Shit this show is good. I accidentally signed up to review one of the best-paced animes I've had the pleasure of watching. Do you know how long it would take other animes out there to go from the capital city to the battlefield? A fucking season. Ten filler arcs. Maybe I have been jaded by being a fan of Naruto for so long, but good lord was it refreshing that this anime just gets on with the damn story. I was weary of too much time-skippery since that appears to be en vogue right now, but not only is Arslan well-paced in terms of getting the fuck on with things, it is well-paced in terms of leaving me off on a meaningful cliffhanger. More than just telling the story at an effective rate, Arslan continues to color the experience of the young Arslan by exposing him to the harsh realities of military life, both bureaucratic and on the battlefield.

Pepper in a plot twist that isn't being telegraphed every three minutes (*cough* Attack on Titan *cough*), formidable production values, and completely killer opening credits, and Arslan should be on your watch list unless you hate medieval themes and/or good things.

Score: 5/5

The Heroic Legend of Arslan 1.2 - First Battle at 14 Official Website