Benriya Saitou-san, Isekai ni Iku

This was truly an unexpected gem of the Winter season. It was a surprisingly funny, yet emotional and epic anime for sure. It takes a while to really pick up, but once it does, it never looks back. Studio C2C have been quietly doing a great job with some of their recent works, such as Majo no Tabitabi, Tensei shitara Ken Deshita, and now this anime, which showcased some very impressive and sharpened animation and fight scenes that could make some of the elite studios quiver in their boots just a little bit. I think this show nails tonal shifts very well, and it kind ... of reminds me of Golden Kamuy, where one scene they could be making the lewdest of lewd jokes, but the next scene, people are being murdered. It’s really quite something.

The story isn’t very special, as it’s about a Handyman called Saitou, reincarnated into another world where unlike in his original world, the people treat him with much more respect, and he feels more needed. He uses his handyman skills to help out his party with lock-picking, opening treasure chests, a lot of practical things.

The first few episodes are very comedy-based, with somewhat disconnected skits to introduce the characters, and while some of the jokes hit real good, it was definitely the weakest part of the series. It shifts into a more plot-based story after that, and boy, it really got good after that. It went through a full 180, but it worked out in the end with some very meaningful and emotional backstories, along with some solid character writing in the process. It doesn’t hold back in any way, whether it’s the jokes, the action, or even the gore.

The cast is quite the goofy bunch, but they’re a very solid cast of characters. Apart from Saitou, we have an old magician who forgets his spells every so often called Morlock, a healing fairy called Lafanpan, and a strong Knight in Raelza. Their interactions can be comedy gold, but can also be very emotional. They’re a very tight knit party who clearly care about each other, and form great friendships and relationships that made for great dynamics. The side characters and antagonists also were decent, as each character had a certain degree of depth, some more than others, and it’s always a breath of fresh air when the villains have a backstory of their own instead of just being evil for the sake of being evil.

The animation is good overall, but when the plot gets serious, the animation goes up to another level. Some of the fight scenes were very well animated, and got me on the edge of my seat with how epic they were. The OST also accompanies the atmospheres very nicely, although the OP and ED weren’t all that great.

Overall, this show encompasses goofy and epic all in one package, and if there was one isekai besides MagiRevo that I would recommend people to check out, it would be this one. Genuinely, one of the better shows of the season, and it came as a very pleasant surprise. Do give this one a chance.

You know what? If there is a studio that I can trust being assigned to produce quality Isekai shows in this day and age, it's C2C: the studio's name moniker of "Challenge 2 Challenge" is truly a fitting name for the studio itself, challenging itself by pumping out some great Isekai/fantasy shows of the last few years.

Seriously, fuck grinding levels. Fuck OP protagonists. And furthermore, fuck harems. Because for all intents and purposes, other than MagiRevo being the top Isekai for me this Winter 2023 season, mangaka Kazutomo Ichitomo's Benriya Saitou-san, Isekai ni Iku a.k.a. Handyman Saito in Another World, it's the slice-of-life adventure comedy ... fantasy Isekai show that I never thought I've needed until now, being to me, the best sleeper hit of the slew of many Isekai shows, and the show that's one of the most underrated ones that you should ought to pay most attention to this season.

Let's cover from the bad to the good sides of the show, and also extending to its manga counterpart. Written by Kazutomo Ichitomo, Benriya Saitou-san, Isekai ni Iku a.k.a. Handyman Saito in Another World is yet another Isekai fantasy show like the many that came before and after it, and the manga itself is presented in a 4-koma a.k.a 4-panel page (like most CGDCT works) format, essentially short stories that don't make for a cohesive story. But when you consider the world at large, it makes sense since there's a lot of POV sequences pertaining to the main squad of Handyman Saitou and his party of mercenaries. Though there is not much of a story to tell, there is a semblance of a plot that starts with the Japanese handyman Saito himself being summoned to another world, he's designed to do just one thing and one thing only: he's professionally skilled in appraising and repairing items and picking locks. That's the sole reason why the series' title is as such.

Where the show shines, it's in the characters involved in what is supposedly a normal endeavour to explore the fantasy world and form the world-building all at once. Obviously, the weakest link is Saitou himself, the young handyman from Japan, who's feeling inadequate in his job despite the skills developed, and in his dejection over getting fired by his unappreciative boss, accidentally gets himself Truck-kun-ed into the fantasy world, where he was taken in by an adventuring party. With the supposed party members' personal quirks hindering their performance, Saitō begins lending them a helping hand by carrying essentials, picking locks and giving them vital reminders, this makes him indispensable to the party he's attached to, finding a sense of purpose that's better than his old life back on Earth. Saitou's party consists of the main figher warrior Raelza, the moonlight fairy Lafanpan and the old geezer mage Morlock. For Raelza, she is the adopted daughter of Morlock, for she was found as a slave girl when he took her in. And despite her strong image, she detests long, slimy creatures, and especially has a self-consciousness, since she has a crush on Saitou, but is admittedly too shy to even confess to him. For Lafanpan, she is the fairy who has healing powers, but this all comes at the cost of charging fees in gold coins from even friends and allies. This has a reason though, because her fairy race was cursed by the Goddess of the Moon to be shrunk down to size, so the gold coins amount to sacrifices made to ensure that the promise is kept. For Morlock, he's the strongest power-fest of the party, but this comes at the cost of his STM, forgetting incantation spells, other than the usual case of elderly bad and breaking bones, and the all-too-familiar womanizer trait.

Overall, great diversity amongst the main party, which bar more often than not, bring some hilarity across the table, together with the side cast...which can feel like a lot. Take for example, Franlil and Ninia. The high-elf with the human cleric assistant, both are rather weak with underdeveloped magical abilities, but work hard to measure up to strength for the troubles that come after that. Also, I find it funny that the cleric is all in for Yuri undertones with Franlil, which again, adds diversity in the character cast. Not a single character feels wasted in this "side story" plot that when all comes together, makes for a show that celebrates the adventurer life at its most unglam, yet heartwarming to sit all the way through from start to finish.

Throughout the years, C2C is the studio that I can trust when it comes to Isekai/fantasy shows, the most noteworthy being Fall 2020's Majo no Tabitabi a.k.a Wandering Witch: The Journey of Elaina, Summer 2021's Tsukimichi: Moonlit Fantasy, and the most recent being last season's Tensei Shitara Ken Deshita a.k.a Reincarnated as a Sword. The past 2-3 years was what I feel like the studio has finally found its stride in producing some of the most memorable shows (that is all except PuraOre! Pride of Orange, that idol show was a mistake). Directed by Majo no Tabitabi's director Toshiyuki Kubooka, whom this show is his 2nd Isekai/fantasy rondo, I can feel safe knowing that this show has been done great, and the upcoming Shangri-La Frontier's anime adaptation (also by Kubooka) will be more of the same.

The OST, however, feels like a hit or miss. Teary Planet's OP "kaleidoscope" and Konoco's ED "Hidamari no Saido" are songs that I have a mixed reception about being the show's theme songs as it kinda fits and not to varying degrees of suitability. Not to say that these songs are bad, but I kinda wish that there're other songs that would fit this show better and proper.

It's the run-of-the-mill Isekai/fantasy, yet it's also Dungeons & Dragons-ish, and that to me, is a marriage made in Isekai land that I seriously didn't know I needed. The show has been a delight overall, and it's just sad that it's very underrated, even flying under the radar for most of the season. But I implore you, if there is an Isekai you NEED to watch this season, make sure it's this one, and it'll set you right in the comfort of your own couch potato with tons of laughter.

Short Review:
Objective rating: 7/10 (as of episode 3)
Personal Rating: 9/10 DnD + Isekai = Awesome
Alright sound, Decent-Great animation, unique story, interesting cast of characters, interesting narrative format

Long review:

Handyman Saitou certainly belongs to a top 15… OR even a “Top 10 Best Isekai Anime” list. If we’re basing the rankings off on production, story, and innovative qualities, then without a doubt Handyman Saitou is one of the greatest isekai’s released so far. Of course, this show is still currently airing, so take this all with a grain of salt.

If you like comedy, adventure, and a bit of romance or wholesome stuff…then you’ll surely be entertained ... by this anime. But beware, the romance or wholesome moments are genuine yet they can be a tad mature. Of course it’s a fantasy, but unlike others before it, I believe this is show is a rare example of D&D representation in anime. It isn’t completely Dungeons and Dragons, but it isn’t completely generic recycled content either. Or if it is, then it’s done splendidly well.
The biggest downside to this show for many people might be the format it presents itself. The story is decentralized, meaning that it’s broken up into pieces and is presented in a faster-than-average manner to the viewer. It strongly resembles its manga counterpart by following short scenes as one of the many segments which fill up the whole episode. Each segment lasts for about a couple minutes before switching to another scene, which could be in a different location, time, or with another cast of characters somewhere else in the world. When you don’t see our main character, Handyman Saitou, then you’ll likely be seeing the other cast. What’s great (or maybe not great) about this is that the show switches to side story with those different characters. These short stories don’t directly connect with the main story, but they aren’t completely arbitrary either. So far, in the first three episodes none of the side characters have interacted with the main cast, but once they do, I’m sure it will become a satisfying progression. Plus, the side characters are interesting on their own.

I enjoy pace of this show. It might be too fast for some people(like Lucky Star skits), which might make it hard to follow, but I still enjoy that, why? Simply because more content is shown, due to its short segments. There is extra fulfillment in this iskai that some other isekai shows lag behind in comparison. Handyman Saitou offers good story progression and wonderful world building. Also regular narratives of some other isekai can sometimes be too long, dull, or give room for boring 'empty space’. Handyman Saitou doesn’t do this, so that’s why I think this show excels at being a good isekai anime. It takes advantage of its manga-style presentation by directly touching the main point of every scene it presents, and then swiftly moves on. However, it doesn’t forget the previous information it had left behind. Whether a minute ago or a few episodes ago. Instead, as the show moves on it continues to build upon itself one way or another. Usually either for adventure, romance, or comedy or all three. When the show comes and goes, I believe it indirectly provides You with the sensations of seeing and feeling this otherworld in a way which lends itself for both the viewer's character progression and Saitou's as well. Because just like Saitou, we are also new to this otherworld.

Yet, because the story takes place about half a year after Saitou’s transmigration, he’s more or less become assimilated into to this otherworld. He is a participatory subject inside that world, just like his native teammates are. And that’s why he’s an interesting MC you should care about. Not because he’s an overpowered unrelatable cool guy with amazing magical powers (leave that to Oldman Morlock), but because he’s a foreigner, with foreign skills, and a foreign mindset. The WHY and HOW he interacts with the otherworld IS the interesting part of his adventure. And luckily, he’s a handyman. A jack of all trades, but a master of none. His skills aren’t literally overpowered, but they can become powerful because of the setting he’s in allows for him to become a valuable member for his adventuring-party. His skill? Lockpicking, and more. Just like the whole show, Saitou and his activities are fairly reasonable and realistic. Especially for an isekai.
Some other things:
-It’s not a generic isekai. But it’s a GOOD run-of-the-mill dungeon-fantasy resembling D&D sometimes
-The MC is generally not overpowered. The only overpowered thing about him is his power to conquer Raelza’s heart!
-Interesting parallels between the otherworld and modern Japanese trends, like marriage consultancies and “more women adventuring” also equals to “the dungeon-economy has become less profitable because there’s more women adventuring”

This is a poor review because I probably haven’t mentioned the things that deserved mentioning… Just watch the show! I think it's super underrated, especially since it’s a great isekai which has its own soul and style. The creators ought to be rewarded. Oh, and did I mention that its art style SLIGHTLY reminds me of Mushoku Tensei, or is that just me?

If I had to describe this anime in 1 word it would be "calm" or "chill". The world is the generic isekai one but this anime doesn't focus on that. Instead, it shows the story and micro events of various charaters in that world, giving more personality to the characters compared to other isekais.

There are no amazing fights or a grand story but fun little adventures about the normal main character (a lockpicker from our world). There also seems to be a main storyline but it's hard to tell how it will evolve for now, other than characters that we have seen so far during ... their micro adventures will probably encounter the MC.

The anime also likes to put comical aspects every so often, sometimes even absurdly. This clearly shows that the story isn't the main focus here, we are just watching to enjoy the daily life of a couple adventurers with some surprising events. This argument will become clearer on episode 2 once you see the king.

Overall pretty good if you are tired of the classic OP MC with his harem. It's a pleasant change with actual characters. Typically the kind of show you don't get hyped for, don't expect, even forget, but when you see the weekly episode in the list among the other anime you get pleasantly surprised. Just your weekly dose of chilling.
Not recommended if you want to see amazing animations with cool fights or a deep story.

Note that this review was written when only 3 episodes were out.

This is the slice of life isekai we didn't know we needed.

Unlike many other isekais, Handyman Saitou isn't about grinding levels, an OP protagonist, or a harem. Instead its about a regular handyman who get isekai'd and finds out his skills are useful as a sort of rogue in the other world (lockpicking, item repair, identification). Saitou isn't an OP protagonist, as a matter of fact he is significantly weaker than everyone else in his party. He doesn't even have a "cheat" ability to make up for it. Instead he is just a jack of all trades but a master of none and tries his ... best to be of use to his party.

The world the anime is set in seems pretty realistic and has interesting laws and societies. The only problem I have with it is why there are so many random chests everywhere (maybe they'll explain that later).

The characters are unique and each have their own interesting personalities. Though their pasts haven't been delved into to deeply yet, I hope they will do so in the future.

The best thing about this series is its mix of slice of life with just enough adventuring and combat to make it interesting. I'd like to see more shows like this in the future.

About the series itself, it is done in a bit of an scene by scene show that makes it seem more like a series of flashbacks than anything. And the focus isn't just on Saitou and his party, but on several other individuals and parties that may meet later (I assume). The only downside is that there is a bit of fan service, but it isn't over the top.

Handyman Saitou feels a lot like the author wanted to write an isekai that was different and went from there. The result is, in my opinion, something that feels unique but not special. A lot of people were able to see it as a goofy fantasy that fixed the problems they had with other isekai, and good for them, but for me it was a pretty mediocre collection of skits that eventually became an even more mediocre couple of story arcs. Sometimes the formula is what it is for a reason, and you should have a better idea of what you're doing before trying to ... deviate from it, because in trying so hard to do its own thing it forgets to do any more than the bare minimum of character development and backstory while it hammers you with Saitou talking about how nice it is to be wanted. It all feels very surface-level, which should be fine for a 4-koma gag manga, but Handyman Saitou clearly wants to be more than that, and it ends up just feeling boring and shallow. I couldn't really get invested in anyone, especially not the perverted old man who is basically the focus of both story arcs. The girls in Saitou's party are cute, yes, and it's nice to see one wear proper armor for a change, but they don't have much more going for them, as they don't actually play major roles in the story and mostly serve to make lucky pervert gags with Saitou and give him someone to romance. Overall, while it was occasionally funny or cute, to me Handyman Saitou really doesn't provide the substance it seems to think it does, and its unique presentation does it no favors.

The other reviews came out when 3 episodes were out. We're a little over halfway through the season now, and the dynamic of the show has shifted a bit, though I also suspect it may return to the previous format until the setup for the next major event. If you haven't started the show yet or looked at the other reviews, what I'm saying might not make much sense - at the point of episode three, there were a handful of loose threads only barely connecting the different character groups' plotlines by way of the labyrinth and surrounding kingdom. HOWEVER, *risk of minor spoilers* by ... episode seven we've seen one major climax where these plotlines cross and the payoff has been fantastic *end of minor spoilers*.

The pacing is fresh, the comedy is lighthearted, our protagonist is a normal guy with a few well-developed skills that he had prior to isekai, the rest of the main cast are likeable (usually, at least - Morlock has his moments), and the supporting characters are surprisingly fleshed out. There are no characters I'd say I dislike at this point, even including our first antagonistic force. We've even gotten some pretty feely feels (this is peak reviewer sophistry) that I didn't expect from the early episodes.

The music and art directions both suit the show, and the ED in particular invokes major nostalgia with the up-tempo-yet-somber piano melody that has suited the last couple of episodes phenomenally.

This is not your generic season-padding isekai series, even if the setting fits the bill. It manages to put us in a familiar environment with enough uniqueness to stand out among the more serious and conventional isekai airing this season (Tenten Kakumei, Nonbiri Nouka, Eiyuu-ou...Minarai Kishi, Saikyou Onmyouji). Depending on how the season ends, I might have to go ahead and read the manga. C2C really delivered in my opinion, but I highly recommend watching and deciding for yourself how you feel.

Mild spoilers ahead

Honestly when I watched the first 3 episode of this anime, I wasn't thrilled. The show seemed calm and chill, and that kind of genre is just not my thing. BUT I kept watching because C2C has yet to disappoint me with their stuff and so I pushed through. And boy I'm glad I did.

Handyman Saito starts as a slice of life isekai where an average replaceable guy gets isekai'd by truck-kun into a DnD type world. Saito joins a party with a gold digger fairy, amnesiac high level sorcerer grandpa and a str build girl, and it shows how slowly he ... finally finds a place in this world where he is actually needed by people and is irreplaceable for them.

If the anime had been just going for only slice of life stuff, I think tbh they could have pulled that off properly too. The jokes are actually funny and the cast is actual fun to see interacting with each other. My favourites are the hero party and the demon king-human king party. Won't spoil you their funny moments because I think you should actually see them yourselves because this is actual comedy.

Another tough to achieve thing this anime pulls off seemingly so effortlessly are the branched out stories which come together. Yes, the show is not only about Saito and his party but actually follows many different people and their stories. For example, a glass canon teen and a gay thief or a meele claw build elf along with a perverted priest. This format of the show seems like its biggest strength and its weakness. But the way it was handled, it is very enjoyable.

Each character seems to have their own stories and they are actually interesting instead of being generic pointless filler.

The animation is great, C2C as a studio is leveling up their standard's with every adaptation they're doing. Don't expect animation like on level with The Eminence In Shadow or such but it's definitely better than most recent anime nowadays imo.

And so what happened? What exactly happened that completely changed my mind which thought this was a generic isekai? Everything went off rails. One moment we were having a dick suckin skit, and now it turns out to be an important plot point. One moment our amnesiac grandpa was telling us about a dick size being used a measurement unit and now that same grandpa is one shotting someone/something and making the coolest pose ever. Basically this show just did an entire 180 and I'm all for it.

The backstories are sad af, I think they're going to explore on every weird specific characteristic the cast has, just like they did with the amnesia of grandpa Crome and gold-digging of fairy Lafanpan.


This show is a 8-9ish/10 for me if comparing to everything I've seen. But if comparing to only isekai, an easy 9 so far.

With a narrative that's as chopped up as the onion I put into my dinner last night, along with an unhealthy fascination on the male genitalia, Benriya Saitou-san, Isekai ni Iku is a very peculiar isekai... and I'm not sure in a good way.


Animation / Art / General Visuals - 7/10
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If there's one aspect of the show to praise, it's probably the visual quality. The animations are pretty good, along with a nice standard art style. The background scenery is pretty boring, but that's probably because the setting of the story didn't really offer anything more interesting to draw.

The fights along with spell effects are ... quite nice to watch in terms of art and animation, though the actual fight scene setup and coordination is pretty poor. Seems like whomever directed the show either didn't have enough detail from the source material or just had no idea what to do with the scenes.

So yeah... I'm kinda torn between wanting to praise the artists who actually did the drawing, but at the same time, I want to flame the art director or whomever was responsible for the scene setup in general, because it was lame as hell.


Sound / Music / Voice Acting - 7/10
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Fairly standard anime stuff. A few nice tracks, but nothing particularly noteworthy.


Story - 5/10
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I have watched hundreds of anime in my life and this is the first time I've seen this kind of a narrative.

Several episodes are straight up jumbled, garbled, with bits and pieces all over the place. You start with our MC already in the middle of some dungeon crawl with a party, then you flash to some unknown character in the middle of nowhere, then back to the MC's party but now they're chilling in an Inn, then you flash to another new character halfway across the world, then back to the MC and now it's in the past, back to some new characters in the future, back to past, present, MC, random, MC, random. Like HOLY SHIT, there was no narrative continuity or pacing to speak of. It's like someone took the first page from every chapter of a manga and made an anime scene of it, and just sewed them together without any care for coherency.

Now, because this is the first time I've seen this, I'm not going to be super critical because maybe some people will like this. But man, it rubbed me the wrong way.

Moving on from the narrative mess, the actual story is... terrible. It's an absolutely ridiculously cliche Isekai of Truck-Kun taking another victim. Our MC lands in a fantasy world, becomes an adventurer, finds a shy GF, makes some random friends of every fantasy race imaginable, does some random dungeon crawling, defeats some random ass villain that showed up in the last episode or something, and that's that.

The story is just so uninspiring on so many levels. It tries to throw in these mini-arcs of random characters going through some crazy ass traumatic, depressive, tragic shit, in order to give the story and characters some depth, but it feels empty. There's no soul behind it. There's not enough time for us as viewers to care, and the narrative is so all over the place it just makes it worse.

Also - there were way too many weird penis jokes for no reason. Did we really need to know that one side character has a 30cm cock, and the MC only has a 15cm one? Do we really need pan to the 25cm tall Fairy to promote our imagination of how big those dicks would be in comparison to her? Do we really need to pan to the MC's romance interest to see how much she cares about the dude's pecker size?

And don't get me started on how they had like a 4 episode arc about finding a dude's penis that was eaten by a dog...

Like... could we not? Gintama would have trouble making such a topic enjoyable to watch.


Characters - 5/10
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Okay, the score seems rough, but hear me out. The characters themselves aren't all necessarily that bad in essence. BUT HOLY HELL is the writing TERRIBLE. And not just the writing, but the pacing is so off.

Characters spout completely random exposition, or say lines that seem on a 5 minute delay, leading to some of the weirdest battle scenes ever. Characters seemingly forget their entire personalities and what they know or what they were doing, just to spout obvious commentary about the situation. It's absolutely bizarre.

It feels like the director was given an outline of a scene, aka: "The party fights this monster here. They defeat it like so, but have a hard time. So make it happen, and ummm... write some dialogue for them so we can pad the runtime of the anime a bit."

That's what it feels like. Fight scenes are so drawn out, full of so much unnecessary gibberish.

I also have a strange feeling that the show inserted a bunch of Gay romance in for no particular reason other than to showcase how liberal they are about sexuality. Like, I'm okay with any sexuality, but they literally made 2 gay characters with no other personality traits other than that they were gay. Like why? That's an insult to people of any sexuality when you make it their entire personality.

Like they literally made a girl who partied up with another girl, just so she could heal her wounds and slowly get her to like her. She had nothing else on her mind. Just: "wait until my love interest gets hurt, so that I can heal her and get me some action."

Then they had a gay dude who's only trait was to immediately develop a crush on the MC. Which was not explored whatsoever. MC's main female romance interest just blushed once for jealousy and that was it.

Like come on. Don't write blanket gay characters into the show just to give them one scene of them being horny. And then forget all about them. That's weird and lame.

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Total - 6/10

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Benriya Saitou-san, Isekai ni Iku is a pretty decent Isekai in terms of production values, however the story and characters, along with weird ass narrative, pacing, and terrible dialogue really do bring it down a fair bit.

Again, maybe it's just me. Maybe this weird, jumping all over the place narrative and a bunch of penis jokes is actually a modern revolution that's gonna take over the world of anime or something, but I didn't care for it and I'd rather never see it again.

If you are a big Fantasy Isekai fan, the show is still probably worth a watch.

Tired of overpowered MCs in isekai who can solve every issue in front of them without putting any effort in? Want a normal guy who you can relate to and that doesn’t act like an idiot? You’re in luck, Isekai Saitou is one of the most unique takes on the isekai genre and you will not regret checking this one out!

I thought I had seen it all before in anime. I never imagined the day would come when I would watch a literal handyman in another world. What’s so cool about this show is that the MC is an average guy with no special ... abilities or power ups. It’s just him and the handy tools he’s brought from Earth. He’s forced to rely on his party members for support and using his handy skills to help out. There’s no harem, no usual cliches, just a genuinely good fantasy story here. I really can’t emphasise how much I enjoyed this show’s storytelling methods. It had a really cool style of showing seemingly random characters and arcs and then tying them together later on. I appreciate the show don’t tell style of storytelling a lot so that was a big bonus for me.

In addition to the story and cool MC, the show has a great party mechanic. With Saitou being the weakest of his party, he naturally has to rely on his party members for any combat needs. This is a really useful technique that I wish more authors would use. Making your MC OP usually kills the side characters because they will never get opportunity to shine. Making the MC weak forces those other characters to get things done. Every single member of the party is equally useful which is really rare in this genre. Usually you get that token fan-service character who’s only there to look cute, but here everyone matters and without the full squad things would not work. The party members also feel like a genuine family with some really good chemistry between the main cast. The show is largely character driven and it just works with how tight knit this group is. They’re not without their flaws, they do have arguments and fallings-out, but always manage to come back together and I really felt like I was apart of that group with them. No complaints with any of the characters’ writing here.

C2C actually really impressed me with the animation quality they brought in the last couple of episodes. There was some genuinely impressive Sakuga in those fights. That wasn’t really the norm for the majority of the series. It wasn’t bad, but just pretty mediocre until that big fight at the end. Maybe they were saving the budget/resources. The art style is actually really nice, it’s a rather muted colour palette that gives off a real fantasy vibe. Character designs are decent too.

I’d say if you’re short on time and want one of the more slept on shows this season, this is definitely one of the ones to watch. It’s not your typical isekai and is really good watch with a unique MC, engaging party dynamic and a rich world. I was left wanting more and I think you will be too.

Isekai Saitou gets 9 out of 10.

“Handyman Saitou in Another World” is what happens when someone wants to make an anime in tiktok format.

It’s a “story” (and I use this word loosely) about a blue collar worker who gets summoned (by accident I may add) to a fantasy world and joins forces with 3 adventurers to survive.

Saitou - our main hero and the person who we follow the most. He’s a handyman skilled in lockpicking (and probably locksmithing), simple leather works, repairing items and appraising (somehow). He has a serious case of inferiority complex and once in a while acts like he could have a mild case of a depressive ... state. He’s a hard worker who desires to be useful to others and wants to find a place where he will be needed and appreciated. He’s also boring. Personality trait wise there is nothing in him that could make him something more than just an avatar for the viewer.

This show doesn't have an overarching plot. It’s made in short mini episodes stacking 3 to 5 in one episode. Some of them are a continuation of the previous but the pacing is destroyed. At some point there is a pretty dumb rhythm to the episode. One episode will be about a fight with a powerful enemy, only to show a retrospective in the next just to get back to the fight in the third, then again a retrospective etc. It kills all sense of tension and I can’t say that I like it. For the episode plots themselves they are… cliche AF. There is nothing in here that could be considered original or clever and it relies on his characters to pick up the slack.

Raelza - Fighter / tank of the team. She’s proud, for most of the shy, in love with Saitou and… boring. She’s a cardboard cutout of any anime girl in love and even the fact, she’s a competent fighter does nothing to make her interesting. She can be a little bit interesting when she shows some jealousy when Saitou talks with other women or other adventurers try to hog him for themselves.

Lafanpan - A moonlight fairy with a capitalistic attitude towards her skills. If she’s going to use her skills for someone, she better get paid (unless it’s a life or death situation). She does have a pretty good reason to be like that and that’s a reason that makes some sense so it makes her a little bit more interesting than Saitou and Raelza. She’s also the party’s cleric that loves to tease Raelza about her crush on Saitou.

Morlock - The only actually interesting character of the team. That’s partly because a lot of his backstory is explored during the show but also because she’s actually entertaining. He’s a powerful mage. His magic power is dwarfed only by his libido. He’s a foster father for Raelza but he treats Saito and Lafanpan as his children as well. He has a tragic past but unlike most anime this tragic past is tragic not only for what happens to him, but also that it is really believable. After seeing it You really get a feel that someone like that really could do something like that. Hell… I know a person who would almost 100% make the same mistake. He has problems with memory, both shortterm and longterm. He forgets spell incantations, names, quest goals and even his own status. The best character of the show by far.


For a show that is runs fully by his characters the characters are… boring. Except for Morlock like I stated before. The best parts of the show are related to Morlock which is a shame because I really wanted more exploration of the dynamics of all the party members.

Despite that, this show is surprisingly enjoyable. As long as You go in without any expectations, or a bottle of whiskey, You can derive enjoyment from it. The dynamic between Saito and Raelza or Saito and Morlock or Raelza and Lafanpan are really interesting despite the little time that they get.

I can’t say I don’t recommend this show, the premise is really interesting and right up my alley but the execution makes it hard for me to recommend this with a clear conscience.

Well it was fun enough. it's certainly in my journey of Isekai nonsense one of the most interesting stories from a narrative perspective. It's not *super* unique but I didn't come to this genre for a bunch of super unique and unexpected things. I came here for masturbatory wish fulfillment that wasn't so cringe I turn it off and go cry.

Let's just this this was neither which an interesting feeling. This is a vignette anime. I didn't even know this was a thing. The story is at times frustratingly opaque as it will stop randomly for an extended vignette that may or may not ... be relevant. Some of them give interesting and insightful insight into characters that Saitou meets. Some of them are extended setups for jokes you might or might not find funny.

I've only seen a few of these shows and I'm already starting to see the tropes and Saitou kinda swerve on some of the problematic ones. He doesn't get so powerful it's boring. He doesn't get into a weird harem situation. He's just a handyman and the anime does a solid job of really playing with that premise in ways that *just* kept me interested in spite of how frustrated I would get watching a random vignette when I just wanted to know what happens next.

The characters are fine. Saito is basically a bland main character with Mario Stats. Even temperament. Even skills. His entire character is just easy going. Raelza is the love interesting and it's a typical anime girl love interest. She's shy for cultural reasons. Worried her skills might make her unattractive in this case her bulky build, kinda. But at least she looks like and is an adult so yay. Lafanpan is the "other" character. A tiny fairy whose gold greedy for good reasons. She's mostly a champion of the relationships and supports people with magic the way Saito supports the team emotionally. Then we have Morlock who is our character with a mysterious past. He's basically the pervert character but he can turn it on when the fighting gets rough. So kinda Master Roshi from Dragonball. There's decent development for the main characters (most of them) and for a handful of the many sidecharacters. Does every challenge get solved easily? Maybe. But is it boring to watch them? not really. The vignettes as frustrating do keep you engaged enough. And so few of them are duds.

I recommend it as an Isekai but one series in I feel you can find better anime. It's pretty good for anime-isms though. It might make a decent on boarding show. There's only a touch of nudity and it's not too cringe. There are a few dick jokes. They're charming enough to laugh at.

My expectation was low starting the show. I was just trying a few relaxed Anime. But it was actually pretty good.
I feel like those who had too much expectation are the ones disappointed in the Anime.
You can't expect every anime to be the serious story type. Sometimes you need a refresher of some sort.
This Anime Started as a simple anime but soon as i got to know the charter's i liked it better.(Though some characters are annoying)
But the ending doesn't leve you with any empty feelings. Only for 12 episode you get alot of enjoyment.
This isn't your like great Anime. But one that's pretty good.
So ... watch it when you're bored and want something refreshing.

Every cour I try to watch an isekai and most of the time I get bored or annoyed and bail, but this isekai was different.One of the strengths of the series is that our main character Saitou not only is an average guy in our world but he came to the world as he was in our world, so we got to skip the super annoying monologues that come with isekai in which someone is reincarnated into another person who suddenly wakes up with their past life personality in charge of their body. Every episode is a series of shorts, some more interconnected than ... others. Most of the time there's a lot of comedy to them but there are some dramatic story lines as well. The characters are unique and shine immediately. Sometimes the humor falls flat, but most of the time the jokes are funny. The dramatic story lines at times seemed stronger than the funnier ones, and it was fun to feel how much I cared about each character as the series progressed.

If you're looking for a well but fast paced anime with some funny moments and drama and don't mind some sophomoric jokes, then you might just like this anime.

I'm on the fence about this one.
On one hand it has tense moments, nice character interaction, backstories and chemistry mixing up different stories into one main plot.
On the other hand every episode is chopped into short mini episodes without beginning or end (so to speak) where it sends you back and forth in time and between different characters. In the end I understood I wasn't a big fan of this approach, but it was still an interesting idea that I remember was used in the 90's crime movies.
It does humor rather well, dramatic moments are well done, but I feel like at times the pace ... is slower than I would hope for and some scenes are dragged on for my taste.

For me it really lacked something that could make it into a great show. Had all the ingredients but barely missed the spot.
I wonder if Season 2 is planned and if the studio manages to improve on this.

I'd say this is well above average in terms of quality isekai series. I generally dislike it when an isekai with a ridiculous premise, such as this one, gets serious, but somehow, I wasn't overly bothered by it here. The plot of this show is pretty much right there in the title. A handyman, named Saitou, ends up being transported to a fantasy world; he joins a party of adventurers who’re exploring a dungeon. He’s good at picking locks, disarming traps, kinda fulfills the role of a rogue in general ‘Dungeons and Dragons’ terms, but without the stealthy backstabbing. I bring up D&D because I ... could definitely see this entire series being played out on a table-top. It felt like a really whacky campaign, designed by the world’s weebiest DM. For example, one of the biggest, plot-centric turn of events involves a Roomba. So, even when the anime is at its most serious, those bits were balanced out well with laughs and general silliness. It gets precarious, but not bogged down in a dark, depressing way. I really liked the cast of characters too. Saito’s party of adventurers includes a bad-mouthed fairy, a blushing maiden of a fighter, and a lecherous old wizard who can’t remember his own spells. Definitely reminds me of a D&D group generated with quirkiness in mind. Each of them gets a great backstory, some even having entire arcs dedicated to resolving their past conflicts (I cried during the wizard’s). Outside the main party, there’s also a really diverse group of side characters who add their own unique flavor to the show, and here is where I think the series really shines because they’re all so vastly non-standard, that you’re always in for something special when someone new shows up. Even the villains are given their own time to shine. This series was a delightful little piece of isekai popcorn, and I’m glad I stuck with it, even though the start was a bit rocky.

Isekai about your average Joe (or whatever they call analog in Japan), who got isekai'd into more or less realistic rpg-like world. MC did not get any super powers and just do his thing to try to survive in new world. Surprisingly result is pretty good. Story does not always follow main protagonist and gives perspective of other characters rather frequently. The way it all comes together is beautiful and interesting to watch. Really nice story with happy end. Minimal fanservice, no harem, but it seems that he will get his personal life sorted out. Combat looks cool, quality overall is good.

Overall, Studio C2C graced us with a beautiful dark fantasy, about a handyman trying to find his worth in another world. The relationships between the characters really make the story fulfilling and fun to watch. The anime doesn't follow generic tropes as other isekai and the adult spontaneous comedy really make the show a thrill to enjoy.

Style- 2d, Dark fantasy, with smooth animation

Enjoyment- Loved the cute relationships between the characters, Marlock is awesome and hilarious, the adult humor and jokes were a breath of fresh air, unique relationships between characters, jokes made references and poked fun at other works and isekais.

Unique- Not ... a cookie cutter isekai(OP MC), charming story with mature cometic theme, good dark fantasy animation style, the jumpy story keeps the action going and is entertaining, the story fills you in thoroughly, hilarious journey, good character storytelling to fully understand and express them.

disappointing- The story jumps around a lot like 4 koma scenes, not too much progression in story, relationships don't progres enough, every character gets a background story so a lot of backtracking happens, Wish Saitou had more to his character and skills, he is very underwhelming, some characters were dragged out way longer than necessary along with the story.

If you're tired of the overpowered MC trope or maybe hate MC's who are weak, wimpy, and make the most irrational decisions for god knows why, Then this is the show you're looking for. The MC of this show is just a normal guy with a normal job that happens to get transported in another world and he is by no means OP, However he is without a doubt the most reliable guy you could depend upon because he is a handyman and his skills in the fantasy world is something outstanding because he could quite literally do most stuff with his skills like picking ... locks, opening treasure chests, make armor renovations, make some useful necessities, memorize the incantations of magic so that their mage can cast magic because he forgets it every time, give support in battles, etc. Bro is literally a CHAD, And one more thing he also he keeps the party in position and not fuck up so yeah. If he isn't a CHAD then I don't know what else to call him, Also it's not harem so that is like plus 100 points in my book(like really finally some Isekai with no hoe collecting like damn)

This is a Slice of Life Isekai show so there really isn't a clear endgame or goal that the story is moving up to so there isn't much that I can say about the story but let's talk about it. The show starts off really quick, MC was already transported in the fantasy world by the first scene but we do get a flashback and back story about the MC in later episodes. One of the things that this show did is that it introduced like the entire cast of the show in the first few episodes so it got me confused at first when it was just showing new characters every scene. The flow of the story is also very messy, not messy in a bad way but messy in a good way because all these random ass things are happening every time and they just go with it but it's also very funny that I don't even question it like "yeah man I got poisoned and died and some wolf ate my private part and now I'm a half undead and after getting back my magicules from the wolf I became a furry and now I'm young again" and I just sat there thinking "yeah that totally makes sense, keep going!".

The one thing that I liked most about this show is that the characters, Because this show is heavily character driven all the characters in this show are just the most normal, logical, and lovable characters you'd find in the Isekai genre. To start off we have the MC being the weakest in his party but is equally efficient as the others because without him the party struggles with their formation and they do not get the support that the MC gives them to have a better time in their labyrinth hunting, One of the things that I also like is that how the other characters can also shine and have their moment of glory because the MC isn't like other Isekai MC's where he is OP and can solve most problems and mysteries in a matter of seconds with his magic or something. Every single character in this show is as good as the MC and they all have good dynamics and chemistry towards each other including the other casts and the comedy hits you in a good way because of this as well.

C2C has earned my praise for really giving the show an impressive animation and production quality. All the fight scenes we're so good and it was god damn fire I'm telling you, Especially the last fight of this season it had some really impressive sakuga in the fights and I could ask for nothing more. The art is also pretty nice and the character designs we're decent probably more average looking but it doesn't ruin anything about the show.

Overall I enjoyed this show a lot and I highly recommend it to Isekai fans who are looking for something new and refreshing, Just remind you that there is no insane world building type of stuff in here so keep that in mind.

In the first few episodes I could see how most would discontinue watching. At first, the show does nothing particularly special and feels very slice of life-ish but once the character introductions are out of the way we are dropped into an interesting turn of events (that I will not spoil).

By far, the best part of this show is the cast. The characters are the bread and butter to this series. It delivers on the comedy but also has moments where you just sit in awe by the resolve and gall of some of these characters.

The animation is fine. Nothing to write home about but ... it works perfectly for the show. A lot of the action scenes do have a nice flow and feel to them.

All in all, this is yet another isekai but I believe as we get deeper into the plot it will become something special in the genre.