Meidži gekken: 1874

Meiji Gekken: 1874 ends up being a bit of a letdown, especially for someone like me who has been intrigued by the beginning of the Meiji period ever since the first Kenshin. Unfortunately, this series fails to deliver anything particularly memorable. The story lacks those powerful, standout moments it seems to be striving for, leaving it feeling rather lackluster overall. The quality of the action scenes is, at best, average. I didn't feel that gripping tension or excitement during most of the battles, making it hard to become invested in the fate of those in combat. What did I ultimately glean from this experience? Perhaps just the reaffirmation that "A traitor is worse than an enemy" Or the realization that even though one hand can't clap, it sure can shoot a bow flawlessly... Okay. In essence, I found myself with very little to take away considering the number of characters and the scope of the story compressed into ten episodes. To make matters worse, many twists were easily predictable, like how Sumie would end up which I called from the get-go. The main protagonist, unfortunately, came off as rather unremarkable to me. Instead, I found myself more drawn to characters like Kyoushirou and his group out for revenge. The most likeable character for me has to be the sword master Koto, even though her role in the story was somewhat limited. On the flip side, I don't have many outright criticisms either. The series isn't dumb; it just falls far short of the interesting and epic tale it aims to be. I'll give credit where it's due — there's nothing that particularly annoyed me. Mostly, I just see wasted potential, especially in those lackluster battles. It's a bit of a grey, mediocre, at best slightly above average series. I made it to the end, but I doubt it'll stick with me a month from now. 5.2/10. (17.03.2024)