[XFire]

Originally Posted by justsomeguy

I have no familiarity with the source material, but all I can say is that I hated this show.
* We never get to see Maou actually inventing or discovering anything. All we ever get is her pulling something new out of that chest of hers and showing it off. And then (timeskip!), said new thing is wide spread and accepted.

* Going by architecture and dress, the human civilization is at late Medieval or early Renaissance level of development, yet they lacked basic things like compasses, windmills, and well pumps, which had to be invented by Maou (we never actually see her doing it). There's no way they could have gotten to that level without those basic technologies. It seems like the different nations have slightly different levels of technology (the Iron Kingdom in particular seems more advanced), but there's no spread unless Maou has a hand in it.

* More focus on the side characters would also have been nice. They're the ones either acting for Maou and/or experiencing the effects of her actions. Too much focus on the core cast makes it seem like they're gods playing Civilization while insulated from the consequences.

* Very long timeskips. The 12 episodes cover years (10?), and the timeskips cover multiple months. That only contributed to the very jarring way the story is told, and felt like the show was minimalizing the work and teaching that Maou was doing to improve the world.

* Finally, the story is incomplete. We're shown that the blue demons, northern nations, and church were still conspiring, and that they had guns now (invented by Maou herself and spread for unknown reasons). And then, the show just ends.

Score: 5.5/10. Very ambitious premise, but fails to follow through. This show was basically "tell, don't show" due to extreme plot compression, years worth of story in 12 episodes. I actually found economic discussions and Maou's teaching the kids in the first few episodes more interesting than the war plot that took over in the second half, and would have preferred the show spend more time on that.

In an attempt to redeem the franchise, I suggest the Comp Ace manga adaption.