Strike the Blood IV (2020-2021)

[ストライク・ザ・ブラッド IV]

Director: Hideyo Yamamoto
Studio: Connect
Starring: Yoshimasa Hosoya, Rina Taneda, Asami Seto
Episodes: 12

Synopsis:
Kojou wakes up on a remote island with no memories and a mysterious girl who claims to be his observer.

Impressions:
Ever since this series was moved to an OAV release, episodes have been doled out every few months. I had the advantage of starting when the previous seasons were already complete, so I didn't get to experience the joy of the slow release until now. I'm sure that hasn't helped, but I doubt I would've enjoyed myself much even if I could get through it in one go. (Even as things grew increasingly confusing, I had no desire to rewatch previous episodes in the hope of things making a little more sense.) This season starts off on the wrong foot, throwing away all the promise of the previous season's finale to put an amnesiac Koujou in a new environment with new characters. I like Kasuko well enough, but the whole Onrai Island stuff feels mostly like a waste of time. At least it's more coherent than the mess that follows. There's a lot the story is trying to juggle in the Tournament Arc, but it does so very poorly. Either more time should have been taken to better establish things or the narrative should've been streamlined to focus on what's most important. Just thinking about it makes my head hurt. The cast is bloated and the plot is both overcomplicated and rather stupid at the same time. Whatever potential the series once had feels pretty well squeezed dry. I don't even think the most die-hard fan would have much to keep them going. If not for the purpose of making this review, I would've dropped the show long ago. I definitely won't be back for another round. I can't even imagine the most die-hard fans of the series enjoying themselves. Pass on this.

Rating:
Avoid It