March 2023 Issue

“Prepare for the worst, but hope for the best”, Ultra Pro Max Level

TL;DR:

Overall, “Shinchou Yuusha: Kono Yuusha ga Ore Tueee Kuse ni Shinchou Sugiru”, damn that's long (also that's what …), is a fun and entertaining anime that is worth watching. The combination of comedy, action, and great animation truly make it an enjoyable experience from start to finish. So, if you're looking for a lighthearted anime that will make you laugh and keep you entertained, be sure to give this one a watch! Or, don't watch it. It's not like I want you to watch it! B-Baka! ૮₍ ˃ ⤙ ˂ ₎ა .

Full Review:

Have you ever thought, “What if I get mugged on the way to class?” or “What if a level 80 boss appears as soon as you start the game at level 1?”. Do you pack dozens of things, thinking up scenarios where they may be useful, before going on a trip and end up with 2 suitcases for a small trip? That’s exactly what the MC of this anime, which has a really long name but can be referred to with “Cautious Hero” or “TUEEE” (pronounced Tsu-ē, meaning OP - overpowered), thinks, or overthinks, before making any decision.

Cautious Hero is an anime that follows the journey of Seiya Ryuuguuin, the overly cautious and overthinking, but strangely super calm, hero who is summoned to a generic fantasy world to save it from destruction, yada yada, you know the works. However, unlike other isekai heroes who are gifted a goddess, or are traumatised and perverted, or have the ability to start over on dying, this hero is, well …, as the name suggests, just extremely cautious and that’s about it. This means that he doesn’t leave anything to chance and is prepared for the worst. He seems to have taken the proverb, “Prepare for the worst, but hope for the best?” to the ultra pro max level.

Coming to the overly endowed goddess, Ristarte, who seems like a ripoff of a certain useless goddess, is also … extremely useless and just wants the hero to do all the work for her. The banter between Seiya and Ristarte is highly entertaining, as they have completely opposite personalities and constantly clash with each other. We see a gap between the seriously animated Seiya and the comically drawn “goddess”. The faces that Ristarte makes, makes for quality meme material.

On a serious note, the animation and sound design of Cautious Hero are excellent, with smooth and detailed animation that brings the characters to life. The soundtrack is also great, with a mix of energetic and emotional tracks that complements the various scenes throughout the series. The comic elements hit home and the gags are quite enjoyable. The action scenes are well animated and fluid. The anime is filled with funny moments, thanks to Seiya’s absurd levels of caution and calmness, as he goes to great lengths to prepare for battles that he may never face.

Afterword:

Cautious Hero is an excellent anime that is well worth watching. With a great balance of comedy, action, and serious moments, along with stunning visuals and memorable characters, it is sure to entertain and leave a lasting impression on viewers as it did on me. I usually forget about most isekai anime as soon as it’s over, partly because of the huge number of isekai anime out there and rest because of skill issue, but this anime is one that I’ll probably never forget. Why not give it a try? Not that I care.

Synopsis:

One fine day when the Creator accidentally dropped holy thunder into the living realms, Mochizuka Touya happened to be right where it fell. Since it was a mistake on the Creator’s part, he offered to compensate Touya by reincarnating him in another world… you guessed it… with his smartphone (and also with abilities far above that of normal humans).

Art:

The art style is quite simple and basic. The character designs are not very detailed (except, maybe, when it comes to the female characters), but it is perfectly readable, and the art doesn’t provide a negative reading experience in any way.

Story:

The story is set up in a location quite similar to medieval Europe. It is a slightly slow-paced story, as the author introduces new characters, locations and/or combat techniques at every stage. A few of the jokes get a bit repetitive at times, but for much of the series the comedic timing in the series is on point.

Characters:

Touka, the main character, is a kind-hearted character, and is a bit of a pushover when it comes to requests made by people he doesn’t have a strong dislike for. The other characters are also quite generic ones, an outgoing girl with a shy sister, an airhead with physical strength, and “gap moe” characters, among many others. Since the story frequently introduces new characters and plot points, there is no room for character development.

Epilogue:

Overall, I’d say this is a good read if you have time to spare, and it’s very creative with some of the attack combinations. It’s safe to say that many other readers have also enjoyed this manga, since it was popular enough to get its own television series adaptation, and is even going to have a second season.

Eminence in Shadow. What is this anime? Why has it been the talk of the community in recent seasons? Should you watch it? What are its selling points? We see half a dozen isekai anime every season. So what makes it stand out so much? This review is all about what makes Eminence in Shadow one of the most exciting and popular isekai anime in recent years, and what you can expect from it.

Fall 2022 featured a few of the biggest debut series like The Chainsaw Man and Blue Lock as well as sequels like BNHA S6, Bleach TYBW, Mob Psycho III, To Your Eternity S2 and Spy x Family S2. For anime fans, this was arguably the best season in a long time, but for a not so known, not so anticipated anime series, it could only be an uphill climb. It is very likely that a show does not get the recognition and popularity it deserved because of the presence of such juggernauts. But Eminence in Shadow not only climbed the hill, it thoroughly smashed the charts, becoming the 3rd most popular debut anime, and the 7th most popular seasonal anime of the season, surpassing Bocchi The Rock and trailing marginally behind Bleach TYBW.

Isekai anime :- A character from modern Japan gets hit by truck-kun (or dies another way) and gets reborn in a fantasy world of swords and magic. Isn't this the 46th time I am hearing this setting? NO. I've heard it far more times. Is Eminence in Shadow bringing something unique with depth to the plot like Mushoku Tensei? NO. This anime is the spitting image of a seasonal generic trash isekai show which has a significantly better animation to offer. Is it something special that holds significance in the history of isekai anime, like SAO or Mushoku Tensei? This anime can't be any further away from that. But is that all? Yes, and no. Confused? Let me explain in detail.

This anime is another take on an overused concept; OP protagonist in a fantasy world who can accomplish whatever he wants with ease. This narrows down the list of similar anime to about half. The protagonist is apathetic? Nothing new there. Does the protagonist hide his strength? Again, a more than common occurrence. Does mixing all this gives us something fantastic? Well, maybe, but that alone does not do justice to the brilliance of this show (Overlord crying in the background). This anime took the fantasies of a teenage boy, mixed everything that could be compatible with it, and escalated it to unreal proportions. Cringe and cool are two faces of the same coin. When things become too edgy, they become cringe. But what happens when you keep on compounding that edginess until there can't be anymore? You get 20 episodes packed with hype, stupid dialogues that sound cooler than Plus Ultra and pure enjoyment.

Kids like action and fantasy shows like Power Rangers. They like the protagonist of the show who plays the hero and saves the day. Some kids who go against the flow might even like the villains, but our protagonist, Kageno Minoru (Cid Kagenou after getting isekai'd) idolizes the powers in the shadow. The elusive power that no one knows about, yet which holds the power and ability to control the society from behind the scenes (I am not talking about bureaucracy). Unlike the other kids who grow out of this phase, Minoru doesn't give up on his dream and trains to become the true eminence in shadow, all the while knowing that it is just not possible. What do we get when someone with such commitment to his dream is given magic? I'll leave it up to you to find out.

Kagenou can go to any verse and solo the entire verse there, even Dragon Ball, just because this guy doesn't know to lose. He thrashes beings with the capabilities to ruin nations and thinks they are 'slightly strong bandits'. When he thinks that any more fighting will end the battle, he destroys the entire region while speaking Latin and leaves. Meanwhile, his mob character persona pulls all the stops to become a background character. Getting beaten black and blue? Think more. Torture? Not there yet. Death? Now that level of mobness sounds perfect for a mob character. This guy has a shadow empire operating under him with hundreds of members that has the strength to topple a nation within a day WITHOUT A SINGLE GUY, and he thinks that they are just fooling around for his sake to make his roleplay look more real. This anime doesn't have a single plot armor, because the armor is the entire plot. Kagenou doesn't have good luck; he has so much luck that he blesses lady luck. He is never in danger; he is the danger. He sends the concept of planning and deliberation into existential crises. He is the one who knocks!

Leaving the being an eminence in the shadow part apart, this anime has one of the richest and well-choreographed fight sequences you'll see in a seasonal anime. This anime has more action than Black Clover has in an average episode, and it conveys more plot than an average isekai anime covers in a single episode. Unlike other seasonal anime that rips content from manga to fit 3 arcs in a single season, Eminence in Shadow conveys the plot in much more immersion than the manga itself, staying closer to the light novel source, while also covering 5 arcs in the span of 20 episodes. The power scaling leaves nothing to complain about, the OST is way too good for a seasonal show, and Studio Nexus again presented us with a master-class animation and sound-scene syncs after 7 whole years. Every frame of every fight sequence of every episode is made without any regard to the budget. Beating the enemy with a sneeze? Okay, we'll thoroughly draw every frame of that as well. The opening theme gives one a good taste of Japanese rock music, while also showing an entirely new concept of the characters. As for the ending theme, I am certain most of you will not skip it for any episode because... ahem... let's not go there. There are some good instances of comedy. The 2 mob buds of Kagenou have names Skel Eton and Po Tato, mobbing the mob out of the mobs. This anime is the complete package of what a 13-year-old would dream of and you’ll know it from the moment you get into this anime, yet you will not be able to stop yourself from wanting more of this crap.

This anime might very well become a thing of the past 5 years from now, but what it achieved might leave a mark in the history of isekai anime. This anime showed me that you do not necessarily need to have something exceptional or unique to stand out, but you can be exceptional in what you know to do to stand out. This anime will not enter your top 10% list, but while you watch it, it might possibly steal the top spot in the list for the duration.

Thank you for reading this article. On that note, do also watch the AMV on The Eminence in Shadow made by Mayank, a fellow member of MASK. See you guys next month, with another theme, with another review.

Score	4.5/5

Re:Zero - Beginning Life in Another World

Subaru is taken to a fantastical realm where he learns that he has the power to go back in time after passing away.

Score	4.5/5

Sword Art Online

To escape a virtual reality game where they have been imprisoned, players must conquer all 100 floors.

Score	4.5/5

That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime

Upon his death, a guy gets reincarnated as a slime in a fantastical realm and acquires a special set of skills.

Score	4/5

Overlord

A man is transported to a virtual reality game where he becomes a powerful undead ruler of a kingdom.

Score	4/5

The Rising of the Shield Hero

Four heroes are summoned to save a fantasy world, but the shield hero is betrayed and must fight alone.

Score	4/5

Log Horizon

Players of a popular MMORPG are transported to the game's world and must find a way to survive.

Score	4/5

Konosuba

"Subaru is taken to a fantastical realm where he learns that he has the power to go back in time after passing away.

Score	4/5

No Game No Life

Siblings are transported to a world where everything is decided by games, and they must become the ultimate gamers.

Score	4/5

The Saga of Tanya the Evil

A ruthless salaryman is reborn as a young girl in a world at war, and becomes a powerful soldier.

Score	4/5

That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime Season 2

The continuation of the first season, with Rimuru continuing to build his nation of monsters.

Score	3.5/5

Drifters

Historical figures are transported to a fantasy world to fight in a war between humans and other races.

Score	3.5/5

Grimgar of Fantasy and Ash

A group of strangers are transported to a fantasy world and must learn to survive and fight together.

Score	3.5/5

In Another World with My Smartphone

A man is transported to a fantasy world with his smartphone, and gains a variety of unique powers.

Score	3.5/5

The 8th Son? Are You Kidding Me?

A 25-year-old office worker is reincarnated as the eighth son of a noble family, and must navigate politics and magic.

Score	3.5/5

Knights & Magic

A mecha otaku is reincarnated in a fantasy world and uses his knowledge to build giant robots.

Score	3/5

Death March to the Parallel World Rhapsody

A programmer is transported to a fantasy world and gains the ability to level up quickly.

Score	3/5

Isekai Cheat Magician

Two high school students are transported to a fantasy world and discover they have powerful magic abilities.

Score	3/5

Arifureta

From Commonplace to World's Strongest: A high school student is transported to a fantasy world and must fight to survive and become stronger.

Score	3/5

How Not to Summon a Demon Lord

A gamer is summoned to a fantasy world and becomes the demon lord he played as in his favourite game.

Score	3/5

Wise Man's Grandchild

A salaryman is Reincarnated as a child, Shin Walford trains under Merlin and becomes a powerful wizard, using his knowledge to protect his world.