Utawarerumono

The beginning of Utawarerumono: The False Faces was very promising; I liked the main male protagonist, the animation is very nice, and the soundtrack too. Unfortunately, it is true that, unlike the first anime series, it dragged quite a bit, and so even though I enjoyed watching it, it lacked some oomph. Furthermore, where there were some interesting fight scenes and strategies in the original anime series, there is only fan service and harem building in this show. Some better action scenes and storylines arrive in the last third of the season. However, even that is not as good as the end of the original anime series, so it did not stop me from feeling bored, especially during the first two-thirds of the season. Furthermore, the ending itself was a disappointment. It was very weak in terms of content, although the fact that it was nice to watch makes it average, in my opinion. 5/10. (10/10/2015)

The last season of Utawarerumono is a pretty decent ending to the series, finally giving some meaning to the previous season (False Faces) which I wasn't exactly thrilled with. It also ties everything back to the first season pretty well. I quite enjoyed the opening part where there was a lot of fighting. It sort of felt like a cheaper and more boring Kingdom in a fantasy world, but for a lover of clashes between large armies combined with a bit of politics in the background, it was pretty good. The second half was the finale itself. On the one hand, it was a decent ending to most of the storylines that provided some rather satisfying answers, especially to many of the questions I've had in my head since Season 2. On the other hand, it dragged on incredibly, and it felt like the series didn't know when to end. It’s a long time since I’ve seen so many final confrontations in a row in one series. One danger was averted only for another to arise right after that, and then another, and then another, and then... SPOILER The villain is defeated, only for it to turn out that someone else was pulling the strings, who in turn is defeated only to get the wrong idea and come back even scarier than before, and when he is defeated, danger comes from a completely unexpected direction, twice in a row – all of which happens in the space of about ten episodes. END OF SPOILER It makes you feel as if you're watching a fight in a shōnen where the villain won’t be defeated and keeps getting back up. It sounds cool, but it gets increasingly frustrating. Each time you think to yourself that it might finally be over, it never is... But I finished it anyway, it was an OK series, a decent ending to the whole Utawarerumuno. The great first season would have been enough for me, though. It is probably the only part I'd be happy to rewatch in the future. 6/10 (25/12/2022)