Anime Sunday: No Game No Life by Yū Kamiya (Anime Review Only)

 

This week on Anime Sunday I’m reviewing one of my favorite shows of this season’s anime, No Game No Life. It is adapted from the Light Novel series of the same name, written by Yū Kamiya.

Plot Synopsis: Siblings Sora and Shiro are a pair of hikikomori NEETs who together form 『　　』 (Kūhaku (空白, lit. “blank space”)), four undefeated online gamers and urban legends. They both consider the real world to be a “crappy game“. They are summoned by a boy calling himself “God” to a fantasy world where he has forbidden all violence and warfare between the sixteen intelligent races living there; instead, everything is decided by games. The siblings find themselves the would-be saviors of the human race (Imanity), who rank sixteenth among the races and have been confined to their sole remaining city.

Plot: If you were to mix Mondaiji-tachi with Code Geass you’d get No Game No Life, and it takes the best of both of those series and makes an interesting ride where you really never know what Sora and Shiro will do next as 『　　』.

Characters: I’ve only read the first Light Novel myself and as of this writing the Anime has just finished covering the events of that novel, so I can’t say if characters like Stephanie Dola will stay with 『　　』on their quest to beat every other race into submission. I sincerely hope so because Steph is hilarious to watch, especially when she’s going through her “Steph-Vision” phases. That isn’t to say I don’t like Sora and Shiro as characters, because I do, but I find that with Steph their antics have an interesting foil.

Art: Probably the real reason this show isn’t going to have a 2-Cours, 2 seasons worth of episodes, is because it’s production value is through the roof with the artwork of Yū Kamiya’s godlike work. This series is absolutely one of the most vibrant and good looking anime’s I’ve watched in a long time. It easily outdoes the winner of prettiest anime from last year Kyoukai no Kanata.

Music: I really enjoy the ending and opening themes as well as the soundtrack to this show, and I can’t wait to get my hands on them when I get the chance to listen to in my free time.

Overall: If you like Batman Gambit’s and seeing nerds outwit Gods and other mystical races you’ll enjoy this anime.

For those who like: Games, Crazy antics by the main characters, Crazy Plans, Amazing Artwork, Lovable Characters.

Not for those who don’t like: Any of the above, but really how can you hate any of that?