(L+CR) Kenja no Mago (Magi's Grandson)

[SilverGlavenus]

So the first ep actually covered all the details. Nice.

Edit: Whoo, the girls are ranked based on the boob sizes in the ending.

[Chosen_Hero]

Shin: "I remember everything about my past life"

A few minutes later:

Shin: "What's a magic school?"

Me: ...... Ok.

Not going to lie, this was such a generic episode and by the books Isekai that I don't even know what to think of it. The only thing different about it is that it seems to be more slice of life than other Isekais.

[FlareKnight]

So our first impression of the main character is of an idiot who can't pay attention to a crosswalk. That's setting an interesting tone. And still it kind of feels unnecessary for this to be an isekai. Feels more like a fantasy series that had isekai forced onto it since that's the popular thing right now.

Overall it was a fine first episode. Did a solid job showing Shin growing up and being ready to head on out into the world. Heck I thought the whole "forgot to teach him common sense" would be a reaction from Merlin after Shin left on his own. But instead they are sending him off to that school in part to help him figure that out.

[rladls2121]

Shin beating those three men, saying "too slow", he felt no "big deal" from them, he was dancing.
But one of the two girls saying that sharp object was a big deal.

Then in the end where Shin finds the one female cute.
LOL.

I don't know I felt some kind of satisfaction, LOL.

[Nachtwandler]

Originally Posted by zztop

Read some of the WN and manga.
Expect this to be more of a fun OP series in the vein of Tensei Slime, or Knights & Magic.

Knights & Magic was the closest analogie for me when I read the WN. With no mecha but more romance. MC is very similar to Ernesti in vein that after reincarnating he got an opportunity to fulfill his dream and got the best teachers for it. And he is the same a bit odd and very devoted. And OP, but who cares.

[Anh_Minh]

Originally Posted by AntonKutovoi

Is there even a point for making this an isekai? It looks like it would be better as straight up fantasy.

It's because only isekai protagonists can figure out how to use magic, obviously. Not the people who've had magic for centuries or millenia. They even made a point of showing a science book.

One thing thing I do wonder about is the relation between Merlin and his ex-wife. Why did they separate? Was it so the MC wouldn't have too much of a (grand)mother figure in his formative years, because of course only men can be goofy enough to "not teach common sense"?

[zztop]

Originally Posted by AntonKutovoi

Is there even a point for making this an isekai? It looks like it would be better as straight up fantasy.

Blame the entry point standards set by Japanese webnovels, especially those from Narou.

Isekai settings are highly popular with Narou readers.
A lot of aspiring WN authors want to quickly gain a following for their stories so they can get publishing offers.
So they use isekai, inspired by audience popularity and standards set by popular isekai forerunners like Death March and Shield Hero.

Of course, not many may know how to properly use isekai theme to its fullest potential.

Most times isekai is only used to explain MC's different outlook to fantasy world and different powers, that's it.

[Anh_Minh]

It's better than some of the Chinese isekai I've read, where the MC's Earth origin is basically an informed attribute and he has no problem embracing the brutality of the setting.

[zztop]

Originally Posted by Anh_Minh

It's better than some of the Chinese isekai I've read, where the MC's Earth origin is basically an informed attribute and he has no problem embracing the brutality of the setting.

I've heard Chinese isekai MCs are usually more cruel and ruthless in pursuing their goals compared to Japanese isekai MCs.
Like how Japanese MCs have (harem) companions to help them out; Chinese ones go solo.

[Haak]

Originally Posted by AntonKutovoi

Is there even a point for making this an isekai? It looks like it would be better as straight up fantasy.

There's always going to be someone denying otherwise but I think it's obvious at this point why a large majority of isekai are isekai and its certainly not for any deep thematic reasons (although some might try to pretend).

You'll get various different colors of wish-fulfillment to varying degrees of creativity. Some are weird fetishtic sexual fantasies, some are socio-political wankfests, some are "I want to apply my hobby/occupation to a fantasy", and some are just generic power fantasies. This is evidently the last one. Could barely get through the first episode. Definitely not worth going any further for me.

[frodonk]

I know this is generic af, but this is exactly the kind of average series that I really like, no need to think too hard about the plot

Also, I agree that he should've known about certain things like money and schools if he came from another world, but I'll let it slide since it's been 15 years since he was reincarnated, and it has been proven that kids under 3 don't retain much of their memories when they grow up.

But that doesn't really go along with the fact that he knows about stuff like oxygen and hydrogen (in a world where nobody knows anything about science) to create what looks like a nuclear fusion reaction using magic. And even his teleportation spell is known to have come from anime and novels from his previous life.

But then again, like I said, no need to think too hard about it, I'll just choose later on who the best girl is, since they've shown who the main girl will be

[Ultragunner]

^ because it provides an easy explanation to why the MC is OP? as in how he knows all those stuff LOL

[LoweGear]

Originally Posted by zztop

I've heard Chinese isekai MCs are usually more cruel and ruthless in pursuing their goals compared to Japanese isekai MCs.
Like how Japanese MCs have (harem) companions to help them out; Chinese ones go solo.

From what I've read of chinese isekai stories, they're very fond of disproportionate retribution and face-slapping, where slights against the MC are met with incredible brutality, sometimes justified (i.e. the antagonists were similarly brutal) and sometimes not.

As for this episode, it was serviceable for the most part and pretty much ended where I expected it to - Shin's meeting with Cecil.

The thing that gets me about this episode though is how noticeably off the voice acting is, which for someone like me who who doesn't have the best ear for Japanese voice acting says a lot. It's not like everyone in the cast is bad, but a lot of the lines sound phone-in to me, or otherwise don't fit like Merlin's.

[Huh...?]

Originally Posted by frodonk

Also, I agree that he should've known about certain things like money and schools if he came from another world, but I'll let it slide since it's been 15 years since he was reincarnated, and it has been proven that kids under 3 don't retain much of their memories when they grow up.

I think, most of those errors occurred because of how the lines were worded in the translation.

So, while he knew what "Money" is, he didn't learn if they existed in the other world (maybe he thought that the whole world works on some form of barter system). He did say that he would have to find ways to earn money, and learn how to use them (aka., he just doesn't know the money system of that world).
As for the School, what surprised him isn't the fact that a School exists, but rather a 'School for Magic' exists.

Originally Posted by frodonk

But that doesn't really go along with the fact that he knows about stuff like oxygen and hydrogen (in a world where nobody knows anything about science) to create what looks like a nuclear fusion reaction using magic. And even his teleportation spell is known to have come from anime and novels from his previous life.

Well, most of the stuff he knew was because of his work i guess, which seems to be related to Science (from the look of things in the office he was working in, it seems like he worked at the editorial department of a Science Book Publishing company).
As for the 'teleportation spell', the theory behind it actually already exists in today's science, just like the theory behind stuff like 'Dyson sphere', and other stuff like that. But we don't have the technology to make them real yet (atleast that's how its generally known).

[wuhugm]

Has anyone made a research of the increase of traffic accidents after isekai got popular?

[Nachtwandler]

Originally Posted by wuhugm

Has anyone made a research of the increase of traffic accidents after isekai got popular?

Funny thing that in the web-novel it is not mentioned how MC died. As he remembers how he liked to ride his motorbike, I though that he died in accident. Looks like they changed it to more generic truck-kun in the LN.

[wuhugm]

Well, it's actually fun

Don't get why a reincarnator doesn't have common sense tho

[SilverGlavenus]

The ending just spoiled the entire romance of the series lol.

[Konja9]

Originally Posted by wuhugm

Well, it's actually fun

Don't get why a reincarnator doesn't have common sense tho

As someone who only see the anime, I assumed MC has vague memories of his past life.

Maybe I was wrong.

[Kuroageha]

Originally Posted by Chosen_Hero

The only thing different about it is that it seems to be more slice of life than other Isekais.

Not as much as Isekai Smartphone.

Originally Posted by wuhugm

Has anyone made a research of the increase of traffic accidents after isekai got popular?

It's their nice way of saying it was suicide?
Which sounds less awful? Truck-kun or suicide?