絶望した！原作小説を劣化するアニメに絶望した！

Well, the Denyuuden anime isn't really that bad compared to some other series, but it's definitely lacking, especially in the emotional display and transition department. But only if you read the novels before watching the anime.

There's supposedly 26 episodes for 11 volumes, but the anime didn't start on vol.6 until ep.15/16, leaving roughly 2 episodes per volume for the rest of the season. I kinda figured they'd do the whole Denyuuden, but as soon as I saw Toriazu Denyuuden stuff in there, I knew they would be rushing like mad for the second half of the season. It's already happened and quite evident, too. Which is a shame since the 2nd half is where a lot of the meat is, but that's also where they're cutting out the most to fit the schedule.

If you ignore the sucky pacing, omission of crucial (IMO) details, addition of Toriazu Denyuuden stuff to increase screen time for certain characters, the anime version is still a good watch. The character design and art is much much better than the original novel illustration, and the seiyuu cast is really really awesome.

I'll probably end up getting the novels for the story and maybe the anime for the seiyuu and art.