The Vermillion Mask Episode 1 Review: Boilerplate Seinen Battle Fantasy

Anime Feminist has published a review of the first episode of The Vermillion Mask, describing the series as a decent but fairly standard seinen battle fantasy. The story follows Peru, an apprentice mask maker who survived a catastrophic accident that killed his master and fellow apprentices. Driven by revenge, Peru seeks to destroy all creations made by his former teacher, while encountering Sonarue, a girl with her own motives for acquiring these magical artifacts.

The review notes that masks in this world function as sources of magic and statecraft, granting powers such as spider abilities or sword combat skills to their wielders. However, the critic argues that the narrative relies heavily on tropes, including an angsty protagonist with a tragic backstory revealed through rapid exposition and lore-dumping dialogue. While the art and animation are considered merely decent, the action sequences are criticized for relying on still shots rather than dynamic movement.

Ultimately, the reviewer found the premiere confusingly boring, leaving them more interested in playing The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask than continuing with the anime.