This Week in Anime
Isekai Fans Are Eating Good This Season
by Christopher Farris & Steve Jones,
Chris and Steve do the seasonal isekai anime gauntlet and find that summer's is looking exceptionally good in another world.
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by the participants in this chatlog are not the views of Anime News Network.
Spoiler Warning for discussion of the series ahead.
Failure Frame, A Journey Through Another World: Raising Kids While Adventuring, No Longer Allowed In Another World, Dahlia in Bloom: Crafting a Fresh Start With Magical Tools, and Quality Assurance in Another World are currently streaming on Crunchyroll, while Plus-Sized Elf is available on HIDIVE. Suicide Squad ISEKAI is available on Hulu and Max.
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Steve
Chris, it's that time of the season again. The time we always look forward to. We must never forget the hallowed privilege of treasuring and accepting yet another wondrous bounty of isekai anime adaptations into our welcoming bosoms. I can't wait. Just give me a moment to settle in and get cozy.
Chris, it's that time of the season again. The time we always look forward to. We must never forget the hallowed privilege of treasuring and accepting yet another wondrous bounty of isekai anime adaptations into our welcoming bosoms. I can't wait. Just give me a moment to settle in and get cozy.
Chris
Try as we might to outrun him, Truck-kun comes for all of us eventually.
It's only fair. It feels like I've managed some isekai tax avoision over the past few seasons, so it was inevitable my turn would come back around. Plus, you and I kinda already started indulging in the tradition when we covered Suicide Squad ISEKAI the other week.
So hey, at least we've got a head start.
Try as we might to outrun him, Truck-kun comes for all of us eventually.
It's only fair. It feels like I've managed some isekai tax avoision over the past few seasons, so it was inevitable my turn would come back around. Plus, you and I kinda already started indulging in the tradition when we covered Suicide Squad ISEKAI the other week.
So hey, at least we've got a head start.
True! My exposure to the rest of the new isekai docket hasn't affected my original assessment of that one. Suicide Squad ISEKAI is still pretty good!
If anything, that show's refreshing success with its formula only hurts my opinion of this season's mediocre genre entries more. It turns out you can just plunk characters into a stock fantasy realm and make it work so long as you do it with enough gusto! If Suicide Squad ISEKAI can manage that, what excuse do other shows have for being so sauceless?
I mean, I think you've hit the nail on the head there: Suicide Squad ISEKAI has characters—honest-to-god characters with personalities, backstories, motivations, and strong designs. Granted, you might consider it cheating that they can pull from the (partially) iconic cast of DC villains, but I'd much rather isekai the series, using their "cheat skills" in that department than in the show proper.
Now, other members of the Isekai Class of Summer 2024 do have some personalities in their casts. But at least a couple fall into that trap of dishwater-dull leads. Case in point: the dude from Failure Frame, and no, making your protagonist a nothingburger of a person on purpose as part of the motivating plot doesn't work when it means I just disregard this guy as much as his comically jerkish classmates do.
Failure Frame is unequivocally my bottom-of-the-barrel reject from this lineup. It checks all the most noxious boxes: bland protagonist, thoroughly unlikeable cast, misanthropic point of view, unfunny, shallow, edgy, bad to look at, and so on. Just toe-to-tip unpleasant. It's the kind of show that reminds you precisely how bad an interminable isekai adaptation can be.
This is a show pointedly built on the opposite of goodwill, but I was still surprised at how quickly Failure Frame threw away what little it had built up anyway. There's like half a second there where it seems to be effectively laying out something about the more malicious intent of the goddess and the hero-summoning racket she's got going. But then the premiere shows its hand, and you realize everything about the setup is to try to get us to feel bad for the embodiment of beige that is the protagonist and the rest of the cast he/the writer is projecting his insecurities on.
Dudes will literally write full stories like this instead of going to therapy.
Dudes will literally write full stories like this instead of going to therapy.
It's extra uncomfortable because the premiere also opens with a flashback to the protagonist getting beaten by his father. One might be tempted to call that a bold, provocative choice, but the rest of the episode does nothing with that information. It's just more fodder to justify our hero's unilateral resentment. Utterly tasteless.
I'm sure there will be opportunities for more nuanced discussions of toeing the taste line with at least one other show later in this discussion. But in Failure Frame's case, it never (at least in the first episode) feels like it's trying to say something about trauma coping mechanisms or the cycle of abuse. It's just one more excuse for our guy to grow a personality, finally. In this case, "edgelord".
Come on, even Girls Band Cry had the stones to show the bird being flipped unobscured.
Come on, even Girls Band Cry had the stones to show the bird being flipped unobscured.
The only part of its premiere that isn't laced with loathing is a post-credits shot of a nude elf with her disconcertingly pointy ear. So presumably, that foreshadows the show will also be horny in addition to angsty, but that's too little too late in my book.
Look, I'm already pre-signed to tackle the third season of ARIFURETA when it hits next season; I don't need to make time for a series that somehow manages to feel like that show's cheap knockoff.
THAT'S the anime I was trying to think of! I knew I recognized this exact premise from another show we covered in this column, but you'll understand how these isekai tend to blend together after so many years.
Honestly, it'd be better if they were actually blending these anime together to make them. We might wind up with some wild crossover mash-ups, and it would regularly reduce the number of them by half.
"Fortunately," if Failure Frame's dull and angsty profile is too complex a cocktail for your isekai tastes, this season is also happy to supply simply dull.
A Journey Through Another World: Raising Kids While Adventuring is as bland as that title suggests, but it manages a leg up on Failure Frame thanks to it not being actively offensive to watch. Now soak in that faint praise, dude, because it's all you're getting.
I wound up timing it: less than thirty seconds in before our guy popped open a status screen and my soul ejected from my body.
Oh yeah, Failure Frame commits that cardinal sin too.
Like, I don't want to harp on the basic cliches too much because, again, Suicide Squad proves you can do those kinds of basics well if you want to. But in this case, immediately vomiting out that status screen is emblematic of Raising Kids While Adventuring's embarrassing lack of ambition.
That's what kills me about it. This show has a hook! There's a gimmick right there in the title! And yet, instead of doing anything interesting or clever with the idea of being the dad who stepped up to an adorable pair of twins in an RPG world, it's happy to play the most basic-ass elevator music covers of every surface-level isekai trope.
That's what kills me about it. This show has a hook! There's a gimmick right there in the title! And yet, instead of doing anything interesting or clever with the idea of being the dad who stepped up to an adorable pair of twins in an RPG world, it's happy to play the most basic-ass elevator music covers of every surface-level isekai trope.
And all it has are those tropes. It's an isekai whose constituent parts are exclusively those that have become a part of the genre's vocabulary. Every scene, character, joke, and development is portioned out according to a formula—like a TV dinner. And that's what continues to slowly kill me. These stories take the fantasy genre's limitless potential for adventure and excitement and throw that all away for a trip to the DMV.
Every time these shows have their characters start filling out paperwork at the adventuring guild I go "They're not seriously going to show them going through the whole process are they?" and every time I am disappointed.
Don't get me wrong: in the hands of a strong writer, the DMV can transform into a menagerie of the human condition. But the writing in this episode is more concerned about how many "y"s it can fit into a single name.
I'm pretty sure I got prescribed Sylphyryll to deal with my allergies one year.
There's honestly so little else to say about Raising Kids While Adventuring's introduction. It's Isekai Template #47A with a couple of blue-haired kids (who don't even talk until over halfway into the episode) pasted over it. The nicest thing I can say about it is that it might work if you need a sleep aid for your own kids.
Yeah, if the kids had actual personalities (y'know, like real five-year-olds), then I might have been more on board to watch them kick the crap out of 30 to 50 feral hogs. Alas.
God, I don't want to think about this show anymore for fear that I will nod off while we're trying to get this column done. I need to take a snack break to get my brain going again.
Let's take a break from isekai and look at the opposite genre. By that, of course, I mean reverse isekai. Because for some reason, we can't seem to stop all these elves from crossing dimensions and consuming all of our junk food.
2023's Otaku Elf was only slightly ahead of the curve of the current Elf Renaissance. We now find ourselves living in between Frieren and Delicious in Dungeon's Marcille. Plus-Sized Elf thus arrives perfectly positioned to ride that greasy, delicious wave.
And I can certainly give this adaptation this much: it's a far cry from what we usually cover in these seasonal isekai columns. It's half-length. It doesn't have video game menus. It does have lots of nipples. It's kind of a breath of fresh air. Or a waft of warm air from a freshly fried pile of potatoes.
Yeah, there's not a ton to cover from a critical standpoint. Plus-Sized Elf is short-form softcore porn of thicc anime elves, which I assuredly can't besmirch. I wish its visuals had a little more motion, given that gawking at these gals is basically all it has going on. Maybe I'll keep up with it intermittently to see more of the dark elf convenience store clerk.
Some people are here for this very specific content who are going to be eating well, as it were.
Some people are here for this very specific content who are going to be eating well, as it were.
I've heard good things about Synecdoche's original manga, and given the limited production values here, I'd be inclined just to recommend reading it instead. But I also think it's a net good to have a variety of shamelessly fetish-forward anime out there.
Look, if How NOT to Summon a Demon Lord taught me anything, it's that inserting obvious fetishism into an isekai setup absolutely can result in a more engaging series. It at least means the author is into their work instead of simply riffing on marketable tropes because I want these shows to feel like they were made by human beings instead of committees or AI chatbots.
With that in mind, I'm not sure what level of "fetish" things like suicidal ideation or the mythologization of Osamu Dazai count as, but by god, at least they're something.
With that in mind, I'm not sure what level of "fetish" things like suicidal ideation or the mythologization of Osamu Dazai count as, but by god, at least they're something.
It's different! A little novelty goes a long way in this space. Although coming to No Longer Allowed In Another World's ironic defense, it's also not like it's the first contemporary story to make light of Dazai's depression and eventual suicide.
Oh, for sure, it's arguably more of an issue with the broader cultural interpretation of Dazai than this anime's deployment. As I alluded to earlier, it's a more particular question of tastefulness than the blunter ones we usually ask with isekai series. And if Sayonara, Zetsubou-Sensei could go on to become a stone-cold classic, maybe I can let myself enjoy the guilty pleasure of this specific literary mash-up.
On the subject of SZS, I can't lie: the casting of Hiroshi Kamiya as Dazai factors a lot into my gently positive impression of this series. That and the fact they refer to Truck-kun by his full name.
Joking about Truck-kun has become its own regular recurrence in shows like this, but this take was one of the more clever ones.
Really, I've seen enough "ironic/irreverent" riffs on the isekai formula in all my travels through the other worlds, but some of the bits they did here properly earned some sensible chuckles out of me. Yeah, it's kinda easy mode to have the isekai goddess get as burnt out by the generic leads the same way I have, but it's a degree of self-awareness I appreciate.
Really, I've seen enough "ironic/irreverent" riffs on the isekai formula in all my travels through the other worlds, but some of the bits they did here properly earned some sensible chuckles out of me. Yeah, it's kinda easy mode to have the isekai goddess get as burnt out by the generic leads the same way I have, but it's a degree of self-awareness I appreciate.
It's self-awareness, yes, but the narrative also gives her a smidgen of interiority on top of that. Based on that factor alone, this stands taller than the median isekai that drops every season.
Also, the black comedy enhances some of the more bog-standard jokes.
Also, the black comedy enhances some of the more bog-standard jokes.
Look, after years of hearing those announcements in these shows, that would probably be my reaction too if I wound up in this situation. Other than that, this series does make me feel like someone in my line of work might be able to make it if I got isekai'd.
Not to compare silly anime reviews to the power of Dazai's catalog, but still, there's hope.
Not to compare silly anime reviews to the power of Dazai's catalog, but still, there's hope.
I'd rather not tempt Truck-kun. To Dazai, getting isekai'd is a fate worse than death, and I can't bring myself to disagree with him.
Buuuuuut, on the other hand, he changes his tune after meeting a catgirl, and I also can't say I wouldn't do the same.
Buuuuuut, on the other hand, he changes his tune after meeting a catgirl, and I also can't say I wouldn't do the same.
I do find it darkly hilarious that even the irreverent Dazai-based spoof isekai can't help but eventually hand its ostensibly weak hero an overpowered instakill ability and a gaggle of wives to haul him around.
Granted, the joke is he still wants little enough to do with all that, but it's a sign of how this show could have gone from good to great had it been utterly unoccupied with fulfilling any of the isekai prerequisites.
Granted, the joke is he still wants little enough to do with all that, but it's a sign of how this show could have gone from good to great had it been utterly unoccupied with fulfilling any of the isekai prerequisites.
Yeah, I can imagine the shine on this one might dull pretty quickly as the novelty wears off and the usual isekai shenanigans take precedence. But hey, a perfectly tolerable premiere is more than most can accomplish, so bravo for that. Even though I'm now stuck pondering how bizarre an equivalent cartoon starring Virginia Woolf or Sylvia Plath would be.
I mean, there was that claymation cartoon where Mark Twain met Satan.
Here I thought that was a documentary. And on the subject of perfectly tolerable premieres, we've got Dahlia in Bloom. Despite what the title may lead you to believe, it's less concerned with flowers and more concerned with magic hair dryers.
This one was indeed alright. Reminded me a little bit of Ascendence of a Bookworm, but with less reinventing literary societal revolution and more magical equivalents of real-world devices. You've heard of analog technology; now get ready for technological analogs!
These series are so regularly based on games that I'm a little surprised it took them this long to get to PowerWash Simulator.
These series are so regularly based on games that I'm a little surprised it took them this long to get to PowerWash Simulator.
Like a pressurized jet of water, I think Dahlia's straightforwardness is probably its strongest asset. Emotionally, it's very earnest. The magic stone thingamajigs are easy to understand. The father-daughter relationship is cute. It's the complete tonal opposite of something like Failure Frame.
The opening episode of Dahlia is a simple little prologue setting the ideas up. It barely even touches on the reincarnation aspect. I'm not going to complain about that, though I do see how Dahlia's memories of devices like hair dryers in her home world might give her a leg up in the inventing department once the plot proper gets going. Plus, I kinda dig her post-flashback look.
A little megane goes a long way.
See, other isekai anime? Actual character designs! That's another thing that can help your show instead of just giving your lead that bog-standard isekai dude look!
My main complaint about this premiere is that there's not a whole lot rumbling beneath its surface, so it's quite hard to pick up where it might go, if anywhere. But as an isolated vignette about an overworked salarywoman enjoying a second chance in a more fulfilling and creatively liberating environment, it's pretty good. And not a stat screen in sight. Just people vibing.
I understand it's also already in the throes of Production Hell, with animation hastily outsourced to several other studios, including one in North Korea(!) before the studio claimed to have redone the scenes. I didn't pick up on as many issues as other viewers did, but I noticed many of the faces, particularly the dad's, looking slightly off.
It's too bad because I could see this one picking up and going to some interesting places.
It's too bad because I could see this one picking up and going to some interesting places.
Unfortunately, that's the grim reality when the industry shovels out ~50 series a season. Lots of stuff looks uncanny by accident. But also the occasional series that evokes the uncanny on purpose.
Seriously, this is an S-tier dragon design. I love these nightmare frogs.
Seriously, this is an S-tier dragon design. I love these nightmare frogs.
One irregular enjoyment I have is whenever a truly bizarre creature design pops up in something and is just referred to using a stock monster name. It makes the world and its creation feel like it owns its take on these things, intentional off-puttingness and all.
I guess we could happily expect that from a series that tells us upfront that it will assure a quality experience.
I guess we could happily expect that from a series that tells us upfront that it will assure a quality experience.
Indeed. Quality Assurance in Another World handily outclasses its competition with a great-looking premiere, evocative worldbuilding, intriguing premise, and efficient storytelling. There's no muda here (that's a little joke for everyone who works in quality out there).
Hey, this one also follows Dahlia's example with an actual, cool-looking character design for its protagonist, with red hair and megane, even!
It's also another one of those that I'm shocked I haven't seen done before. So many isekai predicate their heroes' overpoweredness on min/max-ing game-breaking character builds. Our hero, Haga, instead defeats dragons through the time-honored art of bug exploitation.
It's also another one of those that I'm shocked I haven't seen done before. So many isekai predicate their heroes' overpoweredness on min/max-ing game-breaking character builds. Our hero, Haga, instead defeats dragons through the time-honored art of bug exploitation.
I got the whole village roasting my ass for walking through a fog gate in the Elden Ring DLC for the 200th time trying to cheese the enemy AI just right.
I guess the "twist" to this episode is that Haga is a QA in a VRMMO, not a hermit knight in a fantasy realm. But I think the title kind of gives that away. Not that it dampened my enjoyment!
I guess the "twist" to this episode is that Haga is a QA in a VRMMO, not a hermit knight in a fantasy realm. But I think the title kind of gives that away. Not that it dampened my enjoyment!
It's just one more point for the argument that it's not the predictability of most isekai that puts them in the pablum pit but their middling execution. Quality Assurance's opener delivers a tight little elevator pitch for its take on the genre that also had me feeling feelings for the NPCs in a game's doomed opening village!
Or maybe this is just how emotionally draining being a video game tester really is; I wouldn't know.
Or maybe this is just how emotionally draining being a video game tester really is; I wouldn't know.
I wouldn't either, but given everything else I've heard about working in video games, I believe that tracks. And I like how that angle even ties into the SAO-like premise of Haga and his fellow QAs being trapped in the game. The premiere leaves it an open question whether this is a glitch or a purposeful act of employee exploitation by the developers. Other isekai, take note: open questions are a good thing to have after your first episode. That's the kind of thing that makes me want to keep watching
It's compelling! There have been plenty of trapped-in-VRMMO isekai that engaged with the idea of bugs, but this show's unique take gives it so much to work with out of the gate. I enjoy how it feels like it was made by people who like video games and want to engage with them in the more granular ways inherent to the art form instead of just showing off a cool skill-class combo they thought of.
Now this is gaming.
I'd say Quality Assurance is handily the best isekai this season that doesn't have Suicide Squad in the title, and who knows, it might give Harley and company a run for their stolen money as it goes on. And just having more (by my count) decent-to-good isekai this season than outright bad ones ought to cause some cautious optimism.
We've certainly had worse lineups. However, Failure Frame's utter, well, failure proves to me that the fields of isekai remain fundamentally fallow. We can still appreciate the scattered shoots that bloom each season. But I don't expect the genre to turn over a new leaf anytime soon. It's lugging far too much baggage.
Hey, there's always the next reincarnation.
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