Anime Week: Guilty Crown review

GUILTY CROWN

Anime Week goes on! Today, we look at an anime involving mechs, fan service, and being able to pull out someone's soul and turn it into a weapon. Sounds good, right? There's no way this can go wrong...? 

Guilty Crown tells the story of a high schooler named Ouma Shu, who has the power to use voids, or people's souls in weapon form. He lives in this post apocalyptic future, where basically everything is ruled by the Guilty Crown Corporation. Shu is drafted into a war against the GC, waged by the Funeral Parlor, a group of rebels. One of the things Guilty Crown has going for it, is its premise alone. It sounds like it could be an epic anime, with a large and vast mythology, and some great character building. But then, it royally !@#$s up. First off, the story is so incredibly cliched, I was predicting the end of each episode, correctly. And then, the entire story is so incredibly slow and boring, to the point where I was tempted to fast forward through a majority of each episode. Then, there's a plot twist about halfway through the show, that started to make me think that it would start to pick up and get interesting, but it doesn't! Instead, it just becomes a Twilight-esque teenage angst fest. Hell, half of the show becomes just the characters being boring and complaining, and it just pissed me off! The show had so much potential, but it just wasted it in one of the biggest flops I've ever seen.

And then... the characters. Shu actually started to become a unique character during the second half of the show. I thought he would become something of an anime rarity, a character that would just shut up for a few minutes, and kick some ass. But instead, he basically just Shinji Ikari, but less likable, and about two times as annoying. He's a massive dumbass, who's biggest flaw is that he's too trusting, to the point where it's just unbelievable. The only character that's remotely likable is Inori, but mostly just because she's a badass. And then, my least favorite characters in the whole damn show: First off, Yahiro. This guy has got to be one of the biggest douchebags in anime history. Seriously, he betrays Shu 3 times in the entire show, and each time, it's in big life changing ways that nearly get Shu killed, but some how always manages to get back into Shu's good graces. And then, there's Gai. He's supposed to be some sort of genius, but he's one of the most inconsistent characters in the show. The show portrays him as some sort of badass, but the rest of his writing just contradicts that, turning him into another character who just complains and keeps being annoying throughout the show.

However, despite all this crap I've given the show so far, there are two places the show really stands out. First up, is the animation. Production I.G is my favorite animation company, and everything in the show looks beautiful.  The action scenes are just so kinetic and well-done, it's like looking at a unicorn prancing through a field of golden grass while a rainbow shoots over it. 

The other good trait of the show, is the soundtrack. The music. I have spent HOURS listening to both of the show's openings, "My Dearest" and "The Everlasting Guilty Crown". It's hilarious, that EGOIST, a band that was made just for the show, has ended up being an actual band in real life thanks to the show's success.

Alright, back to the bad. The ending. Jesus, it's one of the worst endings I've ever seen. It leaves so many gaping plot holes, hell, it leaves one of the biggest subplots in the show unresolved, and gives us one last terrible character moment. (SPOILERS) Seriously, a year later, Shu has dinner with like, 6 of the characters that betrayed and tried to kill him during the events of the show, and it wasn't even for a better cause. It was just because they HATED HIM. (SPOILERS end) And then, it relies on a huge amount of deus ex machina.

Guilty Crown is a pretty bad show. It was a chore to watch the show, to stand its poor story, and even poorer characters. I mean, there's always that one game changing anime that comes along once in a lifetime, and completely shakes everything up. This isn't that anime. In fact, this show turned me away from sci-fi/apocalypse  shows for a while after watching it. Even though the animation is gorgeous, and the music even better, it's not worth watching this show. Stay away from it.

STORY: 1/5

+ Interesting and unique premise

- Poorly done and cliched execution

- Predictable

- The show looks like it's going to heat up in the second half, but just gets worse

CHARACTERS: .5/5

+ Inori is interesting... A little bit

- Shu is a massive dumbass

- Yahiro is a massive douchebag

- Gai is a massive prick

- A forgettable and cardboard cutout supporting cast

ANIMATION: 4.5/5

+ Colorful and energetic

+ Excellently directed action scenes

+ Good character designs

SOUND: 5/5

+ An incredibly gorgeous soundtrack

+ The openings are great

ENDING: 0/5

+ You get to stop watching the show

- Huge plot holes

- Unresolved subplot

VERDICT: 2/5