I May Be a Guild Receptionist

Episodes 1-2

Episodes 1 and 2 of I May Be a Guild Receptionist, But I'll Solo Any Boss to Clock Out on Time are a surprising treat that caught me completely off-guard. Also, just a heads-up - I'll be referring to this series as Guild Receptionist going forward to save me a lot of repetitious typing.

Guild Receptionist is exactly what it says on the tin. Alina hates working overtime at the guild, so she moonlights as a hero/monster slayer to clear out problems and allow herself to go home on time. I knew this was the premise - the descriptive title is pretty clear - but I was unsure how they would be executed. I came away really enjoying the entire experience not just despite my fears, but genuinely on its own strong merits.

The key ingredient is that Alina is an imminently relatable protagonist. She wants what we all want: to leave work on time and go home to veg out. Alina is me, and I am her. Of course, the comedic impact of this desire being so strong that she creates even more work for herself in becoming The Executioner is even greater because of the relatability, but it also gets at a resonant theme. Alina is overworked! She is constantly tasked with doing things beyond the expectations outlined in the job description when she was hired, and this is impacting her work-life balance. That is a deeply understandable situation to be in, even though her job involves sending swordsmen and mages to kill dragons. A lot is often made of people who lie on their applications to get employment, but we seldom talk about how often employers lie about the finer points of what a job will entail once you get hired. Alina is experiencing that firsthand, and it creates immediate investment.

It also helps that the show is well-written and funny. The jokes land, the expressions are fun and cartoony, the side characters have a lot of charm, and the world feels sturdy if not necessarily deeply realized. I'm glad it is a true secondary world and not just an isekai situation, though a lot of the details certainly mimic popular gaming tropes. The fight sequences themselves are just so-so, but they are by no means poorly implemented. Toss in the comedic will-they-won't-they tension with Jade and the other Silver Sword friends, and I think Alina might be the breakout start of the season for me.

Episode 1: Rating:

Episode 2: Rating: