Tokyo Ravens and Seikoku no Dragonar are now out of the way... The first half Ravens was very iffy, especially with one episode dedicated entirely to fanservice (roll eyes), but it became nigh phenomenal in the second half; if they had done away with the filler early on and focused on developing the characters more, then this might have made it into my top three. On the other hand, whereas Ravens only dabbled in fanservice, Dragonar was literally being oppressed by it. There were plenty of serious moments where the characters--and by extension, the development staff as well--were remarkably awesome and intense, but the prevalent fanservice ruined that feeling numerous times. The only reason I trudged through this morass was for the dragons, which played a sizable part, thankfully.
Now I'm flying through Tears to Tiara, a lighthearted yet serious anime that's very similar to Guin Saga. It's about a tribe who is forced to abandon their homes after imperial soldiers invade and kidnap the Chief's daughter as a living sacrifice. After retrieving her, the tribe sails to another land and their struggles are thus far being showcased in events which make them cross paths with the imperials (such as having to steal food to survive) and how they surmount the dangers. I have high expectations for Tears, because aside from some unexpected comedy, the story has been utterly devoid of fanservice that's detrimental to the ongoing events.
