The appeal and reviews of Assassin's Pride: Delving deeper into the world of dark fantasy

Assassin's Pride - The pride of an assassin teacher and the growth of a young girl

■Overview of the work

"Assassin's Pride" is a TV anime series based on the light novel by Kei Amagi. It aired on TOKYO MX and AT-X from October 10 to December 26, 2019. It consists of 12 episodes, each 30 minutes long, and is animated by EMT Squared. The original illustrations are by Ninomoto Nino, and the series was first published in January 2016 by Fantasia Bunko (KADOKAWA), and has become a popular series with a total of over 400,000 copies sold.

■ Story

"Assassin's Pride" is set in a world where nobles with the ability of mana are responsible for protecting humanity. The protagonist, Kufa Vampir, is a mana user who belongs to the "White Night Cavalry" and holds the rank of "Samurai." He is dispatched as a tutor to Merida Angel, a unique girl who does not have mana despite being a member of a noble family attending a training school for those with abilities. However, Kufa's mission is to "assassinate her if she does not have the talent."

Merida was born into a family of Holy Knights, one of the three great ducal families, but she has no mana and is scorned as an incompetent genius, but she is a brave girl who continues to work hard. Kufa strives to discover Merida's talent and aims to show the world her worth. In a society where ability is everything, Merida's unrewarded efforts force Kufa into a cruel decision, but he says, "Why don't you entrust your life to me?" and maintains his pride as an assassination teacher, not an assassin or a teacher.

■ Characters

Kufa Vampire

Kufa is a mana user who belongs to the White Night Cavalry and is ranked as a Samurai. He was sent to be Merida's tutor and assassin, but he turned his back on his duties and trained her instead. Voiced by Yuki Ono, he plays a cool and calm character. Inside, he is a mixture of his sense of mission as an assassin and his passion as a teacher, making him a central figure in the story.

Merida Angel

Merida is a girl born into the family of the Holy Knights, one of the three great ducal families, but she has no mana. Even when she is scorned as an incompetent genius, she does not give up, and is a brave, strong-willed, hardworking person. Tomori Kusunoki provides the voice of the character, expressing her purity and strength. Merida's growth and her relationship with Kufa are major themes in the story.

Elise Angel

Elise is Merida's cousin and a mana user with the rank of Holy Knight. She is the most skilled in her grade, and is a silent, expressionless character. Yui Ishikawa voices her, and she expresses her cool aura well. Elise's presence plays an important role in highlighting Merida's growth.

Rosetti Prickett

Rosetti is an elite member of the elite unit, the Holy City Guard, and holds the rank of Dancing Priestess. She is currently Elise's tutor. Marina Yabuuchi voices her, expressing her strictness and kindness. Rosetti's character is an important element in increasing the tension of the story.

■ Staff

The director is Kazuya Aiura, the series composition is Deko Akao, the character design and general animation director is Maho Yoshikawa. The art director is Mikiko Matsumoto (Studio Fuga), the color design is Tomoko Koyama (Fine Colors), the cinematographer is Ryohei Miyasaka (Rare Trick), the CG director is Wataru Shibata (EMT2), the editor is Michi Takigawa (REAL-T), the sound director is Satoshi Motoyama, and the sound production is by HALF H・P ​​STUDIO. These staff members work together to create the world of "Assassin's Pride."

■ Episode

"Assassin's Pride" consists of 12 episodes. The subtitles and broadcast dates of each episode are as follows.

• Episode 1: The Assassin's Mercy (2019/10/10)
• Episode 2: When the girl's world changes (2019/10/17)
• Episode 3: Beyond the Critical Point (2019/10/24)
• Episode 4: Maidens and maidens gather in the castle (2019/10/31)
• Episode 5: The Golden Princess and the Silver Princess (2019/11/07)
• Episode 6: The Grey Witch (2019/11/14)
• Episode 7: No sign above or below (2019/11/21)
• Episode 8: The Will of a Skeleton (2019/11/28)
• Episode 9: The Eternal Contract (2019/12/05)
• Episode 10: Labyrinth Library (2019/12/12)
• Episode 11: The Grim Reaper's Messengers (2019/12/19)
• Episode 12: Pride of the Assassin Teacher (2019/12/26)

■Theme song

The opening theme is "Share the light" and is sung by Run Girls, Run!. The lyrics are by Natsumi Tadanashi, and the music is composed and arranged by Hidekazu Tanaka (MONACA). The ending theme is "Time of the Strangers" and is sung by Tomori Kusunoki, who voices Merida Angel. The lyrics are by Natsumi Tadanashi, and the music is composed and arranged by Kuniyuki Takahashi (MONACA). These songs further deepen the worldview of "Assassin's Pride".

■ Evaluation and impressions

"Assassin's Pride" tells the story of Merida, who continues to work hard in a society where ability is everything, and Kufa, who struggles to discover her talent. While faithfully recreating the charm of the original work, the anime also adds its own unique touch. In particular, the scenes depicting Merida's growth and Kufa's pride strike a strong chord with viewers. Additionally, the characters' personalities stand out, and their backgrounds and relationships are carefully depicted.

The animation quality is high, and the depiction of battle scenes and magic is beautiful, making it visually appealing. The music also plays an important role in adding excitement to the story, and the opening and ending songs are particularly memorable. Overall, Assassin's Pride is a worthwhile work that combines fantasy and human drama.

■ Recommendation points

"Assassin's Pride" is recommended for those who like fantasy and human drama. It is especially perfect for those who like stories that focus on the protagonist's growth and master-disciple relationships. It is also recommended for those who enjoy beautiful animation and music. Furthermore, those who have read the original light novel will also enjoy the unique interpretation and direction of the anime version.

Related information

The original light novel for Assassin's Pride was written by Amagi Kei and illustrated by Ninomoto Nino. It is published by Fantasia Bunko (KADOKAWA) and is a popular series with over 400,000 copies sold. The anime version is produced by EMT Squared, with director Aiura Kazuya, series composition by Akao Deko, and character design and general animation director Yoshikawa Maho.

Also, if you want to know more about the world and characters of "Assassin's Pride," I recommend reading the original light novel. The original contains detailed episodes and character backgrounds that are not depicted in the anime version, allowing you to feel the depth of the story even more.

Conclusion

"Assassin's Pride" tells the story of Merida, who continues to work hard in a society where ability is everything, and Kufa, who struggles to discover her talent. It is a work worth watching, combining beautiful animation and music with deep human drama. It is especially recommended for those who like fantasy and human drama, and those who like stories that focus on the protagonist's growth and master-disciple relationships. You can experience an even deeper worldview by enjoying the original light novel as well.