Zetsuen No Tempest is pretty cool.
I like a concept of magic. In order to invoke magic, you have to offer any man-made object to the Tree of Genesis, so you will get the magical power to fight. Yes, an object of civilization. That is an interesting setting. So, Hakaze, a princess of the magic clan, is put in exile in an uninhibited island, where a civilization doesn’t exist, so she can’t find a man-made object. No iPhone, no iPad. So, magic is also a product of civilization! Art, religion, science, magic, all of them are products of civilization! Very interesting concept. I’m always amazed by these concepts that writers come up with. Really creative! Oh yes, James George Frazer’s Golden Bough explains evolution of technology, engineering. Magic ⟶ religion ⟶ science. Products of civilization as human tools.
Fuwa Mahiro‘s little sister was killed, and Mahiro tries to find and kill the killer. So, he makes a contract with Hakaze, who offered him to help kill the murderer in exchange of helping her get out of the uninhibited island. But Fuwa’s best friend Takigawa Yoshino was actually Mahiro’s sister’s boyfriend. But Mahiro didn’t know about it. And Yoshino still keeps that to himself. And Yoshino still acts like his girlfriend is still alive. So, Mahiro wants to avenge for his sister, and Yoshino wants to avenge for his girlfriend. So they are avenging for the same girl. Weird triangle, but awesome premise!
I think the sakuga (drawing) is really good. Probably comparable to Guilty Crown.
The ED is really cute. Happy Endings by Hanazaa (Hanazer), and the lyrics written by meg rock! Ahh, this cutist is cutistically cute. Cutisticality, embodiment of cutism. Yes, zetsuen no cutest! And some otaku arranged this song in piano. Ah, that modulation, just awesomely beautiful, from B11 to A11, that is too genius. A happy romantic shojo song doesn’t match the show’s heavy tragic Shakespearean theme, but Shakespeare meets Japanese girl cuteness. Shakespeare In Moe! Picazo created cubism, but idol seiyuus created cutism!