I’m not going to sit here and legitimately argue a point for or against this anime because the revered hero among its protagonists – the legendary warrior who transcends time itself to save everyone – is named Kyle. damn it…… Kyle. But when people sing the praises of their heroic savior in this generic fantasy setting, they say things like, “You killed the hydra, you saved the princess, you killed a demon—three cheers for the legendary hero. It’s hilarious.” Kyle! “Not to hate y’all Kyle – I swear I don’t hate the name Kyle, it’s a really good name – but you definitely know what I mean, right? Through unintentional comedy, the name “Kyle” is jarringly simple, and it gives the whole show a slightly unserious air – it makes you jokingly think of a some possible way His enemies can meet him.
To emphasize: I’m not seriously trying to argue that the heroic protagonist of this series, despite having a name as delightfully inappropriate as “Kyle,” deserves consideration when evaluating the series as a whole. However, I still can’t help but mention it because “hehe, the main character’s name is Kyle” was probably my most recurring thought while watching this anime. Not because I thought they mentioned his name every time (although I did), but because it didn’t leave me with much else to chew on mentally.
new legend At its core, it’s another run-of-the-mill power fantasy adventure anime. Perhaps the only thing that differentiates it from its (many) counterparts, however, is how our protagonist – the aforementioned Kyle – gets his powers. That is, through an accidental time travel, he’s back far enough to do something about the hell the demons are about to unleash on his hometown. So instead of being suddenly given a powerful weapon or ability, as is more typical, Kyle knows what will happen if he lets things take their course, and of course, he also knows where he might find some useful resources. These resources help him save everyone on his journey, but still.
On paper, the idea of using time travel here is a cool one. But in practice, the show barely capitalizes on it. After the first episode, most of the time we see Kyle referencing or otherwise trying to tap into his knowledge of the future, which is something completely new to the audience. This happens so often that it seems careless – as if the show is fabricating his memories and important events, and by extension the overall story, as it unfolds. As if to make up for this, the game has been trying to build a world, complete with some political intrigue. new legendbut there will never be any meaningful return. It’s explained too quickly, but usually becomes irrelevant very quickly.
A better cast of characters might have made this easier to overlook, but our main characters are bland at best (Kyle, Sildonia, and the obligatory girl who has a crush on Kyle) and downright annoying (Theron) at worst. They’re all the same, strict annotation – “Protagonist,” “Falling in love with Kyle,” “Horry,” “Fell in love with Kyle, too,” “Likes snacks,” and so on. The unique traits they are given are more or less all they get in the personality department. If you’re hoping for something like a backstory or character development arc to make up for that, you’ll have to look elsewhere – and there’s almost none to be found here. In other words: unfortunately, what you see is what you get new legend.
What better fit for this bland show than equally bland production values? The music, the animation, the voice acting – for better or worse, nothing really stands out. Although when it comes to dubbing I’d give sub a slight edge over sub if only because Kyle had the most dialogue and I liked it more stay if you wantKyle vs. Kyle (ha) Ignatius. At the same time, the direction could use some work – especially regarding the fighting. new legend There are quite a few battles throughout the series, some of which are bigger and more important than others. But whether it’s a light melee or an all-out duel, the direction doesn’t do the series any favors. The camera angles tend to range from boring to unflattering and can really lose steam if there were any in the first place. But luckily the fights themselves rarely (with the only exception I can think of, towards the end of the series) have anything that makes them exciting or impactful in the first place, like mind-blowing fight choreography or a ton of visual flair, so I guess at least we’re not losing too much.
Time travel is a cool angle for a power fantasy anime, but bad writing holds it back new legend It feels like it’s reaching its full potential. The lack of any other features that would help people overlook this – like an interesting cast of characters, or fight scenes worthy of the hype – leaves this anime without any memorable qualities. …well, apart from the mighty name it gives to its glorious and almighty hero, of all possible names, friggin Kyle.
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of Anime News Network, its employees, owners, or sponsors.
