Not because we knew from the get-go who was going to win, but because the tournament was supposed to emulate a war in order to entertain a handful of powerful people, thus it was always going to be pointless.
The show, too, goes all in on that, with most deaths being wholly anti-climactic and even the backstories often highlighting how inglorious the realities of war really are.
Add to that the beautiful ending, where the ultimate wish of the soldier who survives battle is
and you've got yourself an astoundingly consistent thematic package.
The show is well-animated, the action is good, but it should really only be watched for the ruminations on fighting and the many possible reasons for it.
Explanation by manga on Wednesday, 19.09.2018 22:44