No Game No Life

Sixteen sentient races inhabit Disboard, a world overseen by Tet, the One True God. The lowest of the sixteen—Imanity—consists of humans, a race with no affinity for magic. In a place where everything is decided through simple games, humankind seems to have no way out of their predicament—but the arrival of two outsiders poses a change.

On Earth, stepsiblings Sora and Shiro are two inseparable shut-ins who dominate various online games under the username "Blank." While notorious on the internet, the pair believe that life is merely another dull game. However, after responding to a message from an unknown user, they are suddenly transported to Disboard. The mysterious sender turns out to be Tet, who informs them about the world's absolute rules. After Tet leaves, Sora and Shiro begin their search for more information and a place to stay, taking them to Elkia—Imanity's only remaining kingdom.

There, the duo encounters Stephanie Dola, an emotional girl vying for the kingdom's sovereignty. In desperation, she attempts to regain her father's throne, but her foolhardiness makes her goal unachievable. Inspired by the girl's motivation and passion, Sora and Shiro decide to aid Stephanie in getting Elkia back on its feet, ultimately aiming to become the new rulers of the enigmatic realm.

[Written by MAL Rewrite]

Sora Main

Matsuoka, Yoshitsugu Japanese

Shiro Main

Kayano, Ai Japanese

Dola, Stephanie Main

Hikasa, Youko Japanese

Jibril Supporting

Tamura, Yukari Japanese

Tet Supporting

Kugimiya, Rie Japanese

Hatsuse, Izuna Supporting

Sawashiro, Miyuki Japanese

Miko Supporting

Shindo, Naomi Japanese

Nirvalen, Fiel Supporting

Noto, Mamiko Japanese

Zell, Chlammy Supporting

Iguchi, Yuka Japanese

Former King Supporting

Fukushima, Jun Japanese

Tanaka, Shou Producer

Hayashi, Youhei Producer

Fukao, Satoshi Producer

Nakamoto, Kenji Producer

Reviews

Aug 22, 2024

Dompa112

Recommended

Rated this a 6/10 which is kinda low compared to the high 8. Its not bad. Fairly enjoyable. First episode was fun and i expected more but ultimately it fell kinda flat after that. The games themselves they partake in wasnt very exciting. Characters mostly goofballs. No story to follow. Relied mostly on fanservice. Music very bland. OP is ok nothing more. ED cant even remember. Bland.

Never ended up watching the sequel movie which says it all really. Didnt catch my attention enough. I think the premise was interesting and first episode fun. But again the games themselves wasnt. The characters neither. So it ... ended up feeling more like a mindless fanservice show than anything else. If you are into that its an ok watch i think. But if you want more out of the experience this might end up being a dissapointment.

Reviewer’s Rating: 6

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Sep 19, 2024

Kasuk

Mixed Feelings

Last couple episodes make the season seem better than it actually is. I'm reviewing based on season 1 of the anime and not what's to come/anything to do with the LN.

Characters - 5/10
Really nothing to distinguish them from any other anime characters for their individual tropes. The mains are pretty boring as well. They are super intelligent, but most of their exploits and achievements come across as pseudo-intelligence. Tbf as an average person it'll be hard to write super genius theories otherwise you yourself would be a genius, but even having empathy for the author, their deductions seem very lazy.

It's always them coming to ... a conclusion because they had a very simple piece of the puzzle the viewer didn't have before. In your city, it may be common knowledge that a train station is a block away from your current position, but if you were a tourist, you'd have no idea it was there. The main characters deductions tend to come from simple things like this in many situations (not all). To paraphrase Hanekawa Tsubasa - I only know what I know.


Art - 3/10
YES YES, I know this one will be very controversial as it seems most people LOVE the art and it gets 10s from a lot of reviews, but this may have to be chalked up to everyone's personal taste. The colorful palette itself isn't bad, but the way they were executed is odd. Many 'lighting' scenes when you have ambient lighting shining through a window or a hall etc using a very harsh screen gradient to emphasize it. But not only is this gradient harsh, but there is a ton of contrast added, and way too much light and color bleeding. Not to mention contrasting color temperatures in a few panels. I'm also not a fan of the red lineart if it's going to be that thick

It's all very distracting, thus the low score. But as mentioned, this is purely subjective to the individual viewer. I suspect the style is going to be something you either absolutely love, or you hate. I am the latter.


Music - 5/10
Just very bland and boring. Even the particular soundtrack that plays during the 'big reveals' really could have been better (although, again, loved by the community)


Plot - Difficult to give one rating
Overall - 4/10
Considering it's a first season and what happens in the last couple of episodes, to start moving the gears of the world? 7-8/10

Plot moves a little slow but by the end you're starting to grasp how wide reaching this anime will actually be. So it's good as a starting season and I'd probably give an 7 or 8 due to the ending, but if isolating as a season as though no season 2 will ever see the light of day? Probably a 4


Conclusion - Tentative recommend if a 2nd season ever comes out. As a standalone, you won't miss anything.

Reviewer’s Rating: 6

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Sep 24, 2024

CaptainSalty

Not Recommended

It's premise was alright but the humor revolved a lot around all sorts of sexual imagery and different fan service tropes and they weren't funny at all. I could fill out an entire bingo sheet with the fan service tropes and kinks. This is also the pinnacle of writing where they "outsmart" their opponents. Some tactics are clever, but rarely is it charming and on multiple occasions leaves you asking if that even would work. Another way they try to create stakes is by adding more cards onto the table for the characters to outthink. However, not for a second do you doubt that the ... OP main characters ever have a single problem. From the get-go you know exactly how the entire story is going to pan out, "We never lose" so they don't ever lose. It's a power fantasy that's riddled with kissing siblings, full naked bodies, too many bath scenes, leashes, and so much more that makes it more of an endurance test than anything. Do I appreciate this show anymore after the movie? No, not really. The only plus it had was an interesting enough world, which is where the movie soared. It's way too degenerate and a "clever" power fantasy that is pulled back from its fan service tropes, sadly this is not for me.

Reviewer’s Rating: 2

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