Introduction
When the "Sirens," an alien force with an arsenal far surpassing the limits of current technology, suddenly appeared, a divided humanity stood in complete solidarity for the first time. Four countries—Eagle Union, Royal Navy, Sakura Empire, and Iron Blood—formed Azur Lane, paving the way for the improvement of modern warfare, which led to an initial victory against the common threat. However, this tenuous union was threatened by opposing ideals, dividing the alliance into two. Sakura Empire and Iron Blood broke away and formed the Red Axis, and humanity became fragmented once again.
As a seasoned and experienced fighter, the "Grey Ghost" Enterprise shoulders Azur Lane's hope for ending the war. But behind her stoic persona hides a frail girl, afraid of the ocean. Even so, she continues to fight as she believes that it's the only purpose for her existence. Meanwhile, Javelin, Laffey, and Unicorn—three ships from the union—stumble upon Ayanami, a spy from the Red Axis. Strange as it may seem, they try to befriend her, but as enemies, their efforts are for naught. Still, they persevere in hopes of succeeding one day.
Amidst the neverending conflict within humankind, the keys that could unite a fragmented race might exist: a soldier coming to terms with her mysterious personality and camaraderie between those with different ideals.
[Written by MAL Rewrite]
Audience reviews
20 · Sample from the first available page, separate from the total number of ratings.
Desslok
I went into Azur Lane as someone with essentially no knowledge of the game, and I think that's the biggest factor affecting my enjoyment.
There are things the series does well: the action sequences are entertaining, the soundtrack is strong throughout, and the overall concept of historical warships personified as anime girls is surprisingly fun. I also appreciated the various naval references and the different national factions, even if I never got my darling Yamato (what an oversight THAT was).
The problem is? The show tries to juggle WAAAAAA too many characters in only twelve episodes, and I never really connected with any of them. The cast is so large that there isn't enough time to develop individual personalities or relationships. The story also assumes a level of familiarity with t…
Read at the sourcelalaeda
I have never played the game and started watching the anime without prior knowledge of AL's universe. So I am rating it solely as an anime.
Overall, I would say I enjoyed the animation with a lot of beautiful scenes and the sound/OST are also great.
Due to a lot of characters, there are also a lot of seiyuu, and I really enjoyed watching the anime in its original language with subs.
The plot is not bad at all, despite what I have read in the reviews from others who are well-known with AL's universe. I may not realize how deep the overall plot and idea of AL's universe are, but the anime could be a good starting point to delve deeper into it. I believe it would be hard to pack everything into 12 episodes, so there's nothing to blame on the adaptation. Consider this as an advertisement o…
Read at the sourceKagashy
In general, I can say that I liked it. But if we look at it as a subject, warships may not attract everyone's attention. I had fun though. The visuals are brilliant and the story is manageable. I advise. If you have played Azur Lane before, you already know the events and characters. If you have some history knowledge, you can have a really fun time. It's an above average series. Recommended for anyone who is curious. The main character, Enterprise, unfortunately has not been kept in the foreground. This obviously upset. Although it is a classic subject choice in terms of subject, it is not bad enough to be watched.
Read at the sourceSwordlocked
I'm judging this show as a standalone, rather than an adaptation of the game.
Azur Lane is far from a masterpiece, but the show is just insane. It's fun, but nothing makes sense so it's perfect if you are able to throw out suspension of disbelief and just watch the shenanigans unfolding in front of you.
The action sequences in Azur Lane are simply absurd. Things kind of just happen, but in all the best ways.
If you're looking for something with any depth - dodge Azur Lane, it's really not the show for you.
If you're looking for a show with tons of fanservice and wacky action sequences, this is an easy sell.
If you're drunk, this anime shoots up to a 10/10.
Read at the source1thatgoesthere
Alright, this is going to be my first review here because I feel that the other reviews for this anime aren't really all that good. I should mention that I haven't played the mobile game so I don't know any differences from the mobile game. I had low expectations watching this anime due to the low user score. I initially tried to watch this series over a year ago but I was turned off by the fanservice in the first episode. However, after watching this again I have gained a liking for this anime.
This anime has a mix of action and slice of life scenes. If you really don't like slice of life you may not like this anime due to the considerable amount of these scenes in between the action. You may also not like this anime if you dislike or are annoyed by sexual fanservice easily since there a…
Read at the sourceUpset_Nimbus
Ah the sea! Where girls come to swim, play, and erm ... fire 16 inch 50 caliber naval armaments at one another? Was that in the script? Azur Lane I've heard is based off of a game (which I should probably try out) and seems to be a slice of life but with two extra pats of action seasoning. Girls in battle? Really cool, the torpedo salvo ripping through the waters, the papers burn into fighter biplanes, Zuikaku's sword charging via PUMPING SAID PLANES into her sword hilt was sick! Girls at home? (base) adorable as fuck. There's quite a bit of fanservice but not too much that it takes over. The interactions the girls have with one another is gold but it takes a keen eye. One of my favorite parts was during one of the dining scenes some ship girl in the background straight up invaded one of h…
Read at the sourceValkyriis
Alright, let's just keep it a $1.50 here. I love the game, I don't love the anime.
It's an anime adaptation of a popular mobile game. While the mobile game itself has been done splendidly, the anime adaptation was done in a less than splendid way (and that's an understatement to say the least). As an anime, it's alright. We get some characters to look at to form fanservice theories about, to find a "best girl" and to wonder who will experience the most development over the course of the show. Sadly, with Azur Lane being a mobile game, this anime was nowhere near to showing enough characters for fans and anime watchers alike. No one is able to really connect to the characters if they've never played the game. 12 episodes of random fights and nonsensical "feel-good" moments made it very har…
Read at the sourceOniChanImOnly12
*This is a review of the Blu Ray version*
I really don’t get the such low scores in this anime, it wasn’t a master piece but it’s not a 1 or a 3 either.
Good anime, all the girls are whether super cute or super sexy and the Lolis are just top notch.
Art: 10/10 & Character: 7/10
The animation wasn’t exactly what I was expecting but it was quite good, somehow I made the idea in my mind that the animation was going to be like one of the latest Fate series but it wasn’t, the character design was astonishing tho and I loved the aesthetic and scenic blue ocean matching the pretty blue sky, and the fact that they changed the lighting in every episode to match the mood of the series was a really cool effect, I think studio Bibury did a great job.
Story: 6/10
As for the story it wasn’t that int…
Read at the sourcemorfeene
Man, where do I start.
Azur Lane is a repulsive, boring, disgusting waste of anyone and everyone's time. So much so, that I have chosen to write my first review for the sole purpose of dogging on this terrible series.
Story 2/10: The only reason I didn't give this portion a 1/10 was because the story in this anime is somewhat conceivable. The characters actions as well as the world itself can be somewhat made out. However, just because a story can be seen, does not mean that it is a pretty one. I have never personally been too big a fan of Naval combat or sea based stories so when I was met with the raw amount of inconsistencies in the pacing and overall telling of this story I was appalled to say the least. To top this all off the overall message of "we aren't that different after all,"…
Read at the sourcesuperp2222
Let's be honest. If you're here, you're one of three things.
You played Azur Lane and heard they had an anime adaptation
You're a history fanatic who wanted to see anthropomorphized ships interact with each other
You're both
Azur Lane brought about a very fine second wind to the shipgirl subgenre. Continuing the legacy of Kantai Collection and giving it a modern twist that has attracted millions of players on its app. However, many fans, including myself, were dismayed at the anime adaptation. As a very new person to this community, who hasn't even accumulated 5 hours on the game and only heard about this entire franchise through a chance encounter during Spring, even I was disappointed at the overall effect of this adaptation.
Story
As I said earlier, I'm an extremely new addition to t…
Read at the sourceThaHentaiGod69
Everything about this anime feels like a failed marketing attempt, especially the story. It literally felt like something ripped straight out of some kids' movie and added softcore pornography to attempt to please its fanbase.
The art style didn't even try to stand out. It was just... mediocre. But oh my God, the characters just look overly simplified compared to their game counterparts.
The characters here are so predictable. I wouldn't expect much coming from an Azur Lane anime, but this is just horrendous. The character development of the "protagonist", Enterprise, feels extremely forced.
But despite all that, I wound up laughing my guts off throughout the entire experience, and that ironic enjoyment managed to save this show from becoming a 1. So overall, it's a 2/10 for me.
In…
Read at the sourceslowtrackcar
It's a show about boats, except the boats are actually big tiddy anime girls.
The story is also pretty decent considering this anime was adapted from a mobile game. I really wish they went more into depth when it comes to some of the characters because if you don't know the lore then you really won't ever be able to grasp just who exactly everyone is from the show alone.
Only complaint I have is the excessive cgi during fight scenes, but the cool sound design I think makes up for it. Overall this is actually a good show and probably worth the watch, just go into it knowing that it's really a fan service anime made for those that enjoyed the game.
Read at the sourceRobberator
How are people sleeping on this show? I'm not out here claiming this is some masterpiece, but it is a straight up, action packed shounen that's hype as frick from episode one!
To be upfront, I'm writing this as an avid player of the mobile game, so my experience would differ completely from someone who's coming into this show blind. What that difference entails might be that just a simple throwaway line from a background character holds inherent value for me, because it's one of the girls I know from the game, and how cool is that!? Reference!
But take all that away, and the fundamentals of this show still remain: fun battle scenes and high drama! I especially enjoyed all the ways they realized the rig system from the game in this show. They had so much fun with it visually! And though th…
Read at the sourceVekyll
Garbage anime, don't waste your time bros. Budget cuts can be felt from 3rd episode. If this is supposed to sell Azur Lane as a mobile game - it does pretty bad job at it - I played Azur Lane before, but if I didn't I'd never download the game with garbage story and animation like that. Would not waste time on this if not for a bet. Would give 0/10 but it's not possible.
With this utter garbage story comes our kirito-wannabe Enterprise - ship known for lack of any character beyond "I will do this" or "This has to be done". Character development? Nonexistent just like anything else that should be in an anime - Budget = 0. Story = 0. Art = has it's moments (mostly still images, maybe few seconds total in entire season) that's why I gave art 2/10. The rest? Absolute trash beyond human capab…
Read at the sourceCycryllic
Alright, let's get this clear, this show was shit. Like, really shit. I already hated the game previously for reasons I won't get into but man, I didn't think it could get any worse.
First, the story/plot. Where did that go? As if the game itself lacked a story, this is an anime. It's meant to have a story regardless of how minor it is. And here's the thing, this show has so many different subplots, almost none of which make sense. This show carries absolutely nothing over from the game other than the character names. Oh by the way, what was up with Kaga and that random monster wolf spawn? where did that come from? No explaination for that I guess. Also, how about we talk about that absolute garbage BS rushed ending? So here's the scene. They have what they attempt to call a story. its t…
Read at the sourceaurora_aeterna
tl;dr Imagine KanColle anime with a dearth of likeable characters and an even less cohesive plot.
I suppose one cannot write this review without the inevitable comparison to KanColle, but I'll do my best to speak to this anime alone first.
For an anime that inherently focuses on its characters, there were really no likeable or even cute characters, as well as an almost complete lack of character development. No depth to the highly predictable plot or even hints of deeper tones, yet no slice-of-life content to replace the missing material.
Animations of characters were ok, but became almost laughable in battles, as did the sound.
I wasn't familiar with Azur Lane before, but I also wasn't familiar with KanColle and found the anime much more enjoyable than this, even though it doesn't ran…
Read at the sourceHikari-Kuro
Azur lane? More like Azur lame.
This series makes no sense.
Let me explain.
This series is supposed to be about aliens coming to conquer earth but instead we have the iron blood and Sakura empire at war with the Royal Navy and eagle union. So far I only see Sakura empire vs Royal Navy and eagle union. Iron blood is totally absent except for a few cameo. Alien evaders? What Alien evaders?
Ayanami should be branded a traitor. I mean she rather be with the enemy?
She rather not shoot at the enemy when they have no problem firing at her comrades? She enjoys her time as their prisoner of war. She says her Sakura empire friends are important to her but she makes no attempt to escape. She is not missed, no wonder her friends at the Sakura empire does not even bother to attempt to rescue her.…
Read at the sourceEinaol
Before beginning this review, it is important that a disclaimer be made:
DO NOT WATCH THIS ANIME UNLESS YOU HAVE PLAYED THE GAME TO A GOOD EXTENT
...and even then, do not approach it as a serious anime. Azur Lane The Animation is best seen as a tribute to the mobile game, a strictly fan-service piece of work. It is not intended to be taken as a standalone anime, or to compete with other mainstream masterpieces.
By itself, Azur Lane The Animation is a bland, generic anime with not enough character development, a rushed plot development, and seemingly subpar animations. By itself, the anime should not deserve anything higher than a 5-6, and a 3-4 for stricter judges.
However, as a tribute piece to the mobile game, it does a lot of things right.
1. AL:TA showcases a majority of the game…
Read at the sourceSaikar22
It's not great.
I've played the Azur Lane mobile game since fall 2018 and watched this anime develop with wariness. It always felt like the type of game that wouldn't adapt well into a show. How do you tell a coherent story about a game with five hundred characters that spans 8 or 9 nations and a huge period of time? The answer isn't only that you don't; it's that you don't seriously try, apparently.
I think the biggest failing of the Azur Lane anime is that it tries to be everything at the same time, all smashed awkwardly into twelve episodes. It tries to be a character-driven show, focusing on Enterprise, Belfast, and Akagi - but constantly introduces a dozen "hey look its that girl from the gacha!" characters an episode. There's very serious discussions of the ramifications of war and…
Read at the sourcecurvedtree
I started watching the series without even knowing its premise nor that it was based on a mobile game. I was aware it involved ships, but girls that are actually ships didn't cross my mind.
Story 1/10: it has a story, but it feels lacking, with no clear purpose. The world has a number of nations which are divided in two factions: Azur Lane and Crimson Axis. On hindsight, we are shown the perspective of both sides, so it is not so easy to antagonise one side over the other, even though it is clear Azur Lane are more likely portrayed as the "good" ones and stand with humanity, meanwhile the Crimson Axis uses Siren's technologies to destroy the Azur Lane;
Art/Animation 6/10: I heard some people complaining about the animation on this show, I have watched it after it was over, and since they…
Read at the source
