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Forum - View topicREVIEW: Am I Actually the Strongest? Anime Series Review
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MrPuzzles
Posts: 152 |
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Isn't that how these things typically work? The moment there's a trend, or genre popularity in anime production, it's hammered to such an extent that you basically don't see anything else for a very, very long time. Isekai is the current thing, so naturally, 95% of all greenlit anime will be isekai. |
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Key
Moderator
 Posts: 18212 Location: Indianapolis, IN (formerly Mimiho Valley) |
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A bit surprised that any staffer actually bothered to watch this one out, but reviews of titles that don't make the cut for episode reviews are always welcome.
While I would rate this one a little higher than Chris did (I found it at least somewhat entertaining), I do find most of the stated criticisms about this title to be fair, especially about how it was only giving a half-assed effort on storytelling, characterization, and world-building fronts. It stands as one of the genre's weaker recent entries - and that's saying something, considering how low the low end has been this year for isekai. |
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KutovoiAnton
 Posts: 942 Location: Vladimir, Russia |
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I was filling the cast for it and I already barely remember anything from this show. It's not a bottom of the barrel but an empty space within it.
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Melicans
Posts: 621 Location: Canada |
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Oof, harsh review. Then again, I'm one of the few who did actually enjoy it. Well, mostly.
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beaverusiv
Posts: 12 |
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I enjoyed this, and yes I am one of those unwashed masses who will watch a show as long as it is isekai.
I like a lot of shows people don't and I think the main reason is I care more about the potential than the actual result. There were a few things here that piqued my interest like the council of undead et al behind protag's back, and the fact that he meets the actual reincarnated demon lord people believe he is. For sure, there is a tonne to not like, the major one for me being that his power is supposedly "barriers" then a couple eps later he's using it to make a simulacrum of himself. All in all, I don't regret watching this, but unlike good shows like Eminence in the Shadow it will not be rewatched |
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smurky turkey
Posts: 1986 |
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I also enjoyed it for what it is. Part of that is the zany group of characters in the show. Be it the too energetic sister or the shy golem, they sure are a unique bunch.
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maximilianjenus
Posts: 2867 |
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There is no illuminati that has to fill an isekai quota, it is just business, isekai literature has sales, someone does the math and produces an anime to increase the sales. The tenfold rule means that literally that does not sell enough is worth making an anime for ( there is also a different set of factors to consider for literature that sells too much).
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Joe Mello
 Posts: 2264 Location: Online Terminal |
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But by all means, like what you like. |
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Shay Guy
 Posts: 2131 |
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I'm not willing to assume too much rationality on the part of the executives who decide what to greenlight. Consider how Netflix has talked about how data-driven their programming is, and how much they've failed to understand the data they have. You don't need to posit any Illuminati to imagine some executive saying, "Hey, I hear isekai from this 'Shousetsuka ni Nare'* site is hot in the overseas market; find me five titles to adapt, I don't care which." (I wanted to name a specific company, but I looked at the encyclopedia page for this anime and it doesn't actually list the production committee. Guess there's just that little interest.) *Error deliberate. |
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dreamEnd
Posts: 48 |
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One of the worst manga i've ever read. I love isekai and I have low standards, but this one is just unbearable to watch thanks to the incredibly bland, lethargic protagonist. It's just so boring.
I can't believe this actually got animation. |
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Woozy
Posts: 17 |
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Completely agree with all of this, almost as if i wrote it myself. Altho I'd say I didn't mind the barrier stuff as much. I generally just had a blast with this show, it was one of the funnier shows of the season for me. |
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njprogfan
 Collector Extraordinaire Posts: 1165 Location: A River Named Toms |
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In the encyclopedia of averageness, AIAtS would head the first page alphabetically. The fact I watched this to the end thinking SOMEHOW it would improve is a failing on my part, (and it's not like I haven't watched bad anime before) but I really thought Haruto would somehow, someway turn a corner and effin' CARE! But how goes Haruto goes how I feel about this pablum: bland, bored and wishing I was doing something else...
Last edited by njprogfan on Sat Oct 14, 2023 10:25 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Cryten
 Posts: 997 |
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My take on it is that it serves as an example of why OP Protag Isekai stories need strongly motivated characters or at least some strong personality in their lead. As the conceit of over poweredness drains the series of forward momentum without the lead taking the story places. Instead it starts to feel like the world is warping around the lead in attempts to get things moving.
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Emerje
 Posts: 7344 Location: Maine |
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As an introverted isekai fan I feel like this show was made for me. I can 100% feel Haruto and his motivations (and lack thereof). I think it's a mistake to look at this show as anything but satire blending together as many anime tropes as possible while also taking as many references as it can from other anime as possible. Reincarnated demon lord vying for a normal school life, that's been done a bunch of times before, but how about blending in a secret cult like this is Eminence in Shadow and the protag straight up turning into Zero from Code Geass because he can't be bothered to come up with anything original and they're both outcast princess living secret lives so why the hell not? Then you've got Haruto's powers, so OP it has literally no rules and he can even connect to anime streaming services from our world to entertain his sister, no smart phone or online shopping cart required. Plus you have Char (and her monster Haruto fan club) the child prodigy sharing everything Haruto knows about magic with the rest of the world while also turning him into an A+ scholar without him realizing it. Char is also technically his cousin and them getting together would be A-OK in Japan and fantasyland, but the princess (and prince) crushing on him IS his actual sister. I'm disappointed we'll probably never get our Luke and Leia moment. Everything in this story is a punchline not meant to be taken seriously weather it lands or not.
There's only three things about this show that really bothered me. One is the animation, it's technically fine, but it's very washed out like someone played a trick on the animators and turned down the brightness on their monitors only for it to be overly bright for everyone else. The other thing is his adopted parents. If you find a magical baby in the woods being protected by a magical fire wolf maid and you're already aware they're the abandoned son of a former hero, the situation has peaked, you don't have any reason to be overly protective and Haruto has no reason to keep his powers secret. Third thing is the pacing, it just ends like they thought they were getting a second cour immediately after the first leaving basically every plot point in limbo. I'm surprised it didn't end with an ad for the light novel. There's a few shows I still haven't finished from this season, but Am I Actually the Strongest isn't one of them. No, in fact it was one of the shows I always looked forward to each week. |
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Cryten
Posts: 997 |
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I would have to disagree on calling it satire, as satire is different to being humorous. Satire makes the established standards the joke by sending them up and lampooning them rather then embracing them and smiling about how silly it is.
Irregular at Demon King Academy is a satire because its character nullifies the expected tropes of rivals and antagonists by rendering those themes pointless against his awesomeness. There are elements of satire via contrast in Eminence in Shadow but it also revels in the established tropes and creates meaning out of it, so even that is not a pure satire. |
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