Chivalry of a failed knight kanata

Boo! Hiss! Get off the stage! You know, I'm going to go against the grain of the aniblogging community and say that I like anime feeling like anime. Originality's a nice thing and all, but I happen to like that feeling of familiarity that comes with a show being an exercise in anime tropes. The…

Ikki Kurogane may have come from a long line of Blazers, people with the ability to create weapons or devices manifested from their souls, but as far as the Hagun Academy is concerned, he’s been a major disappointment in the magical powers department. He is so disappointing, in fact, that he’s earned the unfortunate nickname of the "Worst One". However, things change for Ikki in the most surprising way when Princess Stella Vermillion, the most promising Rank-A Blazer to come along in many years, decides to transfer to Hagun. When she challenges him to a duel where the loser must obey the winner for the rest of their life, the last thing anyone expects is that the Worst One might prove to be a match for the Crimson Princess… and the unforeseen consequences will push the boundaries of society itself!

Ikki Kurogane is a Blazer, a person who can materialize his soul as a weapon. Unlike most Blazers, however, his aptitude for magic is virtually nonexistent. Branded a talentless failure and nicknamed “Worst One,” he has spent his life honing his swordplay in order to become a Mage-Knight nonetheless. Stella Vermillion is the second imperial princess of the Vermillion Empire and a powerful Rank A Blazer. Having spent her whole life undefeated in battle as a result of her incredible natural talent, she travels to Japan in search of powerful opponents, hoping to grow ever stronger and become an accomplished Mage-Knight herself. Can Ikki and Stella fight toe-to-toe with even the strongest of Blazers and achieve their dream of reaching the peak of knighthood?

The sexual tension in the previous scene was unusual in anime. Not unheard of, but unusual, because it was based on a genuine emotional attachment between Ikki and Stella. My next favorite scene is tinged with a little sadness because of that. Ikki’s past reasserts itself, and in a way that might have hurt Stella had she been a weaker character.

Just moments after the previous scene, after a humorous interlude where Stella is worried if Ikki’s all right because “I mean, you’re kind of exploding…” (

This is a huge moment for her. I don’t think she’s ever opened herself up to someone like this, so there’s a certain level of expectation and hope involved. Ikki pauses and says, “I can’t answer that question right now” (

It was cool enough when members of the student council showed up to save Ikki and Stella, who were caught off guard.

She overheard Utakata and Ikki talking about the steel wire user, and she said that no matter how far away they were, they were connected by lines of magical power. She threw herself into the monsters, her lightning shattering them right and left, until she got a feel for their patterns of force. Then, as the stone reformed into a single huge monster (a desparate attempt to counter her power), she unleashed one of her special moves, Raikiri (Thunder Slash). The huge monster blew apart, and her lighting travelled back through the circuit and fried the steel wire user.

Did you notice how, when Renren handed Stella off the Ikki, she said (

Compare this scene to one in another series that ran around the same time and that remains, overall, one of my favorite series:

What did you think of Touka Toudou’s entrance? What were your favorite moments? Let me know in the comments!