White Fox

What Is A Goddess?

Ristarte is done playing by the rules and is rushing to Seiya’s side as he faces off with the demon lord. Though, she isn’t about to stop him using his new ultimate move even if he knows it will kill him to use it. So begins what could, if played perfectly straight and without the slap-stick bit in the middle, have been one of the most dramatic show downs ever between hero and demon lord. This one episode fight hit all the right emotional notes though for the first time the comedy in this series felt incredibly intrusive. Admittedly, it isn’t like the comedy came out of nowhere, it just felt like the ending this show was going for didn’t match the tone of the ‘jokes’.

There’s a lot going on with Seiya using this move and Ristarte defying the rules of being a goddess to heal him so that he doesn’t die. That in and of itself was pretty climatic, but when the demon lord didn’t stay trapped and a plan B was needed, things got even more tense. If we remove the moment after Ristarte heals Seiya the first time and tries to kiss him, leading to him threatening to slug her and then actually hitting her, this episode was actually pretty intense and emotionally moving.

There’s something odd this season with a number of shows ending on a non-conclusion as they have second cours or season twos coming out next year, but then there are a number of anime bringing us thorough and complete conclusions. Cautious Hero is falling into the latter category as Seiya does complete his mission despite the cost and saves the world fairly thoroughly ending this story.

Affiliate Link – Bag

However, while the story of Seiya saving the unpronounceable fantasy world is done, Ristarte still has to face the knowledge of how it ended, the consequences for using her power the way she did, and the future in general. The minutes spent back in the heavens and seeing the other gods that we had met trying to comfort Ristarte in their own dysfunctional way was kind of sweet if a little jarring after the previous half of the episode. Ultimately though these final scenes actually made me kind of appreciate Ristarte and her role in the story as more than just the butt of a number of fairly mediocre jokes. I’d have liked more of this and less of the exaggerated ‘humour’ but I knew what kind of show this was from episode one so I’m not disappointed with what we did get.

One lesson we should all take away from this series is to always read the fine print. Meanwhile, I’ll need to consider my full series review. Cautious Hero is better than it should be when explained on paper but still incredibly flawed. That said, I’m glad I watched it this season.

Thank-you for reading 100 Word Anime.
Join the discussion in the comments.
Karandi James

Let’s Talk about how Seiya over-prepares while Ristarte freaks out in Shinchou Yuusha.

Images from: Shinchou Yuusha: Kono Yusha ga Ore Tueee Kuse ni Shinchou Sugiru. Dir. M Sakoi. White Fox. 2019.

Shinchou Yuusha Was Not Ready Perfectly

I will give Cautious Hero points for attempting to raise the stakes in what has so far been the story of Seiya outclassing everything he’s up against. With both the goddess and Seiya’s souls now potentially at risk from a weapon there’s at least a chance of them losing and Seiya didn’t just charge through the penultimate fight. In fact it looks like he may be up against the wall. It isn’t exactly dramatic tension given the show remains too comedic to really have the weight for that, but it at least makes this final stretch feel meaningful.

That said, the story may have over-reached a little bit with some of the reveals regarding Seiya and Ristarte in episode 11. It all kind of fits with what we’ve learned so far so at least it doesn’t feel like an after thought, however it also feels like there could have been a bit more foreshadowing so that it didn’t feel quite so jarring.

Also, they threw in a shopping trip for swim suits where I guess we were supposed to laugh at Ristarte’s antics but honestly it just felt like it was killing time. While there are certain aspects of this show I’ve really enjoyed, Ristarte’s character is too over the top for me to really appreciate her, though I know some viewers have found her to be the better part of the anime. To each their own I guess.

Affiliate Link

Attack on Titan – Levi (Re-run)

I will admit I am looking forward to the final episode. They’ve set up a fairly decent show down at this point and while I’m not expecting the animation to get any more inspired than brightly coloured lines and blurred movements, I actually do want to see how Seiya deals with the demon lord. I’m also curious as to whether Ristarte will get a more serious moment or if she’ll be comic relief right until the end. It also feels like the story is going to be finished which is nice. I do enjoy a sense of completion when watching things.

Cautious Hero has continued to be entertaining enough and I like that they didn’t get so caught up in the comedy that they forgot the story. They’ve really worked at building to a climax and all that is left to do is find out whether or not they manage to pull it off.

Thank-you for reading 100 Word Anime.
Join the discussion in the comments.
Karandi James

Let’s Talk about how Seiya over-prepares while Ristarte freaks out in Shinchou Yuusha.

Images from: Shinchou Yuusha: Kono Yusha ga Ore Tueee Kuse ni Shinchou Sugiru. Dir. M Sakoi. White Fox. 2019.

Goddesses, Flies, Demons and Sacrifices

Well, Seiya wraps up his bow training and we learn what was wrong with the archery goddess as she goes on a rampage attacking both Seiya and Mash. The amusement of the situation will depend on how funny you find a naked goddess threatening to have her way with an unwilling partner before getting pinned to a tree with multiple arrows. I’m going to say it fit within the context of the anime but I was more or less happy when Seiya and company decided to head back to deal with the giant flies.

Turns out they aren’t the only ones heading back to the flies. The idiot commander from last week has also gone alone to confront the flies and almost instantly gets taken captive by the leader who rises above the clouds and prepares to dash her body against the ground. Honestly, what did she expect to happen? Seiya using her as bait is the appropriate action in this instance even is she feels it is a cowardly act not to walk up to your enemy and face them head on (though what is the point of that if you are just going to lose and leave the kingdom defenceless).

However, there’s no rest for the group as they are almost instantly having to face a threat in the form of a summoned demon. Even fleeing to the divine realm doesn’t help and you have to wonder how useful some of these gods are given how quickly they are taken down.

Affiliate Link

Haikyu Kotaro Bokuto (Re-Run)

Seiya is as normal prepared for the events, however unlikely they are, and leads the demon to the one goddess he assumes can handle it, the Valkyrie that he previously encountered. Of course, he doesn’t do something sensible like ask for her: no, he decides to lure the demon into shooting at him while he’s standing in front of her work of art and then steps out of the way. The end result is effective though the question of Seiya’s methods is probably one that is going to keep coming up.

Though, it seems as we go into the home stretch Seiya’s got something he’s keeping secret and I suspect things are about to get bad for the team given, as Ristarte’s monologue made clear even if you hadn’t just noticed it (please anime trust viewers more), Seiya didn’t say he was Ready Perfectly before they set out onto the next thing. I’m curious as to where it is going and I’m very surprised by how much I’ve enjoyed this story. I was expecting something fairly ordinary when it first started but I’ve really found myself enjoying this each week even if there are a few scenes I could have done without.

Thank-you for reading 100 Word Anime.
Join the discussion in the comments.
Karandi James

Let’s Talk about how Seiya over-prepares while Ristarte freaks out in Shinchou Yuusha.

Images from: Shinchou Yuusha: Kono Yusha ga Ore Tueee Kuse ni Shinchou Sugiru. Dir. M Sakoi. White Fox. 2019.

Look Before You Leap

I think we’re back to noting that Seiya really suffers from an inability to communicate. He is absolutely right this week in that jumping in to fight a swarm of fast moving fly-like demons without preparation is a bad idea and yet he made the commander of the defence feel like he was abandoning the cause and then that she was to blame for the deaths up to that point. Of course, she kind of was and her lack of planning and generally impatient attitude is a definite flaw in a commander but surely there had to be a better way to get that across.

Yet, I would argue that it is Seiya’s direct and blunt approach, as well as his aversion to being the white knight who charges in before knowing the enemy, that makes him one of the more interesting isekai heroes I’ve seen in awhile. Certainly they are playing his caution as the gimmick of the show and most of the gags are around other characters suggesting a heroic course of action and Seiya shooting them coldly down, but the underlying logic of his choices, and the fact that he is still working his way through the demons even if he is doing it in his own way, keeps him from being just a joke of a character.

Though for all that Seiya comes off as a jerk, but actually in the right, this episode, Ristarte kind of gets very little to do other than futilely insist he apologise to the commander and later on freak out over a non-threat. While in the early part of the season a lot of the comedy was found in the play between Ristarte and Seiya, the two are increasingly interacting with other characters and Ristarte has really become less and less interesting whereas Seiya continues to intrigue.

Affiliate Link

Attack on Titan – Levi (Re-run)

However, in the face of a new demon threat, Seiya goes back to what he knows, which is training. A new goddess is introduced to teach Seiya magical archery and while she’s likely up to no good, it is fairly likely her schemes will go nowhere. I am more wondering what the ongoing impact is going to be of Seiya on the heavens when every god and goddess he has encountered has been changed in some manner. Surely that has to have some lingering implications.

It will be interesting to see how this plays out. I wonder if the commander of the fortress learned anything or whether she’s planning another suicide charge rather than coming up with an actual strategy? Either way, I guess Seiya will return next week to fight the fly things.

Thank-you for reading 100 Word Anime.
Join the discussion in the comments.
Karandi James

Let’s Talk about how Seiya over-prepares while Ristarte freaks out in Shinchou Yuusha.

Images from: Shinchou Yuusha: Kono Yusha ga Ore Tueee Kuse ni Shinchou Sugiru. Dir. M Sakoi. White Fox. 2019.

All About Priorities

Seiya is not a great communicator as becomes obvious early on in this episode of Cautious Hero. Elulu is faced with the ‘destiny’ of becoming the sword that will defeat the demon lord and Seiya doesn’t tell her not to do it, and yet it is pretty obvious what his thoughts about the whole situation are. Naturally Elulu and the rest of the party mis-read him which seems weird given how obvious it was but outside of that this episode works very well and while it might seem like Seiya is Seiya there’s definitely more going on with his character as this story progresses.

I do feel that it would have been nice for Elulu to be a little more assertive this episode. She very much is stuck as the victim of the piece where stuff is happening around her but largely she’s either just accepting of it happening or crying and waiting for someone to save her, or telling them to let it happen. While they’ve certainly made the point that Elulu the baggage carrying dragonkin isn’t exactly made for combat it really would have been nice to see her with a bit more spark in her personality this week as the episode revolved around her.

As for the dragonkin themselves, Saiya as usual doesn’t trust them and in this case it turns out he’s quite right not to given the sneaky means to which the leader will go to get her way. However, Seiya and the dragonkin leader soon come to blows and it is a matter of who was actually the most prepared. And we already know which character is ‘ready perfectly’.

Affiliate Link

Mondo: The Art of Soundtracks (hardcover)

I will say the fight was a little disappointing. Once the dragon leader went to defense it was by and large just a still dragon with a guy flailing his swords at it over and over again. While the concept makes sense given the context it wasn’t exactly visually stimulating and the scene seemed to go on and on.

Yet for any criticism that might be made, the reality is that this was a solid episode and the wrap up after the fight is where we realise that Seiya is either changing or he was never the solid rock of cautiousness we’ve come to expect. He’s almost half-way friendly at one point and one of his statements seems utterly at odds with the character he was when we first met him and yet comes so naturally at the end of this episode. It makes for an anime that could have been a one-note repeating joke into something far more interesting even if it still isn’t actually brilliant.

Though, it seems like the demon-lord is getting a bit more serious about the whole thing now so I wonder where the next episode will go and what will happen next. I also wonder if Ristarte will actually end up bald by the end of this because Seiya is making liberal use of her hair in the manufacturing process for his weapons.

Thank-you for reading 100 Word Anime.
Join the discussion in the comments.
Karandi James

Let’s Talk about how Seiya over-prepares while Ristarte freaks out in Shinchou Yuusha.

Images from: Shinchou Yuusha: Kono Yusha ga Ore Tueee Kuse ni Shinchou Sugiru. Dir. M Sakoi. White Fox. 2019.

Everything In Its Proper Order

Seiya finally agrees to let Mash and Elulu join his party as baggage carriers rather than as support and they get very excited about taking him to their village and finding some supreme sword but Seiya firmly puts the breaks on their plans this week in Cautious Hero. Instead he has Ristarte take them back to the world of the gods for yet more training. It isn’t exactly an unexpected development and it leads to some more humorous moments.

For Seiya’s part, he’s also looking to his own preparations but that doesn’t stop him agreeing to eat lunch with Mash and discussing strategy (or instilling general paranoia and fear into his newest disciple). The thing is, nothing Seiya says is overly wrong, just taken all too far. Still, as a hero his life expectancy is significantly higher than most who wear the title so perhaps his approach will pan out in the end.

However, in the grand tradition of anime and humour we run into a goddess whose outfit leaves little to the imagination and ultimately goes for a boob grope of Ristarte and extorts the promise of a groping from another goddess. I’m just not sure that needed to be there and it doesn’t really fit the rest of the episode given said goddess didn’t end up being of any significance to anything in this episode (maybe she’ll do something later) and I more or less could have done without it. Maybe others found it more amusing but it just felt thrown in for the sake of it.

Affiliate Link

Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai – Chinese Dress Version

Ultimately Seiya gets teamed up with another goddess for training and learning a new technique and we see a miraculous transformation over a number of days, much like with his last trainer only kind of in reverse. Instead of looking more haggard day by day, she falls in love with him and becomes more and more done up until she finally asks to go with him and gives him a cake. Which goes about as well as you would expect it to. I kind of love that Seiya doesn’t mince his words but that was harsh.

Ultimately though they do get back to business and travel to the whole dragon-kin village where you will need to watch through the credits as the episode continues and leaves us on a major bombshell. Now given the overall light nature of this show, I’m not expecting that there will be serious consequences and I’m more or less expecting that Seiya is just going to wreck the place and move on, but it was still a pretty impressive final note to end on because it leaves us with a lot to consider for the next episode. On that note, I’m generally really enjoying this show and while some of the humour has missed its mark it makes me smile or laugh at least a couple of time an episode and that is definitely good enough.

Thank-you for reading 100 Word Anime.
Join the discussion in the comments.
Karandi James

Let’s Talk about how Seiya over-prepares while Ristarte freaks out in Shinchou Yuusha.

Images from: Shinchou Yuusha: Kono Yusha ga Ore Tueee Kuse ni Shinchou Sugiru. Dir. M Sakoi. White Fox. 2019.

Ready Perfectly

After three episodes, Shinchou Yuusha appears to be ready to move Seiya on to his next stage. Here we have the ridiculously cautious hero having finally prepared his plans, contingencies, and sufficient materials that he feels relatively confident stepping onto the battle field. All while his primary personality of caution and self-preservation has not been lost (nor his blunt and somewhat difficult personality). That’s a feat few shows would manage as normally the character would suddenly just seem less cautious while charging into the fray.

Now that he’s confident he can take on the identified enemy, and he’s apparently fairly confident of taking on unforeseen enemies at this point, Seiya doesn’t need to be dragged to the battle field. In this instance, Ristarte actually struggled to match his pace finally needing him to stop and help her out (which he actually did for once). Then he thoroughly obliterated the enemy (though had first negotiated payment from the army to fund a new skill he’d unlocked – which turns out to be pretty awesome).

This is a really nice development all round as it means we aren’t stuck in a loop of Ristarte asking Seiya to save someone and him blanket refusing because he isn’t prepared. Both of these characters are evolving through their experiences though remaining true to their core personality. That actually gives this series some overall promise for not becoming progressively less interesting as the season continues.

Affiliate Link

Haikyu Kotaro Bokuto (Re-Run)

While the army of undead were more or less wiped out in an instant, the harder challenge was when the support that Seiya had turned down, Mash, got himself captured. It is hard to know whether we should blame Seiya for his abrasive personality that caused Mash to storm off, or Mash for walking into situations that were ridiculously over his head for that outcome, but unlike the last character who was taken hostage, this time Seiya had a pretty good plan, even if it did involve ordering around two goddess’ to pull it off.

Episode 4 of The Hero is Overpowered but Overly Cautious is pretty solid all around, building on everything we’ve seen up to this point and giving us a direction for future developments. I really enjoyed this episode and my overall hope for this anime has stepped up a bit. Hopefully Shinchou Yuusha doesn’t run out of steam as I’m finding this one pretty amusing, I like the cast and the way they bounce off of one another, and I’m finding Seiya’s style of heroics pretty entertaining.

Thank-you for reading 100 Word Anime.
Join the discussion in the comments.
Karandi James

Let’s Talk about how Seiya over-prepares while Ristarte freaks out in Shinchou Yuusha.

Images from: Shinchou Yuusha: Kono Yusha ga Ore Tueee Kuse ni Shinchou Sugiru. Dir. M Sakoi. White Fox. 2019.

The Hero Continues to Prepare
And Would Probably Do So Forever

Seiya is definitely proving that there is such a thing as being over-prepared and while it is a running and repeated joke, three episodes in I’m still finding it kind of amusing. This week our Cautious Hero realises he isn’t gaining levels any more training alone and asks Ristarte to create some equipment for him. She refused but this leads another goddess to suggesting he train against a god after Seiya refused to go fight monsters because he isn’t the kind that likes to see if he can do something.

It’s such a contrast from the usual shounen character who spouts phrases like ‘I won’t know until I try’ and to be honest, despite it being an ongoing trait, and pretty much Seiya’s only trait so far, I’m finding it both amusing and refreshing. Of course, he couldn’t carry the anime by himself as he’s very flat on screen but that’s where Ristarte’s over-the-top personality and expressions really work as a point of contrast. Though, there is kind of hope that both characters might grow as Ristarte was kind of the sensible one during the training sequence and even Seiya didn’t put up all that much of a fight when Ristarte finally put her foot down and insisted he get on with being a hero.

Which brings us to the second part of the episode where the two venture to the next town where Seiya is apparently going to meet some allies. They’ve arrived just in time to see the town-people fleeing as an army of undead are approaching. What follows fits perfectly with what we know of Seiya’s character and at this point Ristarte isn’t even trying all that hard to fight him as she’s just glad he’s actually in the town.

Affiliate Link

Attack on Titan – Levi (Re-run)

By no means is Shinchou Yuusha brilliant but it is just shifted enough from the standard while still walking us through a familiar isekai hero adventure to actually be amusing. Not to mention, Seiya’s character while exaggerated is perhaps one of the more logical isekai protagonist’s we’ve come across in awhile. Now if he’d just stop blowing things up and going for overkill he’d actually be a pretty cool hero to follow.

Where a number of more comedy based isekai titles have fallen flat for me previously, this one is joining a very small group of titles (such as Smartphone) that seems to be hitting the right notes to be entertaining. Of course, we’re only three episodes in and there’s plenty of time to get bored with this joke if they don’t manage to keep it fresh.

Thank-you for reading 100 Word Anime.
Join the discussion in the comments.
Karandi James

Let’s Talk about how Seiya over-prepares while Ristarte freaks out in Shinchou Yuusha.

Images from: Shinchou Yuusha: Kono Yusha ga Ore Tueee Kuse ni Shinchou Sugiru. Dir. M Sakoi. White Fox. 2019.