SEVEN KNIGHTS REVOLUTION: Hero Successor – Episode 1

Content Warning: Fantasy gore, body horror

What’s it about? Once upon a time, there were heroes who saved the world from utter, capital-d Destruction. Now, those heroes powers are recognized in the “Successors,” young folks who have reawakened those powers of old. Among the Seven Knights who bear those powers is a girl name Faria, who fights Destruction at ever corner. That is, until she rescues a boy named Nemo who contains a secretive Successor power…only no one knows whose power he inherited.

---

SEVEN KNIGHTS REVOLUTION: Hero Successor is a dual production from LIDEN Films, who’s handling production for Farewell, My Dear Cramer; and Domerica, who’s also working on The World Ends with You: The Animation this season. Some staff for Seven Knights Revolution includes Ichikawa Kazuya (Burning Kabaddi) as director with Kodachi Ukyo (Boruto) handling series composition. Additionally, Fujisawa Yoshiaki (Land of the Lustrous) will be doing Seven Knights Revolution’s music, with Matsuura Arisa (Outburst Dreamer Boys) on character design.

This time, I’m not watching this uninformed. I know that it’s a video game. Rather, it’s a mobile game. Now, I’ve never played it, but I’m guessing from the name that it’s your standard fantasy RPG set in a vaguely European world. Let’s see if I’m right.

Episode 1, “Awakening -Succession-,” starts off with a burned landscape. A village, to be precise. It immediately sets up this world as a world of strife where disaster can strike at any time. Post-OP, we’re in yet another town on the verge of destruction, only this time, we’re with a bunch of CGI monsters that are too strong for mere humans.

That’s where the eponymous Seven Knights intercede, saving the day with blasts of really nicely animated magic and nifty weapons. Namely, Faria, a military academy student at Grandseed Academy, saves the day by transforming into a lightning-wielding knight. During her fight, she saves Nemo, a boy that you’d think was unassuming… but you’re genre-savvy. You know he isn’t.

And indeed, Nemo is special. He’s a successor to great power, just like Faria.

I’m not really sure what to think about Seven Knights Revolution. It’s fantasy, which I like, but it’s not doing anything revolutionary. Maybe I’d feel differently if I’d played the video game and was invested in the world. I ultimately had to watch this episode three times before it stuck, and even after an hour with it, I didn’t really feel any strong emotions. I don’t think that’s ah… good, though this is just my opinion.

There’s a lot of tidbits that had me interested. I think the concept of inheriting power from a hero has a lot of potential. It made me think of the Tales of series: specifically, Tales of Symphonia, a game where you make pacts with ancient spirits in order to unlock different elemental abilities. In many ways, I wish Seven Knights Revolution: Hero was more like that. It might give it the “spice” I’m looking for as a viewer.

Additionally, the animation is pretty enough, and it’s nice to see another Korean series getting an anime adaptation. Outside of that, I really didn’t think much about this show. I expect I’ll do my three episodes, but I don’t know if this show will ever be more than the sum of its parts. In fact, I get the vibe that this is just what it is, though hey: it might pick up in the next few episodes.

In the end, Seven Knights Revolution: Hero certainly isn’t bad, but… it’s not bringing anything super interesting to the “fantasy RPG” formula. It’s very middle of the road in its execution, which feels like a bit of a loss. I don’t necessarily need something “new”: in fact, I’d have liked to see Seven Knights Revolution have a really well-executed plot from the beginning. But there’s just too many terms and too little explanation for me, though there’s some info-dumping near the middle. 

However, time will tell if this series will do fantasy a bit differently, or even just execute its story really well. In a way… I kind of might be looking forward to it succeeding a little, especially for the fans of the game.