Before I get into this I must say I rate the shows I watch based on enjoyment. If I liked the show I will rate it based on that. Sometimes bad art or animation can get away if I still find the show enjoyable. That doesnt mean that this is the case with this show that is just to say if this make you think that my review is invalid thats fine but you should still see what I have to say and why. This is very much a shounen but I think is a little different than most shounens. I thought this show resembled more of like a Saturday cartoon but for older audiences. The show doesnt really tackle super mature themes like others but it doesnt need to to be good at what its good at. I think its more of a Saturday show than other animes is because 52 episodes is certainly not something you see everyday and thats partially because of the loose plot. I think the overall plot is definitely a weak point for the show. It isnt bad I dont think the plot and pacing were bad it just takes awhile for the show to really show what the story is. In the beginning all we see is Tokine and Yoshimori going to the school at night and doing children things and there really doesnt seem to be a direction the show is headed until somewhere in episode 20s or so. That doesnt mean all those episodes are wasteful. If you watched cartoons like adventure time or gravity falls shows with a underlying plot that takes awhile to take form shouldnt be super uncommon. Thats why I think this show should be treated like a cartoon for mature audiences. Not every episodes important to the overall plot. Towards the end it definitely does and the pacing very much changes as you reach the end but the beginning is just small stories that compliment what I think is the strongest part to the show the characters and their development. Anime is weird sometimes and just makes characters super young for some strange reason. And it doesnt really make sense for 14 year olds to really understand mature topics and deep understanding of the human condition. But this shows ages make perfect sense. Yoshimori is quite literally a 14 year old. It is very obvious he acts just like how a 14 year old would and should act. He is impulsive doesnt think about his actions very passionate about smaller mundane things like playing rock paper scissors for chocolate milk he struggles with understanding others and often lets emotions blur his judgement. To me this makes Yoshimori a very strong character because I think everyone can relate to what he feels both on how he feels with Tokine and how he has this large crush on her and how he deals with change and responsibility with the world. Yoshimori is not just a kirito character who is just a fantasied projection of the audiences insecurities. And I think the author who is a women did a really good job of understanding how young males work. She seems to understand them better than I understand myself when I was that age. This is a little spoiler but it is so relatable when in the final episode Tokine gets really mad a Yoshi for doing something rash and dangerous and at least int he dub when he attempts to apologize he stutters a lot. It is hard for him to admit his mistakes and short comings something I think everyone can relate to when they realized their actions had consequences. Tokine is also a strong character Unlike other animes her depth goes far beyond existing just for romantic relation with the male character. In fact the show goes more a realistic choice because she doesnt return those feelings and her development shows exactly how it felt to be 16. She often thinks about her relationship to Yoshimori and asks herself what he really means to her she struggles with her weaknesses and thinks about improving her strengths because she becomes more aware of who she is as a person. She tries to understand herself just like everyone around that age did. What her limits are what is valuable to her etc. I think these 2 characters together sum up what it means to be a child again and thats something I can really appreciate. Even supporting characters like Gen who is introduced later in the show has major development and really adds to the depth of the show by forcing the characters to grow up and do what must be done. I think all in all if you like intense plot non stop action and complex power and political systems this isnt the show for you. Kekkaishi is definitely more laid back and thats not a bad thing. The laid back nature allows for us to really understand the characters and sometimes its nice to watch something that doesnt demand emotional attention to understand the plot. Is it a bad show absolutely not. If you know what you like and this doesnt sound like it then you should probably move on. But is lighter stuff suits your fancy then you will definitely find something to enjoy about this show. It has a lot to offer and if you are thinking about watching it whats the worst that happens you waste maybe 2040 minutes and thats about it.