My Isekai Life

Episode 9

Episode 9 of My Isekai Life did not do much for me. I had high hopes based on how the last episode ended that we would be in for a momentous battle but ended up with mostly run of the mill action.

I think the episode's biggest problem is that it feels like we've already done this. Yuji facing off against a giant dragon which he defeats by standing on a high position and blasting away with spells is… not the most original setup for an episode. When Yuji fought the blue dragon a few episodes earlier it largely played out the same way.

The difference is that in the battle with the blue dragon there were a few additional factors that kept it interesting. First of all, there were more stakes in the earlier dragon battle. Yuji was protecting villagers and the surrounding countryside in that first instance. Here in his battle with the red dragon, while nominally it is a threat, it's obviously part of his desire to get new gear and level up. That fact alone makes the battle more hollow. Secondly, following almost beat for beat the same battle structure makes this fight just feel unoriginal, whereas the first fight was at least novel for its sense of scale.

There are a few saving graces sprinkled throughout, so it's not all a loss. I enjoyed that the operatives at the beginning were cunning and experienced (even if they did ultimately bite the bullet). I also liked seeing the slimes and Proud Wolf flaunting their new shiny gear, since they are consistently my favorite parts of the show. I also like the fire dragon's clear Godzilla-based design, though I wish the battle not ended up in a rather dull beam struggle (as many of my least favorite Godzilla films end). The world detail regarding the weather machine was a nice bit too, another subtle piece of world-building that helps give the setting some texture.

Let's hope next week we enter more original territory.

Rating:

My Isekai Life is currently streaming on HIDIVE.