It’s time for another episode of “Anime Wheel of Fortune”, so let’s spin the wheel and see what theme of show we’ll be getting. Round and round it goes, as you spin me right ‘round, baby, right ‘round, like a record, baby, right ‘round, ‘round, ‘round. And it stops on……isekai! Is that wheel broken? This is like the fourth isekai we have looked at. Well, actually, it’s a lot more, but who’s counting? And we will be looking at another ungodly long-titled show, “My Isekai Life”, short for “My Isekai Life: I Gained a Second Character Class and Became the Strongest Sage in the World!” (“Tensei Kenja no Isekai Raifu ~Daini no Shokugyō o Ete, Sekai Saikyō ni Narimashita”).
And now, time for a commercial break. Have you thought about extending your car’s warranty? Care for a time share? Perhaps a job at an Amazon sweatshop warehouse.
Seriously, I can’t swing a broadsword about without smacking into another one of these shows. Hasn’t the tank run dry yet? Well, down to brass tacks.
That guy up there, jabbing his cutlery at you, is Yuji Sano. When he was a Tokyoite, he was a corporate drudge, working all of the time, ALL of the time. What small breaks he got, he was on-line, playing video games. One evening, he sees a message on his PC, about being summoned to another world. Yeah, I get junk like that, but it’s more like a spam risk for me. He clicks on it to remove it, but instead, he has accepted the challenge and now, and now, and now, he is a Monster Tamer and tries to bring calm and peace to this new land, which has neither. With his main friends, Proudwolf (who can be a bit cowardly) and the endless slime buddies, he uses his incredible powers to be the greatest sage ever, ever, to save this world!
The big problem he faces is a cult, the Blue Moon of Salvation, who are bent on fulling the prophecy that will bring around the destruction of the world and allow them to arise as the new power broker and faith source. To this end, they use a kind of control crystal, to have a variety of monsters do their bidding. But our mage is made of sterner material. What people don’t realize is the amazing breadth and depth of his powers and abilities, so he can conjure up things on an unheard of scale. This show details all of his battles in trying to save this world.
Part of the show is undercut by the slimes. Yes, they are a very helpful and important aspect of his fighting abilities, but they come across as rather non-serious and almost whimsical in their approach to problems. Proudwolf is at least a bit more honest with his feelings, as he would rather not get involved, if he doesn’t have to. And some of what they encounter is vicious to the point that you could easily die. However, everyone has the utmost confidence in Yuji’s abilities. He doesn’t like attracting attention to himself, but it happens all the time, which is why he is always on the move. His only real friend is Father Steyl, a priest who gives him a special holy weapon, which was prophesized, so he can save this world.
It’s not a bad series, as Yuji has really attuned himself to this world and those who help him. Much is asked of him, at times, but I am impressed that he doesn’t lose the members of his staff, especially the slimes. Most people would carve up a slime like they were nothing, but these guys all hang around, even in the most arduous of battles. Yuji is very confident in his abilities and this rubs off on those around him, so THEY have confidence. This is never more put to the test with the Monster Invasion arc that concludes the series and challenges his ability to save this world.
It’s not a good series in the sense it’s another isekai, the IPA of anime. And since I was watching a show that is similar at the same time, I did have some blender issues in keeping them apart. Just remember, this one has the GROUP of annoying slimes.
As to binging, yes. This is a show that can handle it. As a paladin or a wandering mercenary, the stories are kept fresh enough, as he battles a multiplicity of villains and evil-doers. And those Blue Moon morons keep him on his toes. The ending implies a second season, but we will have to see the results of that. Hasn’t he saved the world yet?
On a scale of 1 to 10:
Artwork 8 (An interesting decision in portraying the slimes)
Plot 7 (Isekai playbook)
Pacing 8 (Strong battle sequences)
Effectiveness 7 (What does Yuji get out of this)
Conclusion 7 (It reaches a ‘coupler point’, but hasn’t ended)
Fan Service 2 (A similar show would be “Okamisan”)
Bingeability 9 (Helps with overall pacing of events)
Overall 8 (An interesting tale to relate)
And remember, it’s first run until you’ve seen it. I will lend you my power.