Hello and welcome to Project Nitsuj. It’s always interesting to see what else an author has written. There’s a good chance you have an author you associate with one story they’ve written but get shocked when you see what else they’ve written. The author and artist of Death Note would go on to write Bakuman, a series that takes shots at the manga industry. Or how about Rui Tsukiyo who would write the revenge porn known as Redo of Healer but also wrote one of the best isekai stories the World’s finest assassin in another world (still waiting for that second season announcement). Let’s not forget Atsushi Ohkubo who wrote the hit manga from the 2000s known as Soul Eater and would go on to write Fire Force which makes firefighters look more badass. And then you got the writer known as Miku who gave us the trash isekai Fruit of Evolution but also gave us I Got a Cheat Skill in Another World and Became Unrivaled in the Real World, Too. Also known as Iseleve, this was Miku’s second novel that focused on isekais. The novel came out in 2017 roughly three years after Miku started the Fruit of Evolution. In the spring of 2023 an anime based off the novel made it’s debut. It was produced by Millepensee, a relatively small studio best known for lending a hand in the production of that horrible Berserk 2016 anime. Seeing as how this was Miku’s second isekai, I like to believe that they learned from their mistakes and would go on to create a good isekai story. Right? Well let’s take a look at this series. This is Iseleve.
Opening and Ending Theme
Our opening is “Gyakuten Geki” by Tsukuyomi. Not gonna lie, it’s a good song. I like the instrumental and the singer is really going all out here. This sounds like a song you would here as the opening to a Fire Emblem game.
The ending is “Hachimitsu” by Shikao Suga. Another good song that’s fitting for this anime. I especially like the first 15 seconds, it sets the tone for the song.
Episodes 1-4
The anime starts with our character Yuya voiced by the harem king himself, Yoshitsugu Matsuoka (Kirito from SAO). He’s overweight, ugly, and nobody likes him. Including his family. The only person who showed him an ounce of kindness was his grandpa who unfortunately passed away (it’s always the good ones who die young). After his death, Yuya inherited his grandpa’s house as well as some money that was left in his name. Yuya’s parents were pissed and being the good parents that they are (I say this with the sincerest form of sarcasm) attempted to get the money for themselves and failed. After their failure they kicked Yuya out of their house and he started working part-time to pay for his living expenses while attending school. One day he discovers a hidden room in his house and finds all sorts of crazy stuff (grandpa was into some weird shit). The craziest being a door that leads to another world. Yuya quickly becomes the owner of a house that originally belonged to a sage and is filled with all sorts of weapons for him to use (man, this sage was more armed than a Texan). After defeating a high leveled monster (get off my lawn!) Yuya levels up big time and allocates his points accordingly (scene here: https://youtu.be/OnFRlkWu3UE?si=SdjbqKDlHZNnJGg1). He also gets real money for the items he collects in this world which he can use in our world (if only that function was real in our world). Once Yuya returns to our world his body changes and he morphs into a Japanese hottie (who is going to make a lot of girls thirsty). During his school break, he comes and returns from the other world. Leveling up, getting money, learning more about the other world, and tending his farm (what was up with the farm stick in isekais during this time?). When the new school year begins, everyone is shocked to see the new Yuya none more than his bullies and younger siblings who want to know his secret (would you believe dieting and exercising did the trick? Scene here: https://youtu.be/tZytjc9e3gI?si=2weom37e3omMEJDg). As they question him he gets approached by a girl named Kaori voiced by Akari Kitō (Suzune from Classroom of the Elite) who he rescued from some thugs at the beginning of the episode (making her the first love interest).
So at the start of episode 2, Kaori invites Yuya to transfer over to Ousei Academy. It’s a super elite school and her dad just happens to be the chairman who would be more than happy to give him a full ride (yeah, he better). She decides to show him the school and I do like how she’s not questioning him about his physical appearance (she obviously likes him and while I’m sure she finds him physically appealing what she’s most attracted to is his personality. He saved her life while everyone ignored her so his kindness is what she finds the most appealing about him and keeps focusing on). He sticks around for a trial day (he even gets the typical protagonist seat in class. You know the one I’m talking about. All the way in the back, by the window). He befriends a guy named Ryou who introduces him to his friend Shingo. He agrees to enroll (damn right you will. I mean why would you go back to the other school? The only thing waiting for you there is a bunch of assholes who want to make your life Hell). After school he checks out the shopping district with Kaori and eats crepes with her (well that’s a date. Scene here: https://youtu.be/a-1YK1o9ijg?si=F02c_GuUcKLp_VRa). When he returns home he goes back to the other world to level up since he won’t have much time when school starts. He’s reached level 235 and decides to finally step out from the protection of his house where he saves a girl from a monster (scene here: https://youtu.be/Kom_7aG90sc?si=7bNWaAbZj8xAXz-5).
In episode 3 Yuya returns to our world after saving the girl. She was promptly rescued by some knights so she’s safe and Yuya decides to focus on his normal life. With the money he’s made he decides to expand his wardrobe (I can respect that). While at the mall he gets asked to step in and be a model for a photoshoot involving a girl named Miu. At the end of the shoot the original model, Shu, shows up hungover from a night of drinking and tries to make advances on Miu (class act this guy). Yuya saves her from the sleazeball and gets some free clothes for all his help for today (scene here: https://youtu.be/K9Fe0a-P_A8?si=jtrjL4MS_lpiXEU5). Back in the other world, that girl who Yuya saved returns to the forest with some knights to look for him. They get ambushed by monsters and Yuya once again saves her and the knights. After saving and healing them the girl approaches Yuya and asks for his hand in marriage (man he’s picking up girls in both worlds. Nice).
Episode 4 starts with Yuya inviting everyone back to his house (or cabin if you want to get technical) where they’re shocked to see he lives in the woods filled with monsters (you fail to understand. It’s not he who fears the monsters. It’s the monsters who fear him). Once at his house, the girl introduces herself as Lexia the princess of the Arsella Kingdom voiced by Kaori Maeda and once again she proposes marriage (you don’t even know him woman). Yuya says no, so she instead decides to settle for friends and let their love blossom from there. The king also wishes to express his gratitude for saving his daughter and the knights invite him to the palace. He agrees to go once Golden week starts, so Lexia and her knights take their leave for now. Back in our world, Yuya officially joins Ousei Academy and continues to make new friends such as Akira and a girl named Kaede. As the day goes on the school gets attacked by a biker gang (where the hell was security on this? You mean to tell me this elite school doesn’t have guards on standby ready to shoot any trespasser stupid enough to break in?). The gang was hired by Yuya’s siblings to get revenge on Kaori for rejecting them (what in the ever-loving God is wrong with you two!? You know she can have you arrested for this? How is this going to get you into the school?). They take Kaori hostage and Yuya springs into action (cue Doom music). He manages to rescue Kaori without having to fight everyone physically and just dodges their attacks (scene here: https://youtu.be/rnToXVC2uMI?si=ucu8n7K6u2hyfliT). Once the police arrive everyone gets arrested including the siblings. The leader tries to kill Yuya’s brother in front of everyone (he’s already going to jail might as well make it count) but Yuya steps in to save him (you’re too good for them). While he hasn’t forgiven them for everything they’ve done they’re still family and he won’t abandon them (scene here: https://youtu.be/EBrM_Qbf0jw?si=f8qJ60yrPGsHWmBU. My God, this episode is so pretentious).
Episodes 5-8
Nothing much happens in episode 5. Yuya adopts a black Fenrir pup and names it Night (scene here: https://youtu.be/8dXbV7pVxS0?si=v1AZOtIvt0NowyVE). Yuya’s popularity continues to rise now that he has a puppy (I know the feeling). Kaori also meets Miu where she’s jealous of the bond she has with Yuya (step up your game). Yuya and Night start venturing deeper into the forest which we find out was actually the forest of the demon lord which is why the place has so many strong monsters. They start coming across monsters that give Yuya a challenge and near the end of the episode find a cave with a dead body inside.
So in episode 6 we find out that the corpse is the body of the sage who was the original owner of Yuya’s cabin. Yuya finds the sage’s journal where he talks about how he was a master of everything (and then he wept. Because there were no more worlds to conquer). He became so great and powerful that he found a way to enter the realm of the gods where he was offered a position amongst their ranks but declined. He spent his life isolated as everyone was afraid of him and converses with Yuya telepathically through the journal not to end up like him. He gives Yuya his magic theories which are useless because Yuya can’t use magic. He’s from another world and lacks the mana pathways in his body which will allow him to use magic (in other words, you are manaless). Luckily, the sage gives his pathways to Yuya thus giving him the power to use magic which he quickly learns how to use. Meanwhile, we meet Lexia’s father who is not too pleased about his daughter wanting to marry Yuya (if he had a shotgun there’d be a lot of dead knights right now). Yuya returns to our world where he finds out the school is going on a camping trip. Yuya gets stuck in a group with Kaede, Akira, and another girl named Rin. The next day they all go shopping for supplies where they hit the arcade and Yuya wins them all prizes thanks to his magic abilities (scene here: https://youtu.be/qJ3mu7XKs8U?si=vA_pUSxGHGyzGiR-. I would call this unfair but it’s the crane game, these games require you to cheat in order to win). While the boys hit the café the girls do some more shopping on the upper floors when a fire breaks out. Yuya springs into action and passes through the fire with his magic (I hope to God the security cameras aren’t recording this). Yuya finds the girls unconscious and manages to get them to safety using his magic (scene here: https://youtu.be/N8j6n4XBl3c?si=T3NLtN3YVl43c-Ax, and nobody questions how they’re fine. Pretentious pandering at its best).
Nothing much happens in episode 7. While exploring the forest in the other world Yuya comes across a girl named Luna doing some training. Despite Night not liking her, Yuya and her develop a bit of a friendship with each other and she teaches him a few things. Yuya goes on his class trip where he uses her teachings to good use (scene here: https://youtu.be/2ZGKlOT7Iu8?si=2N2ZELYBbxaffw4k) and we find out that Luna is an assassin who was hired to kill Lexia.
Yuya’s camping trip continues for a majority of episode 8. Once again not much happens except more pandering Yuya as he can do everything including taking down a bear and not get treated as an outcast by his classmates (scenes here: https://youtu.be/uPKo_SiUzg8?si=CvBjs_Mjm0igbf8e and https://youtu.be/dYR56bt2RqY?si=wQOtt7okutyaRXno). At the end of the episode Lexia and her knights come to pick up Yuya where he saves her from an assassination attempt. With the help of Night, Yuya is able to track down the assassin and knock them out. The assassin is of course Luna.
Episodes 9-13
So in episode 9 Yuya takes Luna and Lexia to his house (ayo! Two girls? Yuya moves fast). Once Luna regains consciousness they question her. We hear her backstory which isn’t anything new. Grew up in the slums and had to steal to survive until she was taken in by the Dark Guild (the usual stuff). She was given the mission to assassinate Lexia, but now that she’s failed she’ll be killed by the guild or executed by the royal family (caught between a sword and an axe). Lexia refuses to see her forfeit her life and hires her as her new personal bodyguard (sure. Why not?). The two girls stay the night (scene here: https://youtu.be/-9vtMapQ9bs?si=jOTbRtA6EED3p5j7) where Lexia helps Luna realize her love for Yuya (why she would do that is beyond me. Why are you giving yourself more rivals? You’ve already got four girls in the other world that have feelings for him) and the two girls declare war on each other for Yuya’s love. The next day Yuya returns Lexia and Luna to the royal guards and they leave with Luna kissing Yuya on the cheek (advantage Luna). After Yuya relaxes by the river and tames another monster he names Akatsuki, he returns to our world just as Golden Week is ending.
Episode 10 might just be the worst episode in the anime. Not because of what’s going on, but that certainly doesn’t help the episode. It’s the camerawork, like oh my God, I have never seen such terrible camerawork in an anime than now. It’s like whoever was directing this episode was a complete amateur (or a drunk who had no idea what they were doing). There are scenes where the camera is focusing on background characters while the main characters are talking, we’re too far away, we’re too close up, the angles are terrible, or we’ll cut to something else two seconds later (it is ridiculous and frustrating). Anyway, the episode starts with Miu’s boss approaching Yuya wanting him to join the show business. Yuya says no but Miu’s boss isn’t giving up and decides to do a story covering the academy’s sports festival. In the other world, Yuya becomes the disciple of a rabbit deity who sees potential in him and teaches him how to kick good. Back in our world, the sports festival begins where Yuya withdraws from ping-pong after almost killing the other competitor (scene here: https://youtu.be/la58_0tDcBg?si=ffA9B3LCCGdJDtkM) and then gets forced to play volleyball due to one of the other players being injured. He destroys the ball and the net and court, scaring the other team and making them withdraw (logic? Logic doko?). He then helps Kaori in a tennis match after she accidentally knocked out her partner (they say it was done on accident, but I don’t think so). Yuya and Kaori win thanks to Yuya’s efforts and as they walk home together Kaori kisses him on the cheek.
In a shocking twist of turns, Kaori goes over to Yuya’s house to help him study for exams. While there, Yuya shows her the other world and tells her everything (he’s finally doing it. He’s fusing his harem together). Surprisingly, Kaori takes it well and wants to explore this world. After this, Yuya goes to the capital with Night and Akatsuki where he meets the king leading to some funny bits between the two as the king wants to kill cut him for seducing his innocent little girl (your majesty, I think we both know that’s a lie. Scene here: https://youtu.be/hapb0kBmtzc?si=jjndTu-plaSNMeD2). Assassins then appear and try to kill the king but Yuya and Luna take them out them setting the stage for the final arc this season.
So in the first half of episode 12 not much happens. Yuya registers with the adventurer’s guild with Lexia and Luna (you just had an assassination attempt made on your life. Why are you walking the streets?). In the second half, the knights have cornered the man who tried to kill Lexia and her father and ask Yuya to help them out (pride of the kingdom you guys turned out to be). We find out that the man is Reigar the treacherous prince and half-brother of Lexia. Reigar has always harbored hatred towards Lexia because she accidentally burnt his face when they were children (it was just kids being kids). They manage to capture Reigar with ease (scene here: https://youtu.be/beOpOTpS4jY?si=ke4fIlbTRu3WKrJd) and we get to meet the true mastermind behind his actions, a mysterious girl. While we don’t get to hear her name we do learn that her plan was to cause massive genocide via coup (and she would have gotten away with it too if it wasn’t for you meddling knights and your OP main character). She tries to attack Yuya but he deflects her magic and she retreats saying they’ll meet again (https://youtu.be/JftDgVrfvNU).
In the final episode, Yuya gets asked to be present during Reigar’s sentence (stop bringing him into your family matters). We see the horrendous burn marks where the anime decided to extend it to his entire body instead of just his face (is it better? Meh. Honestly, I think it would have been a better twist if his face had healed up and the burnt marks were just in his mind. Showing how messed up he was mentally. Everyone sees this handsome man but all he sees is a disfigured monster. Sort of like Two-Face from The Dark Knight Returns). Just when he’s about to be sentenced to death, Yuya steps in and heals his burns with a cure-all potion a very rare item in this world (and he’s been making them in his garden this whole time). Not wanting her brother to suffer and feeling responsible for his behavior, Lexia forgives him and forces her dad to do the same thing to spare his life. Reigar’s life is spared but he loses all of his land and hands it over to Yuya as a reward. In the second half of the episode, the mysterious girl named Yuti attacks Yuya in the forest (his own dojo). They have a battle where for the first time ever, Yuya has a challenge (and give him credit, he’s not one of these fight maniacs who needs to be in life-or-death situations to get a boner). During the fight, the rabbit deity appears to save Yuya and reveals that Yuti is the apprentice of the Divine Archer who was betrayed and killed by humans. She unleashes the dark power of Vile (don’t ask because they do a poor job explaining what it is. From what I can gather it’s just dark powers granted by a dark god cliché) and starts to gain the upper hand until Akatsuki uses some power that seals away the Vile within her. Yuya knocks her out (scene here: https://youtu.be/kqqy9RK14Ho?si=TcMWIS–AL0TURY3) and the rabbit deity leaves her to Yuya to take care of (she is too young for the harem). Kaori saw the fight and even gets saved by Yuya who thinks Kaori will now see him as monster, but nope, in her eyes he’s still the same Yuya who saved her life when they first met. As the credits roll, we see Kaori meet Lexia and Luna, and Yuya enrolls Yuti into his school to have her interact with humans and show her that we’re not all evil.
Final Thoughts
Ohhh~ this was bad. This anime started off so well but it quickly devolved into the generic and pandering story of an OP main character who can do no wrong, doesn’t have much of a personality, and gets everything he wants with no one questioning his abilities. I will give this anime two points that are worth liking. First up, Kaori. She’s actually pretty well-written. I like how despite Yuya’s new look and abilities the only thing she really cares about is his kind personality. That’s what draws her to him. That’s what she likes the most about him. It’s not his looks, physique, or otherworldly powers, it’s his kind nature to help others in need when everyone else is too afraid to do so. The second point is the animation. I will say this animation is very good. The character designs are very high quality. This is the same studio that gave us Berserk 2016 so to seem them do such a good job on this anime gives me hope that they do have good animators working there. Aside from these two points everything else in this anime is a fail.
Final Score
The final score for this anime is a 3/10. I will say this, it’s better than the Fruit of Evolution. But is that really anything to praise the anime for? It’s like comparing one week old milk to two week old milk. Doesn’t matter which one I hate the most, they’re both expired and bad for you. Thanks for reading and I’ll see you next time on Project Nitsuj.