English Dub Review: In Another World With My Smartphone “Nation of Beastmen, and an Observer”

Observe, if you will, this show’s attempt at a one on one duel. It will not impress.

Now after all the shenanigans from last week, fighting a dragon, dealing with beastmen love, having every girl fawn over the bland toast that is Touya, we’re here at a new episode… yeah, that’s it.

OVERVIEW

There’s really nothing special to say to openly contextualize this one. It’s the conclusion of the story arc left from the last episode, the introduction to the last of the kawaii Touya girl gang, Leen, a 600-year-old fairy, and the demonstration of this show’s fight animation. It really does not impress. The main focus of the first half of the episode is dedicated to Touya being challenged by the capital’s ruler Belfast to a one on one fight for fun. So right away no actual sense of tension as this is a mock battle and with Touya’s continuous overpowered Null magic it’s wrapped up quick. The rest of the episode has Touya using Null magic to solve the other issues of the week, one involving Yumina having some stalkers following her and showing off his magic to Leen.

It is disappointing that it is just a bare-bones narrative like that even in terms of the new addition to the girls, Leen is a dull wet blanket of a character. The attempts to have her come off as dry and witty but it really doesn’t gel well when Touya acts as his usual blustery nice guy giving Leen no material to work off of. Sitting around waiting for Touya to utter a character-defining personality trait is sleep-inducing. However, I will be honest and say that the magic aspect of the show was given some interesting new aspect to it. Null-Magic may be an overpowered plot device in terms of conflict but as demonstrated in the episode as Touya crafts his weapons there is a certain level of ingenuity needed to perform certain null magic. Well in terms of Null magic for crafting.

For example, Touya has to look up and purchases the correct materials to develop his new pistol sword, metal, gunpowder and the like. Plus, we see Touya using further magic spells to increase its accuracy, reload capabilities and fighting flexibility. It’s not much but given how previous “gunblades” in anime and video games have been over-designed messes that are in no way practical, Touya’s pistol sword has some thought put behind it. If only they put that much thought into making Touya a balanced character and the world not so dull and lifeless.

OUR TAKE

It’s a disappointing snorefest of an episode that like every other episode has every solution to every crisis revealed in seconds. The only marginally clever thing expanded upon is Null magic’s crafting capabilities but that isn’t an intriguing narrative aspect. That is world building. Much needed world building but in the grand scheme of events, that is covering a stale piece of bread with slightly colorful frosting and calling it a cake. This is not worth watching. The ideas utilized could be better suited for any other fantasy anime. In fact, Sword Art Online most likely predated In Another World’s usage of exact materials to develop a weapon, it even had the added world building effect that it was like in game crafting. Regardless though, episode 7 of In Another World With My Smartphone just splashes about in mediocrity to the point where I must rate it lower than mediocre. Because even mediocre shows can have a competent narrative and character writing, this feels at this point the show isn’t even trying.