World Conquest Zvezda Plot

Sekai Seifuku tells the story of an eternally young girl attempting to conquer the world with her group called Zvesda, and a boy named Asuta who gets caught up in it all. Hoshimiya Kate, for reasons that are never explained, is a girl who seems to never age while everyone around her does. She, though a reason is never really given, wants to conquer the world and fights against other organziations who try to foil her plan. As you may have already guessed, my main issue with this anime is that they don't explain hardly anything. Characters are given quick backstories that don't make muchsense and the plot is full of filler and doesn't really go anywhere until the last three or so episodes. The show begins with a high school boy named Jimon Asuta who ran away from home. He is struggling to get food to eat but is determined to make a living on his own and avoid anyone knowing that he has run away. Though, the only person he ever talks to and cares about hiding his situation from is his crush, Renge. Renge is also hiding a secret. She is a member of the group called "White Light" who fights against evil, which is mainly Zvesda. The members of White Light wear masks and uniforms that hide their identity from each other even though it should be blatantly obvious who they all are considering their unique hairstyles still show..... But moving on, Asuta ends up running into a conflict between Zvesda and White Light, is recruited into Zvesda against his will, and now has a place to stay even if it might cause him to lose his life in the process. All of the other members are "quirky" to say the least, and White Light is out to kill all of the members of Zvesda, and Asuta has to adjust to this new lifestyle whether he wants to or not. The story is very generic for the most part and uninteresting. The characters are all generic except for Kate, and none of them get enough time to develop very much. Asuta is about as unoriginal as a main protagonist can get. He's good at cooking and randomly saving the day but nothing else. Kate is a bit unique, but the anime does a horrible job of explaining anything about her mission or why she's been 7 years old in both mind and body since many of the older characters were kids. The rest of the main characters consist of a scientist, a tsuntsun swordswoman, an ex-gang member and his underling (who is just a terrible comedic relief character with absolutely no redeeming qualities), and a female robot. The one part of the story I did really enjoy was the anti-smoking (cigarattes, not marijuana) aspect. The one episode completely about anti-smoking is the best one by far, even if it does show how Yasubee is a horrible character which no one should ever trust (seriously, he switches sides out of nowhere and it's just plain stupid how everyone forgives him anyway, especially Gorou). Though it was never explained at all how the villain's smoke powers were even possible in the show's universe. The animation is good, but some of the character designs are very.... fanservicy. Mainly Kate's (give a 7 year old a revealing outfit, why not?) and Natalia. Aside from that, the character designs still aren't great, but they're not terrible. The scenery in the show is also average, and the action scenes aren't anything too interesting with only decent choreography. The use of CG for larger monsters and weapons also becomes a bit annoying and clashes with the regular animation. The soundtrack is mostly unmemorable with the OP being the only good song. While I did enjoy some parts of Sekai Seifuku, nothing much really happened. It's just going from point A to point B with a lot of filler in the middle and a few mediocre flashbacks to try and make you feel more attached to the characters that never have anything too bad happen to them anyway. The drama in this show just falls flat and the comedy is only occasionally funny. If not for the anti-smoking episode and some of the few good character interactions, the story would have had nothing unique or good about it. I just never even began to like any of the characters in this show or care if anything bad happened to them. Because of that and all of the other problems, I just could not come to like Sekai Seifuku.

A-1 and Aniplex really scored a hit with this one! In this extremely original, unique series, you get a combination of comedy, action, drama, romance, and even a little fanservice all wrapped into a great little package! The characters are developed very well, as are the relationships and backgrounds of each of the said characters. The plot and how the series develops is extremely unique and entertaining. But also conveys that you can achieve your dreams no matter how small or what gender you are, or what the odds are against you. Every episode has it's own significant story to it and theme to betaken from it, but all the while adding to the overall plot of the series. You will be continually drawn into this entertaining series more and more as you watch. Great action. Ton of comedy. And an intriguing plot. This is a winner for sure! (Season 2 PLEASE!) "May the light of Zvezda shine throughout this world!"

(This has been adapted from my reddit thread) In our world, there are many different types of rulers. From Presidents to Prime Ministers, from Kings to Queens, people of power are able to maintain great influence over life itself. Most of the time, these leaders hold moral ideals, wanting peace over war. Yet others have one goal in mind: to conquer the world. World Conquest Zvezda Plot is a story of such conquering, spearheaded by a little girl, a young boy, and the rest of Zvezda squad. STORY World Conquest Zvezda Plot begins with Asuta coming across a little kid named Kate. After a small altercation, Asuta (nowknown as "Dva") is recruited into Zvezda, a group of people determined to conquer the world. Conquest goes about telling its story in a rather clever way. In most cases, instead of outright revealing the information through explanations or visuals, the show often uses indirect speaking as a way to give the audience insight into the world without having it spoon-fed to them. Using this tactic causes the viewers to actually have to "connect-the-dots" in order to understand who the characters are, why the world is the way it is, and where things will be headed. Now, the show does utilize flashbacks in order to get the more difficult details across, but for the most part, the writing itself was done rather nicely. In regards to what actually goes on, the over-arcing plot is rather lackluster. The problem is that the goal itself is not only too vague but too large in scope. Meaning, it's difficult to understand what exactly the purpose is of what they are doing. On a smaller scale, however, the show does at least a fair job of showcasing a slice-of-life-ish portrayal of a fantastical world. Filled with strange creatures, transformations, and tons of udo, most episodes have simpler goals in mind that help to flesh out not only the characters but the world itself. At the same time, the missions are often unique and filled with comedic moments between the cast and the environments housing them. The humor isn't anything great, but the snide quips from Asuta or the overzealous nature of Plamya when it comes to Kate is usually good for a laugh or two. A large problem with Conquest is the ending. At this point, it has done a very nice job of setting up the overall tension and despair that contrasts with the previous events. However, when all is said and done, the contrived plot points, role-reversals, and underwhelming antagonist leave the series on an unfortunate low-note. Coupled with the fact that the story sets itself up for further shenanigans down the road, you are left with a vast feeling of emptiness. Not that things are just getting started, but rather that they have yet to be completed. ANIMATION The overall art and animation for Conquest is actually pretty darn good. Starting with the art, the show loves to use a wide variance of colors. The ball-like creatures, the characters' clothing, and the locations themselves are rife with many different colors that make everything pop. The backgrounds aren't so much colorful as they are detailed. The Zvezda base comes to mind as do the underground ancient ruins. Above all else, the character designs are top-notch. Each character has a "transformation" that allows them to become their more powerful selves. These costumes contain the same level of detail as the backgrounds do. Goro's skull mask and military gear, Plamya's eye-patch, helmet, and coat, and Um's Halloween coloring and witch-like outfit are the standouts, but easily help to demonstrate how unique each of them look. Even when not in their strong attire, their regular selves also contain some level of detail to make them contrast with everyday civilians. The show also does well in the actual animation department. The fights are easy to follow and nicely choreographed, and the characters contain both fluid movements and varying facial expressions. The CG isn't the best, but it doesn't feel over-bearing or terribly out of place. CHARACTERS The characters in Conquest are "characters" themselves, but I'll at least talk about some of my favorites. Itsuka, aka "Plamya," is a young woman who is strong-willed, straight-forward, and at times simple-minded. In a lot of ways, she reminded me heavily of Asuna of SAO fame due to her interesting character design, swordplay, and general bad-assery. Plamya appears difficult to approach, but her conviction to protect the squad is evident. Her character serves to demonstrate that dedication and hard work may not come easy, but the payoffs in the end more than make up for the trouble one goes through. Garo, aka "Chief," seems like the tough, parental type. Instead, he's more like the silent guardian. Among the whole cast, he surprisingly seems the most out of place with his stature and past, but it's slowly revealed why such a man follows such a girl. He actually has some of the best action sequences in the show to make up for his lack of humor. Chief represents something that we all hope to do, and that is upholding the ideals we hold true to our heart. Easily the best character from the anime, Kate, aka "Venera," is literally a child. The leader of Zvezda, her strange ability to unite random people from across the land to work towards a common goal is unprecedented. She's loud, demanding, and sometimes sleepy. On top of all this, her best friend is a stuffed pink rabbit. For all intents and purposes, she is a baby girl whose dreams are seemingly too grand to be feasible. And that's what makes her shine. Sure, she's cute, sure, she has an adorable way of talking. But what she isn't is being afraid to dream big, to go for the impossible. That despite the troubles one may face, they can always be conquered. If it isn't evident by now, what Conquest does right with its characters is having them serve as messages for personal growth, for personal conquest. Dva is about understanding one's place in the world, Um tells us it's not about being constricted to the past but anticipating the future, etc. The characters' themselves may be slightly trope-y with some of their character quirks, but almost all characters are. Instead, their most important aspects are not the way they look, how they talk, or what they do, but the ideas that they share with us. One final note is that some of the characters, comparatively, do not have their backgrounds fleshed out enough. Some do and some don't. It's a mixed bag that is sadly not divided evenly between the cast. Furthermore, as a main character, Dva is rather weak. He provides most of the comedy, but that's just about it. When the show is progressing, one isn't looking for Dva's next scene but rather what the rest of Zvezda squad is doing. SOUND The OP is interesting. At first, it's not that good. It seems rather plain or generic, given the unique atmosphere that the show tries to portray. However, after a few episodes (roughly half-way through), the piece becomes at least average. It's nothing worth listening to on a daily basis, but the beginning, middle, and ending sequences are well done. If anything, the OP feels like lost potential. The ED reminded me a bit of Humanity Has Declined's, with its soft vocalist and perhaps out-of-place visuals. This one doesn't have the same "oomph" attached to it that Humanity Has Declined does, but it does at least remind one of a lullaby, coinciding with Kate's nature. The rest of the soundtrack is sadly quite forgettable. The only prominent "piece" is the bell chimes that go off during the screen transitions. Finally, in regards to VA work, Misaki Kuno does an above average job in her role as Kate. Her voice has that little kid quality to it that is tough to nail. Plus, it's rather unique, making it stand out more than usual. ENJOYMENT When it comes to watching this one, it's difficult to like it right away. It seems rather similar to other shows out there in the anime world, and to an extent that is a correct statement. The show's excitement and urge to watch it never really settled in until about three-quarters of the way through. The action was fine, the comedy was there, it just never had much of a hook or draw to entice me further. Each episode is more or less set-up (at least in the beginning) to give us some indication of who the characters are. This is done in conjunction with the indirect world-building explained earlier. It works decently well, but causes a lot of the scenarios to become somewhat repetitive. Some instances are vastly different from what occurred before, but many of the same jokes and outcomes happen time and again. The ending itself is sadly left open, the romance elements at play are teased at but never really take off, and even with the clever storytelling there are some parts that are just never explained. World Conquest Zvezda Plot doesn't really do anything new or exciting, but if you need a fun little show with the added bonus of slick visuals, then this one wouldn't be a bad place to start. SUMMARY Story: Bad, nice indirect story-telling with contrived ending Animation: Great, art is detailed, character designs are unique, actual animation is well done Characters: Fine, each provides an underlying "message" Sound: Fine, okay OP and ED, bad soundtrack, decent VA work Enjoyment: Fine, some fun and laughs for the whole experience Final Score: 5/10

"What did I just watch?" This phrase was uttered by me each week I watched Zvezda Plot. This show is easily one of the strangest I've watched in a long time, but it's really not a bad thing. On the contrary, it's actually one it's strengths and also the main reason I kept coming back week after week to watch it. I'll be leaving a breakdown of its strengths a weakness below, with as little spoilers as possible. Story - Zvezda's story to be quite frank is extremely silly. The bare bones plot is about a group of borderline superhuman people and their quest for worldconquest. Week after week they go out and conquer something, be it smokers, buildings, or whatever else they feel like doing. They have to fight other organizations that are trying to stop them from taking over the world. A main antagonist does eventually surface, but it's up to you to decide if you think it's really worth it in the end. I didn't watch it for the plot personally, but as with most things, mileage may vary. (6) Art - The art style is kinda of strange, but all in all it's nothing that would turn you away from the show in my opinion. (7) Sound - (9) Characters - This is where Zvezda truly shines in my opinion. The cast is colorful, fun, and their personalities are varied. The way they interact was a treat to watch and kept me laughing throughout the show. Swordsmen, Mafia members, scientists, and mythical creatures are found in this show. You'll be pretty hard pressed to not find someone you like in this cast. The only strikes against the characters I seen were that the cast was female heavy and the main character was somewhat lacking. (8) Enjoyment - I enjoyed the show a lot more than I probably should have. The comedy really worked for me and as stated above, I loved the characters. I don't regret watching it all. (9) Overall - If I had to summarize Zvezda in a couple words, they would be "Stupid Fun." The show doesn't take itself seriously and neither should you. If you're looking for a show that has and amazing layered plot look elsewhere because Zvezda is nothing like that. However, if you're looking for comedy or just something different Zvezda might just be the show for you. Give a shot, you just might like what you experience. (7)