First Impression: Nobunaga the Fool

NOBUNAGA THE FOOL: An amazing premise ruined by poor execution

Long ago, the Western Planet and the Eastern Planet were bound together. The two are now separated because of endless war. A girl from the Western Planet, Jeanne Kaguya d’Arc, has visions of a ‘Star Messiah’ who will save the world. She now embarks on a journey to the Eastern Planet to follow her callings.

I have watched this because I have found the premise very intriguing. It looks promising, and I’m even disappointed in myself that it hasn’t been on my radar prior to the winter season. But it turns out that there is a reason why I haven’t heard of it before -- it’s not good.

Even though the story has potential, and its mythos seem complex and interesting, its execution does not give it justice. The only part I enjoyed is the first three minutes or so, wherein the show gives off the impression of an epic. But further on, it seems more of a generic Shounen anime.

The storytelling lacks the immediate sense of exposition and conflict. The characters also don’t show much depth. I know that it’s just the first episode, but I think first episodes are very crucial in establishing the story and characters. If a series can’t grab the attention of the viewers by the very first episode, then it is pretty much a failure.

The animation and art style are also departments I couldn’t praise. The backgrounds are lacking, the character designs are quite typically Shounen -- everything just feels mediocre at best.

Overall, I am really disappointed in Nobunaga the Fool. If it has only maintained its epic atmosphere, perhaps I would give it a watch -- or perhaps not, because the story is just poorly executed. It is such a waste of a good premise. I won’t be reviewing this series further.