Original Run: January 6, 2017 - March 31, 2017 Number of Episodes: 12 Genre: Action, Fantasy, Isekai, Military Based on the Series Created By: Carlo Zen
***Warning, the following may contain spoilers for Yojo Senki. Reader discretion is advised.***
Series Synopsis
The world has lost its faith. Humanity no longer looks to the divine to solve its problems, preferring to rely cool on logic. For one nameless Japanese salaryman, this couldn’t be better.
Through remorseless judgment, the career-driven professional fails to realize something – not everyone shares his viewpoint. This lapse in foresight leads to the man’s death. But in his final moments, the man, instead of turning towards forgiveness, condemns lack of reason.
Hearing this afront, an entity known as Being X forces the man to make a deal. Being X will give the man one more chance at life, only prove how helpless humans are.
Reviving in an alternate history, the man is reincarnated as a blonde-haired girl of the Empire. As an orphan, the girl takes the name Tanya Degurechaff (voiced by Aoi Yuki). Though her body is small, Tanya retains the cold-hearted rationalism of her former life.
Tanya’s brilliant mind allows her to rise within the military despite her age. Although possessing the image of a defenseless child, to say she is one could prove deadly. Tanya soon earns a reputation as one of the Empire’s best soldiers, as well as a true and terrifying monster.
Series Positives
Magic and military; an unusual pairing, to say the least, and thanks to Youjo Senki, a very, VERY intriguing premiss. This series was a ton of fun.
I genuinely had no idea how this show would play out. Every possibility was on the table. So much so that the best word to describe it all would be “enthralling.”
I cannot claim I was ever bored during Youjo Senki. This series hooked me for three reasons:
First was this show’s animation and art style.
Youjo Senki was a beautiful series, possessing the dark, gritty appeal of a World War story: little sunlight, cloudy, and everything was bleak. Despite that, color found a home here. Juxtaposed to the gloomy atmosphere, vibrant splashes of reds, golds, blues popped; it was absolutely stunning.
Second was this series use of strategy.
The planning and prepping that went into military actions, the war planning of this war story was fascinating to watch. Nowhere was this more entertaining to see than with our protagonist, Tanya Degurechaff.
And speaking of Tanya, she was the third reason why Youjo Senki was as phenomenal as it was.
Tanya was the embodiment of something I’ve wanted to see for a long time. She wasn’t the hero or a villain. She was simply the protagonist. Tanay’s actions had no bearing on what was right or wrong. To some, she was a godsend. To others, she was a messenger of death.
Both were views were neither wrong nor right.
That said, Tanya wasn’t immovable. Someone could reason with her. Granted, no one could appeal to her compassion since she had none. But she did respond to logic and would go along with a plan provided it made sense, or someone of higher rank ordered her to do it.
And yet, all that is secondary.
Tanya was intimidating. Throughout this show, it’s easy to forget that she started as just a twelve-year-old child in the minds of everyone else. Even still, Tanya reached a point of such authority that in-universe characters appeared to forget this fact.
The thing was, and this was Youjo Senki’s strength, this entire set-up was utterly believable.
Series Negatives
There were two aspects to Youjo Senki I want to talk about. Although these two points added identity and perspective to this series, I can’t say they were well-executed. Or, to be more specific, they weren’t as developed compared to the rest of the show.
The first was magic.
How Youjo Senki incorporated magic into its story was a neat idea. It was never distracting, nor did it feel out of place. More importantly, magic was not overpowered. It was simply the next step in warfare, and many of the world’s superpowers were implementing it.
However, how this show grounded magic felt hollo and unimportant; it was more of an afterthought. If we took it away, little about this series would change.
The second aspect had to do with Tanya’s previous life. Her once being a grown, reason-based man gave her a reason to be as logical as she was. If she were a true twelve-year-old, it would’ve made her character less believable.
So, where is the issue?
Tanya’s logic and ruthlessness fit within a military structure. Except Tanay wasn’t a soldier in her previous life, she was a businessman. I’m not saying the two can’t translate, but I can’t see how they translated so smoothly in this case.
What kind of negative impact did these mentioned two aspects have on this show? Almost none. They were at their most prominent in the early stages of the series. By the end, you don’t care
Final Thoughts
The finale sequel baits so hard. The biggest crime this series can make is if a second season never comes.
As for the series, as it is, it’s good. Wrapped in beautiful animation and strategy, there was plenty here to suck you in. If nothing else, Tanya is a sight to behold.
Youjo Senki was a blast from beginning to end, and it is worth checking out.
But these were just my thoughts. What are yours? Have you seen this series? How would you advise Youjo Senki? Leave a comment down below because I would love to hear what you have to say.
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