Seraph of the End Season One Review (Anime)
Seraph of the End is Universal’s first foray into anime and with a release this good, I don’t have any worries about how they’ll fare in the competitive anime market.
This release contains the first 12 episodes of Seraph of the End, which make up the first season (I believe it’s 2 cour, hence the part one listed on the box), and as expected of Studio WIT, it’s a stunning release with a collector’s edition that perfectly compliments it. Seraph of the End follows mankind being enslaved by vampires where they’ll be kept safe in exchange for blood after a virus ravages the Earth, where anyone above the age of 13 is killed. Friends Yuuichiro Hyakuya and Mikaela, who share the same name as the other children in the orphanage as they consider each other family, attempt to escape the orphanage but only Yuuichiro manages to escape. The series them jumps forward a few years where Yuuichiro has joined the Moon Demon Company, a unit put together to destroy the vampires. Seraph of the End follows Yuuichiro on his journey for revenge on those that took his loved ones from him.
Seraph of the End is a thrilling journey packed with action, great characterisation and teamwork, and an overarching plot that’ll leave you guessing what could possibly happen next. I might not have binge-watched it but each episode had something that kept me coming back for more, and Universal have begun their anime career with a successful bang. Coming to care for these characters and seeing how they develop over the course of the 12 episodes is enough reason to continue, but the top-notch animation, hilarious and heartwarming character interactions and dialogue, and explosive action provides even more reason to watch Seraph of the End. It’s well-paced and doesn’t let up, so you’re unlikely to find yourself becoming bored! The first episode had me hooked and if that doesn’t do it for you, then I’m not sure the rest of the series will as the bar is set high and keeps being raised with each episode.
Studio WIT (you may know them from Attack on Titan or HAL), set the bar high for anime visuals and Seraph of the End is no different – it helps that Shinoa is a total cutie. Despite the serious theme of the show, Seraph of the End manages to keep hope and this shows in the colourful characters and bright environments. There’s no gore but there is quite a lot of violence and gratuitous blood – this didn’t bother me, but watching a vampire slit her wrists and fill a glass with blood for a character to drink was pretty vile! Overall the action is fluid and is an eye-catching spectacle, but the character design and world that has been created have been brought to life fantastically and I’m looking forward to seeing more of them.
You can opt to watch Seraph of the End in English or Japanese, and so I chose the former as I usually do. I can’t fault the dub here with voice talent such as Colleen Clinkenbeard, Monica Rial, Micah Solusod, Justin Briner and multiple others giving brilliant performances and helping me to become engrossed in the story – their vocal ranges are tested here as Seraph of the End is an emotional show littered with plenty of action, and so they’ve had to adapt to each situation and they have done so flawlessly. The OST is decent too with a multitude of varying tracks fit for each occasion and a solid OP and ED, so no aspect of this show is anywhere near average.
Universal have hit the UK anime market with a bang with their excellent release of Seraph of the End and the thick artbook, packed with concept and finished art, interviews and other details, along with the trading cards, poster and collectible packaging, ensures this to be one of the better anime collector’s editions around – honestly, the artbook is amazing and would please and excite fans of the series hugely. Seraph of the End is a thrilling, exhilarating show that doesn’t let up, and I’m already waiting for the home release of season 2 and whatever other seasons may be waiting for us in the future.
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