Anime: Alderamin on the Sky
Genre: Shounen, fantasy, strategy,
Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars
General Setup: After being shipwrecked on enemy territory and making it back across the border in one piece, with the crown princess in tow, a band of teenagers is enlisted into the army, much to their leader’s regret.
Characters: Ikta Solork, your main character, is best described as a combination between two characters from the Naruto franchise: Shikamaru and Jiraya. While extremely skilled at strategy and war tactics, Ikta is generally lazy and apathetic about life (especially anything to do with the military). Yatorishino Igsem is Ikta’s closest friend and a member of a key family of nobility. While we are comparing characters from other shows, she reminded me a bit of Erza from Fairy Tail, but with just two swords. Along with Ikta’s band of friends from the ‘shipwreck incident’ there are several minor characters. All of the characters grow throughout the show as they experience conflicts and controversy.
Plot: It takes a little bit for the action in Alderamin to truly get started, but when it does you won’t be able to stop watching! Like Shikamaru, Itka’s military prowess allows him and his friends to obtain victory, most of the time. I enjoyed the tactical aspect of this anime and thought it helped to move the pace along.
Throughout the course of the show Alderamin takes on several topics, such as the ethics of war and the dynamics between religion and science.
Ending: The show ended in a good place, given the amount of story shown previously. While far from over, the viewer is given a glimpse of what the future may hold.
Things to Watch For: Some of the character’s casual clothes are a bit revealing. Also, Ikta is a bit of a pervert, which taints some of the better aspects of this show.
Sights and Sounds: The animation for Alderamin is consistent and easy to watch. There is a balance of light and dark colors, although some of the darker scenes (color-wise) are a bit muted. The only thing that bothered me in terms of color was that all of the main characters had really bright colored hair, thus reinforcing the anime main character stereotype. I really liked the opening theme. It was catchy, but also showcased the show itself well. The soundtrack, as a whole, is balanced and instrumental.
Other Media: Alderamin is based off of a light novel series. There is also a manga adaptation.
Fillers: There are no fillers.
Length: There are 13 episodes.
Where to Watch: You can watch this show on Crunchyroll.
