grandfather that even though he may be retiring, the kingdom will be kept safe by him. Emrys wins in the end and is rewarded the Sun Lion (scene here: https://youtu.be/JEdL9kngdJo).
In episode 8 trouble is a brewing as a large group of dangerous demon beasts (Nitsuj: Oh yeah, that’s a thing in this world. I forgot about them. (Mira): Well to be fair they haven’t been used in the series all that well. We’ve been so focused on the mechs. (Nitsuj): One could say their whole existence is pointless) are heading towards Alfheim which is bad because that’s where the ether reactors (you know, the things that power the mechs) are made and if that place gets destroyed then the kingdom won’t be able to create anymore mechs (Nitsuj: And Ernesti will go crazy). The problem with these beasts is that they move in a large group and have a queen so in order to defeat them once and for all you have to destroy the queen, or they’ll keep multiplying. The Silver Phoenix shows up to fight where Ernesti and the twins find the queen and kill it (scene here: https://youtu.be/UZnJp2WnGng, that’s for messing with a man’s ambitions). After defeating the queen and defending Alfheim, Ernesti finally gets permission to enter the Alfheim village and learn how the ether reactors are made (Mira: And once he has this information, he’ll really go crazy). Ernesti stays in the Alfheim village for 3 months learning their secrets and mastering them (quick learner. (Nitsuj): Just like a certain AI I know *Chibi Isis blushes*). Once he returns, he gets to work creating his personal mech he calls the Ikagura and in the end completes it.
Episodes 9-13
(Nitsuj): We start episode 9 in the kingdom of Zaloudek who are going to war with the surrounding nations. You see, a long time ago (Chibi Isis: In a distant land) all the nations were united under one superpower nation until they all split up. The Zaloudek claim that they’re the rightful heir to the king of this superpower nation and thus all the surrounding nations belong to them and now they’re going to claim it even if that means going to war (I’ve heard dumber reasons for going to war). The Zaloudek army advanced their territory rapidly defeating everyone in their path (Mira: No doubt because they’re using Earnesti’s first new mech and mass produced the hell out of them) until they arrived at Shild Trider a defense fortress controlled by the Kuschpercha kingdom. The Kuschperchan make a stand at the fortress and send a majority of their forces there but little do they know, Zaloudek has developed flying ships (wow, something original and not from Ernesti. (Mira): I’m sure he thought about it to some degree but didn’t really care about it) and have invaded their capital city killing the king in the process while also capturing Shild Trider. The princess, Eleonora, gets captured and bought back to Kuschpercha where she’ll be married off to one of the princes of Zaloudek. Enter, The Order of the Silver Phoenix and Emrys, who take control of Zaloudek checkpoint and we finally get to see Ikagura in action (scene here: https://youtu.be/vR9N0c_SFAY, and that thing is OP. (Chibi Isis): Fitting for a main character). They stick around at the checkpoint gathering intel and checking out Zaloudek’s mechs until Zaloudek’s forces arrive and we have a good fight where Zaloudek forces retreat for the time being.
Episode 10 opens with Ernesti and Emrys entering the city of Fontanie in the Kushpercha kingdom where Elenora is being held prisoner. Ernesti and Emrys meet up with Archid and Adeltrud and together they sneak into the castle and rescue Eleonora along with a few others (man Zaloudek’s security sucks). Surprisingly, it’s actually Archid who winds up saving the princess instead of Ernesti and what’s even more surprising is that the two start to develop a relationship with each other (Mira: Wow. I thought she would be all over Ernesti. (Chibi Isis): Yeah, me too). Zaloudek forces go after them in their airships with Gojass the man who created the airships leading the charge. Zaloudek catches up to them but Ernesti defends them where he’s impressed with the airships and excited to see someone do something he hasn’t done yet (he is such a gearhead). Gojass is also impressed and excited to see someone do something he hasn’t done yet as well but at the same time pissed that someone has taken to the skies just like him. Ernesti tries to take one of the ships for himself but Zaloudek retreats. They arrive at a small city where they’ve set up base at and defend the city from Zaloudek’s forces by using their own modified mechs against them (Mira: Defeated by your own mechs, how embarrassing). While there, Archid gets put in charge of cheering up Eleonora who’s been down for quite a while (for what reason I have no idea. (Chibi Isis): Typical princess) so he takes her on a tour of the town which cheers her up. Near the end of the episode the Order of the Bronze Fang is sent to kill Eleonora and steal their mechs but they failed thanks to Archid and the fact that Ernesti installed key cards for the new mechs so they won’t get stolen again (smart). The Order of the Bronze Fang meet their end at the hands of the Silver Phoenix including their leader.
In episode 11 the ambitious and foolish prince Cristobal (Chibi Isis: Crystal ball? *Chibi Isis bursts out laughing* That is. . .the silliest name I’ve ever heard. (Mira): *Chuckles* Now Chibi, let’s be professional here *snickers under her breath*) heads out to get Eleonora himself where he and his army fall into a trap. Thanks to Ernesti’s new anti-air weapons a majority of the ships get taken down and their ground troops get easily destroyed by Emrys and the Silver Phoenix. Ernesti takes on Cristobal (Chibi Isis: *Chibi Isis bursts out laughing again* stop! You’re killing me) where Ernesti completely owns him and says he’ll let him go if he hands over his mech. Cristobal (*Mira does her best to hold in her laughter*) refuses and decides to go down with his mech in a blaze of glory (such resolve for an idiotic individual) and Gojass uses his death as a way to get funds from the royal family to build a new mech and defeat Ernesti (so many have tried to do that and so many have failed). Cristobal’s death (*Mira’s face gets red holding in her laughter* (Nitsuj): You alright there Mira? (Mira): Never better. Ple. . .please continue) was a huge blow to the Zaloudek empire and with their ranks in disarray the Silver Phoenix were able to reclaim Fontaine with almost no causalities. Eleonora takes the throne and vows to reclaim the land from the invaders. Ernesti and the others begin salvaging the airships where Ernesti finds out the power source is etherite which is hardened ether (and it might just be my perverted mind, but that thing needs to be censored). Months go by and the Silver Phoenix continue to push back Zaloudek’s forces until Zaloudek finally retaliates with a mech designed to look like a drake (we’re calling it Metarudoragon which loosely translates to Metal dragon).
So much happens in episode 12. We start off with admittedly some good battles as Ernesti takes on the Metarudoragon all by himself (Mira: Which makes sense seeing as he’s the only one who can fly) where both mechs are evenly matched and their fight ends in an appropriate draw as Ernesti gets grounded and Metarudoragon starts to run out of mana and is forced to retreat. Despite the battle ending in a draw this was the first time the Order of the Silver Phoenix was forced to retreat and Zaloudek quickly gained momentum back. As they talk about countermeasures on what to do next, Eleonora decides they’ll risk it all and fight to reclaim the capital and defeat Zaloudek once and for all (Haha! Nice! Now you’re speaking my language princess. I’m starting to fall for you). They all take to the battlefield (including the princess) and fight their way to the capital where they’re just outside the gates and a massive battle is taking place where a small group tries to sneak in and lower the drawbridges. Metarudoragon arrives onto the scene with Gojass and so does Ernesti with a modified flying ship of his own. Oh, and we find out why Ernesti didn’t build airships in the past. It’s not that he didn’t think about it (oh trust me, he thought about it), he just didn’t want to build them. Why? Because he believes that if airships exist people will abandon mechs and they won’t be the center of this world anymore (Chibi Isis: And for a mecha enthusiast like Ernesti that is unacceptable, https://youtu.be/07So_lJQyqw). So, while everybody out there is fighting for the freedom of a country, Ernesti is fighting to preserve the prestige and glory that is mechs.
In the final episode it’s a straight up fight between the demon (or nerd) and the dragon (or maniac). The fight quickly goes in Ernesti’s favor as he fires javelins filled with oil at Metarudoragon and lights it on fire giving it major damage where they have no choice but use the new power that Gojass installed. The power leaks out so much mana that it creates an aura around the Metarudoragon in the form of a bigger dragon which acts as a barrier and nullifies long range attacks. Since long range attacks don’t work, Ernesti decides to take the fight to Metarudoragon directly and breaks through the barrier dodging out of its attacks and dishing out more damage until it finally runs out of mana and is nothing more than just a flying hunk of metal (Chibi Isis: With a neat design). The commander decides that if he can’t defeat Ernesti he’ll at least give his troops a symbolic victory by taking out Eleonora. He pilots the dragon towards the main base with Ernesti trying to stop it but the commander keeps fighting him. Archid jumps on the dragon with his mech and charges at the commander killing him and allowing Ernesti to steer the Metarudoragon away (Mira: And if you’re wondering where Gojass is he escaped). With Metarudoragon defeated and the drawbridges down, this battle is the Silver Phoenix’s victory and Zaloudek suffers a crushing defeat. After this not much really happens. Eleonora is declared the new queen, she and Archid have a moment before he has to leave (scene here: https://youtu.be/Mc5CrnJe_yI. Where they don’t kiss? (Mira): Tease), the group gets a lab, and airships are introduced to the world as a new means to travel.
Final Thoughts
(Nitsuj): Okay, this actually was a good anime. The anime started off rocky in the first episodes, but gradually got better with each episode. The thing that really makes this anime good is Ernesti’s passion and love for mechs. It is hard not to get swept in by this guy’s passion for mechs. Even though I’m not the biggest mech fan just listening to him talk, work and smile on a mech makes me passionate about them. He’s a very infectious guy. I also like how he doesn’t fall into the harem cliché. His focus is on mechs and nothing else. In fact, the anime actually makes fun of this trope. Whenever a girl cuddles him, he just gets this look on his face that says please stop demeaning me. I love it.
(Chibi Isis): Another thing that makes Ernesti so great is how even though he’s OP he earns it. He doesn’t create stuff with ease and then move on to the next thing, we see him put in the hard work to make his technological achievements a success. We see his trials and errors, him approaching something from a new angle, and trying out different ideas. When he finally is successful it’s a well-deserved victory on his part because we see all the hurdles he had to overcome to reach the end.
(Mira): Speaking of hurdles, if you were expecting political talks and turmoil you see in mecha anime, you’re going be disappointed here. If you were expecting a grand quest with Ernest trying to find his way back home or vanquish an evil entity, this anime isn’t for you. While it’s true we get some action and story, a bulk of the anime is spent with the characters building these mechs and I enjoyed every minute of it. We see giant mechs in other animes, but they never take the time to explain the infrastructure into how these machines work, what goes into making them, and coming up with new ideas to make them better. It’s not boring, it’s all interesting stuff and makes you appreciate the mech more when it’s finally completed as well as gives you better understanding into what it is, how it works, and what separates it from the other mechs.
(Nitsuj): Speaking of mechs, the mech designs actually do look good. I do like the variety they have and the color palettes for each one. Each mech has their own advantages and disadvantages, so whether you’re someone who prefers, mobility, or long-range fighting, there’s a mech here that I’m sure you’ll like. The battles start off weak and uninteresting, but as the anime progresses, they get better. They also did a good job on the sound effects whenever they fight. Each attack sounds like it has weight to it.
(Mira): The same can be said for the story. Like Nitsuj says the anime starts off rocky but gets better and ends on a good note. Normally, I be mad about them forgetting about the mythical beast enemies but I’m glad they did and instead focused on fights between bandits and other kingdoms. The beasts weren’t all that interesting, they never got an origin story, and really served no purpose to the plot or story. I also liked how others improved on Ernesti’s mechs when he was finished with them. They were able to make improvements in places he might have overlooked and he also learned from them to give him ideas for his next mech.
(Chibi Isis): Aside from the mechs, the animation isn’t really all that great. It’s alright. The backgrounds and character designs look good and the soundtrack has that medieval theme going for it that matches up well with the setting and world of the anime. The only real downside with this anime is the lack of character development. Aside from Ernesti, we never get a chance to focus on any of the other characters or their growth. Even when the characters do get a chance to shine in the spotlight they quickly get overshadowed by Ernesti.
Final Score
(Mira): My final score for the anime is a 7/10. I enjoyed the talks of the mechs, but we could have used more story and character development.
(Chibi Isis): I give the anime an 8/10. I found the anime to be a fun watch and enjoyed the balance of magic and science.
(Nitsuj): I’m giving this anime a 7/10. While the anime is a fun watch, what holds the anime back is the lack of development on not only the characters but the world as well. So adding up our scores we get a 22/30 which averages out to a 7.3/10 bringing the final score of this anime to a 7/10 on our scale. It’s not a game changer like some of the other isekais I like but it’s still a fun and enjoyable watch that approaches isekai and mecha differently, presents a different concept, and executes that concept well to present us with a different take on mechs and a better appreciation for them.
(Chibi Isis): If you haven’t already, check this anime out. It’s a good watch for fans of both isekai and mecha anime.
(Mira): Rumors have gone around that a second season will be happening but a release date hasn’t been announced yet.
(Nitsuj): Well that ends the Mecha Arc. While mecha anime may not be as popular as it was in the past it still holds a place and relevance in the anime industry and reminds us that no matter what happens in life or any disagreements we may have we can all agree that giant robots are cussing cool. Thanks for reading and I’ll-
(???): Not so bloody fast!
*Giant footsteps and Cruel Angel’s Thesis can be heard being played outside of Nitsuj’s house. Nitsuj runs to his window and looks outside to see a giant mech replica of Eva 01 and a man holding a megaphone beside it with a bunch of people holding up Evangelion signs*
(Nitsuj): Oh crap, it’s the Evangelion cultists.
(Mira): I’ve heard of these people. What do they want?
(Nitsuj): They’ve been hounding me for years to review Evangelion and each time I’ve said no. Will you guys knock it off! I’m not going to review Evangelion! There’s no point! Everyone who’s reviewed it has said what I think about it. It has faults, not a masterpiece, but still a good anime that left a major impact on the anime industry and deserves to be watched at least once by anyone who considers themselves a fan of anime.
(Guy on megaphone): Not good enough! We want a full review and we’re prepared to do it by force.
*Eva 01 begins to flex*
(Nitsuj): Where’d you even get that thing?
(Guy on megaphone): We made it through the blood, sweat, tears, and finances of our members.
(Nitsuj): Well if folks were willing to sign a petition for the creation of the Death Star I’m sure they’ll crowdfund this.
(Guy on megaphone): Now get to the reviewing or the mech destroys your house.
(Mira): Leave this to me and Chibi, Nitsuj.
*Mira and Chibi Isis disappear into the system. A few seconds go by until a giant mecha being piloted by Mira and Chibi Isis materializes into the front lawn that resembles the Megadeus from Big O*
(Nitsuj): Here’s my counteroffer. It’s Showtime!
(Guy on megaphone): Wait! You actually saw-
(Nitsuj): Showtime!
*The Megadeus punches the Eva 01 which sends it flying into a spacious field where the backdrop looks like the background from the original Power Rangers show*
(Guy on megaphone): Are they still in Cincinnati? Where did the tall Japanese mountains come from?
(Mira): How are we looking Chibi?
(Chibi Isis): Magic outputs are all green.
(Mira): And all systems are a go. Let’s do this.
*The Megadeus runs towards the Eva 01 and shoulder tackles it into the mountain. The Megadeus than does a hip toss and tosses the Eva 01*
(Guy on Megaphone): How is that mech moving so fast?
(Nitsuj): First time seeing a mech infused with magic? It’s quite simple really. We copied the mecha design from Big O and infused it with magic to give it unlimited power. Not only is our mech strong but it’s faster, more agile, and can use magic as well. In short, whatever faults the Megadeus had in the past have all been nullified.
*The Eva 01 gets back and charges at the Megadues to dodge and grab the arms of the Eva 01*
(Guy on megaphone): Please don’t rip its arms off.
(Nitsuj): No.
*The Megadeus rips off the arms of the Eva 01*
(Mira): Time to finish this Chibi.
(Chibi Isis): Right! Activating Buzzsaw blade.
*A Buzzsaw blade appears above the right hand of the Megadeus and it uses the Buzzsaw to decapitate the Eva 01. The head lands by the Evangelion cultists who all run away in shock and terror*
(Nitsuj): Just like Shinji, they run away when the going gets tough. Thanks ladies. Take care of the body for me if you don’t mind.
(Chibi Isis): Hello new science experiment.
(Nitsuj): Thanks for reading and I’ll see you next time on Project Nitsuj.
*Nitsuj tosses a dog treat at the head of the Eva 01 from his window*
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