The Seven Deadly Sins: Grudge of Edinburgh among 2022’s worst anime

Allow me to preface this by stating that I am typically inclined to give any anime a chance, as I believe there may be something of interest to be found even in the most lackluster productions. That being said, this year has tested my resolve as I endured the entirety of abysmal series such as EX-ARM, Vampire Holmes, and Girls’ Frontline. Regrettably, I found nothing redeeming in any of them, reinforcing my decision to never revisit such dismal experiences.

With that context in mind, it speaks volumes when I confess that I could only endure a mere 34 minutes of ‘The Seven Deadly Sins: Grudge of Edinburgh – Part 1’ before realizing there were 5,000 other things I would much rather watch. This succinctly illustrates just how terrible this 52-minute anime “movie” is, and my determination to avoid any future projects bearing the names Marvy Jack or Alfred Imageworks, much like how I have diligently steered clear of the ill-conceived Covid-19 “vaccines”.

It appears that many viewers on My Anime List share a similar sentiment, as the movie currently boasts a dwindling score of 6.17 on the site. To be honest, considering the utterly charmless nature of this dumpster fire of an anime, I would argue that the score is rather generous.

Let us delve into the artistic aspects of ‘The Seven Deadly Sins: Grudge of Edinburgh’. I had previously expressed concerns about the art style based on the trailer, and unfortunately, the finished product proves to be even worse than anticipated. The characters are peculiarly rendered, to the point where if I were not already aware of their identities, I would struggle to identify Elizabeth as Elizabeth even with three letters of her name as hints.

Meliodas himself appears as an empty cardboard cutout, devoid of the depth and charisma he once possessed. Elizabeth, particularly her face, is truly disconcerting to behold. Gowther initially bears some semblance of his former self, but within mere seconds, his lackluster and vacant presence becomes apparent, leading me to speculate that there must be a plot twist involving a body snatcher lurking in the narrative. How else could the once vibrant and captivating characters of the Seven Deadly Sins be reduced to such bland, flat, and lifeless entities?

The remaining characters also suffer from a strange hollowness, as if their personalities have been drained by some extraterrestrial force, leaving behind mere shells of their former selves. Witnessing the uncharacteristic transformation of some of my favorite anime personalities was truly disheartening. And let us not even begin discussing their eyes, which often appear to be gazing slightly past the screen rather than properly observing the events unfolding before them. It is as if each individual is struggling with a perpetual squint.

The animation quality in ‘The Seven Deadly Sins: Grudge of Edinburgh’ is equally abysmal. While I do not expect every anime to reach the heights of something like ‘Chainsaw Man’ in terms of animation prowess, the 3D CGI animation in this particular production is so poorly executed that I found myself berating my computer monitor within the first five minutes. It is true that the Seven Deadly Sins franchise has been on a downward trajectory in terms of animation quality since its earlier, gorgeously animated seasons. However, I never anticipated it would plummet to the depths of this infernal abyss.

Indeed, many fans have lamented that the movie resembles a mobile game rather than an anime. While I could have overlooked that aspect if the animation appeared as cut scenes from a decade-old game, the reality is far more disappointing. The frame rate is often so low that character movements come across as jerky and unnatural. While there may be instances of superb CGI animation in other productions, this certainly does not qualify as one of them.

Moving on to the writing aspect of ‘The Seven Deadly Sins: Grudge of Edinburgh’, it is disheartening to discover that the script was penned by Rintarou Ikeda, the same screenwriter responsible for the weakest entries in The Seven Deadly Sins franchise—’The Seven Deadly Sins: Imperial Wrath of the Gods’, ‘The Seven Deadly Sins: Dragon’s Judgement’, and ‘The Seven Deadly Sins Movie 2: Cursed By Light’. It is safe to say that Ikeda should be kept at a considerable distance from any future Seven Deadly Sins projects, given the clichéd and stilted dialogue, as well as the recycled and uninspired plotlines that were difficult to stomach.

One particular scene that exemplifies the poor writing occurs when Elizabeth collapses and Tristan, in a comical fashion, attempts to rush to her side but ends up stumbling clumsily out of bed. Finally reaching her, Tristan discovers Meliodas melodramatically clutching Elizabeth’s hand, begging her to “stay with me”. While I am willing to overlook mediocre writing if the animation, art style, and action compensate for it, the combination of subpar writing and amateurish animation proved to be too much. Consequently, I made the decision to abandon ‘The Seven Deadly Sins: Grudge of Edinburgh’, leaving approximately 20 minutes unwatched.

‘The Seven Deadly Sins: Grudge of Edinburgh’ represents one of the so-called “movies” that Netflix has released within the franchise. According to various commentators, this initial installment concludes with a ridiculous cliffhanger before the plot even truly unfolds. However, I had lost interest long before reaching that point, as my concern had shifted from losing myself in the narrative to losing my will to live. Therefore, I have no intention of subjecting myself to Part 2 of this lackluster experience.

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