I genuinely don't understand why Tatoeba Last Dungeon got review bombed. It literally gives you its synopsis in the title, yet people seem to approach it as if it's something else. This is a blatantly generic COMEDY, and that alone should account for a lot of the "no character development" or "no story line" complaints. It was never meant to be viewed as a thought-provoking adventure driven story, nor a wish-fulfilling device for viewers to project themselves into the overpowered main character. The same could be said for other amazing comedies such as Nichijou, Gintama, and Asobi Asobase, or Hinamatsuri. The comedy stems from the chemistry between character personalities and sometimes gimmicks. These comedies were never about the end goal, but the friends and interactions these characters make along the way.
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Humour (arguably the only thing that matters):
While Tatoeba Last Dungeon's humour may not click with everyone, it is easily approachable and digestible. The simple synopsis was able to provide enough agency to continuously propel the main narrative forward. From main character Lloyd leaving his village, to the end of the first arc; from the conclusion to the first arc to Lloyd's subsequent new adventures, the plot proceeds logically with impeccable pacing, and the problems and mysteries were gradually resolved in a satisfying manner. While the character cliches haven't been anything new, the show was able to exploit such stereotypes for light-hearted comedic effect. Just because a good formula had been repeatedly used many times in the past does not make it any worse when executed well. The simplicity of the story and the characters' motives spotlights the straightforward comedy. Like many other shows of the same genre, its hit-or-miss rate is largely determined by personal taste. While the show may not offer many chuckles, its character interactions should guarantee with many smiles and grins.
That being said, Tatoeba Last Dungeon is not without its flaws. The humour is highly dependent on the Lloyd's power gap with his fellow cast, which resulted in some repetitive jokes. It also failed to subvert the expectations in most scenarios, which some may recognize as a lack of creativity. However, its deficit in joke variety was compensated with its delivery, density, consistency and attention to detail. If you had enjoyed any moment of the series, you will likely feel the same throughout the entire series. There is enough new material in each scenario to keep you guessing to a certain extent. Unlike Kemono Michi (which got boring very fast), the chemistry between all the likable characters in Tatoeba Last Dungeon felt more organic and believable in Tatoeba Last Dungeon, and was able to provide continuous entertainment past their initial encounter. Instead of relying on its main character to be the sole funniness output, Lloyd enables other already funny characters to be funnier.
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Characters:
The characters have clear and distinct motivations, clear-cut shallow personalities and stereotypes. However, they are great comedic devices and are generally likable. Character development is not absent, but I would imagine most were omitted as they rarely add to the comedy, especially given the solid pacing of the story. Some sacrifices had to be made for comedy.
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Art:
Although the animation is imperfect in certain episodes and the production value isn't always incredible, its smooth and fast action scenes never ceased to blow me away. Moreover, the visuals and imagery were successful in achieving and enhancing the show's comedic effect. Tatoeba Last Dungeon's producers were able to identify the more important moments of the anime, and subsequently giving them all the budget/attention they deserve. The resulting pros had doubtlessly overcome the cons, making it at least a decent looking show.
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Please don't be discourage by the negative reviews and give Tatoeba Last Dungeon a shot. Though its straightforwardness may crater younger audiences better, it is certainly not a bad show. It gave me plenty of Iruma-kun vibes with lots of fun to be had, and I have personally enjoyed every episode so far.
