It would seem that I am discovering a hidden side to myself where I may be a lover of games, without actually playing any games. A strange phenomenon no doubt, but still a fruitful one as it allows me to discover some interesting new things as I explore deeper into the genre that is borne from the gamer world. The stories and characters along with the adventures all seem to captivate me as they draw me into their worlds one by one.
Anime linked with games seems to be a popular genre of late and I must say that I can see why with shows like Sword Art Online and Log Horizon out there making the rounds. As a fan of those two shows it was a no brainer that I would be drawn to the recent anime that seems to take a similar approach in storyline as it moves forward.
Hai to Gensou no Grimgar follows a group of people who have awoken in a strange land that resembles much of the medieval times. This group, dressed in modern attire and speaking in a modern language with words that even they seem to have forgotten the meaning of, discover that they must learn to survive in this strange world by working together or else they will be left to die on the street.
They are more or less forced to take up the job of volunteer soldiers in order to fend for themselves and thus their uncertain adventure begins in a world with trolls and magic where they must fight to survive. The anime follows a small group that isn’t doing so well, as they struggle to get by, but little by little we see them struggle it out as they grow together and gain the experience and knowledge they need to survive.
The character growth is pretty good in this anime and the visuals are well drawn. Another thing that pulls at the heartstrings though, is the music, especially at the really feelsy moments. Though it doesn’t strike me as the same calibre as Sword Art Online and Log Horizon, it does have its own charm none the less. If anything I think a gamer would appreciate this kind of anime, but that is my personal non-gamer opinion, so yeah.
