Jaku Chara Tomozaki-kun – 01

Jaku Chara Tomozaki-kun was OK for what it was I suppose, but it’s just too recycled to come off as anything really interesting.  We’ve seen this basic formula play out so many times that it’s becoming harder and harder to imagine anyone coming up with a truly innovative spin on it.  It perfectly combines the classic LN blend of loathing and worship of the socially adept, casts a total loser as the MC,  and connects all the dots its expected – nee, demanded – to connect.  It does so in a reasonably pleasing way, but that’s pretty thin gruel to subsist on.  Not for me, clearly, so no point in dallying.

Mushoku Tensei – Isekai Ittara Honki Dasu – 01

Mushoku Tensei was, by contrast, far more interesting to me.  I wasn’t anxious to watch this premiere based on what I’d heard about it (mostly the protagonist).  And superficially you can’t much more formulaic isekai than this – right down to truck-kun for crying out loud.  Yet, somehow, it managed not to come off as derivative or recycled as the vast majority of the ocean of isekai that grace (curse?) our screens every anime season.

Just why is an interesting question.  It’s not as though this series invented the isekai genre, though it did start up back in 2012 – but even if it had, that in itself wouldn’t make it feel any less generic to me.  Yet, somehow, it did – there’s an air of the template about it, whether that factually applies or not.  Part of it, I think, is that Mushoku Tensei doesn’t feel the need to try too hard, perhaps because of its age or perhaps simply because the novelist is confident by nature.  This premiere is very stripped down and basic – it’s the core elements of the premise without any puffery or padding.  And that seems to be a positive in hindsight.  Maybe Sugita Tomokazu’s voice has something to do with it too.

What I don’t know is how much the episode played down the creeper tendencies of the protagonist, who’s a flat-out pedophile in addition to being a social outcast (no conversations in 20 years says a lot).  It’s not like that’s ignored here but it isn’t an important part of the plot so far, really.  There was a sense of authenticity to his experiences (again, maybe Sugita helps) that I find lacking in almost all of these isekai shows.  Stripped down (repeating myself, but it fits), unadorned, to the point.  Who knew with isekai that could be effective?

This certainly isn’t the first isekai LN adaptation I’ve kind of liked after an episode, and they invariably lose me at some point in the first cour.  I suspect Jobless Reincarnation will too, but hey, so far at least it actually is pretty good and there’s no point in pretending otherwise.  Next week is next week, today is today…