No Game No Life Blu-ray Media Review Episode 12

Now that they’re having fun…

Izuna’s Blood Destruction has driven Blank into their final corner. With Blank down for the count, Izuna thought she had won. Unfortunately for Izuna, Blank called checkmate long before their game began. Between calculating the paths of the NPCs, and using their last favor on Stephanie, Blank’s victory was assured. The moment Izuna let her guard down, Stephanie shot the winning love bullet. After the match ended, Izuna believed the Eastern Federation was finished. Imanity now had a majority of their lands, and the elves now knew their secrets. However, Sora quickly reassured her. This day would not be the end of the Werebeasts. In the days that followed Blank’s victory, the Eastern Federation’s representative, the Shrine Priestess, personally summoned Blank and their subjects. Before the inevitable happens, the Shrine Priestess challenged Blank. While her challenge came off harshly, she deeply cares for her people. Blank immediately agreed, though this game won’t be on the extravagant side. A simple coin flip determined both their futures. In an unlikely turn of events, the coin landed on its side. With neither side winning nor losing, the Shrine Priestess was then convinced to join forces with Blank. The Werebeasts would of course continue to have their rights and self-rule, but also be a part of the newly established Elkia Federation.

Outside the main course of action, several minor events took place. First up on the list, the elves were fed bad information. In order to keep Fiel and Kurami from blowing their cover, Sora altered Fiel’s memories. Between now being backed by Imanity and the elves being led astray, the Werebeasts have nothing to fear. Moreover, Blank brought up why they never sought after the Eastern Federation’s race piece. Among the ten commandments, the last one is often ignored by most players. However, if they’re not all having fun, then they won’t be able to challenge Tet. Blank has no need to win the other race pieces, they’ll simply win over their competition through fun and games. Speaking of games, Blank’s road map to facing Tet has only just begun. This may be the end of season one, but the show sets up Blank for their next major challenge. Beating an Old Deus is on the horizon.

Story: 7.5/10

Do you love fun, games, and fan service? Well, do I have a story for you! No Game No Life is without a doubt a guilty pleasure story. From the beginning, you’re told Blank never loses. Even with that said, the tension from game to game is still there. Blank puts in the work for their victories, and the anime does go out of its way to show that. You’re never left to wonder or assume. Everything is properly explained within reason. Outside the gaming aspect, the characters hold their own fairly well. Blank may be unbeatable, but they do have some flaws. Being a shut-in doesn’t lead to the most healthy lifestyle. Additionally, those surrounding Blank make for very entertaining cast members. Their mainstay may be providing comedy or service, though Jibril and Stephanie each had their moments of growth.

Art/Animation: 8/10

There are two tasks Madhouse absolutely did justice. First, they were able to accurately capture NGNL’s colorful world. You’ll be hard-pressed to find another anime as vibrant as this one. One might even claim this show was too bright at times. Next up on the list, the character art was a delight to capture. They started with a strong showing and ensured they ended on a high note. Even the fan service was kept consistent and beautiful throughout. The only main negative was certain episodes could get very slide heavy. However, when the camera was on the action Madhouse put in the work. Our final game was a good example of this. Definitely not Gal Gun required a ton of movement. Thankfully, all that animation was done without any cheap tricks.

Enjoyment: 10/10

When No Game No Life first aired, I was instantly captured by Shiro’s opening shot. That shot either drew you in or you exited right there. Though upon a closer look, there’s a lot to love about NGNL. This is a fantasy world filled to the brim with lights and games. Due to the rules this world is built upon, you won’t see a lot of the typical problems. Seeing how everything must be resolved through games, the sixteen races have grown to be crafty. While the matches may get heated at times, at the end of the day it’s all about fun. That fun factor is what makes NGNL an infinite source of entertainment.

I’ll be rewarding this show with an overall score of 8.5. If you’re heavily into the anime and gaming scene, then I highly recommend this one. You’ll see plenty of homages paid to other series throughout this show. The majority of them are obvious, but you’ll have to be on the look out for a few. Furthermore, it should be noted that this is currently it for No Game No life. Although there was a movie that covered volume six from the light novel, and was reviewed here in the past, there’s never been any word of a season two. Although it’s been six years since NGNL made its televised debut, I’m still hopeful we’ll see more of Blank in the future. Anyhow, think they can take on an old god? Enjoy setting up the future!