English Dub Review: ISEKAI QUARTET; “Clash! Dodgeball”

Overview (Spoilers Below)

An argument breaks out about what is the best topping on chicken wings. There is only one way to reasonably settle this: a dodgeball match.

Our Take

Tanya, Ains, and eventually Subaru get into an intensely heated argument over what is the correct topping to put on chicken wings. Their choices are salt and pepper, ketchup, and mayo. Those aren’t terrible options, but in my opinion, they’re all completely incorrect because they’re all deadass basic. There’s no form of BBQ sauce or dry rub to be seen. Those chicken wings had better be fried to perfection or else they’ll be just as boring as this episode. 

Culinary acumens aside, this is apparently a debate of such great import that it must be adjudicated posthaste. They hold a classroom vote, which predictably ends in a 3-way tie. Having exhausted democracy, there is but only one noble method left by which this matter can be decided: dodgeball. 

I’m not up to date on the combat capabilities of every one of these characters, but from what I do know, having at least Ains on your team might be an instant-win. There’s probably some concern with power differentials here. But since this is a less than ten-minute comedy, they just enlist the characters from Shield Hero against their wills to (hopefully) even things out. 

The dodgeball match is, unfortunately, mostly boring. Darkness deliberately walks into the ball, and then everyone just takes turns infusing the ball with their magic energy for almost the whole match. They have a full cast of combatants with varying skillsets and all they can do is just make the ball glow a few different colors and toss it around a bit. I’d rather they go back to arguing over chicken wings. 

After what is evidently several hours of uninterrupted dodgeball, the teams have thinned out only a little bit and everyone is getting tired of this. Ains and Megumin deploy what is probably the Explosion that all the other Explosions talk to their therapists about, which clashes with Tanya magic super-shield, and puts the poor ball out of its misery.  

And then they completely forget what they were fighting about in the first place and they all forgive each other. What an elaborate waste of time and animation. 

But if you’re lamenting the fact that you didn’t get to see the thrilling conclusion to the great chicken wing debate, you’re in luck. They decide to go out for croquettes afterward, and upon discussing possible toppings, the argument repeats, presumably for eternity. I hope they have enough dodgeballs for that. 

Also, croquettes don’t have toppings, they have fillings. They should be filling them with meat instead of condiments, and this show should be filled with better premises and jokes instead of whatever this is.