By 2014, the isekai genre (wherein a modern-day protagonist finds themselves in a medival fantasy or game-inspired setting) had become enough of a trend for anime fans to take notice. But "No Game No Life" stood out for one significant reason: its color palette. Its world and characters weren't colored in muddy brown and grey, or greens and blues. The world of "No Game No Life" was brashly colored in loud rainbow sherbet: yellows, reds, pinks and purples, with dashes of orange and blue. Never mind the character design or backgrounds; one could recognize if a screenshot came from this show purely by looking at a list of colors in the image (in fact, it would be a great testbed for a simple machine-learning algorithm). While the color scheme might seem garish, it certainly feels distinct and is fitting for the tone of the show. Sora and Shiro are the two protagonists, a brother and sister pair that consider each other their best friend (and possibly more, they each know that incest isn't allowed but the show doesn't mind making them uncomfortable about it). They seemingly don't have any other friends, and spend each day together in a dark room as an online team of unbeatable game players. After beating a mysterious online challenger, they are enveloped in a white light and find themselves hurtling from the sky towards the world of Disboard, courtesy of a mischievous God of games that looks like a misfit out of "Oliver Twist." In this new land, Sora and Shiro discover that all conflicts, be they petty or political, are decided not through warfare, but through games. With not much else to do, they help out the human kingdom take back their economy from the other race kingdoms, by playing chess, connect-four, rock-paper-scissors, and a variety of other games. Think the sly cunning of "Death Note," but as a comedy. The story doesn't really feel complete after the first twelve-episode season, and as of 2018, no suggestion of a continuation ever came about despite the show's popularity. The production studio was Madhouse, known for rarely finishing a show properly if the manga or light-novel source material is still ongoing. Even still, what does take place is entertaining on its own: we get a variety of games ranging from simple turn-based to action packed games of tag, and the show has a knack for making them exciting (Madhouse did also direct "Death Note" with a great addictive quality, so again the comparison applies). Sora and Shiro seem like an invincible pair, using their teamwork whenever possible to get the upper hand. Sora is also adept at understanding the rules of any new game and finding loopholes that allow him a victory, sometimes to the point where it feels like cheating... but unlike some of his opponents, every move they make is technically by the book. Even if some of the solutions feel like they were pulled out of a hat, it's good popcorn entertainment.I mentioned this is a comedy. Much of that comes from Sora and Shiro trying to figure out their new environment, or from the human race's amazement at how skilled they are at playing games. One great scene involves Sora and Shiro being temporarily separated (into different rooms), and each having an emotional breakdown. In all of these cases, animation gets a little more cartoonish, but in the right amounts. I mentioned a little teasing with Sora and Shiro's sibling relationship being taboo for love (Shiro's young age and appearance make this a little cringy), but there is significantly more fanservice at the expense of Stephanie, the royal hier to the kingdom. Steph is really bad at games, and this leads to her losing her clothes or being forced to act as a dog as per a bet. Sometimes, fanservice can go a little too far, and that's the impression I had with "No Game No Life." Had they pulled back a little, or gave a redemptive moment by the end, it would be easier to recommend this to most audiences.
Aside from the sherbet colors, the character designs and animations are solid. Not much can necessarily be done in animating a chess game, but they do what they can. The music is bright and vibrant to match with the visuals, with a particularly good opening number. The English dub is one of Sentai Filmworks' better outcomes, and even though they take some liberties with the script (especially with modern slang and references), I enjoyed it. I have to specifically call out Amelia Fischer as Jibril, the always-curious and slightly-sadistic angel-like being. Amelia has distinct voice that I like, but it never seemed to fit properly with any anime characters I'd seen her in prior, especially compared to the typical cast voices around her. But I she simply IS Jibril, so props to that.If you particularly enjoy board-games and think you are in the mood for a fantasy-comedy anime, "No Game No Life" should definitely be part of your collection.