Handyman Saitō in Another World

Episode 8

I capped off the last episode of Handyman Saitou with the natural question of "Okay, what next?" However, the answer turns out to be "What are you talking about? This story isn't finished yet!" Yes, there's a whole epilogue to get through following the resolution of the battle last week. The previous episode already told us the fate of the ninja Kisurugi and his companions, but the series apparently feels compelled to fully show to us how it all shakes out. At least the show remembers the guy in its title by the end, and we follow up on where Saitou might be headed next week when we actually start a new storyline.

I don't want to be too glib about the Kisurugi-focused parts of this episode. It is nice to see him actually survive the King's magical ritual to revitalize his witchy would-be wife. It feels in the hard-working spirit of the show, its rejection of the easier outlets of the isekai and fantasy genres. Dying for someone you love? No, that's too simple. Living through it, having to make the relationship work afterwards, that's where the true effort comes in. Even lacking half his limbs, Kisurugi still fights.

I'm just not sure that over half this episode needed to be dedicated to that sentiment, you feel me? Especially as the rest of the story is that much more rote by comparison: the fake-out sacrifice, explanations of technicalities, and the "bittersweet" reveal that the witch lost her memories of Kisurugi in the process. Technically, it's fine, and the memory loss bit does tie into that "put in the work" sentiment I liked, but the amount of time dedicated to it supposes a level of emotional investment in these characters that I can't say the show had fully earned before this.

Saitou's half of the episode feels more satisfying. Looting the isekai tunnel lends to some great gags, like magic Customs seizing all the dimensionally displaced items, or catching a glimpse of the warrior elf wearing a Ring Fit controller like some sort of big collar. That's the offbeat energy I watch Handyman Saitou for, and that's demonstrated in the serious moments too, like when Saitou is asked if he would return to his home world if he could. Modern isekai series rarely deal with that issue at all, but this series puts in thought about how the isekai summoning works in the first place.

It's more nuanced than the old-school resolution in portal fantasies, where characters inevitably head home after accumulating enough character development. Things are complicated by the fact that Morlock is not fully sure of his ability to use the reverse summoning spell, ass well as the possibility that it would leave Saitou on a collision course with Truck-kun. But that hardly seem critical compared to the other issues of attachment and fulfillment. Saitou acknowledges that he has family he might miss in his previous world, something so many other of these shows never manage a whiff of! It's true to the grounded spirit of Handyman Saitou. It's not a story of exceptional, easy-street wish fulfillment, but rather genuine fulfillment—appreciation for a job well done.

I do still feel like with some more judicious pacing, Handyman Saitou could have arrived at this conclusion in at least one less episode than it did. But there are enough decent bits throughout, with some pretty nice art and animation to complement, that I still think it's okay. But I am happy to know that we are absolutely, for sure moving onto a new storyline next week, even as I'm reasonably certain the apparent death of Morlock is another one of the show's standard fake-outs.

Rating:

Handyman Saitō in Another World is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.

Chris is a freewheeling Fresno-based freelancer with a love for anime and a shelf full of too many Transformers. He can be found spending way too much time on his Twitter, and irregularly updating his blog.

---

Disclosure: Kadokawa World Entertainment (KWE), a wholly owned subsidiary of Kadokawa Corporation, is the majority owner of Anime News Network, LLC. One or more of the companies mentioned in this article are part of the Kadokawa Group of Companies.