Kiddy Grade

I don't quite remember how I heard about Kiddy Grade, or what inspired me to watch it, but I watched this anime via a fansub online.

The first 8 episodes or so are all filler. I think it draws people away from the series; they get bored and wonder "is this going anywhere?" These episodes focus on Eclair and Lumiere and their job as galactic crime fighters. There really isn't much character or plot development until episodes 9+.

This series starts to get really good. And by really good, I mean, really good. Eclair and Lumiere's story takes some crazy twists and turns as the plot thickens, up until about episode 16 or so.

Then things take an even more confusing turn for the worse, and this is where I kind of lost interest. The series was getting so great, and I was so eager to see where the two would end up, but then it seems to flatline and you're left wondering if you missed an episode or two.

OVERALL, this will always be one of my favorite series. I think it's great. My only problem with Kiddy Grade is probably the character development, or extreme lack thereof. They develop Eclair the most, and barely even touch on Lumiere. All other secondary characters like Armbrust and other GOTT members have no significance at all. I wish the series made more sense, basically. It's something you have to watch several times and pay very close attention to, and even so you don't get it 100%. I learned more about this series from reading the Wikipedia page than by actually watching it.

I know it sounds like I'm bashing Kiddy Grade, and in a way I am, but I have never had such an intense love-hate relationship with an anime before. If you want to watch it but are not looking for commitment, watch episodes 9-15. That's where the series is at its prime, and it does not disappoint in the slightest.