Cautious Hero may come across as another generic isekai show from the good old decade of the 2010s. It would be, except for the fact that similar to Konosuba, this show is a gag. Not only is it a gag in how it treats itself as an isekai, but also with how the characters interact with each other. In the case for this show, it turns the overall style of a JRPG playthrough of a difficult game, and does a complete 180 with it. This review may be a bit shorter than I usually make them.
Story: Being a gag show, there isn't much of a story. Characters come and go, and in the divine realm, past actions usually can be reversed (except for Cerceus [bless his soul]). The only source of an overarching story is the backstories that are presented, and also the main quest that Ristarte is tasked with. However, although there really isn't much of a main story, the backstories are of some substance. In the later episodes, you find out that there's been a good amount of foreshadowing that leads you into the history behind the characters in the anime. Although unnecessary, it's this backstory that gives the audience more information on characters so that the overall understanding of these characters grows, which is a nice flair to the anime.
Art: As a gag anime, I really didn't expect the animation to be anything above Konosuba level. However, what I was treated to was a myriad of colourful expressions by Ristarte, and a lot of variation in these as well. While the overall animation was about expected, there was a level of detail given to contrasting landscapes and backgrounds. This can be seen when comparing areas in the show like Adenela's house to the burning village in a later episode. Overall, the main selling point in this anime's art was definitely in character expression, as I would not be able to count how many reaction images I could find with Ristarte alone.
Sound: Nothing special. The opening gets you ready for a high-octane action adventure show... and then you find out the episode is about training. The juxtaposition in this show is high tier. Most of the props for sound has to go to the voice acting. A lot of talent went into voicing these characters, whether it be Ristarte's six pack line to Adenela's unexplainable transformations. Although sound wasn't a big focus in the show, I was more than happy with the voice acting.
Characters: While the characters in Cautious Hero have little to no complexity, it's how they play their roles that makes them special in their own way. Seiya takes the trope of the hero in a JRPG and tosses it out the window, seen with his poorly (well) timed training sessions and his treatment of his own party. While it is revealed why he treats everyone coldly, his way of dealing with safety is one that makes his actions interesting. To protect his party, he tries to deliberately make them not want to go onto the front lines, rather than stepping in and protecting them while they're already there. With Ristarte, she takes the trope of the goddess/holy woman and is able to be the exact opposite of it; as she is able to reference how she's doing the opposite of what she's supposed to. Instead of being a powerful healer who nullifies the need of recovery items, Ristarte is instead reduced to moral support for the party's other allies rather than being the main healer of the party. Another little detail that shows this trope being completely twisted in this anime is how Ristarte, at the end of the show, is dead set on going to the casino/bar. This little detail shows how much fun the original writer had for creative liberty when making the antithesis of the trope. Honorable mentions include Seiya's reduction of Mash and Eruru to designated luggage carriers.
Enjoyment: If you're watching for plot and deep characters, you're not going to enjoy this show at all. If you put your brain on Tesla autopilot before you watch each episode (except maybe the last one), you'll definitely find this show enjoyable. While I can't go into detail as to what's enjoyable without spoilers, the overall charm of this show is in the characters and animation. JRPG fans will definitely have a fun time watching this show, and even those who don't play too many RPGs can find something to enjoy.
Overall: Cautious Hero is a fun show that casually takes all the tropes seen in JRPGs and does away with all of them. Although the story isn't deep and the characters are all gags, their gag statuses is what gives the show its charm. If you're a fan of Konosuba or just a fan of comedy, Cautious Hero is a great watch that deviates away from the isekai formula, and brings a breath of fresh air to the genre since the initial airings of Konosuba.
