English Dub Review: Saving 80,000 Gold in Another World for my Retirement: “Mitsuha Goes to Another World”

Overview: A grieving and struggling student, Mitsuha (Trina Nishimura), is transported to a new fantasy world. Not only do her unknown surroundings connect her with a little girl in Colette (Marianne Bray), it also plants a money making idea in her head. 

Our Take: When there are extremely long titles for isekai series, more often than not, you know what kind of show you are going to get. A simple premise that does not go much further than its name suggests. However, that is not the complete story with Mitsuha’s travels to another world having its charms. 

Mitsuha is a blank slate of a character in her aimlessness and uncertainty regarding her future. While that aspect is relatable, she could use more personality to liven her up overall. Her deceased older brother’s role works well on multiple levels. He provides nerdy commentary to help Mitsuha understand her circumstances, but also serves as an encouraging presence to help better herself and quirky form of levity throughout. 

The past tragedy she suffers injects a tinge of despair in the family she lost. A symbol of that grief is seen in how often and kindly she thinks of Tsuyoshi. The relationship with her brother enforces how doting and protective she is of the little sweetheart, Colette, with Mitsuha’s overall pain being felt in how she views  the little girl’s happy family. 

The animation is stale in how stiff characters and animals move, but less so is the somewhat fresh spin on how she travels between the new fantasy world and her original one. How she obtained her abilities is absolute nonsense with her instantaneously pulling them from an interdimensional being in the form of a lucky cat. Yes, that is actually how she got her powers. As ridiculous as it may be, conversely, that aspect is refreshing in being dumb, wacky fun. Most importantly, the story doesn’t concern itself with long-winded sci-fi rules, fast-tracking her with a translator, eliminating the language barrier between her and the other world’s townsfolk. 

The underdeveloped and simple lifestyle of the inhabitants in the world makes it a breeding ground for gold in transporting more advanced merchandise to sell. It is a smart and practical plan. Mitsuha’s savviness expands upon it in amassing wealth and insurance not only in the fantasy realm, but Earth as well. Hopefully, the show can build upon the premise with that same level of intelligence moving forward as well as explore Mitsuha’s personality and grief deeper.