Despite being a handyman with a wide range of skills, Saitou is severely undervalued and underpaid. When he complains, his boss fires him, claiming that he is easily replaceable. As if his luck was not bad enough, Saitou soon finds himself about to be run over by a truck on his way home.
Surprisingly enough, Saitou does not die; instead, he is transported to another world. There, he meets a party composed of the female knight Raelza, the moonlight fairy Lafanpan, and the mage Morlock, who are all coincidentally looking to recruit a new member with a skill set like Saitou's.
Throughout their time together, Saitou uses his expertise to assist his fellow party members and soon comes to receive the recognition he never thought was possible. However, Saitou's presence may just be the catalyst that will connect a diverse cast of people from different places, slowly uncovering the fate that could bring a great change to this world.
[Written by MAL Rewrite]
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Comentários
Mcsuper
This was truly an unexpected gem of the Winter season. It was a surprisingly funny, yet emotional and epic anime for sure. It takes a while to really pick up, but once it does, it never looks back. Studio C2C have been quietly doing a great job with some of their recent works, such as Majo no Tabitabi, Tensei shitara Ken Deshita, and now this anime, which showcased some very impressive and sharpened animation and fight scenes that could make some of the elite studios quiver in their boots just a little bit. I think this show nails tonal shifts very well, and it kindof reminds me of Golden Kamuy, where one scene they could be making the lewdest of lewd jokes, but the next scene, people are being murdered. It’s really quite something.
The story isn’t very special, as it’s about a Handyman called Saitou, reincarnated into another world where unlike in his original world, the people treat him with much more respect, and he feels more needed. He uses his handyman skills to help out his party with lock-picking, opening treasure chests, a lot of practical things.
The first few episodes are very comedy-based, with somewhat disconnected skits to introduce the characters, and while some of the jokes hit real good, it was definitely the weakest part of the series. It shifts into a more plot-based story after that, and boy, it really got good after that. It went through a full 180, but it worked out in the end with some very meaningful and emotional backstories, along with some solid character writing in the process. It doesn’t hold back in any way, whether it’s the jokes, the action, or even the gore.
The cast is quite the goofy bunch, but they’re a very solid cast of characters. Apart from Saitou, we have an old magician who forgets his spells every so often called Morlock, a healing fairy called Lafanpan, and a strong Knight in Raelza. Their interactions can be comedy gold, but can also be very emotional. They’re a very tight knit party who clearly care about each other, and form great friendships and relationships that made for great dynamics. The side characters and antagonists also were decent, as each character had a certain degree of depth, some more than others, and it’s always a breath of fresh air when the villains have a backstory of their own instead of just being evil for the sake of being evil.
The animation is good overall, but when the plot gets serious, the animation goes up to another level. Some of the fight scenes were very well animated, and got me on the edge of my seat with how epic they were. The OST also accompanies the atmospheres very nicely, although the OP and ED weren’t all that great.
Overall, this show encompasses goofy and epic all in one package, and if there was one isekai besides MagiRevo that I would recommend people to check out, it would be this one. Genuinely, one of the better shows of the season, and it came as a very pleasant surprise. Do give this one a chance.
KANLen09
You know what? If there is a studio that I can trust being assigned to produce quality Isekai shows in this day and age, it's C2C: the studio's name moniker of "Challenge 2 Challenge" is truly a fitting name for the studio itself, challenging itself by pumping out some great Isekai/fantasy shows of the last few years. Seriously, fuck grinding levels. Fuck OP protagonists. And furthermore, fuck harems. Because for all intents and purposes, other than MagiRevo being the top Isekai for me this Winter 2023 season, mangaka Kazutomo Ichitomo's Benriya Saitou-san, Isekai ni Iku a.k.a. Handyman Saito in Another World, it's the slice-of-life adventure comedyfantasy Isekai show that I never thought I've needed until now, being to me, the best sleeper hit of the slew of many Isekai shows, and the show that's one of the most underrated ones that you should ought to pay most attention to this season.
Let's cover from the bad to the good sides of the show, and also extending to its manga counterpart. Written by Kazutomo Ichitomo, Benriya Saitou-san, Isekai ni Iku a.k.a. Handyman Saito in Another World is yet another Isekai fantasy show like the many that came before and after it, and the manga itself is presented in a 4-koma a.k.a 4-panel page (like most CGDCT works) format, essentially short stories that don't make for a cohesive story. But when you consider the world at large, it makes sense since there's a lot of POV sequences pertaining to the main squad of Handyman Saitou and his party of mercenaries. Though there is not much of a story to tell, there is a semblance of a plot that starts with the Japanese handyman Saito himself being summoned to another world, he's designed to do just one thing and one thing only: he's professionally skilled in appraising and repairing items and picking locks. That's the sole reason why the series' title is as such.
Where the show shines, it's in the characters involved in what is supposedly a normal endeavour to explore the fantasy world and form the world-building all at once. Obviously, the weakest link is Saitou himself, the young handyman from Japan, who's feeling inadequate in his job despite the skills developed, and in his dejection over getting fired by his unappreciative boss, accidentally gets himself Truck-kun-ed into the fantasy world, where he was taken in by an adventuring party. With the supposed party members' personal quirks hindering their performance, Saitō begins lending them a helping hand by carrying essentials, picking locks and giving them vital reminders, this makes him indispensable to the party he's attached to, finding a sense of purpose that's better than his old life back on Earth. Saitou's party consists of the main figher warrior Raelza, the moonlight fairy Lafanpan and the old geezer mage Morlock. For Raelza, she is the adopted daughter of Morlock, for she was found as a slave girl when he took her in. And despite her strong image, she detests long, slimy creatures, and especially has a self-consciousness, since she has a crush on Saitou, but is admittedly too shy to even confess to him. For Lafanpan, she is the fairy who has healing powers, but this all comes at the cost of charging fees in gold coins from even friends and allies. This has a reason though, because her fairy race was cursed by the Goddess of the Moon to be shrunk down to size, so the gold coins amount to sacrifices made to ensure that the promise is kept. For Morlock, he's the strongest power-fest of the party, but this comes at the cost of his STM, forgetting incantation spells, other than the usual case of elderly bad and breaking bones, and the all-too-familiar womanizer trait.
Overall, great diversity amongst the main party, which bar more often than not, bring some hilarity across the table, together with the side cast...which can feel like a lot. Take for example, Franlil and Ninia. The high-elf with the human cleric assistant, both are rather weak with underdeveloped magical abilities, but work hard to measure up to strength for the troubles that come after that. Also, I find it funny that the cleric is all in for Yuri undertones with Franlil, which again, adds diversity in the character cast. Not a single character feels wasted in this "side story" plot that when all comes together, makes for a show that celebrates the adventurer life at its most unglam, yet heartwarming to sit all the way through from start to finish.
Throughout the years, C2C is the studio that I can trust when it comes to Isekai/fantasy shows, the most noteworthy being Fall 2020's Majo no Tabitabi a.k.a Wandering Witch: The Journey of Elaina, Summer 2021's Tsukimichi: Moonlit Fantasy, and the most recent being last season's Tensei Shitara Ken Deshita a.k.a Reincarnated as a Sword. The past 2-3 years was what I feel like the studio has finally found its stride in producing some of the most memorable shows (that is all except PuraOre! Pride of Orange, that idol show was a mistake). Directed by Majo no Tabitabi's director Toshiyuki Kubooka, whom this show is his 2nd Isekai/fantasy rondo, I can feel safe knowing that this show has been done great, and the upcoming Shangri-La Frontier's anime adaptation (also by Kubooka) will be more of the same.
The OST, however, feels like a hit or miss. Teary Planet's OP "kaleidoscope" and Konoco's ED "Hidamari no Saido" are songs that I have a mixed reception about being the show's theme songs as it kinda fits and not to varying degrees of suitability. Not to say that these songs are bad, but I kinda wish that there're other songs that would fit this show better and proper.
It's the run-of-the-mill Isekai/fantasy, yet it's also Dungeons & Dragons-ish, and that to me, is a marriage made in Isekai land that I seriously didn't know I needed. The show has been a delight overall, and it's just sad that it's very underrated, even flying under the radar for most of the season. But I implore you, if there is an Isekai you NEED to watch this season, make sure it's this one, and it'll set you right in the comfort of your own couch potato with tons of laughter.
HetakuSoda
Handyman Saitou feels a lot like the author wanted to write an isekai that was different and went from there. The result is, in my opinion, something that feels unique but not special. A lot of people were able to see it as a goofy fantasy that fixed the problems they had with other isekai, and good for them, but for me it was a pretty mediocre collection of skits that eventually became an even more mediocre couple of story arcs. Sometimes the formula is what it is for a reason, and you should have a better idea of what you're doing before trying todeviate from it, because in trying so hard to do its own thing it forgets to do any more than the bare minimum of character development and backstory while it hammers you with Saitou talking about how nice it is to be wanted. It all feels very surface-level, which should be fine for a 4-koma gag manga, but Handyman Saitou clearly wants to be more than that, and it ends up just feeling boring and shallow. I couldn't really get invested in anyone, especially not the perverted old man who is basically the focus of both story arcs. The girls in Saitou's party are cute, yes, and it's nice to see one wear proper armor for a change, but they don't have much more going for them, as they don't actually play major roles in the story and mostly serve to make lucky pervert gags with Saitou and give him someone to romance. Overall, while it was occasionally funny or cute, to me Handyman Saitou really doesn't provide the substance it seems to think it does, and its unique presentation does it no favors.
ArchangelEST
With a narrative that's as chopped up as the onion I put into my dinner last night, along with an unhealthy fascination on the male genitalia, Benriya Saitou-san, Isekai ni Iku is a very peculiar isekai... and I'm not sure in a good way. Animation / Art / General Visuals - 7/10 ----------------------------------------------- If there's one aspect of the show to praise, it's probably the visual quality. The animations are pretty good, along with a nice standard art style. The background scenery is pretty boring, but that's probably because the setting of the story didn't really offer anything more interesting to draw. The fights along with spell effects arequite nice to watch in terms of art and animation, though the actual fight scene setup and coordination is pretty poor. Seems like whomever directed the show either didn't have enough detail from the source material or just had no idea what to do with the scenes.
So yeah... I'm kinda torn between wanting to praise the artists who actually did the drawing, but at the same time, I want to flame the art director or whomever was responsible for the scene setup in general, because it was lame as hell.
Sound / Music / Voice Acting - 7/10
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Fairly standard anime stuff. A few nice tracks, but nothing particularly noteworthy.
Story - 5/10
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I have watched hundreds of anime in my life and this is the first time I've seen this kind of a narrative.
Several episodes are straight up jumbled, garbled, with bits and pieces all over the place. You start with our MC already in the middle of some dungeon crawl with a party, then you flash to some unknown character in the middle of nowhere, then back to the MC's party but now they're chilling in an Inn, then you flash to another new character halfway across the world, then back to the MC and now it's in the past, back to some new characters in the future, back to past, present, MC, random, MC, random. Like HOLY SHIT, there was no narrative continuity or pacing to speak of. It's like someone took the first page from every chapter of a manga and made an anime scene of it, and just sewed them together without any care for coherency.
Now, because this is the first time I've seen this, I'm not going to be super critical because maybe some people will like this. But man, it rubbed me the wrong way.
Moving on from the narrative mess, the actual story is... terrible. It's an absolutely ridiculously cliche Isekai of Truck-Kun taking another victim. Our MC lands in a fantasy world, becomes an adventurer, finds a shy GF, makes some random friends of every fantasy race imaginable, does some random dungeon crawling, defeats some random ass villain that showed up in the last episode or something, and that's that.
The story is just so uninspiring on so many levels. It tries to throw in these mini-arcs of random characters going through some crazy ass traumatic, depressive, tragic shit, in order to give the story and characters some depth, but it feels empty. There's no soul behind it. There's not enough time for us as viewers to care, and the narrative is so all over the place it just makes it worse.
Also - there were way too many weird penis jokes for no reason. Did we really need to know that one side character has a 30cm cock, and the MC only has a 15cm one? Do we really need pan to the 25cm tall Fairy to promote our imagination of how big those dicks would be in comparison to her? Do we really need to pan to the MC's romance interest to see how much she cares about the dude's pecker size?
And don't get me started on how they had like a 4 episode arc about finding a dude's penis that was eaten by a dog...
Like... could we not? Gintama would have trouble making such a topic enjoyable to watch.
Characters - 5/10
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Okay, the score seems rough, but hear me out. The characters themselves aren't all necessarily that bad in essence. BUT HOLY HELL is the writing TERRIBLE. And not just the writing, but the pacing is so off.
Characters spout completely random exposition, or say lines that seem on a 5 minute delay, leading to some of the weirdest battle scenes ever. Characters seemingly forget their entire personalities and what they know or what they were doing, just to spout obvious commentary about the situation. It's absolutely bizarre.
It feels like the director was given an outline of a scene, aka: "The party fights this monster here. They defeat it like so, but have a hard time. So make it happen, and ummm... write some dialogue for them so we can pad the runtime of the anime a bit."
That's what it feels like. Fight scenes are so drawn out, full of so much unnecessary gibberish.
I also have a strange feeling that the show inserted a bunch of Gay romance in for no particular reason other than to showcase how liberal they are about sexuality. Like, I'm okay with any sexuality, but they literally made 2 gay characters with no other personality traits other than that they were gay. Like why? That's an insult to people of any sexuality when you make it their entire personality.
Like they literally made a girl who partied up with another girl, just so she could heal her wounds and slowly get her to like her. She had nothing else on her mind. Just: "wait until my love interest gets hurt, so that I can heal her and get me some action."
Then they had a gay dude who's only trait was to immediately develop a crush on the MC. Which was not explored whatsoever. MC's main female romance interest just blushed once for jealousy and that was it.
Like come on. Don't write blanket gay characters into the show just to give them one scene of them being horny. And then forget all about them. That's weird and lame.
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Total - 6/10
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Benriya Saitou-san, Isekai ni Iku is a pretty decent Isekai in terms of production values, however the story and characters, along with weird ass narrative, pacing, and terrible dialogue really do bring it down a fair bit.
Again, maybe it's just me. Maybe this weird, jumping all over the place narrative and a bunch of penis jokes is actually a modern revolution that's gonna take over the world of anime or something, but I didn't care for it and I'd rather never see it again.
If you are a big Fantasy Isekai fan, the show is still probably worth a watch.
AeroGunz
“Handyman Saitou in Another World” is what happens when someone wants to make an anime in tiktok format. It’s a “story” (and I use this word loosely) about a blue collar worker who gets summoned (by accident I may add) to a fantasy world and joins forces with 3 adventurers to survive. Saitou - our main hero and the person who we follow the most. He’s a handyman skilled in lockpicking (and probably locksmithing), simple leather works, repairing items and appraising (somehow). He has a serious case of inferiority complex and once in a while acts like he could have a mild case of a depressivestate. He’s a hard worker who desires to be useful to others and wants to find a place where he will be needed and appreciated. He’s also boring. Personality trait wise there is nothing in him that could make him something more than just an avatar for the viewer.
This show doesn't have an overarching plot. It’s made in short mini episodes stacking 3 to 5 in one episode. Some of them are a continuation of the previous but the pacing is destroyed. At some point there is a pretty dumb rhythm to the episode. One episode will be about a fight with a powerful enemy, only to show a retrospective in the next just to get back to the fight in the third, then again a retrospective etc. It kills all sense of tension and I can’t say that I like it. For the episode plots themselves they are… cliche AF. There is nothing in here that could be considered original or clever and it relies on his characters to pick up the slack.
Raelza - Fighter / tank of the team. She’s proud, for most of the shy, in love with Saitou and… boring. She’s a cardboard cutout of any anime girl in love and even the fact, she’s a competent fighter does nothing to make her interesting. She can be a little bit interesting when she shows some jealousy when Saitou talks with other women or other adventurers try to hog him for themselves.
Lafanpan - A moonlight fairy with a capitalistic attitude towards her skills. If she’s going to use her skills for someone, she better get paid (unless it’s a life or death situation). She does have a pretty good reason to be like that and that’s a reason that makes some sense so it makes her a little bit more interesting than Saitou and Raelza. She’s also the party’s cleric that loves to tease Raelza about her crush on Saitou.
Morlock - The only actually interesting character of the team. That’s partly because a lot of his backstory is explored during the show but also because she’s actually entertaining. He’s a powerful mage. His magic power is dwarfed only by his libido. He’s a foster father for Raelza but he treats Saito and Lafanpan as his children as well. He has a tragic past but unlike most anime this tragic past is tragic not only for what happens to him, but also that it is really believable. After seeing it You really get a feel that someone like that really could do something like that. Hell… I know a person who would almost 100% make the same mistake. He has problems with memory, both shortterm and longterm. He forgets spell incantations, names, quest goals and even his own status. The best character of the show by far.
For a show that is runs fully by his characters the characters are… boring. Except for Morlock like I stated before. The best parts of the show are related to Morlock which is a shame because I really wanted more exploration of the dynamics of all the party members.
Despite that, this show is surprisingly enjoyable. As long as You go in without any expectations, or a bottle of whiskey, You can derive enjoyment from it. The dynamic between Saito and Raelza or Saito and Morlock or Raelza and Lafanpan are really interesting despite the little time that they get.
I can’t say I don’t recommend this show, the premise is really interesting and right up my alley but the execution makes it hard for me to recommend this with a clear conscience.
Marinate1016
Tired of overpowered MCs in isekai who can solve every issue in front of them without putting any effort in? Want a normal guy who you can relate to and that doesn’t act like an idiot? You’re in luck, Isekai Saitou is one of the most unique takes on the isekai genre and you will not regret checking this one out! I thought I had seen it all before in anime. I never imagined the day would come when I would watch a literal handyman in another world. What’s so cool about this show is that the MC is an average guy with no specialabilities or power ups. It’s just him and the handy tools he’s brought from Earth. He’s forced to rely on his party members for support and using his handy skills to help out. There’s no harem, no usual cliches, just a genuinely good fantasy story here. I really can’t emphasise how much I enjoyed this show’s storytelling methods. It had a really cool style of showing seemingly random characters and arcs and then tying them together later on. I appreciate the show don’t tell style of storytelling a lot so that was a big bonus for me.
In addition to the story and cool MC, the show has a great party mechanic. With Saitou being the weakest of his party, he naturally has to rely on his party members for any combat needs. This is a really useful technique that I wish more authors would use. Making your MC OP usually kills the side characters because they will never get opportunity to shine. Making the MC weak forces those other characters to get things done. Every single member of the party is equally useful which is really rare in this genre. Usually you get that token fan-service character who’s only there to look cute, but here everyone matters and without the full squad things would not work. The party members also feel like a genuine family with some really good chemistry between the main cast. The show is largely character driven and it just works with how tight knit this group is. They’re not without their flaws, they do have arguments and fallings-out, but always manage to come back together and I really felt like I was apart of that group with them. No complaints with any of the characters’ writing here.
C2C actually really impressed me with the animation quality they brought in the last couple of episodes. There was some genuinely impressive Sakuga in those fights. That wasn’t really the norm for the majority of the series. It wasn’t bad, but just pretty mediocre until that big fight at the end. Maybe they were saving the budget/resources. The art style is actually really nice, it’s a rather muted colour palette that gives off a real fantasy vibe. Character designs are decent too.
I’d say if you’re short on time and want one of the more slept on shows this season, this is definitely one of the ones to watch. It’s not your typical isekai and is really good watch with a unique MC, engaging party dynamic and a rich world. I was left wanting more and I think you will be too.
Isekai Saitou gets 9 out of 10.
superwolfkin
Well it was fun enough. it's certainly in my journey of Isekai nonsense one of the most interesting stories from a narrative perspective. It's not *super* unique but I didn't come to this genre for a bunch of super unique and unexpected things. I came here for masturbatory wish fulfillment that wasn't so cringe I turn it off and go cry. Let's just that this was neither which an interesting feeling. This is a vignette anime. I didn't even know this was a thing. The story is at times frustratingly opaque as it will stop randomly for an extended vignette that may or may notbe relevant. Some of them give interesting and insightful insight into characters that Saitou meets. Some of them are extended setups for jokes you might or might not find funny.
I've only seen a few of these shows and I'm already starting to see the tropes and Saitou kinda swerve on some of the problematic ones. He doesn't get so powerful it's boring. He doesn't get into a weird harem situation. He's just a handyman and the anime does a solid job of really playing with that premise in ways that *just* kept me interested in spite of how frustrated I would get watching a random vignette when I just wanted to know what happens next.
The characters are fine. Saito is basically a bland main character with Mario Stats. Even temperament. Even skills. His entire character is just easy going. Raelza is the love interesting and it's a typical anime girl love interest. She's shy for cultural reasons. Worried her skills might make her unattractive in this case her bulky build, kinda. But at least she looks like and is an adult so yay. Lafanpan is the "other" character. A tiny fairy whose gold greedy for good reasons. She's mostly a champion of the relationships and supports people with magic the way Saito supports the team emotionally. Then we have Morlock who is our character with a mysterious past. He's basically the pervert character but he can turn it on when the fighting gets rough. So kinda Master Roshi from Dragonball. There's decent development for the main characters (most of them) and for a handful of the many sidecharacters. Does every challenge get solved easily? Maybe. But is it boring to watch them? not really. The vignettes, as frustrating as they sometimes are, do keep you engaged enough. And so few of them are duds.
I recommend it as an Isekai but one series in I feel you can find better anime. It's pretty good for anime-isms though. It might make a decent on boarding show. There's only a touch of nudity and it's not too cringe. There are a few dick jokes. They're charming enough to laugh at.
Samisami5253
My expectation was low starting the show. I was just trying a few relaxed Anime. But it was actually pretty good. I feel like those who had too much expectation are the ones disappointed in the Anime. You can't expect every anime to be the serious story type. Sometimes you need a refresher of some sort. This Anime Started as a simple anime but soon as i got to know the charter's i liked it better.(Though some characters are annoying) But the ending doesn't leve you with any empty feelings. Only for 12 episode you get alot of enjoyment. This isn't your like great Anime. But one that's pretty good. Sowatch it when you're bored and want something refreshing.
bossunhimeswitch
Every cour I try to watch an isekai and most of the time I get bored or annoyed and bail, but this isekai was different.One of the strengths of the series is that our main character Saitou not only is an average guy in our world but he came to the world as he was in our world, so we got to skip the super annoying monologues that come with isekai in which someone is reincarnated into another person who suddenly wakes up with their past life personality in charge of their body. Every episode is a series of shorts, some more interconnected thanothers. Most of the time there's a lot of comedy to them but there are some dramatic story lines as well. The characters are unique and shine immediately. Sometimes the humor falls flat, but most of the time the jokes are funny. The dramatic story lines at times seemed stronger than the funnier ones, and it was fun to feel how much I cared about each character as the series progressed.
If you're looking for a well but fast paced anime with some funny moments and drama and don't mind some sophomoric jokes, then you might just like this anime.
MewsicMagic
Handyman Saitou in Another World is an isekai that tried to be different from the usual "generic" stuff you'd expect from the genre but did it in a rather unique and out of the box way. My short reccomendation is, if you like slice of life mixed with comedy or character focused anime with a bit of comedy, or have watched and liked animes like Aharen-san wa Hakarenai, That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime, Slime Diaries, or Encouragement of Climb this anime is probably for you. First let's hits things off with those FLAWS, you've gotta negative sometimes right? Jk. Let's start with thestory and plot, because on the whole it's pretty simple and barebones. It's basically Saitou who worked as a handyman ends up in another world, and joins a party of eccentric adventuring individuals to be their "handyman", basically he just picks locks on chests and helps fix some of their gear. So if you wanted to watch this for the "handyman" part of it, they have it but it's pretty bare bones and not too much of the selling point or focus. There really isn't too much of a plot or story here because instead it focuses more on it's characters and comedy than anything else. I suppose the best way to put it is, here or there they'll make a short story/plot centered around a specific character that lasts for 1 or maybe 2 episodes and that's that. If you've seen Violet Evergarden (which you totally should if you haven't already), think of this like having the short character stories from some of it's episodes but without a larger plot or other things going on alongside it and in general the character stories not being not quite as good. On the whole the lack of more story and plot in this show is the biggest thing holding it back, however it still manages to be entertaining and a good watch despite that.
Next let's get to those characters which is this show's biggest positive alongside, THE COMEDY!! The first 3-4 episodes is pretty much all comedy and nothing else. There's a bit of those character stories I mentioned coming in after that but there's still a lot of comedy mixed in with those too. The main 4 are pretty good characters and overall quite funny, especially Morlock. I kid you not this senile old man carries HALF the comedy in this show. Even when this show tries to be serious he's usually mixing comedy in with it. On the whole it makes the show pretty entertaining which is nothing but a good thing. Raelza on the whole is an alright character, it's obvious from episode 1 she has a crush on Saitou and while she does have more going for her character than that it's not the focus as much partly due to this shows use of comedy. Lafanpan is decently funny also but didn't have much else going for her. They tried to give her character some more depth around the 4th episode but they didn't go far enough in depth with her background and such to bring her up to par with the rest, maybe they can fix that if we get a second season. I mentioned Morlock earlier but he's not just carrying the comedy in this show, the man also has the most interesting backstory and more depth than any other character in this show, while also being the flattest piece of comedy in the entire show. Saitou himself is honestly pretty basic and flat compared to the other characters, he's not outright bad by any means but he could've used some more work and fleshing out. I wont talk too much about side characters but on the whole they're fine and fulfill their comedy jobs pretty well.
Ahh my favorite part of this show, the production. C2C is back at it again and they simply don't miss, the art style is somewhat unique and is drawn more than well enough for this show. But the animation here is top notch, too good for this show even, C2C have pretty much always been slapping all the much larger and well known studios in the face by having far more detailed, expressive and fluid movement in everything they've animated. Heck, Moonlit Fantasy as an example, was an anime they'd worked on for it's first season and the animation quality went straight downhill when JC Staff took over for the 2nd season, even if they did the art well enough. So on the whole having C2C producing this has been nothing but a godsend for it's animation production quality, this studio never fails to impress me there. The voice acting is up to par for the standard you'd expect from anime, music and audio production are both very good, they're not anything top tier but they easily do the job.
On the whole The Superb Senile Adventures of the Magnificent Magician Morlock, wait no, I meant Handyman Saitou in another world. It's a show that's very simple story wise, but overall quite entertaining and a worthwhile watch that'll probably give you a few laughs. It's nothing amazing and certainly doesn't go without is fair share of flaws and problems but it's very easy to recommend due to it's strengths and most would likely find this a good watch due to that 7/10.
TheEtherea
I'm on the fence about this one. On one hand it has tense moments, nice character interaction, backstories and chemistry mixing up different stories into one main plot. On the other hand every episode is chopped into short mini episodes without beginning or end (so to speak) where it sends you back and forth in time and between different characters. In the end I understood I wasn't a big fan of this approach, but it was still an interesting idea that I remember was used in the 90's crime movies. It does humor rather well, dramatic moments are well done, but I feel like at times the paceis slower than I would hope for and some scenes are dragged on for my taste.
For me it really lacked something that could make it into a great show. Had all the ingredients but barely missed the spot.
I wonder if Season 2 is planned and if the studio manages to improve on this.
Gregory_Senpai
I'd say this is well above average in terms of quality isekai series. I generally dislike it when an isekai with a ridiculous premise, such as this one, gets serious, but somehow, I wasn't overly bothered by it here. The plot of this show is pretty much right there in the title. A handyman, named Saitou, ends up being transported to a fantasy world; he joins a party of adventurers who’re exploring a dungeon. He’s good at picking locks, disarming traps, kinda fulfills the role of a rogue in general ‘Dungeons and Dragons’ terms, but without the stealthy backstabbing. I bring up D&D because Icould definitely see this entire series being played out on a table-top. It felt like a really whacky campaign, designed by the world’s weebiest DM. For example, one of the biggest, plot-centric turn of events involves a Roomba. So, even when the anime is at its most serious, those bits were balanced out well with laughs and general silliness. It gets precarious, but not bogged down in a dark, depressing way. I really liked the cast of characters too. Saito’s party of adventurers includes a bad-mouthed fairy, a blushing maiden of a fighter, and a lecherous old wizard who can’t remember his own spells. Definitely reminds me of a D&D group generated with quirkiness in mind. Each of them gets a great backstory, some even having entire arcs dedicated to resolving their past conflicts (I cried during the wizard’s). Outside the main party, there’s also a really diverse group of side characters who add their own unique flavor to the show, and here is where I think the series really shines because they’re all so vastly non-standard, that you’re always in for something special when someone new shows up. Even the villains are given their own time to shine. This series was a delightful little piece of isekai popcorn, and I’m glad I stuck with it, even though the start was a bit rocky.
nalist
Isekai about your average Joe (or whatever they call analog in Japan), who got isekai'd into more or less realistic rpg-like world. MC did not get any super powers and just do his thing to try to survive in new world. Surprisingly result is pretty good. Story does not always follow main protagonist and gives perspective of other characters rather frequently. The way it all comes together is beautiful and interesting to watch. Really nice story with happy end. Minimal fanservice, no harem, but it seems that he will get his personal life sorted out. Combat looks cool, quality overall is good.
SMGJohn
Do you enjoy extremely boring and bland anime? Well, this one is for you, this anime was created as an experiment by its mangaka, to see if he can truly hit that fine balance of extreme blandness and man, did he achieve it! This anime may as well be the finest of all bland ones out there, it has no drama, it has no conflict, nothing stands out but shockingly there is nothing bad about it either. Its the kind of anime you put on as noise in the background while making dinner and because its pure vanilla, you somehow did not miss a thing!
sukinana
If you're tired of the overpowered MC trope or maybe hate MC's who are weak, wimpy, and make the most irrational decisions for god knows why, Then this is the show you're looking for. The MC of this show is just a normal guy with a normal job that happens to get transported in another world and he is by no means OP, However he is without a doubt the most reliable guy you could depend upon because he is a handyman and his skills in the fantasy world is something outstanding because he could quite literally do most stuff with his skills like pickinglocks, opening treasure chests, make armor renovations, make some useful necessities, memorize the incantations of magic so that their mage can cast magic because he forgets it every time, give support in battles, etc. Bro is literally a CHAD, And one more thing he also he keeps the party in position and not fuck up so yeah. If he isn't a CHAD then I don't know what else to call him, Also it's not harem so that is like plus 100 points in my book(like really finally some Isekai with no hoe collecting like damn)
This is a Slice of Life Isekai show so there really isn't a clear endgame or goal that the story is moving up to so there isn't much that I can say about the story but let's talk about it. The show starts off really quick, MC was already transported in the fantasy world by the first scene but we do get a flashback and back story about the MC in later episodes. One of the things that this show did is that it introduced like the entire cast of the show in the first few episodes so it got me confused at first when it was just showing new characters every scene. The flow of the story is also very messy, not messy in a bad way but messy in a good way because all these random ass things are happening every time and they just go with it but it's also very funny that I don't even question it like "yeah man I got poisoned and died and some wolf ate my private part and now I'm a half undead and after getting back my magicules from the wolf I became a furry and now I'm young again" and I just sat there thinking "yeah that totally makes sense, keep going!".
The one thing that I liked most about this show is that the characters, Because this show is heavily character driven all the characters in this show are just the most normal, logical, and lovable characters you'd find in the Isekai genre. To start off we have the MC being the weakest in his party but is equally efficient as the others because without him the party struggles with their formation and they do not get the support that the MC gives them to have a better time in their labyrinth hunting, One of the things that I also like is that how the other characters can also shine and have their moment of glory because the MC isn't like other Isekai MC's where he is OP and can solve most problems and mysteries in a matter of seconds with his magic or something. Every single character in this show is as good as the MC and they all have good dynamics and chemistry towards each other including the other casts and the comedy hits you in a good way because of this as well.
C2C has earned my praise for really giving the show an impressive animation and production quality. All the fight scenes we're so good and it was god damn fire I'm telling you, Especially the last fight of this season it had some really impressive sakuga in the fights and I could ask for nothing more. The art is also pretty nice and the character designs we're decent probably more average looking but it doesn't ruin anything about the show.
Overall I enjoyed this show a lot and I highly recommend it to Isekai fans who are looking for something new and refreshing, Just remind you that there is no insane world building type of stuff in here so keep that in mind.
Tablekun
After watching the trailer for this prior to winter 2023, I had written this one off citing it as a locksmith isekai, which can't be good. After 1 episode of it airing, I began hearing rumblings, so I gave it a shot. I gotta say, I was wrong to judge locksmith isekai so soon, because it actually turned out to be pretty enjoyable comedy wise, and it is one of the best animated series of winter 2023. Unfortunately, like so many isekai this season, it started out well and hit its stride early, but never went anywhere with its plot. Ijust wrote a review about Isekai Ojisan, who suffers the exact same issue. We have 2 good comedies, that fail to attempt a storyline. With Ojisan, there was absolutely zero effort put into a story, with Benriya, there actually is a small segment of the show that reveals past instances of teleportation from Japan and to Japan, but that's it, that storyline stops there, and the show stalls its way into episode 12 with a rather uneventful ending to this season. Again, like Ojisan, Benriya likes to do this episodic storytelling, that doesn't allow for a flow to the plot that should have developed. Due to this, the series falls flat by the end, and becomes just another mid isekai that just didn't try hard enough.
Animation 9/10
- A surprise to see a locksmith isekai be animated so well, with great details, good magic sequences, and great character design.
Sound 8/10
- OP and ED are forgettable, sound effects are great through.
Story 5/10
- The story is barely recognizable, like I said, they sprinkled some things into some episodes, but then just left it at that, and played the episodic slice of life isekai trend which just makes isekai hard to watch.
Characters 6/10
- I like our main cast, Morlock steals the show for sure. I feel though, that characters like Raelza, Lafa, and even Saitou are underdeveloped, and their character growth is barely there. The love interest stuff fell flat too, especially since the last episode does what it does with Lafa.
Enjoyment 7/10
- The comedic value, although being overdone with the same jokes sometimes, I feel it helped this series be at least mid-enough to watch to the end.
If you can watch isekai with no direction, and like comedy and animation more than story, Benriya can be worth watching. If you want isekai with world building though, this ain't gonna be it fam.
Alexevander
Overall, Studio C2C graced us with a beautiful dark fantasy, about a handyman trying to find his worth in another world. The relationships between the characters really make the story fulfilling and fun to watch. The anime doesn't follow generic tropes as other isekai and the adult spontaneous comedy really make the show a thrill to enjoy. Style- 2d, Dark fantasy, with smooth animation Enjoyment- Loved the cute relationships between the characters, Marlock is awesome and hilarious, the adult humor and jokes were a breath of fresh air, unique relationships between characters, jokes made references and poked fun at other works and isekais. Unique- Nota cookie cutter isekai(OP MC), charming story with mature cometic theme, good dark fantasy animation style, the jumpy story keeps the action going and is entertaining, the story fills you in thoroughly, hilarious journey, good character storytelling to fully understand and express them.
disappointing- The story jumps around a lot like 4 koma scenes, not too much progression in story, relationships don't progres enough, every character gets a background story so a lot of backtracking happens, Wish Saitou had more to his character and skills, he is very underwhelming, some characters were dragged out way longer than necessary along with the story.
PixelB
Handyman Saito fails miserably as a comedic slice-of-life show. The comedic setups fall too short and the scenes go by lightning-fast. Not surprising, considering that the source material is 4-Koma-like: each chapter is only a few pages. I might have laughed at one scene of the many attempts at the show trying to be funny. However, as much as I was disappointed with the comedy, the more serious parts of the story really carry the show. I thought this show to be like Saito himself: jack of all trades, master of none. The show tries to be funny, be serious and has its hand dipped inromance as well. As a result, none of the themes really would stick. I was thankfully proven wrong.
The serious, continuous storyline is actually better than most isekai shows out there. It's actually funny how good it is. The villains have much more characterization than a typical hero's journey story regarding a hero and demon king, and the characters themselves are eased into the story as it goes along. The show does a much better job at converging storylines than Odd Taxi, and all of the characters that you see in isolation eventually come together to form relationships with each other, and that's truly satisfying. The best thing about the show is that it doesn't just shove in a random tragic backstory onto an unknown character and call it a day, but like good storytelling, the show introduces the characters' personalities and it's only much more down the line will you be introduced to the backstory of each character. By the time the flashbacks happen, you already like and know the character enough. The pacing isn't slow or fast, and there are always going to be character arcs that flesh out all of the characters.
While each chapter in the source material is very short, you can easily create a continuous storyline if you just extend it over many chapters as this author did. And it's a good thing that he did. The episodic comedic shorts are quite unfunny like I was saying before, but the converging storylines between each character as a climactic meeting and fight comes along is quite good. The animation for the fight scenes certainly hides hard-to-animate details, but it actually is better than most isekai fight scenes. It truly isn't that bad, even with some animation shorthand and time saves.
It certainly does get a bit cheesy when Saito decides to let someone go after they try killing them, and it's also cheesy when the villains get to live and redeem themselves, but it's not just like Demon Slayer where a tragic backstory is slapped on somebody and they die. Some villains die, some villains redeem themselves, and they all have some sort of backstory that you get to listen to. It's not an obligatory flashback like in Demon Slayer, but one that actually puts the morality of a person into light and not just an afterthought. Overall, much more well done in terms of characterization, moral resolution, and realism compared to a vast majority of Shounen shows that try their hardest to do so.
A continuous story obviously means continuous character dynamics and plot. The romance, while slow-burning, isn't just hundreds of chapters of nothing happening between Saito and Raelza, but rather, the romance actually progresses. The romance isn't super cringe, and it's definitely more natural than I would have expected. The character development of Saito in general is much more realistic than I would have expected. He isn't some cringe JP protagonist that whines about soy sauce and rice from his homeland, nor is he particularly homesick. The issue between his wanting to come home and his wanting to stay with his comrades in his current world is clearly explained and delineated: something that again, serious isekai shows fail to do miserably. Saito isn't some transported guy that gets shunned in his new world before "discovering" his OP af abilities and attends magic academy with his harem of girls, but rather just a handyman that wants respect and acknowledgment, and is given it in his new party. Each character has a realistic and deep profile that you can explore as the episodes go by. Other than Saitou, Morlock's personality and past are also heavily scrutinized by the story. He has to face his past, look at the present, and has to acknowledge his failings and accomplishments to go on in life. A surprisingly deep character arc for a lecherous geriatric man.
If this show went all in on the continuous storyline, I would have easily given it a higher rating, but as it stands, the episodic shorts are just too unfunny for me to care. The lack of character development in many of the side characters, including even Lafanpan and a little bit of Raelza, as well as the excessive amount of comic relief characters (mainly the dwarf; the king and his entourage are actually the funnier ones), could have been avoided if this show focused completely on its story and worldbuilding rather than it's unfunny episodic segments. If you're only looking for a comedic isekai, there aren't many, but this definitely isn't one of the good ones. Take a look at Eminence in the Shadows, konosuba, or meikyuu black company, as they actually have decent comedic scenes.
CorvidMonarch
“What the fuck” the Anime Rating 8/10 maderakas I watched one episode of this anime and immediately added it to my ‘chill vibes’ folder. It seemed like a good anime to have on in the background, with anthologies telling multiple stories and no rush for a big plot HOLY SHIT this anime takes a turn. If you think you can guess an episodes plot, you’ll be wrong. It’s funny at times, gory at times, sometimes sad and others with fan service. It crashes all the storylines together in the middle of the season and proves that nothing was just there for no reason. I genuinely thought characters woulddie at points.
Story 7/10
I enjoyed this anime a lot, but it’s not what it seems. It’s weird and disjointed and then everything is happening all at once, but it’s good. The last episode is hilarious.
Characters 9/10
Everyone was interesting! Background characters grew as people and they all had their own lives and quirks!
Romance 6/10
Occasionally frustrating and slow burn but cute. Everyone ships it except Guivre
Also Morlock is the main character.
