I suppose that’s as close as we’ve had to a serious episode of Isekai Ojisan.  That’s a relative term of course – we’re not in Megalo Box or Orange territory here.  But it did kind of seriously look at the consequences of what Ojisan’s over-reliance on magic might be, not to mention the dubious ethics of going around erasing people’s memories left and right.  While his intentions have always seemed good (that’s just who he is), Uncle was clearly not a fully-formed social animal when he went isekai, and that’s often been apparent in his actions and behavior (up til now almost exclusively for comic effect).

It’s also pretty rare to see Uncle overmatched in a fight and in real trouble, as it looked like he was against those magic-nullifying birds (which looked more like pterodactyls).  He had to pull out all the stops there, and actually injured himself.  And at that he had to rely on some unexpected help from Elf (basically confirmed full stalker) and her new sabre (really more or a laser rifle than anything).  Again, that fight had a little more substantial air than we’re used to – an actual sense of consequence to it.

The point of this Icarus Elran – which Ojisan seems to have forgotten in the telling – was his getting told off (by Alicia) for erasing memories.  One instance of it was his own after seeing her naked(ish) in the bath (he sports a massive nosebleed after his memories come back).  But the real issue (apart from her shock at actually being older) was the two times he’s erased Alicia’s memories – which he felt guilty enough after hearing her talk about her own missing memories of her first nine years to admit he’d done.  She was pretty pissed, as you’d imagine (as was Elf, watching them have this naked exchange from a distance).

Then we have the elimination of emotions thing, a whole separate bad idea Ojisan seems quite addicted to.  And which Takafumi finds quire appealing, in the way of Japan’s depressed and fatalistic youth.  It seems to me that Ojisan has a lot of unfinished business on the other side, and until he finishes it he can never really grow (up) in our world.  But maybe that’s taking this series a bit too seriously, even after an episode like this one…