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Season 01: Ishura (TV)
Season 02: Ishura (TV 2)

Source: Light Novel (ongoing @ 9 volumes, written by Keiso, illustrated by Kureta)

Demographic: Shounen

Animation Studio: Passione, Sanzigen

Genres: action, adventure, drama, fantasy

Themes: aristocracy, dragons, factions, gore, isekai, magical creatures, magical items, medieval, military, sorcery, swordplay, tragedy, war

Plot Summary: In a world where the Demon King has died, a host of demigods capable of felling him have inherited the world. A master fencer who can figure out how to take out their opponents with a single glance; a lancer so swift they can break the sound barrier; a wyvern rogue who fights with three legendary weapons at once; an all-powerful wizard who can speak thoughts into being; an angelic assassin who deals instant death.

Eager to attain the title of "True Hero," these champions each pursue challenges against formidable foes and spark conflicts among themselves. The battle to determine the mightiest of the mighty begins.

Air Date & Platform:
Season 01: January 3, 2024 (Wednesday)
Available on: Hulu

Season 02: Pending
Available on: Pending

Episode Count / Runtime:
Season 01: 12 episodes
Season 02: Pending

Total: 12 episodes

[EDIT: Fancy opener stuff added. -TK]

#1

A lot of Japanese previews for this season focused on this franchise in particular, as its source material is well received and there's a lot of expectation that the setting and action set pieces packed in it make for good visual entertainment when properly adapted. I have no exposure to this, but if the title is a portmanteau of 異世界の修羅道 then I have a decent idea of what to expect. The first episode more or less fits what the premise is supposed to entail, and the series doesn't shy away from casual gore to emphasise a point.

Yagyuu doesn't have much depth as a character, since all he's looking for is the next fight to keep him interested and to satisfy his basic needs while in between life-threatening battles. Considering he spends most of his time killing or destroying anyone or anything standing in his way, his social skills are at a basic minimum to get what he needs (information, sustenance) in the shortest time and shortest effort possible. As a focal point for lots and lots of action set pieces, I suppose that's all one needs for a protagonist to move the plot along.

His new-found compatriot Yuno is more interesting, although not drastically so. It's her homeland that was suddenly annihilated in an apocalyptic black swan event, and she loses everything and everyone dear to her in the disaster. Her best friend whom she secretly admired from afar before the latter approached her was even torn limb from limb in front of her whilst still alive, so it's not surprising she reacts the way she does when the golems close in on her. Yagyuu being who he is doesn't realise she's happy to guide him to his eventual doom, as her mindset is certainly far from stable and she's certainly taking his approach to undesired freedom to heart. She certainly hates him, but as a narrator for the storyline she has a role to play since Yagyuu is the Outsider and she has to fill him (and the casual viewing audience) in on the new world he finds himself in.

Plenty of emphasis on Shura, and the early pattern seems to be one outrageous warrior introduced each week while the main pair slowly journeys to the Capital. The animating studio does not have a major action franchise to its resume prior to this adaptation, so I'm not expecting Ufotable or Mappa levels of action quality. What I have seen in this week's offering is sufficient for this kind of entertainment, and if they can serve up more on an consistent basis for the rest of the quarter that's my action entertainment quota filled.

I am impressed in how they made Yagyuu a battle junkie who makes most other battle junkies look sane in comparison. He truly cares about nothing else than slaughter and if that hurts non combatents, meh. I wonder if the other demigods will have similar selfish attitudes or if they have some semblance of caring for others. On the other hand, a group of powerful selfish basically villains duking it out purely for their own egos could be something fun too.

I can't say I'm fond of scenes where a character is given a large dose of the ole ultraviolence in a ham-fisted effort to mess with my delicate emotions, but there you go. I'm also not a fan of battle junkie characters in general. However, even with those strikes against it, the show intrigued me enough to keep going. Whether I will go all the way to the end remains to be seen. I like Yuno the Distant Claw and I'm curious as to what the other Visitors are like.

I went ahead and subscribed to Hulu with ads so I could check this show out, and I wound up watching the first three episodes of Undead Unluck instead. Holy crap, what an awesome show! And it's a double course if I'm understanding correctly? If true, that makes Shangri-La Frontier, Frieren, Apothecary Diaries, and now another awesome returner?

Oh, sorry. Anyway, I just got around to watching Ishura, and I was fixated on slaughter-kun's weird track suit ascot/mantle. So...are these demi-gods players? Or Isekai'd types?

Is this world an advanced video game with NPC natives who don't know they're NPCs?

Anyhow, I'm a little burned out on grim and dark right now for some reason, and like Blood, I didn't particularly enjoy watching the origin of the narrator's raison d'etre play out. But the show is different, and the atmosphere and mood are effective. I got pulled in a bit, but it's not a riptide situation. If the different "demi-gods" will have different and distinct personalities, and if the grim, dark colors and tones aren't relentless I might like this.

Well, the gore and brutal action are very much here to stay. It also seems like each episode will be dedicated to one of the demigods and once those are done I assume that they will meet for the hero competition. Setting wise it does not look like a video game type world, nor do all the demi-gods appear to be Isekai nutjobs. As for the story and all the events taking place....the second episode sure was a lot to take in. True demon lord, fake demon lords, former kingdoms, current kingdom, independent region, plans to assassinate and much more.

Was updating the Encyclopedia entry, then noticed the cast. Holy crap, that's a lot of A-listers. Even if a majority of those characters are gonna' get off'd, at least they'll be epic deaths.

Yeah, it seems to be the type of show where anyone not on the cover picture can be brutaly killed at any time.

#2

The show will take its time introducing its Hero competition entrants one by one before the action begins. This time we meet the embodiment of ambition and avarice, Alus. If the battle junkie Visitor from the pilot is only obsessed with the next battle, this candidate has an unquenchable thirst for more possessions. Although the desire is never sated, gathering so many powerful trinkets combined with the natural affinity of exploiting them to the maximum potential makes Alus more versatile than our land-bound swordsman, especially being a wyvern who can also use the in-universe magic faster than a dragon can breathe fire. The link with episode one being Alus seizing the golem cores without Yagyu and Yuno realising he was there. If the two were to match up, Alus has to stay out of Yagyu's reach and wear him down to win, since the match will be decided if Yagyu can get a swing in.

There's a lot of world-building to be had in addition to the candidate introductions. It's a big world with multiple settlements, and not everyone is on the same side. The eyepatch warrior leading the cavalry charge was Taren, and the settlement commanded by the general has tamed wyverns who are organised and have magic users. The mother kingdom it seceded from is naturally wary of such a hostile military force on its borders, but doesn't want open war when it could lose and there are other ways to buy time and undermine the secessionist cause through deceit. One of the 29 officials is named in the next episode's title, so I'm presuming the duo get to strut their stuff for next week and maybe beyond.

I can't say the way the show is doling out information is particularly elegant. As smurky points out, it's a storm of names, political situations and personalities. Kind of a lot of stuff for what should be a pretty simple Hero competition. I'll carry on for the time being but this title is on probation with me.

Hmmm, I have some real mixed feelings on this show. I actually really like the lore building they are doing, the world is interesting and each of the candidates thus far has their own flair to them. That said, as far as I know this is a 12 episode show, I would hate for there to be like 7 to 8 episodes of build up to then basically end up blue balled due to the season having to wrap things up.

Episode 3

I really dug the wyvern/blind girl pairing. I agree that it's a bit of an odd structure. Each episode we get introduced to new characters among which various bits of story fragments are scattered. Not really sure what it's all going to add up to in the end, but so far I'm interested in finding out.

#3

The template for the series (for the next few weeks at least) is to introduce one or two contenders for the vacant throne and show off some of their abilities. They all get a formal introduction one way or another through the episode. This week it's another Visitor Alus and the wyvern leader Regnejee.

It's clear Taren rates Dakai highly enough to send him on dangerous missions knowing he'll come back with loot unharmed. Turns out he was the only one stealing the golem power sources in episode one rather than Alus, and he and Taren had not doubt if Yagyu hadn't intervened with the golem he could have done the job himself and taken some of the parts as spoils in the process. Fantastic eyesight and kinetic vision bordering on precognition, his weapon complements his natural abilities. It'll be interesting if he faces off against Yagyu, since both of them have a talent for recognising the intrinsic weaknesses of their enemies.

As for Regnejee, he's a magic-using wyvern with the ability to command (and break) other wyverns to his command. We've already seen what he's capable of last episode, while his relationship with the blind Curte could be seen as a strength and a weakness as he's fond of her despite his standoffish demeanour. Interestingly, he was most likely in the same brood as Alus, so if the contenders are to match up it's most likely the two of them facing off against each other in an approximate match-up. If Regnejee is allowed to utilise strength of numbers it's a more even contest, at present Alus has the better gear and more combat experience (I don't think Regnejee would take on that ancient dragon and get away unscathed).

Focus shifts back to the capital next episode, as the courier and his package appear to be the contenders for next week.

Another interesting episode this week, it seems that even compared to the other op characters thus far Kia is very much in a class of her own. Her will is basically law and if she can cast instant death just by saying the words...good luck competitors, it reminds me of a certain instant death isekai show.

As for the format, despite finding the world and lore very interesting, I am still not very sold on it. With the speed at which we are going it may be the last third of the season for things to start coming together. I know that there are other anime that basically only cover the prologue of a story, yet I always find it unfulfilling to stop just when things are heating up.

Episode 4

Well, we have now met 3 of the 5 demi-gods mentioned in the ANN Encyclopedia summary: the fencer, the wyvern and the wizard. That just leaves the lancer and the assassin. So, theoretically, by episode 7 all prologue should be over and the real plot kicking in. Yeah, doesn't leave much runway, does it?

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