When my younger-self watched Blue Exorcist seven years ago, I didn’t think much of it then. It was good enough for me to finish, but not quite memorable enough to recall the plot. Rewatching it now, I am liking it much more. It has subtle nuances that I think I may have missed the first time around, or maybe my maturity had changed.

The animation is superb. The colors are vibrant but tend to be deeper and darker. Almost every scene has great detail and is beautifully drawn.

The two opening themes this season are “Core Pride” by Uverworld and “In My World” by ROOKiEZ is PUNK’D. The standout first opening theme “Core Pride” is really catchy and totally match the anime vibe. The opening shows both it’s playful and somber side very well. The two ending themes are “Take Off” by 2PM and “Wired Life” by Meisa Kuroki. I like the second ending “Wired Life” with its rhythmic vibe.

Unfortunately, the first season includes many filler episodes. They are episode 6, 11, 16-25. Episode 6 isn’t so bad but episode 11 really pulled me out of the series. It was boring, cliche, and should definitely be skipped.

Episodes 16-25 deviated from the manga and in season two, they were ignored. It was quite noticeable in episode 16 and up that the writing is no longer consistent. A simple misunderstanding could be easily cleared up with a few sentences but each character just escalates things in order to fit the narrative. It was quite infuriating to watch.

I highly recommend Blue Exorcist, minus the filler episodes. So I would say watch 1-5, 7-10, 12-15, then to season two if you want to follow the manga storyline. This anime contains graphic violence and mild suggestive theme/language. Intended for young adults.