Saikyou Onmyouji no Isekai Tenseiki

The anime version of “A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court.”

Winter 2023 marks the truly historical moment when the anime industry has finally figured out how to make generic isekai that isn’t utter trash. The secret ingredient all along was having a protagonist with some actual personality rather than a basement-dwelling incel. In just one season, we have such isekai protagonists as a professional handyman, a legendary king, or, in the case of this show, an onmyouji from a fantasy version of ancient Japan.

Now, there is a meme that Mark Twain’s “A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court” is the first-ever isekai novel. It’s nothing ... but a meme, yet that novel and this anime have fundamentally the same premise. Take a cliched fantasy setting, add a protagonist that normally belongs in a completely different kind of story, watch how he fucks shit up with his out-of-place skillset, toolset, and above all else, mindset. Seeing a 19th-century engineer wrecking medieval knights with dynamite and electricity is the same kind of fun as seeing an oriental occultist wrecking medieval-Europe-inspired-JRPG with curses, ayakashi, paper talismans, and machiavellian scheming.
Just this single change of protagonist is enough to shake up the entire dynamic of the genre. Even if all the other elements of the story remain cliched, a unique main character completely recontextualizes them. For example, the protagonist regrets his previous life and wants to have a redo. Except he wasn’t an otaku shut-in that regrets masturbating to anime figurines, he was a mastermind occultist that threw his weight around too much, made too many enemies, and ended up betrayed and murdered in a political conspiracy. His version of “redo” isn’t to have sex, it’s to take the chill pill and follow his occult pursuit without getting involved with the fates of the world. Likewise, the supporting cast is just girls that make up the MC’s harem. Except he doesn’t treat them as a harem, he treats them as acolytes, that is, half retainers, half pupils, half daughters. I’ve seen so many unthinking complaints about the protagonist being dense in regard to one girl’s crush on him. No, he isn’t dense, he is 20-30 years older than her and treats her like an adopted daughter, and, I know this might be shocking for isekai-watching weebs, but when a normal 40-year-old man hears his 15-year-old daughter describe what kind of a man she wants to marry, his first thought isn’t supposed to be, “wow, she wants to marry ME.” Such recontextualizations are more than enough to make the story feel fresh.

What really brings it all together, however, is quality writing. Other isekai shows I’ve mentioned earlier still aren’t worth watching despite interesting protagonists because their writing simply isn’t good enough. This show makes its story work by putting intelligent thought into it. The very premise of the protagonist having to TRY to be chill already implies that it’s not an attitude that comes to him naturally, deep down he believes that with great power comes great responsibility, so he can’t walk five steps without trying to bring the dead back to life or thwart demonic conspiracies - attracting unwanted attention (everyone with half a brain suspects him to be some kind of a demon) and having companions calling him out on straying from the original goal. The harem members also have actual lives, goals, and motivations not limited to wanting to be MC’s property (ironic, considering one of them is a literal slave).
The slave girl’s storyline is particularly high-brow, the protagonist pretty much spells out, “you’re not obligated to suck my dick just because I treat you with basic human decency, your life could have plenty of possibilities if you were allowed to actually go and live it” (a polar opposite of the usual isekai incel mentality regarding the whole slave girl trope); and furthermore, the arc’s antagonist is a very nuanced take on the douchebag prince archetype (Joffrey Baratheon) in that he isn’t so much evil, as terminally self-entitled to a point where he genuinely believes he’s the good guy for “rescuing” (kidnapping) the slave girl. Interesting antagonists is one of the strongest points of the series in general.

The only notable flaw of the story is being backloaded - the introductory episodes are not nearly as interesting as the second half of the show.

9/10 for a formulaic isekai that is actually watchable.

I’ll say it, this was my favourite isekai of the season. Some may call it a generic trashy power fantasy, but I thought it was great and loved the MC’s personality. The fact he’s a grown man reincarnated into a fantasy world while still retaining the full memories, maturity and even abilities from his past life was enough of a unique twist to make it a fun watch.

My biggest issue with most isekai is that the MC is reincarnated and is an idiot. Not the case here. Seika is fully aware of all of his previous experiences and is doing his best to avoid the ... fate he suffered in his past life, being betrayed because of his power. Instead, he opts to seek out other strong people and support them rather than being the focal point of this story. I like sly and conniving MCs who put themselves first rather than some bs morals. Seika will do anything to prevent going down the same path again. Including lying, manipulating and even killing people. That ruthlessness is very much refreshing to me as I hate goody goody two shoes paradigm of morality style MCs. I thought it was really cool how he befriended several characters in the story with the idea of getting them strong enough to deal with the threats in the world, rather than him. Seeing the mind games he played every episode was great.

Of course, even though you’ve got a somewhat unique MC, you still do have your usual isekai tropes, childhood friend/servant who’s in love with MC purely because he’s nice to her, magical school setting, jealous brother, rapey characters who are rapey purely to get you to dislike them, etc. At this point it is what it is, you know what you’re gonna get with an isekai setting and although things like this can get repetitive, I liked the world and mechanics enough to still have a lot of fun. I think the last 3 episodes was where stuff really started going down. The princess that was introduced was really the first person in the series who could compete with Seika mentally. Everyone else is pretty dumb in the story, so getting someone who isn’t an idiot was nice. I wish we would have got more of that. But these are overall minor complaints for me. I just like the show. It’s kind of basic, but feels different enough to hit all the right spots. Plus, I just love isekai. Sue me.

Animation is pretty mediocre here. Luckily, there’s not a lot of it to speak of. Most of the fights are just seika using his summoning abilities so it didn’t stand out too much. Art style is your usual fantasy style, nothing to write home about, but not bad. Pacing is pretty good, I haven’t had a chance to read the LN yet, but from an anime perspective nothing feels rushed or anything. I think if anything the tournament arc felt a little slow.

Saikyou Onmyouji was great for me. It didn’t reinvent the wheel, but as an isekai lover it ticked all the boxes I would look for in the genre and is a good watch.

Saikyou Onmyouji gets 9 out of 10.

This anime might looks like generic isekai show at first glance. But that's totally wrong. I've checked both Light Novel and Manga drawing and I found the way Anime describe Seika is the best. First of all Seika isn't a simp. Second, he isn't a wimp. Thrid, not a dude who will brag about his op powers like Anos. And the way he talk and speak are more like sarcasms. He is literally Ayanokoji in the another world with curse energies. Also, the studio let us watch brutal fight scenes. The animation is not too bad and this yokai isekai sub genre is refreshing for ... me. So, I totally recommend it. It worth a while of your times

Your normal isekai genre anime, you know, the usual stuff, not much to talk about, predictable plot? Sure. Overly OP MC? Yep.
At this point just talking about how average an isekai anime is is kinda... Stating the obvious? Really just waste of word really.
Just go down and read my tldr if you don't want to read what i want to say i guess

Personally I like this anime is because of what he does with his skill from his past life, from the start the show shows you how strong and dangerous he is, after he reincarnated it shows how it cope with the world and ... uses his knowledge to get by in his new world, which is really well done really, if you have basic understanding of what an "onmyoji" is it's kinda amusing (Basically think of Abe no Seimei... Or well, eastern wizard/summoner).

Art:
Your average show to promote Light Novel, not the best but not bad, the studio try to refrain from using too much CGI, which is nice, but whenever it shows up it's hit or miss really, but the monster CG is good

Music:
Not much to say for now but the Opening is banger, as expected from Angela,
the ED is sang by the 3 VA of the 3 main girl, soothing and nice,
not much opinion for the background music tbh, but the traditional poem reading music is pretty nice

Character:
MC is your average Isekai MC, but wiser, sensible and smarter plus cunning because of what happened to him in his past life, the 3 main girl is the normal isekai girl, there to push the plot forward, they're established kinda well.

VA:
They do a pretty nice job, but I was kinda expecting the MC to be voiced by a guy, but oh well, women voice younger character the best I guess, the VA does do a pretty good job despite my expectation

TLDR:
Does I recommend it? Yeah? But really, the 3 episode rule still applies, i personally watch it for fun, does it worth my full attention? Not really, but it does deserve my free time, which is what these show is about really, short term entertainment value when you have nothing to do

Sure the MC is overpowered but he’s also a sociopath with little to no empathy and I find this to be fantastic. Im tired of all the “Power of Friendship” MCs that just fix everything by just believing, refreshing to have a murderous being read someones mind as theyre eaten alive, break an arm through a glorified voodoo doll, or kill a mf with his own curse causing him to bleed from every orifice. I’m enjoying this one. Outside the action though, it can get a little bland and the art isn’t Demon Slayer level but I still had enough wtf moments to keep me ... happy. Good show

This is a standout anime that is an immersive and enjoyable viewing experience. From the very first episode, the series introduces us to an intriguing premise: a skilled exorcist, reborn in a parallel world and it takes us on an exhilarating journey filled with mystical adventures.

One of the anime's strongest aspects is its well-crafted storyline. The narrative unfolds with a perfect balance of mystery and revelation, which kept me hooked. The creative exploration of the supernatural elements adds depth to the plot, making it more than just a typical isekai adventure.

Visually, the animation of this anime is stunningly detailed, landscapes and meticulously designed characters contribute ... to the overall aesthetic appeal.

Character development is another noteworthy aspect of the anime. The protagonist's journey from a seasoned exorcist to navigating the challenges of a new world provides ample opportunities for growth and self-discovery. Supporting characters also receive attention, each contributing uniquely to the overarching narrative.

The series successfully incorporates humor into its narrative, offering well-timed comedic moments that serve as a refreshing counterbalance to the more intense and dramatic scenes.

This series stands out with its compelling story, captivating visuals, and a diverse cast of characters, making it a memorable and enjoyable experience. 10/10 from me, I would love for it to get a second season.

This show is easily one of the most underrated anime of all time. It really is damn good. I think a lot of folks write it off early because it's isekai and with a harem theme (two of my favs to be fair), but that aside- it is extremely well executed and is unique enough to be its own.

The short premise of the show is that Haryushi Kuga is the most powerful and OP mofo ever, and he is reincarnated into this world as Seika. Luckily, nearly all his abilities/magic carry through to this world too, so yeah he is an absolute badass. But he's ... also trying to not meet the same fate as his old life- so he tries to enjoy the mundane life as much as possible without showing off his powers. He does this by manipulating people and events so he doesn't stand out. Some of it is pretty clever. However, Seika being Seika- and that he's simply too kind of a person, as the story progresses it gets tougher and tougher to really hide who he is.

Speaking of the plot, it is amazing. First of all, the show does an great job at pacing. The plot unveils itself and the more you learn, the more you want to know. Seika and his friends are....special, but that's to say the last. There is a twist in the show that I absolutely love and why it got ranked so high. I love these types of unexpected events, so yeah- the plot is really good.

The star and reason the show is so good is of course Seika. He's not your generic average run of the mill isekai MC. No. This dude is his own man. He is experienced and cunning. He is powerful. Yet he is kind and generous. He wants to protect the people he cares about. The show does a great job showing Seika's inner conflict of what he should- if he should reveal his true powers to the world or not. Oh and by the way- when Seika throws it, it is absolutely badass. This dude's magical abilities are god-like, I kid you not. I really enjoy him going ham on those deserving of it. How about the rest of the cast? They're okay. Most are forgetable, but at least they develop two of his harem girls- Yifa and Amyu. I actually really like them, especially Yifa. You get to see her resolves grow.

It really is a shame this anime never got a second season. I really want to know what happens next. The story is THAT good.

So do I recomment his anime? Hell yeah. Watch it. Love it. Thank me later.

I really liked this anime for a variety of reasons. Some of them (while keeping at as short as possible, considering no one likes to read long reviews, including me) are: (I KNOW THIS LOOKS LONG, BUT IT IS IN POINT FORM)

1. It is not the generic isekai that you see all the time.
2. The protagonist actually has some personality compared to all those same old cliche isekai protagonists.
3. This anime actually has some plot, while keeping some of the isekai trademarks alive (academy, demons, adventuring, dungeons, magic, elves and dwarves, etc.)
4. The anime has good pacing, and does not always rely on "the ... power of friendship" but friendship is an important part of the show
5. The protagonist is not a complete perv, but there is still possibility of there being a harem (I have not read the manga). Right now, to me, the most promising ones are a childhood friend/servant, and the other one is a friend. Btw, this is one of the very few rare isekais where there is no flashing, but still interesting female characters who are actually useful in the story for once.
6. The protagonist is definitely overpowered, but the fights are still interesting (I do not want to put any spoilers, so can't get into the deets)
7. Demon King and Hero trope is here, in case you are someone who likes it. Just know, this isn't your typical demon king or hero saves the day kind of anime.
8. This is very similar to how many donghua animes are, which will be interesting for those who loke to watch donghua, or who wants to get into donghua but are still in the considering period of it.
9. The mc is not that perfect, everybody's favorite, every girl's love interest kind of guy, nor is he into saving everybody in his world or "their smiles." He is... well, different is all I can say without spoiling the anime.
10. MOST IMPORTANT: I have not yet seen a single plot like this in any anime yet; excluding the isekai trademarks and some of the tropes.

This anime is not a very amazing isekai anime, but this anime is very well done. In the Kagejitsu anime, we are shown the main character who wants to be the ruler behind the shadows, but his behavior does not reflect that. In the anime, the Main character is much better able to reflect this trait. Apart from that, the CGI in this anime doesn't bother me. Even the first episode intrigued me even though the CGI was obvious, it was very interesting. The story given really pays attention to how Onmyouji really is. The theme music when he casts the spell further clarifies the ... magic in the story.

Misfit of the Demo... Magic Academy, aka. Saikyou Onmyouji no Isekai Tenseiki, copies story and character arcs from a dozen different highly rated anime, and surprisingly, manages to sew them all together into a solid, coherent show that stands on its own two feet.

Despite bringing next to nothing new or unique to the table, there's a lot to love about an anime that reminds you of the best parts of good shows from the past.


Animation / Art / General Visuals - 8/10
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The show looks pretty nice. The animations are nothing to write home about, but the art is nice and clean, setting and backgrounds are ... solid, and magical effects can even be called straight up good.

Combat coordination in regards to physical combat is lackluster, but magical effects make up for it and in general are enjoyable to watch play out.


Sound / Music / Voice Acting - 7/10
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Fairly standard anime stuff. I did quite enjoy the emotional ending tracks.


Story - 8/10
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If you're looking for a unique story, you've come to the wrong place. However, don't let that get you down.

This anime features a story that's surprisingly good as a whole even if not unique, because it manages to grab all the important bits of other successful shows and mixes them together into something that ticks all the right boxes when it comes to Fantasy Isekai enjoyment.

The premise of the show might be the slightly more uncommon one among this genre, namely the Isekai aspect. Our protagonist chooses to re-incarnate himself, but ends up landing in a different world. The best parallel would be with the show Misfit of the Demon Academy, except in that show the MC landed in the same world.

That tiny curveball aside, the story features our MC growing up in the cliche noble household, learning to embrace his powers once more and adapt them to the new world, we get a low-key romance story with a childhood friend, we get sibling rivalry, we get a School arc, a School Tournament arc, we get an overarching story underneath that promises grand adventures and yeah... it's nothing you haven't seen a hundred times before. But I think it's all pretty well done, they understand the audience and gave us exactly what we wanted.

The ending of the show also throws a few interesting curveballs and makes a solid landing. You won't be blue-balled with a cliffhanger, but there's plenty of room for sequels.


Characters - 8/10
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The cast isn't large, but I find them all likeable. The MC is overpowered, confident, competent, intelligent. He knows what he wants and how to get it. Few things surprise him. It's always good to see MC's that aren't fumbling through their entire existence. And despite being overpowered, he isn't omnipotent and has to rely on all his skills to get what he wants.

The show features a small harem of secondary characters, but they're decently developed. They all have their background arcs, we learn about their personalities, a bit of their history, we see them act properly in character, and despite the obvious romance undertones, the show never pushes its welcome and keeps it reasonable. No girl is falling straight up heads over heels for the MC, which is nice to see. Despite how competent he is, I'm tired of every woman wetting their panties the moment they see a decent male. The girls are also very competent themselves which I also favour highly. Too many damsels in distress is boring.

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Total - 8/10

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Saikyou Onmyouji no Isekai Tenseiki may very well be the very definition of cliche when it comes to Fantasy Isekai, but I think there's a lot of enjoyment to be had from it. Not every show needs to try to re-invent the wheel and risk failing miserably. It's okay to copy the good stuff.

I'm not going to be angry if after eating a nice cake, someone gives me another nice cake. Like sure, maybe I'd want Ice Cream the second time around, but cake is cake.

When this anime was broadcast, I didn't expect anything good from this anime at all I thought this would be another Isekai Fantasy anime with the characters who make Harem in his new world. So I decided not to watch it.

But when it was released I tried to get rid of that thought and watched it people say it's not good to judge something just by its cover.

And what do I get? Wow... This is the anime that I like, the main character is strong but doesn't want to stand out. That's the type of character that I like, although I saw other comments that ... the MC is some crap that says he wants to live an ordinary life but shows his strength. So what's wrong? I don't think so, what's wrong with showing strength to the enemy to protect his comrades? Precisely the character that I don't like is that he has power and is able to save her but he doesn't do it it's a Naive character that I hate.

Unlike other anime where the MC thinks too much about acting or because he feels constrained by the past he gets confused and wastes a lot of time on it, here the MC acts fast no matter what happens and there isn't much debate, the important thing is he does what he should do even though it has its own risks

Additional review, after rewatching it for the 3rd time, there are some points that I find boring and uninteresting.
First the storyline is about Amyu, here they are both trapped but the problem is resolved too quickly, not only that, the MC spends a whole school year without many performances.

The second drawback is the NPCs, as we know schools are places with lots of NPCs, but most of them seem to be non-existent and only appear a few times.

Third, the past of the fake hero, this part is also quite boring, I think it's better to show the MC's past than to show an unimportant past.

Fourth, the maids recruited into the Harem, this part is probably the most annoying, so interested in the maid? To the point of trying various ways to get her? A typical prince who is too stupid, even after he knows he has been lied to, he still does other stupid things like fighting Seika who clearly has great power.

The anime tells the story of Haruyoshi Kuga, the strongest exorcist in the world who, in his quest for even more power, is killed by those who envied his strength. In his final moments, Haruyoshi casts a spell that allows him to reincarnate in another world as Seika Lamprogue, the illegitimate son of a noble family of magicians who ignore him due to his lineage and lack of magical abilities.

Despite the adversities, Seika uses his knowledge from his previous world to make valuable allies and explore the limits of his abilities. However, he must also be careful not to repeat the mistakes of the past ... that led to his death.

Regarding the characters, Seika is an interesting and well-developed protagonist, and the secondary characters also contribute a lot to the plot. Although Seika's older brother doesn't have a prominent role, he's not a completely forgotten character and has some significant interactions with his younger brother.

The art is beautiful and the powers and mechanics of the plot are fun and interesting. However, one of the weaknesses of the anime is that the fights are sometimes resolved too quickly, making some situations feel a bit rushed.

Overall, "The Reincarnation of the Strongest Exorcist in Another World" is an entertaining anime with an interesting plot, likable characters, and attractive animation. I give it a rating of 8/10.


El anime cuenta la historia de Haruyoshi Kuga, el exorcista más fuerte del mundo que, en su afán por obtener aún más poder, es asesinado por aquellos que envidiaban su fuerza. En sus últimos momentos, Haruyoshi realiza un hechizo que le permite reencarnar en otro mundo como Seika Lamprogue, el hijo ilegítimo de una familia noble de magos que lo ignora debido a su linaje y falta de habilidades mágicas.

A pesar de las adversidades, Seika utiliza su conocimiento del mundo anterior para hacerse de valiosos aliados y explorar los límites de sus habilidades. Sin embargo, también debe tener cuidado de no repetir los errores del pasado que lo llevaron a su muerte.

En cuanto a los personajes, Seika es un protagonista interesante y bien desarrollado, y los personajes secundarios también aportan mucho a la trama. Aunque el hermano mayor de Seika no tiene un papel destacado, no es un personaje completamente olvidado y tiene algunas interacciones significativas con su hermano menor.

El arte es hermoso y los poderes y mecánicas de la trama son divertidos e interesantes. Sin embargo, una de las debilidades del anime es que las peleas a veces se resuelven demasiado rápido, lo que hace que algunas situaciones se sientan un poco apresuradas.

En general, "The Reincarnation of the Strongest Exorcist in Another World" es un anime entretenido con una trama interesante, personajes agradables y una animación atractiva. Le doy una calificación de 8/10.

The main character acts his age, so far at least, which is a huge plus for me. Last I watched "Worlds Greatest Assassin Reincarnated in Another World" and by like episode 10 he was taking naked baths with some kid and making out with her..... Gross and i'm tired of these adults reincarnated not acting their age. I'm looking at you too Rudeus Greyrat. Of course this could change at the drop of a hat sadly. Anyways stories decent so far, animation is nothing to write home about, but I really like the MC's ruthlessness, magic abilities, and especially his Yokai Summoning abilities which always ... feel awesome. I actually read a little ahead and MC's stuck to his guns so far on not being some sexual pervert so yeah keep it up. I figure it'll be a fun show, but not seeing a season 2 in the future like most of these isekai.

This anime is proof that good Isekai shows exist.
the rest of the review is a story about a shirt so MyAnimeList's pointless review restrictions system let's me publish this review:


Let's start, and end, with the shirts. Dressing is a big deal to me -- ever since I (a) became single, and (b) lost 60 pounds, I've become something of a clotheshorse. I don't know the etymology of that expression, but it's such a neat word I wanted to use it. (Am I like a sawhorse, but for clothing instead of sawing?)

At any rate, I've started shopping at the smallest, snottiest, exclusiviest (I know, not a ... word) little men's boutiques I can find. At first I was content merely having the guys at Nordstrom all know me by name (and call me when they got a new season's worth of fashions), but that was merely a gateway (like marijuana in the eyes of conservatives) to littler shops, where each individual thread in a garment has a value measured in dollars, not pennies.

Sadly, these kinds of shirts require dry-cleaning, which requires that I make it to the dry-cleaner. This is something of an issue for me, because I'm wont to keep odd hours, and because when I'm awake I'm usually working (c.f. "being single, the suckiness inherent therein"). So, for the last week, in preparation for WWDC, I've been driving around with a big blue laundry bag full of dirty shirts in the passenger seat of my pimp ride.

I should mention that, when I was a wee lad, I had visions of one day getting a pimp ride, so that when I passed pretty women on the side of the street who were forlornly walking somewhere, I could pull up and say, "Hey, mamasita, you want a ride?" I've since been informed that women find this, in fact, really creepy, so I've never actually done it, but I have to mention that every guy has a fantasy of one day doing this, even while admitting this fantasy is in direct opposition to any possible reality.

[I should also mention that should I wish to Jackson out and hit on 12-year-old boys, instead of women, a pimp ride is the perfect way to go. The number of times I've had 12-year-old boys yell out "pimp-de-pimp-pimp-pimp!" to me when I drive by is surprisingly high, considering I had previously never heard the "pimp-de-pimp-pimp-pimp" call and have no idea what it means. But for 12-year-olds it's some kind of lingua franca.]

At any rate, you can imagine how cool it is to drive by a pretty woman walking in the rain and think, "Hey, I should offer her a ride... wait, then she'd have to have my big bag of stinky shirts in her lap... that'd probably strike her as pretty strange... possibly even frightening."

--

So it is that, when packing for WWDC 2005, I only took one good shirt with me. Mind you, this was a really good shirt. This shirt was made in London by a guy named Ted or James or some such, which to me lends instant credibility to it, because as much as I love (the blue states in) my country, when I think of America I think of rebels, I think of individualists, I think of can-do spirit and an indomitable dedication to individual freedoms and happiness. But I don't think, "nice shirts!"

London, on the other hand, has class and panache, and Ted/James clearly was the latest in a long line of shirt-makers who had, for generations, been making shirts for discerning gentlemen, not carrying guns, and/or shipping off criminals to unsettled countries.

Nor is the cotton in this shirt simply from normal cotton plants, oh no. It's grown someplace exotic, like Morocco, and it seems to carry a slight scent of the spices of distant lands on it. Bury your face in this shirt and you can almost hear Bogey whispering, "Listen, kid, this shirt is bigger than the both of us..."

I've received about five or so unsolicited compliments in this shirt, which is five more than I have in any other shirt. Guys don't get complimented on shirts a lot, unless they say, "Hey, look at this shirt," which I admit I've done a couple times, but I'm saying I've been complimented on this shirt without fishing for it, five times.

--

And so I wore this shirt on Tuesday at WWDC 2005, because Tuesday was the day of the Apple Design Awards. My previous company had won a number of these when I was running it, and so this award had a personal meaning to me. This was the first time my new company had entered, and I had high hopes. And, should I win, I wanted to be up on that stage smiling at the crowd while looking fine in my shirt that combined the best parts of London and Morocco.

And here's where the story take a tragic turn, because, in their unknowable yet infallible wisdom, Apple suddenly decided the Design Awards would be on Wednesday. I found this out late Tuesday, and spent the day grousing to all and sundry about how this messed up my plans vis-a-vis the shirt. And everyone agreed that it was, in fact, a very nice shirt, but I should note that I didn't count these compliments towards my previously-mentioned total of five, because I was really fishing.

For a moment I thought this mishap might end up for the best, because that night several of us nerds ended up at a bar, and in my mildly drunken state I started talking with a pretty lady about... well, I don't remember. Something, I'm sure. We'll call her Laurie Anderson, because she looks just like a young Laurie Anderson, and it'll be more evocative this way. I didn't exactly hit on Laurie, per se, but I will say I was glad I was wearing a nice shirt. It wasn't until the next night that one of her friends let me know, in a very friendly manner, that if I had intentions towards Ms. Anderson I might reconsider them, because she was, in fact, as interested in women as I was.

Which was a nice thing to do, frankly, because it's good to know the boundaries of your relationship with someone right at the start -- I like it when women I'm talking to let it be known they have a steady boyfriend, for example, not because I can then cut bait and run, but because I can adjust my expectations and demeanor accordingly, and not embarrass myself or her. For example, you don't say, "I want to nibble your neck," to a woman with a boyfriend. Instead, you'd use the more coy, "If you didn't have a boyfriend, I would certainly be interested in your neck, vis-a-vis the nibbling thereof." See, it's all about delivery.

But, upon reflection later that night, I felt I hadn't made very effective use of my shirt, and so it was with a heavy heart that I finally took it off, realizing that it had been sullied for naught. Actually, I was pretty drunk when I got back to the hotel, so all I remember is thinking how much effort it was to take clothes off and put them in a pile.

--

It was the next afternoon (morning having been lost to C2H5OH), while I was putting on one of my t-shirts and again mentioning how unhappy I was to be thus dressed for the Design Awards, that Mike said, with that clarity of vision associated with the genius, "Hey, you could, like, go buy a new shirt."

T2 and I looked at each other, and although it may have been that we were both still under the affects of chemicals, we instantly agreed this was why Mike was The Smart One. My day had a purpose now, and my step had a spring to it.

I asked the concierge where I might find a fancy, fashion-forward shirt in downtown San Francisco. I figured this would be a slam-dunk. Here's a city whose culture ranks up there with New York and Paris. Here's a city where the rich scions of industry have nothing to do with their money but impress each other with their fancy baubles and ornaments.

She pulled out a map and circled a block. "Here's a Nordstrom's!" Wrong, wrong, wrong. First off, Nordstrom's is NOT fashion-forward, even if they do try to sell orange shirts to golfers in the winter. Second, if I wanted to go to freaking Nordstrom's, I'd GO TO THE ORIGINAL ONE, RIGHT NEXT TO WHERE I LIVE. I'm in San Francisco. The city by the bay! Wow me with your culture!

"There's a Saks on 3rd?" NO! No no no no no! You are not getting me. I want a boutique. "Well, Nordstrom's has different departments, they're kind of like boutiques..." No! How'd we get back here? Seriously, no!

Then, suddenly, she saw. "Oh, there's a little place called Pink, you might check that out, if you're not freaked out by the name." Lady, I'm a true metrosexual. I'm not worried about my masculinity when I shop. You could tell me the store is called "Sweaty Men in a Bathhouse" and I'd go there if it had Moroccan cotton.

T2 and I jumped into a cab and I immediately bought two "slim-fit" shirts from Thomas Pink, of London. The gentlemen who helped us were classy and helpful without the slightest trace of condescension, which was nice considering I came in wearing a WWDC polo shirt and T2 had what appeared to be an original 1970s "Dark Side of the Moon" T-shirt on.

--

This year was the 10th anniversary of the Apple Design awards, and as such they decided to celebrate by gussing the whole event up, in an homage/parody of the Academy Awards. This struck me as entirely apropos, as I estimate to the 1,000 of us nerds who were there, this was our Academy Awards. This was our Nobel prize. This was our moment.

At the start of the evening one of the high mucky-mucks of Developer Relations, who happens to be a very pretty lady, floated onstage in a drop-dead gorgeous gown. We'll call her Natasha Richardson because she looks like a Natasha's younger sister might. (Yes, I know Natasha already has a younger sister.)

There's another fact you should know at this point, which is that nerds are not, inherently, asexual. We don't have much success with women, but that doesn't mean we are immune to their charms. Quite the opposite. We fall under such a spell that we are unable to function, and this renders us so unattractive that it creates a self-perpetuating cycle of desperate singlehood.

So, in that first moment, 1,000 nerds fell in love with Natasha. Well, 996 nerd guys fell in love with her, and the four women in the crowd thought, "Wow, I wonder where she got that dress?" (Laurie Anderson was out partying elsewhere, but I think it's safe to assume she would have been crushing, too, had she been present.)

As she started to speak a strange calm came over the crowd, as if we were cavemen seeing fire for the first time, or rats hearing a certain piper. There was also some guy in a tux on stage with her, I think. I don't know if anyone remembers. Maybe he was tall?

Immediately my mind was no longer on whether I won the award, but on what I would say to her if I did. When the first award was given, the guy who won it kept whispering things to her as his product was described to the crowd, and I noticed that her lapel mic was sensitive enough that we could all hear what he was saying. This dashed somewhat my plans to hit on her on-stage, because everyone in the crowd would be able to hear me saying, "So, uh, want to ride in my car sometime, uh, assuming I move the laundry? I've been led to understand that it's, uh, pimp-de-pimp-pimp-pimp."

--

When Natasha called out the name of our company for Best User Experience the four of us ran onstage, and I shook her hand as she handed me the cool glowing cube, hand-designed by Jonathan Ives. I think she said, "Congratulations," and if I recall I replied, coyly, "Thanks." Playing it smooth... way to go Wil. Don't tip your hand yet, old boy. Best to slip in under RADAR. Way under RADAR.

Afterwards, the winners all had to come up front to sign a ton of forms in exchange for our phat loot. Natasha was there amongst us, and I recognized that, if ever I would had a chance, this was it. Time to shine!

I strode up to her confidently. Ok, well, I didn't stride, really, because I pinched a nerve in my neck last month, and ever since I've had to walk kind of hunched over, with my head forward, as if I were a cro-magnan man, or possibly just suffered from osteoporosis. Check it out, ladies! I'm unevolved and/or very old!

The problem is, if I stand up straight, the nerve gets pinched and I lose all feeling in my left arm, and the ability to move it. On the other hand, I knew being hunched over was unattractive, so I kept sort of bending my lower torso backwards to compensate for my bent-forward neck, the end effect being that I bobbed along like a pigeon when I walked.

So I coo-cooed up to her and gave her my most winning wince (because I had tweaked the nerve in the bobbing motion). While I admit this isn't a word-for-word transcript, this is, I feel, an accurate depiction of what went down:

Natasha: "Congratulations on your win!"
Me: "Nice dress! So pretty! Where dress come from?"
Natasha: "Oh, an assistant and I just ran out to Saks today to get it." [Note to four women in audience: question answered!] "Anyways, we're all very excited about Delicious Library..."
Me: "Dress soft! Girl pretty!"
Natasha: "Yes... uh, so, it's great to have strategic partners like Delicious Monster on our platform..."
Me: "Dress for dancing. Pretty girl go dancing with me?"
Natasha: "Um, I have to go over... there... now."

A few moments later she had magically changed into an absolutely gorgeous set of matching coordinates to go to dinner. I overheard her say she was going to schmooze some developers. I kind of felt sorry for them, because they really didn't stand much of a chance. "Pretty girl want us port to Macintosh? Us make pretty girl happy!"

--

The next night we celebrated our win in style, inviting everyone we met from the conference to get free drinks on us at Captain Eddie Rickenbacker's bar, within stumbling distance of Moscone center. Laurie and her entourage came with us, as well as various other new best friends I'd met at the conference. One guy we'd met while out carousing looked and acted almost exactly like Brad Pitt (circa Ocean's 11), so we actually called him Brad to make our lives easy. In fact, a lot of us got celebrity names; our crazy Australian friend was dubbed "Robert Downey, Jr," and it was a title that fit both his looks and his personality perfectly -- I don't think I ever saw him sober during the conference. (I was later dubbed "George Clooney," but I think at this point they were stretching the conceit.)

Robert Downey and I had seen a couple of very pretty, very young German "au pairs" on our way to the bar, and had convinced them to come along because, well, partying with forty guys and one lesbian is only so much fun. I talked to them for a while at the bar, but it soon became clear they were much too young for me, so I grabbed an extra chair and called Brad Pitt over, and they quickly turned their full attention to him. My work done, I wandered outside with a couple drinks, and sat with Laurie while she smoked her "American Spirit"s.

Laurie thought I might be down after getting passed over by the 20-year-olds. "You know, you're much cuter than Brad Pitt," she said, lying in that sweet motherly way that makes you feel good not because you believe it, but because you appreciate the sentiment behind the lie. "Look at you: you're smart, successful, handsome, and very intriguing." Her friend nodded agreement.

And, seriously, whatever liberties I'm taking with the truth elsewhere in this tale, I'm not making this part up:

"Also, you have totally great taste in shirts."

This is a hidden gem. The story implement with Eastern style magic is a great blend with the Medieval Fantasy magic. The story, oh my gosh the story was an instant hit for me. Sure, it's the same trope with the MC being overpowered but this absolutely slaps. I loved every minute of this show and will die on a hill recommending it to those with a taste for Magical Fantasy. I won't go into spoilers, but it makes sense why the MC is the way he is with his previous life and how he connects with the other characters. That much I can appreciate ... as well as the depth of the world building. I cannot give this show enough of a praise. To those who dislike this show, I can see why but to me it just hits. This is the type of Isekai I've been waiting for.

I’m not going to repeat all the other reviews with the generic isekai yada yada, because you can already tell it’s an isekai and I’m not on the isekai hate train everyone else seems to be on. The story is actually different from others in that he had powers before he reincarnated, which he brings with him and I enjoyed the contrast of seeing his old powers in this new world. He’s also not your generic school boy and there’s a big plot twist in episode 12 that makes this show worth watching for that alone.

I wanted to keep my review short and sweet ... because nobody needs to read a novel regarding what is simply my opinion, but apparently MAL requires I waste your time and mine giving extra pointless information that I don’t feel is pertinent. So here you go:
-Is the story unique? If it was predictable, did you enjoy it anyway because you like this genre/set-up?
Are most of the stories truly unique? And does that really matter as far as finding it entertaining?
-Do you think the art style is fitting for the story?
I have no feelings one way or the other regarding the art style, it’s generic.
-Were the characters well-rounded? Did they have flaws and strengths, or were they unusually strong/smart/stupid?
They’re characters in an anime, I’m not trying to set people up on dates with them.
-Did the characters react to situations and events in a realistic way?
Again, it’s an anime. The character is reincarnated and has magic powers, so I’m not sure how “realism” factors in to the equation.
-Do you think others will enjoy/dislike this series, even if you didn't? Why?
Not sure why I need to attempt to predict how other people would feel about the series or how that would add any value to a review.

This anime had one of the best plots I've ever seen. Though I wish there was more fan service. When they revealed his true identity, it was one of the greatest plot twist Ive ever seen. This anime deserves a score of 8, yet people still give it a 7, i wouldnt understand why. I wished there was more fan service and romance though. I almost thought the blonde girl would get ntred. I don't know why she would give the thought of joining another random guys harem. It did pull on my heart strings a bit, but it was kind of refreshing i guess. ... Anyways it was a good ending with a nice song to finish it off.I hope there will be a season 2.

This was one of the best shows available this season. The story was relatively lighthearted, despite it's backdrop, which was rather enjoyable. The character development was detailed enough to make them interesting for only being 13 episodes, but I hope they finish off the story adding more as they go.

The first cour ended pleasantly. The closing episode didn't feel as though it rushed to wrap things up as is so often the case in modern anime. In fact, the show was paced quite well.

It's not a particularly deep show, and it doesn't over-rely on gore or shock-awe.

There is plenty of adversity, though, ... and despite the MC being over-powered and confident, he doesn't flaunt it as readily as seen in many other shows. He seems down to earth and trying to enjoy his new life with his friends without being a **** about it.

While this over-powered MC trope seems to be growing redundant in the Anime scene, this show played it off well.

Looking forward to a second course.

"THE REINCARNATION OF THE STRONGEST EXORCIST IN ANOTHER WORLD"

Genre- Magic, School, Fantasy, Isekai, Action, Adventure.

Being born the strongest doesn't mean anything if you lack the power to protect yourself. If being strong, means having the whole world treat you as their enemy, it seems like a better option to stay back in the crowd and conceal your powers. Never again stepping out of the shadows to help anyone ever again.

Seika dreamt of having power. A power that would make him the strongest exorcist in the entire world and a power that could help innocent lives from meeting seamless ends. But with this power came the ... responsibility of having everyone look at him like a monster. A monster that was on his own rampage and failing in terms of support from the people, he was soon overthrown by his own government, and killed by his own comrades. Thereafter, meeting an unjustified end in a previous life, Seika promises to live his new birth cunningly. One where he now acts smart and thinks by his mind, not his heart, and one where he blends in with the crowd, just going about his daily life like any other person. But for everything that's about to come in his life as the reincarnated hero's friend, Seika is in for nothing but adventures.

This anime stands out for its classic yet unique story. One where we have an overpowered MC that takes the stage unlike anything we have seen before and a story that's cleverly written so that by the end, you cannot do anything but wait for the second season. In terms of animation, it is neither too great nor too bad, so with a little better budget for its 2nd season, we can hope to see an amazing classic, of demon lord and hero if this part was amped as well.

This anime is recommended for every "ISEKAI" anime lover.

At first glance this show looks like your run of the mill generic isekai, it certainly has the MC character design and art aesthetic to go with the territory, but there are actually a number of things that set this isekai apart from others which i wish to highlight should this interest anyone.

The foundation of the MC's motivation(s) stems from a betrayal from the ones he trusted most in his original life. Despite being an honest and decent person who had loyally served his feudal lord, he was later betrayed by those he was allied with because they feared his strength/power and it being turned ... against them if he didn't feel like continuing to tow the faction line. For this isekai, the reincarnation is not the traditional "from a modern world to a fantasy one", but one from a more medieval world of "super natural powers" into a world of "classical fantasy magic". So he has some minor advantage in worldly knowledge, but nothing particular regarding "technology".

Being born into this new world using his own ability he doesn't appear to have inherited this new world's power, but it doesn't matter because he's retained his old abilities and summoned familiar's contracts which serve him just as well, if not better. Whilst he wishes to hide his true nature as one of the strongest individuals alive when it comes to beyond human powers, he doesn't want to take a back seat entirely as a nobody; he still wants to flex himself, but to hide behind someone else more powerful than him as a kind of decoy or mask so that he doesn't attract so much attention that he gets killed off again.

His first challenge is to overcome family politics to ensure his position within an academy of advanced learning for which he must compete against his 2 other brothers despite multiple handi-caps due to a lack of magical aptitude. The second is to set the stage to be able to hide behind a key individual. As this is occurring, some of this worlds politics start to make themselves known and this upsets him enough to cause him to start gradually taking action against it. The suspension here is that the MC is once again walking down a route that would result in the same ending he wished to avoid; because he refused to allow injustice and would expose himself trying to expose it.

By the final act of the season several twists become apparent. Some genuinely interesting political and ethical dilemma's become apparent and the tropes of what an isekai protagonist is and does become truly flipped on their head and i don't wish to spoil it any further than beyond the fact the last 3 episodes really deviate from the norm into some partly original anti-hero type writing.

The season ends relatively tidily, without a major cliff hanger, but does leave room for a sequel which i hope does come because the story has genuinely become interesting and unique at this point. In summary the sound and art design is neither here nor there, but the writing starts off mediocre and grows exponentially in depth. A second season has the potential to have a strong narrative if it actually continues to pursue the nuances of ethical and social dilemma's that the MC has started to be presented with. What it means to let a person truly grow for themselves by allowing them to experience adversity instead of resolving it all for them, what it means to trust a person who might be a potential threat in the future, what it means to sacrifice the few for the needs of the many. Etc.