Anime: Strike the Blood

Kojou, an ordinary human, is mysteriously transformed into one of the four strongest beings on the planet; it only makes sense for him to get a half dozen instant girlfriends right? Strike the Blood is an ecchi-based action/fantasy/harem that borders on something between Campione and Toaru Majutsu no Index. The underlying premise and harem aspects are similar to Campione and the protagonist and magic/technology-based setting is similar to that in Index. Unlike many other typical action harems, this show strikes a good balance between ecchi and action. Add in some chain-inducing cliffhangers with good overall plot cohesion and this starts to stand out from the pack. Despite some repetitively shonen aspects and countless ecchi accidents, the show still comes across as enjoyable. If you're looking for an ecchi-based harem with a bit of action, this is one of the better ones.

Animation:
The animation is well done. The show takes place on a floating island, a unique setting with a strange mix of technology, magic, and demons. The lighting creates a nice tense atmosphere when appropriate. Backgrounds are above average as are effects; I only noticed a few instances of CGI. The character styling is likewise very good. The show presents a wide range of female archetypes, though the tsundere personality is present in various flavors. Emotional details aren't as good as you'd expect from a full-on romance, but are present enough to give the characters greater depth than competing shows such as Aria the Scarlet Ammo and Maken-ki. Some of the girls are quite well endowed, especially considering their age. They also have a fairly good variety in their wardrobe, something nice given the duration of the show. There are certain drawing inconsistencies, though, where clothing mysteriously changes color. Minor faults aside, I was pleased at the variety and attention given to the many heroines.

This show has a substantial amount of action as well as ecchi. Kojou is an immortal vampire, but that doesn't mean the numerous antagonists won't try to take him down. Expect a lot of blood (fair game given the series' title) and a bit of gore as Kojou is hacked, impaled, and otherwise "killed". As the series progresses, he gains control over various familiars, which are powerful summoned beings. The ability is very similar to that of the protagonist in Campione, though the actual familiars remind me quite a bit of the personas in Persona 4. Expect a lot of action with decent choreography and lots of effects. Some of the attacks do get a bit old given that the heroines all only have one signature move. Speaking of the heroines, expect them to be constantly abused by Kojou. Whether it is an accidental fondling or unintentional cleavage glance, he is constantly getting in trouble with various girls. What sets this series apart is the level of physical confirmation in the character relationships. Expect a fair amount of skin rubbing, suggestive positions, kissing, and neck biting (with expected hentai-level utterances). Whether you're looking for a thriller or an ecchi show with some actual romance, this has you covered.

Sound:
The show has 2 OPs and 2 EDs. The first rock based OP is a fitting, fast paced work with a fair melody. It blends very well with the slightly slower, rock based ED. The vocal melody is only average, but the intro guitar melody is catchy. The second pair of OP/ED is slightly darker in tonality. The OP is very distinctively Altima; it really reminds me of Accel World. The ED is the only slow piece you'll find in the entire series; it works really well as a cool down from the action in the show. The show's BGM is supportive but only fair overall, with only a few memorable tracks.

The VA work is well done in the show. Large props to Yoshimasa Hosoya for creating a more proactive yet still lazy version of Touma from Index. Many of the female VAs also do a really great job. Risa Taneda, Asami Seto, Ikumi Hayama, and Hisako Kanemoto all do an outstanding job in their respective roles. All the gals feel distinct despite sharing some tsundere elements. If I had any complaints in this category, it would be against the script rather than the VAs. The extremely long attack-prepping names are quite annoying and reminiscent of Code Breaker. Likewise, certain lines are repeated to the extent that my ears wanted to bleed.

Story:
This is where things get a bit complicated. As in Campione, it follows a "rising star" who, with the assistance of his ever-growing harem, manages to fight off successive arcs of forgettable villains. And like Toaru, the main story progresses while giving hints that larger, unknown, forces are at work. So yes, this is a harem. But it is one that also integrates a relatively deep and intricate story.

The show is broken down into consecutive arcs that build upon each other. Though some arcs are clearly better than others, expect a lot of action and cliffhangers in all of them. Each arc has its own rising action, climax, and resolution. Typically, the resolution includes a nice dosage of ecchi to round out the action. The arcs don't feel like they get any more important as the story progresses, so don't expect the importance of the arcs to increase. If anything, the final arc is in itself a conclusion, giving a sneak peak of the future. It's a really good way to end the series on a positive note.

This show borrows a lot of themes and concepts found in other shows. However, it integrates them well into a uniform, mostly-cohesive plot line that is well executed. Never did I feel that the ecchi was overkill, and likewise the action was never overwhelmingly dominant. Yes, there are definitely plot holes. Yes there are definitely incredulous moments where Kojou is miraculously saved by mysterious forces. Despite these, the show still resonates positively for me.

There is definitely some chatter about whether there will be a sequel. The fact that there are so many unanswered questions and the feeling that Kojou is just a pawn in a greater scheme do seem to lend well to a second season. However, it's going to be hard to top what they did in the last arc for a conclusion.

Character:
Kojou stands out positively among harem protagonists. Despite his god status, he never feels quite as all-powerful or dominant as the protagonist in Campione. Yet he is forced to fight for the island and what he believes is right, finally accepting his power with the help of the guiding Yukina. I will admit that he still is a bit slow when it comes to romance.

As for the girls, they have a wide range of personalities but all develop feelings for Kojou. Some of the girls are well developed, Yukina in particular. Others could have used a bit more exposition. The slow descent towards infatuation felt very natural with Yukina. With some of the other girls, they somehow went from "I hate you" to "Please feast on my blood" within a span of a few minutes. This is partly negated by the fact that the girls are often involved in conflict over Kojou, often in a subtle way; complicated no doubt by their relationships with each other. This depth of relationships was pretty fun to explore.

I typically don't like shows that involve a large number of supporting characters. This show is one of the few exceptions; supporting characters are well utilized and often play key roles in various arcs. Some of the supporting characters have unknown goals, creating an additional dimension where you have to guess whether they will assist or hinder Kojou. Really, the only annoyances in this category are the boilerplate antagonists and the fact that the city seems to overlook the hundreds of secret-service-like agents getting slaughtered seemingly nightly.

Value:
I thoroughly enjoyed this show. I felt the pacing was just right with intense action flowing smoothly into light-hearted ecchi. The protagonist is strong, but not so strong that you'd immediately put the "invincible" label on him. His relationships with the girls are enjoyable, and the overall story is well executed. While this show definitely has its share of faults, I feel that it was a much more complete package than many other ecchi-based action/harems. Definitely give this show a try, and try to go one arc at a time lest you enjoy the agony of ending on a cliffhanger.

Review
Strike the Blood (StB) is your new standard shounen fare spiced with lots of girls, bits of ecchiness, and your typical "let's try some new crazy concept". This time we have a default guy that moves to a island-city where demons, vampires, lycans and many other mythical superpowerful beings are gathered so they can live in peace and at the same time participate in experiments for the good of mankind.

The backdrop looks more complex though, with early references to ancient beings that keep the peace between supernatural creatures and humans and that trace this lineage to ages ago. It also appears to involve basically all the world's tales about dark creatures, from european vampires to japanese spirits. It's an intriguing background if you read about it, but sadly, when you take a look at the show and watch about two episodes, you know that this is just bulshit to give us the typical "mature" feel as all other shounen do. StB is to vampires as Naruto is to ninjas.

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1. Story Arcs
   StB is divided into story arcs of 3 to 4 episodes, each presenting a new villain, trying to evolve part of its cast, or even making an effort into fleshing out this district. They barely relate to each other and don't offer much of a climax even in the later arcs, but they do a decent job into keeping the show from going astray and lingering to fillers and useless stuff. It's a decent use of such format even if the content is very lacking.
   
   Nothing new here..
   Your mindset plays a big role when watching StB. This happens because this is as generic as a ecchi-shounen can get, with characters that look like those of many other shows, basic shounen stereotypes, basic dating-sim templates for the girls, nonsensical use of powers, little respect for drama and maturity and just simple glimpses of ecchi-inspired comedy. It's so typical it can quickly get on your nerves if you don't have a proper mindset. If, however, you are expecting such a ordinary show, StB can be surprisingly good because...
   
   It has a few strong points within all this stupidty
   If StB has some strong points, I would say they are all about the execution. First, despite the generic character design, the art quality and animation are above average and may be perhaps one of the best works by Silver Link studio. Second, the ecchi sections are well tempered with the action parts and the situations that arise can provide some joy from time to time. It doesn't become overly irritating as in Guilty Crown, Linebarrels of Iron, or many other similar shows. Why this happens? Hard to explain, but maybe because StB quits being truly serious quite early and just accept that it is a generic harem-led show with a few lolis and superpowers.
   
   But that is as far as it goes
   There's nothing remarkable here though. The vampires are summoners who could have been called "espers", "magicians" or any other term instead of "vampires". The character development is basic, with a few girls growing beyond their dere behaviors and making you even cheer for them (although it becomes clear as day the only choice for the protagonist is the main heroine) but the vast majority just sticking to the ecchi-rules. The plot moves nicely but doesn't offer anything unseen. Ah! And of course, it doesn't offer an end, because these days shows are just about being divided into a dozen of seasons to scrap more money.
   

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Comments
I was looking for a generic shounen when I put StB on my list, and I can't say I was disappointed. The show is exactly that. It mimics stuff from Guilty Crown, Koukaku no Regios, Isekai no Seikishi, Linebarrel of Irons, etc. We have the damsel with superpowers, support girls with amazing skills, but they all mean nothing as only the harem-lead dude with the god-like abilities can beat the opponents. It's your basic template, but at least StB understands this and doesn't try to be a comedy loli-infested show like Index nor it becomes irritating with attempts to sound melodramatic as in Guilty Crown.

I can only say one thing: you want a generic shounen? This can be a good choice. However, StB is a bad show that can only entertain you for so long as you are in the mood to watch it.