The Strongest Sage with the Weakest Crest

SpRayquaza11★ 5

“Well at least it's not another isekai” –stupid pea-brain anituber (and their bandwagoners) This may be rather blunt but this is just plain old power fantasy anime, where the character is just on New game +. This anime is too lazy to even be an isekai XD In every situation there is this single asspull, “I know this because of my previous life, hence trust me bro / I did this in my previous life/I know this chic from previous life / I made this shit in previous life hence it's strong” Now power fantasies can be great, many may forget due to their focus on comedy but Onepunch man is fundamentally a power fantasy and it is done fantastically well, though since some may argue its more of a satire and they would be correct if we want a better comparison we must compare it to another anime called The misfit of demon king academy which is pretty much similar plot and yet manages to be a breath of fresh air in the now almost stale power fantasy genre. Why is it so? In a power fantasy, where the outcome of the plot is rather clear i.e. MC will brute force and win anyhow, there needs to be something to look forward to since the story cant be intriguing if every outcome is already clear. It's the characters. Matty is more of kirito clone than any isekai protag before him, hell he even dresses and looks like him XD, he has an “I can do anything if the plot demands it” blessing but is still a shy little virgin who is afraid of a girls touch wow. Anos voldiGOAT on the other hand is pure badass, he knows his strength .. flaunts it, behaves, and feels like royalty has the sass and the strength to back it up. Saitama is a hero through and through even without his strength. These main characters are distinguishable EVEN WITHOUT their strength. Matty would probably be just a mob character if he was weak. The side characters in one punch man are actually what is the greatest strength of the show. The story arc and development in misfit is what makes side characters stand out . In this anime xD I legit forget the name of the main two girls half the time I SWEAR they are just THAT fucking BORING and just exist to confirm and appreciate Mattys strength. There is one good character iris who immediately became better and more memorable than the MAIN TRIO EVEN THOUGH SHE WAS INTRODUCED IN THE 4th EPISODE XD. Plot (3/10) Demons bad, humanity now weak, matty strong, the king now serves matty, matty save humanity, girls unzip pants, IRIS CUTE. Characters(4/10) Blondie, archer girl, king, headmaster are just matty worshippers and can be assumed to be the same character, Iris is nice and cute but that's it, S rank adventure is mildly interesting i guess. Art and animation (6/10) The art is bad, but the animation is surprisingly decent but nothing special as expected of JC staff mediocre is the way to go for them:3.ED has virtually no art other than a couple of nice shots of iris being cute.OP art is an underwhelming compilation of in-show footage. VA and sound (5/10) The voice actor of Iris brings out her cuteness rather well rest is well quite forgettable just like the show. Standard walking simulator ED with no good art, the song is okayish but the lack of art makes it an instant skip.OP is just more matty worshipping. A long-time power fantasy fan may like it, but I find it hard to recommend to any other person. The best I can suggest is to watch the first three episodes and then decide since what follows is more of the same.

Stark700★ 4

Have you ever played a difficult game and wish you could've defeated a boss easier? Ever wish you could've just cleared a game without dying once? Well, look no further than Gaius, aka Matthias Hildesheimer who reborn as a sage embedded with powerful magic and skills. Welcome a show about a young man who was once powerful still remains powerful. Now, I don't want to knock down expectations but just reading the synopsis invokes a dull feeling. You're likely expecting a character who's going to treat every fight like a walk in the park. And honestly, you're not wrong from the truth. You see, Mathias representsthe iconic Mary Stu type of character that you may find in some isekai. The recurring trope has been a mainstay in some isekai series in recent years after all. Mathias really is a testament of being the 'final boss' in this show itself. The English translated title sounds paradoxical in the fact that we have a character as the strongest sage but with the weakest crest. He did reincarnate into a new body for specific reasons but nonetheless, the title of the show itself sounds ironic. To further this point, Mathias doesn't have any special physical traits if we judge him on the outside. He looks like an ordinary boy with a somewhat mysterious aura behind his personality. Obviously, he has a history but the show decided that to be less relevant and focus on his present goals. And like most fantasy adventures, he gains companions. I won't say this anime is a exactly a harem but we do have one guy surrounded by three girls: Lurie, Alma, and Iris. Oh, before I forget, Iris is actually a dragon but takes on the form of a cute girl with scarlet hair and big appetite. You may wonder what their roles are in the show and believe me, it's irrelevant to explain. That's because the anime wants Matthias to be the shining superstar. Every episode follows a similar loop-formula where we get to see Matthias show off as an overpowered sage. There's not one battle where he truly struggles. As a matter of fact, you better be used to see one-sided curb stomp fights in the most straightforward way possible. There's also a lack of diversity in combat and action scenes as well. You'd think this anime would at least show the full extent of Mathias' abilities in some way but no, sorry. Like most fantasy anime with magic elements these days, we also have an academy that teaches various branches of magical arts. Take a good guess who the best student is. That's right, it's Matthias. He makes everything look easy ranging from clearing quests without breaking a sweat, defeating demons at ease, and humiliating adversaries such as Erhard like it's not even worth his time. Because of these traits, Lurie and Alma admires him and wishes to learn to be just as strong as the sage. Iris, on the other hand, joined him because of their past history together. Together, this group pretty much carries the show on their shoulders with Matthias being at the captain. Look, I'll just say this right now. If you somehow managed to make it past the three episode mark, then there's some chance you may finish the show without questioning your sanity. Do you want an anime with a deep and complex story? Is character development something that interests you? Or perhaps a meaningful relationship between the main cast? If any of those questions are in your head, then look elsewhere. This show sells itself as a depressing adaptation that will quickly wear itself out. You're not going to enjoy the anime if you grow tired of Matthias being the alpha male beating demons everyday. Sadly, that seems to be a main focus of the story as we see Matthias dominate them. It's like playing a video game on the easiest mode and realizing it was a mistake by taking away all the challenging fun aspects. I don't think there's much to address about the animation quality either as J.C. Staff seems to be working their hands on making this as credible as possible. The character designs, backgrounds, and world fiction elements adapts content straight out of the novels. The female cast are decorated with JRPG-ish looks and giving them different weapons and attributes associated with their fighting styles. In terms of choreography, only the various magic crests and techniques in the show attracts attention. I would be lying if I said I enjoyed the action scenes. Because let's face it, we know pretty much how every fight goes with Matthias being the protagonist. This anime didn't get much hype ever since it was promoted. You don't see it mentioned more than other shows this season and nor should it be. We've seen how anime like this before and to be honest, I'm very glad it's just 12 episodes. How many episodes can you really watch Matthias obliterating his opponents until he's satisfied? I know I can't for too long.