Common Name: Knight's & Magic
Score: 7/10, 5/5
Length: 13 Episodes
Genre: Action, Mecha, Comedy, Isekai
Summary: A skilled programmer and voracious mech enthusiast, the man known simply as Kurata dies in tragic accident while on his way home with a brand new model kit in hand. Rather than having his story end there, the young man finds himself reborn in the body of Ernesti Echevalier, the effeminate child of the noble Echevalier family. While he might not have gone to heaven, this new life and new world might as well be paradise for Ernesti, the reborn Kurata. In this new world, the mecha units known as Silhouette Knights and the magic that powers them follow a series of laws and patterns similar to basic programming code. What this means, of course, is that Ernesti is both willing and capable enough to lead the magical kingdom he now calls home into a robotic renaissance, an age that will be free from the threat of demon beast attacks and foreign invaders alike. The only thing getting in this young prodigy's way, however, are the vertical challenges that prevent him from fitting in a Silhouette Knight cockpit.
Review: I don't feel like it's much of a secret that I am not much of a mecha fan. If I haven't said so on this platform, I know I've done so elsewhere. To be more specific though, I am not a fan of mechs for the sake of mechs. Things like Gundam, Voltron, or even Power Rangers, just never interested me because those shows were built on the back of people reveling in the glory that was mecha culture and model kits that I had neither the money nor the interest in buying. When I do like mech shows, it's generally because the mechs are just a means to some political end, noting Code Geass, or the focal point of some grand proclamation regarding the evolution of technology (noting Code Geass once again). Even in light of those biases though, I'll be damned if Kight's & Magic didn't get me proclaiming the glory and boundless potential of mechs by the end of the show. There was just something about the show's simplicity and enthusiasm that made the love of mech culture infectious.
I guess all it took to convince me was a small, prodigy child, Mary Sue character that's actually
a 30-something nerd on the inside. Wait, why does that sound familiar?
While I can say that the show's simplicity and youthful enthusiasm were the key aspects of the show that drove me to finally bow before the almighty mecha, I suppose that's not the whole truth. Knight's & Magic might be a show that glorifies mechs for their sake alone, but it does also function in a number of other capacities as well. For example, the character of Ernesti Echevalier himself functions as a kind of catch-all protagonist. He's driven and smart, making him the very image of the tactical action hero character. He's obsessed with mechs to a fault, offering a kind of slap-stick comedy that leaves those around him dumbstruck. Lastly, there's his diminutive stature and effeminate looks which give him a few extra points in the "moe" category. While he might not be the kind of hero figure that'll sweep a maiden off her feet, his principles and determination do set him up to be the kind of character that should be idolized and appreciated by all. Put simply, it's pretty much impossible to not like Ernesti as a character on some level. Though the same can't really be said for the rest of the cast, who might as well be chess pieces that Ernesti is particularly fond of and moves around at will, they are all likable in their own right, since they either support Ernesti or develop into solid characters in their own right during the course of the show.
Hmmm, a diminutive leader character with enough determination and cunning to rule the battlefield
who is surrounded by a retinue of competent subordinates, including a cute, if a bit ditsy, girl who is always by their side. I swear I've seen this somewhere before.
What's probably the main thing that hooked me on this show, however, was its ability to wean me onto the mecha genre using a tactic a tactic that I already said works wonderfully on me--the use of mecha to exhibit the progression of technology. Since Ernesti comes to this world with a fanatic's knowledge of different types of robots, it just figures that he would slowly work his way through the technical innovations and little tweaks that will one day see his dream of the perfect mech realized. Early on in the series, we see Ernesti try and fail time and again to balance his wants with the reality of mech construction as this world defines it. Yet it is his passion that drives him to make compromises along the way, giving birth to mech after mech that moves more and more closer to his ideal, but he must still work within the limitations of this world. Similarly, toward the end of the show, it is made blatantly clear that his dream is not the only possible route that technological advancement can take, bending instead toward someone else's whims instead. This war of ideals then resolves into a full-on battle for the future of mechs, the death of which Ernesti could never abide.
Stubborn to a fault and responsible for several advances in how war is waged. It's on the tip of my tongue, I swear.
So, I suppose it'd be more accurate to say that the show's simplicity paired with its infectious enthusiasm and multi-faceted approach to gaining fans, mecha diehards and dissenters alike, that drove me to love this show as much as I do. On top of being a fun action title, it was a nice breath of fresh air that didn't sweat the details so much as drive the story onward for its own sake. While that kind of breakneck pacing and disregard for realism might have normally deterred me, I found it to be the primary reason I looked forward to what this show had to offer week after week. I could just kick back, relax, and enjoy some cool mech fights, certain that the show would never become so stupid or thoughtless that it'd distract from the experience. Does that necessarily make it a great show? I'd say not, but it does serve as a solid and accessible gateway into the mecha genre as a whole.
That's it! Ernesti is basically a less edgy Tanya Degurechaff. This is just a godless Yojou Senki with mechs!
At the end of the day, I have to admit that this show is just good, dumb fun that had just enough going for it to make it worth my time. While the characters are likable they don't have a lot going for them when separated from Ernesti. While the show's brand of comedy might have gotten a few good laughs out of me, it really only had one or two good gags going for it. While Ernesti might be small and cute, the show doesn't use that gag to it's advantage enough for it to mean much. That aside, the show's art, animation, and music were solid, but never really that deserving of exceptional praise. It is a point of fact, however, that I don't mind that this show isn't some technical or narrative marvel. It's fun, fast food that'll be enjoyed in the moment, forgetting a day or two, yet will somehow plant the seeds for future mecha-centric cravings. So, would I recommend it? I don't see why not. If you're open to exposing yourself to the world of mechs and want to have some good-natured fun, I'd say give it a shot. Worst case scenario, you watched a fun show.