By Shanel Kamara

Hmmm, so admittedly, I was going to write another review of this week’s episode of Shouwa, but in the end, I decided against it. Sometimes it's good to change things up and Chains Chronicle: Haecceitas no Hikari - an anime rendition of the role-playing game produced by the illustrious video game company, Sega, available on the Android and PlayStation Vita, was just the ticket. Honestly, out of all the genres, fantasy is probably at the bottom of my list when it comes to selecting what type of anime to watch. For some reason, I just find most fantasy shows to be too predictable or conventional, even when the plot line is supposedly unique and original. Fantasy shows tend to cast females in subordinate roles despite being as strong as their male peers are and the heroes tend to be predominantly young males of ordinary descent. However, now and again it is good to set aside one's preconceptions and give these things the benefit of the doubt.

Anyhow, although I can't say that viewing Chain Chronicle: Haecceitas no Hikari was a complete waste of time, I can't exactly say that it blew my mind or exceeded any of my preconceived notions. The plot is very simple. Yuri, the protagonist of the series, who leads The Volunteer Army, fights alongside the other regions of the continent Yggd in the hope of defeating the Black Army, experiences an unprecedented loss, which is especially atypical for a fantasy plot considering that most storylines focus on the heroes victories and not their losses. He not only fails to defeat the Lord of Black but also allows him to retrieve half of the Chain Chronicle, a book that states everything that happens in the world. After his shocking defeat, Yuri almost completely gives into despair until he encounters the young, charismatic Aram, whose strong sense of justice and willingness to overcome every challenge that comes his way, resonates with him so profoundly that it snaps him out of his earlier depression, allowing him to fight the good fight once more. As I mentioned earlier the female characters, though important to some extent, play minor roles in comparison to Yuri and Aram who are clearly the leads in this show.

The shows pilot episode's display of characters from various classes and backgrounds is definitely what made it appealing. However, the fast pace left no room for an explanation to certain obvious questions such as how or why Yuri became the captain of the Volunteer Army? Where in the continent does the Volunteer Army reside? Why the Black Army king and his daughter are on opposing sides and how Yuri unified the different regions in the first place?

For the first episode of a new fantasy series, it wasn't that bad!

Score: 3/5

Chain Chronicle: Haecceitas no Hikari E.01