I recently picked this up after getting hooked into the pilot episode then sank into the depths to find buried treasure. The title may not be catchy to read but it definitely caught my interest among the sea of isekai shows recently released (a lot have been meh). Uncle from Another World (manga version) is worth the read while the anime has yet to live up to the fan expectations.
No spoilers will be mentioned here. Images are screenshots from the manga. I'm thinking mostly about the manga and less of the anime release while I was writing this.
Takafumi’s uncle awakens after 17-year coma after getting hit by a truck. Shibazaki, the uncle, initially converses in a foreign language not known in the modern world making Takafumi question his uncle’s sanity. Upon recalling how to speak in Japanese, Shibazaki claims to have learned how to use magic and having lived a life in another world for 17 years. Takafumi dismissed his uncle’s claim until Shibazaki starts demonstrating these magic abilities. This led to them working as a duo to create content for a popular streaming site (something like YouTube). Takafumi learns more about his uncle’s past as shown in a magical holograph that replays memories.
At the time of this writing, the show may have already aired it’s second episode but it already got me hooked during the pilot episode. So hooked that I decided to binge read the source material (manga) to watch how it all played out and it’s exactly how I didn’t not expect it to be which is great.
Uncle from Another World takes on several common tropes from the isekai genre that people are so over familiar with and breaks those common expectations and twists it in a matter that is comical, unpredictable, and keeps you invested into anticipating what comes next.
It’s the temporal aspect of the story telling that adds another layer of anticipation. As the audience, we are viewing Shibazaki’s story through the eyes of Takafumi (his nephew) as he shows his past off a magical screen. Despite how dire the situation is on screen, we as the audience already know for certainty that Shibazaki lives through the ordeal much like how Saitama from One-Punch Man quickly resolves his conflicts.
It’s letting that anticipation to see what happens next that makes this story a page turner in the manga as there will be moments where events in the real world will interrupt the recollection, purposely be skipped due to Shibazaki’s own response to his recollection, and Takafumi’s probing. While the intermissions may seem annoying at first, I find it interesting that maybe the storytelling is actually doing something right when it comes to delaying the gratification and then delivering an unexpected plot twist in the end when it resumes.
Uncle from Another World doesn’t obey the common progression of what most isekai shows follow. It did the reverse and reconstructed the storytelling connecting past and present. The usual isekai storytelling pattern is the hero entering into the new world to start an adventure and grow as a character while navigating through the new world. But Uncle from Another World is a storytelling about what happens after that adventure is over and then retelling that adventure.
Because whatever happened in Shibazaki’s past is an unknown, we as the audience could only watch events he recalls for the first time. Because not every event that has happened has been disclosed by the Uncle, Takafumi, and the audience is left to speculate and filling in the gaps building more tension in the story.
Faithful to its tag as a comedy, Uncle from Another World comes up with skits in the most unexpected situations in addition to the usual fan service (not really a lot of it) and references from the 90's generation humor (also 4th level referencing Shibazaki’s generation before the accident).
I could say that it accomplishes the goal of providing a fresh perspective in delivering comedy isekai that is something the likes of Konosuba offered. The characters and plot follow a common route where Hero gets lost in the new world and struggles to find a way back home. But there would be foes to face and friends to meet.
The difference is we know the Hero succeeds in his quest to return home. But we’re not interested in the outcome that is known, we are invested in the journey that brought about the outcome. Flashbacks are difficult to pull off in terms of storytelling because these are prone for inserting convenient excuses just to fill plot holes. But Uncle from Another World isn’t the type of story that takes itself seriously as it can occasionally insert scenario’s the break the fourth wall or introduce pop-culture reference to it’s jokes.
It makes fun of the isekai genre by turning the things we are used to seeing in the genre into jokes. Met a beautiful heroine to help you with your journey? No need to bother, you’re overpowered already. Encountered an obstacle that requires you to do specifically this to achieve this outcome as stated by the legends? No need to bother, thanks to creative solutions you learned through years of playing consoles, some problems can be overcome with sheer gamer instincts.
This is why I love the story because it doesn’t take itself seriously like every moment is do or die. The characters development takes a while to set in as the initial chapter (and most likely episodes) will be focused on the Uncle.
The waifus are lovely and not the character you would expect on a first impression. What I appreciate a lot from the source material is the range of detail Hotondo Shindeiru manages to pull off.
I’d give the animation an average rating. It isn’t that bad but it’s not as visually pleasing compared to other shows produced within the same period. It does try to remain as close to the source material when it showcases some scenes and has its moments where it does a better job representing the atmosphere in the story. This is due to how enjoy a story can be influenced by the form of media you consume.
Visually, the manga offers a lot of character details from the use of lines and panels even with restricted colors. The facial expressions stand out on the manga. But those details can be lost when converting the same scene to animation because more lines meant more work for studios animating frame by frame on a deadline.
Nevertheless, I’d still think the animation is ok as there are other aspects of the anime adaptation that lifts up the score. The opening theme is such a banger and was sung by Mayu Maeshima known previously as the vocalist for the band MYTH&ROID. She happens to sing other hit songs from popular anime like Re:Zero (Long Shot), No Man’s Dawn from Overlord IV Ending theme just to name a few.
I highly recommend following up on the story. I can see the anime rearranging some parts of the story for better flow because the source material spreads out some scenes in pieces. The manga has enough source material to cover 2 seasons and I know I just spoiled myself for what comes next in the following episodes but this made me love the story even more.
If you made it this far reading, thank you for your time.
