Rakudai Kishi no Cavalry

Chivalry of a Failed Knight is a surprisingly heartfelt and underrated action-romance anime that combines magical duels, underdog determination, and one of the most genuine romantic relationships in modern school battle anime.
What makes Chivalry of a Failed Knight stand out is its main character, Ikki Kurogane. Unlike typical overpowered protagonists, Ikki starts at the absolute bottom of his academy, labeled as the “worst” student due to his lack of magical talent. However, his strength comes from pure hard work, intelligence, and unbreakable determination. His journey is about proving that effort can rival innate talent.
Stella Vermillion, the female lead, is another major highlight. She begins as ... a proud and highly skilled genius with overwhelming magical power, but her dynamic with Ikki quickly evolves into one of mutual respect and emotional intimacy. Their relationship is not just romantic—it is built on admiration, honesty, and shared growth.
One of the strongest aspects of the anime is its romance. Unlike many battle-focused series where romance is secondary or teased endlessly, Ikki and Stella’s relationship develops quickly and openly. Their honesty with each other creates a refreshing dynamic that feels mature and sincere.
The duel system is also well-executed. Knights fight using magical abilities called “Devices,” and battles often emphasize strategy, skill, and adaptability rather than just raw power. This allows Ikki’s intelligence and combat experience to shine even against overwhelmingly stronger opponents.
Ikki’s fighting style is one of the most memorable parts of the series. His “Blade Steal” technique allows him to learn and counter enemy movements, making his battles intense and creative. Every fight feels like a test of willpower and technique rather than just magic power scaling.
The emotional core of the series is Ikki’s struggle for recognition. He is constantly underestimated by others, yet continues to push forward without giving up. This underdog narrative is one of the most satisfying aspects of the story.
Another strong point is the balance between romance and action. The anime manages to blend heartfelt emotional moments with intense tournament battles without either feeling out of place. Stella’s support for Ikki during his fights adds emotional weight to the action.
The supporting cast adds variety to the tournament arc, with different knights showcasing unique abilities and personalities. While not all characters are deeply explored, they help build a competitive and engaging academy setting.
Visually, the animation is solid, especially during duel sequences. Magical effects, sword clashes, and special techniques are clearly presented, making battles easy to follow and exciting to watch.
The soundtrack also enhances both emotional and combat scenes, helping to build tension during fights and warmth during romantic moments.
Of course, the series is somewhat traditional in its tournament-school structure, and some viewers may find the plot predictable. However, the strong character writing and emotional sincerity elevate it above many similar anime.
Overall, I gave Chivalry of a Failed Knight a 9/10 because it is a heartfelt, action-packed, and genuinely romantic anime that succeeds through its strong characters and emotional honesty. It is a story about hard work, love, and proving your worth in a world that constantly underestimates you.

This show is a mixed bag and definitely has its faults. You can continue listing out shortcomings or merits, but I think in part this is due to the show being a product of its time.

Pros:
The biggest thing that the show has going for it is its unrelenting presentation and commitment to its values. It doesn't try to pretend to be something its not. The animation and pacing is hit-or-miss but is generally better than average. Composition of scenes is also nice and dynamic camera angles are featured frequently.

The story progresses and concludes in a somewhat satisfying manner. The main relationships seem to be mostly ... closed and brought to a happy conclusion by the end of the season. The show does not leave us with any major cliffhangers, but rather just an open end which can be ignored easily.

I thought some of the characters were actually interesting, at least in their concept, like Alice. Many of the characters are just boilerplate faces to slot into their trope, like the little sister or busty hotheaded redhead. But some of them are genuinely endearing despite this, especially as their character develops.

Mehs:
The biggest thing I see people talking about in forums is how jarring the second episode is. There is a moment which if you are not used to the strange tastes of the Japanese otaku culture, will turn a lot of viewers off. I originally gave up the show at the end of the second episode, unable to reconcile continuing with it due to the strange dynamic introduced, but it ultimately mellows out into a generic comedy bit and becomes less concerning with time.

Cons:
For the majority of the show, the plot is just the filler between the fights, and only serves to let us see things from different characters perspectives in a somewhat flat feeling manner. There are exceptions, such as the cabin and the prosecution which diverge from this and provide interesting breaks in the storyline, but for the most part we just follow people training and fighting.

The story also ends on a pretty big open note. The tournament is just a selection for another tournament, and we only see the first tournament in this season. There is no second season, and considering it has been over nine years since his show aired, it is unlikely that we will ever get a second season, let alone one with nearly as good standards. This forces those who are actually invested in characters to pursue the LN for more.

The characters are trope-riddled messes with almost no actual character to make them stand out from their counterparts in other similar shows. In my best estimate, the main appeal for those who would be interested in continuing to the LN would be almost exclusively due to the main relationship. It feels sort of flat and weak because of that.

I don't really feel comfortable recommending this show to anyone who is not looking for some cheap ecchi action anime. If that's what you're looking for and you are fine with some degenerate presentation, then this show is probably right up your alley. Not quite highschool DxD... but it really tries, especially early on. Beware, and if the second episode scares you, then just know that's about as strange as it gets. There is a genuinely good subversion towards the end of the season and I enjoyed the last few episodes in particular. But as a whole package, it seems to be lacking anything that would justify actually watching.

This show was genuinely infuriating to watch, throughout the whole show i would say there was about 15 minutes of romance between the mc and love interest. 90% of the show was the mc doing a bunch of stupid shit with other girls. The romance of this show is a 1/10, the ecchi of this show is a 2/10. The fighting in this show is okay, there is one or two cool fights i’d give the fighting a 5/10. Let’s be real, who watches an ecchi for the fighting? Anyways if you’re looking for an ecchi / romance don’t watch this it’s a real stinker.