English Dub Review: The Reincarnation Of The Strongest Exorcist In Another World “The Strongest Exorcist”

Overview (Spoilers Below):

The world’s strongest exorcist is a master of Japanese magic who is betrayed by his country and killed because of his power. He reincarnates in a fantasy world where he has no magical power at all, but…

Our Take:

A new year means another show that involves reincarnating into a new life. I guess everyone is fixated on wanting to start fresh after their previous tragic lives, and I don’t blame them. This latest series sees another character becoming the new addition to that ever-lasting list. Someone who can exorcise the supernatural. Considering that I’ve seen a few shows involving reincarnation and yokai, this seemed to be right up my alley.

The first episode introduces us to Haruyoshi Kugano (Jim Foronda), a powerful exorcist who strives to dominate everything with tremendous power. Unfortunately, this resulted in him being betrayed by the council he swore to protect. Before Haruyoshi gets killed by his student, he casts a reincarnation spell to start his new life as the third son of a wealthy family: Seika.

The episode then sees Seika Lamprogue (Marianne Bray) adjusting to his new life while hiding his exorcist powers from his previous life from everyone. However, this proves to be easier said than done when he gets picked on by one of his older brothers, Klei, and shows off his powerful spell during magic practice. Seika then befriends one of his maids, Efa (Leo Matthews), who can control magical spirits called the “Elementals”, and trains her to manage them. Efa’s training happens to pull off when she uses her magic to protect the other maid from a monstrous newt attacking the residence, leaving Seika to finish it off and earn the family’s respect.

“The Strongest Exorcist” does leave me with similar vibes from the other reincarnation fantasy shows, mainly The Greatest Demon Lord Is Reborn as a Typical Nobody. Both shows have the main characters reincarnated into ordinary people after their overpowering abilities cause their downfall in their previous lives. Fortunately, Seika managed to stand out from Ard Meteor due to him feeling guilty about being obsessed with power as Haruyoshi. With him being reborn as an average boy with his not-so-powerful magic, Seika gets a chance to redeem himself while keeping his exorcist spells a secret.

Aside from its similarities, “The Strongest Exorcist” impressed me enough to see where this new series goes from here. Seika is a likable yet formulaic main character that’ll likely have his powers tested in the later episodes regarding Bray’s vocal performance. I also liked the supporting characters, especially Efa and Yuki (Lisette Diaz), Seika’s wolf-girl spirit. While I doubt the show would bring anything unique to the concept, I also hope it offers enough enjoyment in the characters and seasonal plot to prevent itself from getting exorcised too quickly.