Undefeated Bahamut Chronicle (2016)

[最弱無敗の神装機竜(バハムート)]

Director: Masaomi Ando
Studio: Lerche
Starring: Mutsumi Tamura, Lynn, Yukiyo Fujii
Episodes: 12

Synopsis:
The deposed prince of a fallen empire is accepted into an academy of knights for the kingdom that replaced it.

Impressions:
I stumbled upon this series and it managed to hold my interest enough for me to see it through to the end. I've heard other commenters call this an Infinite Stratos knockoff, which prompted me to check out that series and, yeah, there are definitely superficial similarities but beyond that, this is its own beast. It's got a number of tropes I don't like, such as the weenie lead male, the tsundere lead female and the cavalcade of mistaken for pervert events, but they're not quite as bad as in some other series. The politics of the scenario and the lost technology elements are a bit interesting but don't get developed all that well. Though not great, the cast is generally appealing, though maybe a smaller yet more well-rounded group would've been a better choice. While the design of the mechs isn't terribly practical, leaving the pilot exposed like they do, the special abilities of different characters' suits makes for some fairly interesting battles. The series only covers a small portion of the overall story, so if it does click with you, you're going to be left wanting more, but it does find a decent end point. Overall, it doesn't have quite enough punch for me to give it an unqualified recommendation but also lacks any demerits that would make me discourage people from viewing it. I guess I'll say take it or leave it and call it good.

Rating:
50/50