nobahn's Anime

That, however, doesn't detract from how much dumb fun it is. Less prone to second-hand embarrassment than some of its brethren while still maintaining just enough of a cringe factor for entertainment purposes, Brothers Conflict is the kind of silly series it's fun to just leave on or watch when you've had a bad day. However, it also has a surprisingly serious undertone if you're looking for it – you could absolutely read this show as being about the struggles of a teenage girl who has lived virtually alone for her entire life finally getting the family she desperately wanted, only to have that family try and turn her domestic dream into a romantic nightmare. While that may sound a bit melodramatic (and it is), it also offers the opportunity to look at the show on a different, more serious level. The glimpses we get of Ema's life prior to her father's marriage depict a very lonely life, as her father appears to have spent more time out of the house on business trips than actually raising his daughter. The idea that she could suddenly become a part of a caring family that all lives together and is willing to embrace her as a sister is highly appealing and even makes a stab at justifying the horrendous parenting (the newlyweds don't want kids around) that leads to her doing so, because honestly the oldest brothers look like more competent guardians than either parent. That this dream would then be derailed by several of the brothers aggressively pursuing Ema on a romantic level would absolutely throw her off and make her nervous, because she'd worry that rejecting them could cost her her new family.

1. • A talking squirrel? But of course.....
   • So right out of the gate it's a reverse harem. Does make sense, though; what with there being only 13 episodes ─ which excludes the two-episode OAV.

2. "Top─of─the─line males"? Priceless, just priceless!

   The squirrel takes up an offer of an alliance.
3. Wedding.
4. Finally ─ the Big Kiss.
5. Now the Basketball Player makes his big move ─ off the court, naturally!

6. All right, I'll admit it: the blackout at the 07:07 mark really was quite effective!

7. More step-brothers make their move, and then there's a medical emergency.
8. • Azu has meningitis.
   • Yet another brother makes a move onto her.....
9. Ema finds out about her biological parents.
10. The family takes Ema to the grave site of her biological parents.
11. Angst over college entrance examinations.
12. All of the brothers vow to be the one.

I have watched and loved the anime, which I consider its own perfectly contained universe. It's adapting an ongoing story, but the last episode always feel like a good conclusion to end on that I feel satisfied.

I have watched and loved the anime, which I consider its own perfectly contained universe. It's adapting an ongoing story, but the last episode always feel like a good conclusion to end on that I feel satisfied.

I have watched and loved the anime, which I consider its own perfectly contained universe. It's adapting an ongoing story, but the last episode always feel like a good conclusion to end on that I feel satisfied.

Review in Japan Times

Chivalry of a Failed Knight is still pretty average at this point, but it also has the potential to be more than just another urban fantasy light novel adaptation. I'm not fully sold yet, but between the hints of more to come and an opening theme that's seriously growing on me (I'm a sucker for grayscale + random bits of red as a color scheme), I'm also not reluctant to keep watching. So come on, Chivalry. Show me I'm not crazy to stick with you.

But packaging aside, Crest of the Stars executes on an incredibly high level as a sci fi adventure, and succeeds equally well as an intimate character drama. If you're looking for a more thoughtful sort of fantasy drama, Crest of the Stars falls somewhere between Legend of the Galactic Heroes and Spice and Wolf, bringing the strength of both those classics together into something novel and thrilling. Don't miss this richly illustrated and rightly renowned anime classic.

• Monique Thomas & Steve Jones

• Rose Bridges