520https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/theflagflag.jpg You know Im think Im going to miss having Flag on my watching list after it being perched there for nearly half a year. Joking aside the reason for the curiosity of a thirteenepisode anime taking me this long to watch perfectly encapsulates my feelings toward Flag feelings that make this review an absolute pain to write: Meh Not eh denoting iffiness but meh denoting pure indifference. 520https://vintagecoats.files.wordpress.com/2014/03/flagsaekoshirasudesertcanyondarknightflakjacketwarphotographycamera.jpg Flag follows Saeko Shirasu a 25year old photojournalist. In the wartorn country of Uddiyana she takes a picture of a woman praying behind a UN flag thats being hoisted up. The picture propels both the flag and Shirasu into notoriety with the flag now being seen as a symbol of peace to the Uddiyanans. Uddiyana looks like its on the pathway to peace until the flag is suddenly stolen by an insurgent group. A covert UN unit SDC is tasked with retrieving the flag. Theyre joined by Shirasu who is offered the right to take pictures of the group. Detailing the daily life of Uddiyana during this time is Keiichi Akagi Shirasus mentor. The most noteworthy thing about Flag is its perspective. The series is shown completely in a firstperson pointofview contrasting with the thirdperson pointofview of not only most anime but most visual media as a whole. This POV is achieved via the two main characters profession: photography. Flag is shown via still photographs videos and the process of lining up a camera for a shot. Nearly everything you see is through the literal lens of Akagi and Shirasu. This gives Flag a very distinct look that sets it apart from other anime. Its an odd feeling hardly ever getting to see the main characters and it borders on unsettling that we just hear their disembodied voices simply due to how used to the thirdperson POV we are. The POV is the reason I became interested in the anime and what can I say it delivered. The pointofview itself proved compelling just due to how unique it was. Medium shots with characters seeming to be talking to you yes you the audience. Its really just a treat to see because it shows a new way to show a story. 520https://i.yt.com/vi/2JlCPNmVfw/hqdefault.jpg The art style is realistic in gritty fitting for an anime that the viewer seems to be a part of: both the POV and what we see through the POV lend the anime a sense of realism like the events of the show could actually happen. Maybe its just my bias since I tend to prefer more realistic character designs in terms of eyes and proportions but I think the art style really helps set the anime apart. The show remains realistic despite the presence of mecha elements. The show features bipedal war robots but theyre less powerful and more realisticlooking than the likes of Gundam or Metal Gears. These things feel like they could actually exist and I enjoy the care that was made to make them feel an organic part of the world. Theyre CGI but perhaps to the art style it doesnt look bad. 520https://vintagecoats.files.wordpress.com/2014/03/flaghavwchighagilityversatileweaponcarrierdesertgiantrobotmode.jpg So the POVs good the arts good the musics fine so why am I so unmoved regarding the anime? I cant exactly put my finger on why I found the anime so boring and thats exactly what you dont want in a review where your job is to put your finger on something describing precisely how it made you feel. Maybe it was the characters. They seemed kind of generic and not very compelling. Sure some had clear goals such as proving that you can make it when coming from a wartorn country but I still feel like we dont really know the characters that well and if we do I just couldnt muster a care about them. Maybe it was how neatly everything wrapped up at the end of each episode no cliffhangers no lingering questions. While the stakes were high that urgency isnt conveyed in the daytoday lives of the characters themselves. Most times the show felt like a glorified tour of the base showing the lives of the characters. While theres nothing wrong with this and could lend itself to being like a documentary it didnt feel like an informed documentary it felt like a sliceoflife or someone gathering material for a documentary. Maybe its the same realism and subduedness that I somewhat commended earlier. Maybe the likes of Gundam and Metal Gear Solid have spoiled me both which offer more gripping mecha action and war is hell sentiments. Maybe I just need flashiness in my anime the mecha in the show were really underutilized and more overt instances of war being horrible might have made this show more captivating to me. Maybe its the ending which is so much of a downer that I cant help but feel a bit bitter. The only impact the anime has is via the ending and its certainly not a good impact I just leave feeling like the entire anime is pointless. And if Im being honest Im sure I only care because I just watched it. 520https://.fireden.net/a/image/1458/73/1458734335777.png While Id say come for the unique POV I cant say it justifies slogging through twelveepisodes. Its very flippant when Im sure more care was put into Flag than the likes of Shield Hero but I came out of Flag feeling like I just witnessed a gimmick a onetrick pony. And after Im used to the fancy bells and whistles theres nothing left for me. Flag certainly isnt a bad show I still dont know exactly what went wrong. But for whatever reason its a boring show and at the end of the day whats the difference? Heres to hoping I dont have to write another review thats this unsure. 6/10 D Probably the only thing keeping this from a lower score is Jamieson Prices Akagi silky smooth voice