Drama Digest
Chaos ensues when an unnamed sword wakes up and realizes that he has been reincarnated as a human in his new life form. He is gifted with the powers of telekinesis, which allows him to move across the world and learn new skills and abilities. One day while battling a bunch of monsters in the forest he comes across a young girl fleeing from the monsters, and he protects her. She introduces herself as Fran and names him “Shishou.” The two begin to go on adventures together, but unfortunately, Fran hides a secret. She is part of the Black Cat Tribe, a group with a bad reputation. Since no member has transformed into a beast, she plans to be the first to achieve it. With Shishou by her side, they form a partnership like no other. One filled with strength and power. Will Fran achieve her goals? How will Shishou help her? Watch the anime and find out. A long adventure of friendship, energy, and fun awaits you with Tensei Shitara Ken Deshita.
The Feel-Good Part
The anime has an interesting concept. The idea of being reincarnated has often been seen in anime but rarely as an inanimate object. They use the idea of a lifeless protagonist to significant effect and provide us with a great concept. The chemistry between Fran and Shishou works well and translates into great exchanges between the two. It has excellent lessons about perseverance and strength and how the most unlikely of duos can do the most incredible things. Fran, as a character, is someone you root for, and someone you want to see has an incredible journey to achieve her goals. It also has a fun soundtrack that is reminiscent of action-fantasy anime classics.
The Disappointing Factor
The genre gets repetitive at times, and this anime is an example of that. While it interestingly uses incarnation, it feels a bit derivative of other adventure fantasy anime about reincarnation, such as The Time I Got Reincarnated as Slime and more. The animation is subpar at best. It does feel spectacular and does not give much for the viewers to be in awe with. It looks pretty standard and unoriginal. While it has some great fight sequences throughout the show, it needs more refinement and grit. The story loses itself in a lengthy exposition that leads nowhere and often feels unnecessary.
In-Depth Analysis
While it has a great concept, it falters regarding originality and how much it explores its concept. The idea of being incarnated as a sword is fun, but when it comes to execution, it still manages to fall into the predictable realm of the idea. There is so much that the anime could have done but didn’t. It does feel cheesy, but for an adventure fantasy anime, it seems standard which again points out the obvious problem with the anime: It could be so much better if it did something unique.
Star Power
C2C released the show. It is known for its fantasy and harem styles of anime, but where it gets its name from is its ability to make some of the best adventure anime on the market. Some of their famous works include Shuumatsu Nani Shitemasu ka? Isogashii Desu ka? Sukutte Moratte Ii Desu ka?, Oneechan ga Kita: Hajimete no…Kitaa!, and Tsuki ga Michibiku Isekai Douchuu. Ai Kakuma plays Fran, and Shinichiro Miki plays Shishou, our two leads. Ai can give Fran that innocence that genuinely adds to her character while delivering some stellar voice-acting work. Shinichiro, on the other hand, can truly deliver a fantastic performance even though his character is an inanimate object. Since his character does not have traditional hero characteristics, the focus is drawn more to the voice acting, which he pulls off to significant effect. Ai Kakuma has starred in other anime such as Kono Subarashii Sekai ni Shukufuku wo!, Kokoro ga Sakebitagatterunda, and God Eater. Shinichiro Miki starred in anime such as Isekai Quartet 2, Bakumatsu: Crisis, and The Reflection. We also have a strong supporting cast with voice actors such as Rumi Ookubo, Shinpachi Tsuji, Souma Shiomi, and many more. Each character adds to the wonder of the show and truly makes it a fun viewing experience.
Overall Opinion
If you can look past the standard and formulaic nature of the anime, you can come to enjoy what it has to offer. It is a fun look at reincarnation and the power of friendship.
