I've been hearing a lot of good things about Assassin's Pride, so decided to fire up Crunchyroll and see how the opening episode grabbed me.
The initial scene is a battle featuring a host of ghoulish hooded figures, with all but one easily dispatched by our stoic hero, Kufa Vampir (yes really). His swordplay easily overpowers the numerous bullets flying at him, and his mission is revealed to be lost anyway - the man he came to question is already dead. So the mission moves to a backup phase, and he travels to the central city to pose as the instructor fora young noblewoman named Melida Angel. (I do love these names!)
The crux of the story is that Melida should, by birthright, have developed the ability to use mana (magical enhanced fighting abilities). The fact that she hasn't casts doubt on her lineage, and the man Kufa was to interrogate was suspected of having an affair with her mother. Since Kufa finds no evidence of the ability in Melida, he decides to simply terminate her - she is essentially considered a joke by all around her, and he sees the act as a mercy killing.
Visiting her room, he finds Melida missing - she's being chased by a bunch of Lycanthropes (creatures from outside of the city walls) that have been employed by her father to try and force her mana to manifest. Kufa observes that, despite clearly being overpowered, Melida will not cry out for help. Dispatching her attackers, he asks her why she would not seek help. Impressed by her determined reply, he decides to risk helping her, and administers a potion via a kiss. Melida falls into darkness, cue end credits.
This would have been a terrific hook to end on, and even more impressive had he actually killed her (it was a gamble either way). However the post-credits sequence shows her alive and well, with mana flowing freely much to delight of the maids at her stately mansion.
So ends episode one of Assassin's Pride.
Despite the glaring CGI moments and very standard animation, the show was actually very entertaining. The daft names were a bit distracting, but what works here is the potential political drama. Kufa has defied his superiors and actually helped his target, but whether or not he released her inherent power or managed the feat by other means remains somewhat fuzzy. The idea of our hero playing both sides is an interesting one, and the show really needs to capitalise on this to stand out. It has tremendous potential, and I'm keen to watch a few more episodes to see if it can retain the tension.
Other noteworthy aspects of the show include the designs - it's very typical shoujo fare, with inventive baddies (love the pumpkin-headed attackers) and attractive uniforms. Kufa looks suitably prim in his military-style attire, Melida's tartan dress is adorable and the character designs appealing, if not too inventive.
The only negative aspect I could really find was the incessant simpering of the female cast. Kufa meets a girl on a train who appears a bit ditzy (though I suspect she's more than she seems) and Melida comes across as very brittle, despite her form with weapons being perfect. Hopefully we'll see her develop a more wilful and determined character, as the end of the episode suggested - well, right before she starts showing off to the maids like a 5 year old anyway.
So, what are my First Thoughts? The bad is definitely outweighed by the good here - in particular I found the animated lighting effects as Kufa rescues Melida to be beautifully rendered. More of this would certainly be appreciated. I'll stick with it and see if where the story takes us, but a few tweaks here and there, and this could be stellar.
Check out the trailer below:
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