Review 63: Crimson Spell

Art: 9
Plot: 8.5
Characters: 8.5
Sex: 8

Okay, so I've read this one many, many times. It's a fantasy/adventure concerning Prince Vald, who takes up a cursed 'demon sword' in order to save his kingdom from attack. However, after the attack ends, he cannot dispel the curse, so he seeks out Halvir, a powerful mage. Halvir won't work with him unless he agrees to travel with him and find a legendary object of some kind, so they become companions. The curse is such that, when Vald sleeps, the demon beast in him is released, so he is kept in magical handcuffs. What he doesn't know is that Halvir is unlocking him each night in order to do certain... activities... with the demon, which apparently restore his magical power.

The art is amazing. As expected of Ayano Yamane, all the characters are beautifully drawn, the fantasy elements are stunning, and the chibi and humorous panels are hilarious.

I'm not sure what to say about the plot. Personally, I enjoy fantasy works like this, but the plot isn't particularly surprising. Rather than saying the plot is good, I'd say the dialogue and character interaction is the best part, which brings us to...

Characters! This is definitely something done well, and done right. Vald is convincing as the courageous prince, but he is made multi-faceted by his hesitancy and his eventual fear of his own inner demon - literally, of course. And Halvir, despite his slightly disturbing rendezvous with the demon Vald every night, is still a deep and engaging character. The side characters are also suitably well-rounded.

The sex is... odd, for the most part. Most of it is the demon Vald, who is little more than an insatiable beast with no conscious thought, taking it from Halvir, Mr. Mage Who Needs More Magic Power But Also Likes Getting A Little Somethin' Somethin'. By the time the actual Vald and Halvir do it, Vald has been freaking himself out for months over why, whenever he gets close to Halvir, he feels a strong sense of deja vu.
I mean, how do you tell someone that you've been sexing them up in their sleep for months without their knowledge? Awkwaaaaard.

All in all, 34/40. A high-scorer, hurrah!

Recommendation: Particularly enthralling to those of us who love fantasy, magic, all that stuff. Oh, and there's a brief tentacle scene that made me laugh for a few minutes. Seriously.