Drama Digest
Humanity is in grave danger because of aliens called Pillars. Odin, who is a self-proclaimed god, gives people the power to be Valkyries, who are people who are pilots of vintage aircrafts called Hero Wings. Claudia Buford is the ace in the European Valkyrie department who is transferred to the Japanese Valkyries after an S-class pilot dies in battle. She has a record of being the sole survivor of many missions, which is why the dreadful nickname- Grim Reaper was given to her. She braces herself for the continued isolation by her Japanese comrades but later realises that they are a bunch of oddballs that are very accepting of her apart from one thing, which is her nickname.
The Feel-Good Part
The animation fits the tone of the show and is visually appealing. The main characters are strong and have enough substance to carry the plot forward. The side characters are distinct from one another, which is interesting to watch as each of them adds something new to the show. The protagonist’s development takes natural progression and moves the plot forward smoothly.
The Disappointing Factor
The story is pretty cliché and doesn’t stray away from the common plot points of this genre, which makes it predictable and may make it boring to watch. The main villain takes cues from recycled anime tropes that are exhausting to watch. The plot is filled with inconsistencies that defy logic. This makes the show feel like it has been written written without a lot of thought going into it, which may make the audience feel apathetic and take them out of their viewing experience. The side characters lack depth and have rarely been given any time to shine and have developed storylines, which is disappointing as the plot is supposed to move forward because of character growth. The pacing is inconsistent, and the show slows down in certain areas, and then suddenly picks up speed, which is quite distracting. The fight scenes are not very well executed, which defeats the point of the show since it falls under the action genre. The end is quite anticlimactic and will frustrate viewers as they may feel like the pay-off wasn’t worth sitting through the show.
In-Depth Analysis
The series lacks in several places as the execution was not well thought of and felt messy on most occasions. The story is quite interesting, especially since it has some historical parallels in real-time, but it doesn’t deliver on some of the core themes of the show. Only some of the characters are given importance, which is a missed opportunity to show changing dynamics among the various side characters.
Star Power
All the performances were excellent. The cast is a group of highly accomplished voice actors, which shows on screen as they do their best with very minimal substance to work with. They might be one of the few redeeming and intriguing aspects of the show.
Overall Opinion
While the show’s premise is interesting, it isn’t ground-breaking and the execution falls flat. This is an easy skip as it is forgettable and has nothing new to offer.
