Now, I don't want to knock down expectations but just reading the synopsis invokes a dull feeling. You're likely expecting a character who's going to treat every fight like a walk in the park. And honestly, you're not wrong from the truth. You see, Mathias represents the iconic Mary Stu type of character that you may find in some isekai. The recurring trope has been a mainstay in some isekai series in recent years after all. Mathias really is a testament of being the 'final boss' in this show itself.
The English translated title sounds paradoxical in the fact that we have a character as the strongest sage but with the weakest crest. He did reincarnate into a new body for specific reasons but nonetheless, the title of the show itself sounds ironic. To further this point, Mathias doesn't have any special physical traits if we judge him on the outside. He looks like an ordinary boy with a somewhat mysterious aura behind his personality. Obviously, he has a history but the show decided that to be less relevant and focus on his present goals. And like most fantasy adventures, he gains companions.
I won't say this anime is a exactly a harem but we do have one guy surrounded by three girls: Lurie, Alma, and Iris. Oh, before I forget, Iris is actually a dragon but takes on the form of a cute girl with scarlet hair and big appetite. You may wonder what their roles are in the show and believe me, it's irrelevant to explain. That's because the anime wants Matthias to be the shining superstar. Every episode follows a similar loop-formula where we get to see Matthias show off as an overpowered sage. There's not one battle where he truly struggles. As a matter of fact, you better be used to see one-sided curb stomp fights in the most straightforward way possible. There's also a lack of diversity in combat and action scenes as well. You'd think this anime would at least show the full extent of Mathias' abilities in some way but no, sorry.
Like most fantasy anime with magic elements these days, we also have an academy that teaches various branches of magical arts. Take a good guess who the best student is. That's right, it's Matthias. He makes everything look easy ranging from clearing quests without breaking a sweat, defeating demons at ease, and humiliating adversaries such as Erhard like it's not even worth his time. Because of these traits, Lurie and Alma admires him and wishes to learn to be just as strong as the sage. Iris, on the other hand, joined him because of their past history together. Together, this group pretty much carries the show on their shoulders with Matthias being at the captain.
Look, I'll just say this right now. If you somehow managed to make it past the three episode mark, then there's some chance you may finish the show without questioning your sanity. Do you want an anime with a deep and complex story? Is character development something that interests you? Or perhaps a meaningful relationship between the main cast? If any of those questions are in your head, then look elsewhere. This show sells itself as a depressing adaptation that will quickly wear itself out. You're not going to enjoy the anime if you grow tired of Matthias being the alpha male beating demons everyday. Sadly, that seems to be a main focus of the story as we see Matthias dominate them. It's like playing a video game on the easiest mode and realizing it was a mistake by taking away all the challenging fun aspects.
I don't think there's much to address about the animation quality either as J.C. Staff seems to be working their hands on making this as credible as possible. The character designs, backgrounds, and world fiction elements adapts content straight out of the novels. The female cast are decorated with JRPG-ish looks and giving them different weapons and attributes associated with their fighting styles. In terms of choreography, only the various magic crests and techniques in the show attracts attention. I would be lying if I said I enjoyed the action scenes. Because let's face it, we know pretty much how every fight goes with Matthias being the protagonist.
This anime didn't get much hype ever since it was promoted. You don't see it mentioned more than other shows this season and nor should it be. We've seen how anime like this before and to be honest, I'm very glad it's just 12 episodes. How many episodes can you really watch Matthias obliterating his opponents until he's satisfied? I know I can't for too long.
