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Plot Synopsis

Coud Van Giruet, a sky-thief, stumbles upon a cute, dark, lonely girl named Reverie Metherlance and finds out that she is an Eden-raid, a weapon of sorts. (Or so we are led to believe...) Right from the beginning, a fight breaks out from the get go to obtain the power of Reverie Metherlance, otherwise known as the "Shichikouhouju." Coud is then left possession of Reverie, or Ren, and in the ensuing fight, reacts with her and creates an intimate bond that he will carry throughout the rest of this adventure. Treating Ren as if she was human, he alone remains the hero throughout the rest of series and gets help from an unlikely source: the trio (Rowen, Cisqua, and Kuea) from Arc Aile, an organization that protects Eden-raid while really isolating them. Attacks on our protagonists come from the Chaos Choir as well, and the plot twists and thickens. Throughout the series, Coud's strength and willpower are tested again and again as he strives to bring Ren to the Garden of Eden and encounters many obstacles along the way, physical and emotional. A very poignant and passionate series, Erementar Gerad will not disappoint the action/romance fan as Coud's and Ren's struggle to find their purpose in life highlights this anime series.

Screenshots

Ren and Coud The magnificent Cisqua Greed... Kuea, Rowen and Cisqua

Story & Characters

When the sky thief Coud van Giruet meets Ren, his life changes drastically as he tries to keep his promise to this girl.

The story in Erementar Gerad is pretty straight forward; boy meet girl, girl like boy, boy like girl, girl get kidnapped, boy rescue girl. As you might've realised, the story isn't very deep, but it isn't necessarily a bad thing either. The light-heartedness in this anime reminds you that you can be very much entertained without the story being very deep. In spite of it having the typical love story found in many anime and games, it still has its original touch; like Eden Raid, a group of people who have the ability to react with humans and form a pact or alliance in form of transforming herself into a special, powerful weapon. That is why these Eden Raid are so desired by many humans. And much of the anime revolves, of course, around these Eden Raid.

The strong-willed characters seen in Erementar Gerad are no different from many other anime which has characters with strong wills. However, each and one of them still have their charm. E.g. Coud is your typical air-headed, innocent and naive hero who doesn't dare to express his feelings to the girl he loves. Ren is a quiet, mysterious girl who has problems knowing exactly what she's feeling. Besides from these two main characters, we also meet a trio; Cisqua, Rowen and Kuea, all of them with their own charming personalities.
Throughout the anime, you get to know these characters, and see how they mature. Each character is given almost equal much time for background history, but of course, most time is given to our hero and heroine.

Rating

8 (good)

Art

The character design in Erementar Gerad is clean and pleasant to the eyes, but there's nothing particular about it compared to e.g. Paradise Kiss. It's got its charm, though. The swift change from normal to chibi characters feels natural in the context, and you also get to see exaggerated expressions on the characters' faces which is quite normal in anime. They all match their personalities. Seeing Coud does give you an impression of a naive young boy, while Rowen has a mature aura.

The background animation is good, but nothing special. The many different environment is nice, though, from forests to ships to cities. Vehicles such as aircrafts have an almost original design to them, but you can sense that they're influenced by those that are found in reality.

In all, the artwork in Erementar Gerad is good, but nothing special that stands out.

Rating

8 (good)

Sound

I found the voice acting in Erementar Gerad superb. They match each and every character very well and more. Kuea's got a very enthusiastic voice and at the same time, the voice actress (Naoko Suzuki) is able to deliver a serious tone when needed.

As for the background music, Kajiura Yuki has done another job well done. Up until Erementar Gerad, I had the impression that Kajiura Yuki only had the ability to compose music that had mysterious feelings to it, like the ones found it .hack and Madlax, but she has now proven me wrong. In this anime she has managed to deliver an airy feeling in many scenes, which they match very well, and some of them are of course with vocals. That has almost because one of her trademarks, in my opinion. But unfortunately, like in Madlax, I find something lacking. The standard in her music is high, but then it stops. There are maybe only one or two that really stand out, and make you want to hear them again.

Rating

9 (very good)

Presentation

Overall, Erementar Gerad is an anime which I enjoyed watching very much. The humour found in it will surely make you laugh. They're both original and light-hearted, but as the show progresses, it's toned down to give room for more serious matter. The first episode started off well, although it didn't give you a "Wow!"-feeling, and most episodes leave you in a cliff-hanger, making you want to continue with next episode. If you want an anime with lots of humour, action and a typical love story, then Erementar Gerad is one to recommend.

Rating

9 (very good)

Final Verdict

8.50 (very good)

Reviewed by Kori, 2y 22wk ago