Radiant [Review]
“Seth is an aspiring sorcerer from the Pompo Hills area. Like all wizards, he is an “infected,” one of the few living beings who survived the contact of the Nemesis—creatures fallen from the sky that contaminate and decimate all those they touch. Being immune to them, Seth wants to become a Hunter and fight the Nemesis. But more than that, Seth wants to engage in a quest that goes beyond the simple hunt for monsters. He wants to find the Radiant, their presumed cradle. Aided by a faction of fellow sorcerers, he travels the world in search of the Radiant, under the harsh scrutiny of the Inquisition.” – MyAnimeList
Story:
Radiant is a very underrated show and seemed like I was the only that was watching it. Radiant’s story starts off very cliché (still not on Black Clover’s but it’s close). After setting the basics the story begins developing Seth’s character as he meets new people and nemesis resulting in segments that flow from one to the other. With 21 episodes, Radiant doesn’t feel too fast nor too slow. It is interesting to see different mannerisms that the characters exhibit throughout the show, as this is adapted from the French manga. Certain tropes that we would normally see in anime that are based on Japanese culture are unfounded and it’s actually quite refreshing.
Artwork & Animation:
The concept of the world of Radiant is intriguing, mysterious, and beautiful. The art showcases the different islands that our beloved cast travel too while on their adventures. The character designs are great and evoke the shounen genre style that is so popular in the anime community. Fight scenes are nice and articulated giving the moment more tension and emotion. There are moments where the composition of the scene or the quality of the art took a dive but those moments are rare.
Character(s):
This is the reason that Radiant is so loved by its small but dedicated fanbase. The characters break away from the stereotypes and each makes their own presence known through their words and actions. Seth starts off as your typical shounen anime protagonist but as the story develops he begins to mature and think about the consequences of his actions. Aside from Seth, the other side characters are interesting as well each with their curse, Melie with her split personality, Taj with his running nose, there isn’t a boring character in this show.
Sound (OST & Voice Acting):
The soundtrack is what it is. Nothing really sticks out of the ordinary (for me at least). The orchestral pieces are enticing enough to make me absorbed into the show but not on their own. The opening and ending themes, however; completely rocked my world. “Utopia” by Limited Sazabys 04 and “Radiant” by Polkadot Stingray (they’re one of my favorite bands so I might be biased on the ED lol) pumped me up for the show.
Enjoyment:
Well if you haven’t noticed…I love this series and I’m sad that it’s not getting the attention that it deserves! Radiant is a different taste of anime (a good taste might I add!) and it’s always interesting to see anime that is created from other countries!
Overall: Score
9
Based on the French manga of the same name, Radiant took the anime community by storm with its exhilarating story and its lovable characters! Radiant is the making a name for itself with wonderful character development, a familiar yet new art style, and a world waiting to be explored. A highly underrated anime that deserves to be seen and known! With a second season already announced it’s time for you to marathon the first season and get ready for October 2019!
Best Girl: Melie
As mentioned before, Melie’s a sorcerer and her curse is a split personality, changing when she’s under extreme stress. On one hand, you have Sweet Melie, who’s nice, compassionate, and will do anything for her friends! On the other hand, there’s Aggressive Melie who always resorts to violence, blunt, and very well versed in offensive magic. Both Melie’s are my favorite and I can’t wait to see more of them in season 2!
KiritoNarukami 
I really enjoyed the whole Rumble Town arc, but felt that a lot of the stuff in Artemis was too slow and boring. If the second season focuses on the story instead of little training episodes like the octosquid and broom races, I think it’ll be well worth watching. Mealie was easily best girl, although I did like Hamline too.
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I avoided adding Hameline for fear of spoilers for anyone who hasn’t seen the show but I agree that she was an excellent character! I think the slow stuff is necessary in keeping the anime together and allowing some breathing room in between intense arcs like Rumble Town. Training episodes are a staple in shounen anime and helps explain some of the new powers that would appear later. Hopefully Season 2 includes more action than this one did!
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