Although the plot of this anime sounded pretty basic from the get-go, two things gave me hope:
1. It is being aired in the Anime no Chikara timeslot, meaning it will be more edgy and mainstream than noitaminA shows but adult enough to be consistently mature
2. It is basically guaranteed to look great given A-1 Pictures recent track record of beautiful shows
However, after thinking this over, another thought came to mind: while the shows in Anime no Chikara are definitely less niche and artsy, meaning it won't take itself seriously and will be more entertaining, Anime no Chikara also has earned a reputation (from me at least) of not delivering as solid shows as noitaminA does.
So after all this worrying and fretting about the quality of the show before I'd even seen it, is it the best anime of the season?
Yes. Is it one of the best anime to come out in a long, long time? It's way to early to be sure. While it certainly has style in abundance and quirky comedy along with its high production values, the plot is way too vague for me to even conjure up theories yet. I can't tell you anything about what will happen next, and it isn't because the plot seems so original; rather, its because of the lack of details about the direction of the show.
However, what we have seen so far of the show is unbearably delicious. The main character, Maya, has already been given enough depth to carry her for awhile; her background and her feelings towards her father give the groundwork for her future motivations and actions. Her desire to not believe in the occult because of the pain it has caused her in the past makes her remarkably complex for only one episode.
The other characters are a bit unique but not quite as full of depth. The male lead, for instance, doesn't even appear until the end of the episode. However, it was necessary for the show to put the others' backgrounds on hold completely because of the show's focus on Maya. The trade-off, in my opinion, worked wonderfully. Also, a shy girl with glasses who isn't good at school and gets turned into an evil spirit for half the show? You win, Occult Academy.
Occult Academy also suggests some interesting themes, such as Maya's desire to lack belief in the occult. As someone with a disbelief in a lot of things, I know there is a fine line between belief and disbelief and that a forcing oneself to have either one does not work. I am interested to see how Maya deals with her desire in future episodes when she will be undoubtedly confronted by many supernatural creatures. Favorite show of the season by far.
Overall: 9.5/10
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