Before diving into the juicy details, I do want to mention that this is the same author who wrote Kaifuku Jutsushi no Yarinaoshi. If you don't know what the means, it basically means this anime may have some sensitive ideas and draw controversy. Luckily, it's much more tame because rather than using ecchi as a major selling point, it uses its main cast and the plot. Yet, there's something also not hitting the correct marks for this show, so let's get into it.
Watching an anime like this tells me of several flags to be wary of. For instance, why is the main character an assassin? Is this show going to be a full on revenge story? Oh and with three pretty girls on the cover with a protagonist, is it one of those mystery harems in disguise? Well, I'll let that last one slide since at its core, an anime adaptation usually can masquerade itself to be something more than it appears to be. Yet, here we are, introduced to a show about an assassin. And to be honest, the first episode did unexpectingly grab my attention despite how action packed it was. Throwing us into this show's fictional world evokes a variety of feelings ranging from excitement to also, somewhat confusion. It begins when our main character is seemingly betrayed but gets a second chance at life and reborn yet again as an assassin. Like most isekai, he develop new skills and lives a new life in a new world. When working as an asssassin, Lugh uses a combination of his ruthless personality, cunning nature, and manipulative tactics to get close to his target and finish the job. Deep down however, Lugh is fundamentally a kind person as witnessed when he helped characters such as Maha and Tarte during their past. However, the show also makes it clear that he is among the strongest of assassins in the world. Combined with his previous past skills, Lugh is what people may call out as a Gary Stu.
Joining him by his side are the two lovely yet dangerous girls, known to us as Maha and Tarte. Through flashbacks, we see why they are so devoted to Lugh. Unfortunately, beyond their character background stories, both characters are flawed with barebone personalities. In essence, Maha and Tarte practically worships Lugh as his savior and there's no doubt they are in love with him. Lugh's feelings towards them are somewhat more complex but the anime doesn't truly take time to commit romanic relationship building. However, the anime does attempt to get Lugh to open up more, such as with the talented mage Dia Viekone. The relationship is rather limited due to the short amount of episodes the show offer and honestly, isn't much groundbreaking. In essence, the anime's story mostly devotes on Lugh's character and his role as an assassin, just as the premise speaks for itself.
And finally, we can't have an isekai without a God-like entity, can we? After all, Goddess is the entity that made Lugh who he is in the new world. She tasked him with the goal to kill the hero but it's ambigious about what her true objectives are. Furthermore, the anime makes it clear that she is manipulative, sarcastic, and overall, a character that can't be trusted, if at all. To be clear, I believe Goddess exists was added a source of entertainment. Even as she is relevant to the plot, the show makes it so unclear about her true intentions that we can only guess from our imaginations. And yes, that is a major drawback of the anime. It really doesn't know how to spell out the main plot overall or resolve the premise in the end. With a mere 12 episodes, you might have predicted this from the beginning.
With a collaboration between studio Silver Link and Palette, I have to admit the anime itself does have polished visuals in terms of character designs. Lugh looks like a badass and his clever disguises often protrays him as a pokerface, decorated with whatever suits for his target assigned. The female cast are lavishly designed with alluring figures, suitable for combat needs. And before I forget to mention, this anime does not escape from a beach episode. Yes, it has it. Fan service is actually minimal but there are some obvious adult themes alluded. Let's just say, the show does whatever it takes to attract our attention even if it doesn't always rely on ass and boobs.
For a title this long, you'd probably think this anime has to more to offer than what meets the eye. But no, don't expect some sort of complex storyteller with deep insightful characters. This is a show that relies a lot more on pushing the main character to do what he can do as an assassin. What started as a revenge story turned into something less and less entinicing with each episode. And thus , it falls to the syndrome of another mediocre anime adaptation.
