Grimgar, Ashes and Illusions

I did not expect it to be this good. Usually Isekai animes follow a very basic trope but this one is a bit different. I really liked the episode 2 to be particular. It's a bit uncomfortable but puts a lot into perspective of how the world works in grimgar. Although it's a shame they do not further expand upon what they started by that episode but it's still a good watch. Definitely better than 99% Isekai anime out there.

I'm not going to lie, it took me a bit to get past the second chapter. It looked like it was going to be ecchi. One of those ecchi-comedy that is vulgar as it is bland. The fourth episode hooked me and the sixth one made me fall in love with this. It ends up being a Slice of life anime. A lovely one. I would have liked it to continue, but the ending was nice. One knows that they will stay together. Where they come from? No matter. They found in the group the strength to start a new life.

Grimgar of Fantasy and Ash Is despite its awful name, a pretty interesting Isekai, about team building and enemies really not wanting to die.

At the heart of the anime there's the story about a little team of newbie Adventurer, that has to get together and learn to do teamwork to kill the Goblins. And it's done well, and a characters each have their personalities, that is maybe not the deepest, but is well characterized.

The fights are good and interesting, they don't showed the enemies as harmless being, you kill to get XP, they have the will to survive and will fight to the last.

The backgrounds are beautiful and always look stunning, and the character art is so pretty, despite not being the most detailed. All of the design of the anime is really well done.

A fun little anime, that I wish were more of, but at least the 12th episode feels like a satisfying story. Would recommend.

This series continuation of themes explored in Sword Art Online and Log Horizon.

Taking a mix of the two...pretend like there wasn't the big reveal at the beginning of SOA as to why they were trapped in the game and pretend like there wasn't the awkward shrug off every character in Log Horizon, that was like 'oh fiddle-sticks I got stuck in a video game,' and you have Grimgar of Fantasy and Ash. Not entirely sure how they got into this creative world, but here they are.

The art in the series is a 9 out of 10. The characters are clearly in their own character journey and while at their modest start-up stage in the first 12 episodes, they are entertaining and full of quirks particular to each character.

I am excited for the continuation of the series.

I have watched many Japanese animation, some are unforgettable such as Ghibili productions or animation series such as Erased. But not all have to be unforgettable or outstanding, some are light and easy such as Ranma. This animation while is not fantastic it is nice and enjoyable maybe a little slanted toward mid teens. Never the less any Japanese animation is far better than the pasteurized, homogenized, franchised cookie cutter Hollywood productions. In response to a reviewer who said " It is cringe worthy when in the first scene of the series it is portraying the females as useless and clumsy damsels in distress….." Maybe you have watched too many Hollywood shows where 50 KG females with stick figures easily over power men 3 times their size but in real world females do rely on their male kinsmen and friends to defend them, where physical strength is needed, and this is one of the good things about most Japanese animations where women are women and men are still men, this does not mean women are not strong. On the contrary women are shown to be truly strong, i.e. not physically but strong in will and character. You should see Kikyo in Inuyasha or Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind. Again one can not satisfy everyone, especially when views of reality has been so warped by popular culture and interest groups. Enjoy