English Dub Review: Quality Assurance in Another World Season One

Based on the Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Masamichi Sato. The story at first follows Nikola a simple village girl in a medieval fantasy setting working at her local inn. At least until the day dragons invade, and she meets Haga, a member of a secret royal team of investigators, his mere presence intrigues Nikola with his eccentric ways. It may be due to the fact he’s a real-life QA debugger and this world is a VR game! With Haga by her side, Nikola is inspired to venture out and learn her world’s true nature…

On the technical side, the series was produced by 100studio and Studio Palette, and directed by Kei Umabiki, with series composition by Shogo Yasukawa, character designs by Shigeo Akahori, and music composed by Yuta Kasai, Seima Iwahashi and Daisuke Horikawa of Elements Garden. The opening theme song is “No Complete” performed by Liyuu, while the ending theme song is “Loop” performed by Nacherry (a voice unit composed of Chiemi Tanaka and Natsumi Murakami).

Quality Assurance in Another World combines a fresh spin on the “trapped in a videogame” concept, where instead of battling monsters or leveling up, the protagonist and his allies work to uncover and fix the glitches lurking in a VR world. The main character, Haga, finds himself in a virtual environment where logging out isn’t an option until all bugs are squashed, leading him on a journey not only of survival but also of quality assurance within the game’s strange and unpredictable world. The narrative is somewhat reminiscent of Sword Art Online, but with a more niche focus that highlights the often-overlooked world of debugging and software maintenance.

Though unique, the story can sometimes feel disjointed. Haga’s dedication to fixing bugs and ensuring a functional game experience creates a sense of authenticity that those in tech-related fields will likely appreciate. The characters Haga meets range from NPCs like Nikola, who defy their programming, to other debuggers who vary in their motivations and skills. The variety of personalities creates a world of contrasts, balancing humor with darker moments. Unfortunately, the story’s pacing and consistent storytelling sometimes suffer, and certain plot points lack the foreshadowing or clear pieces of lore needed to feel cohesive.

The animation and music are serviceable but don’t elevate the series. The studio behind this adaptation was working on multiple projects simultaneously, resulting in some noticeably inconsistent animation quality. Key action sequences sometimes come off as stilted, and finer details, like character expressions and fluid movement, feel underdeveloped. The soundtrack is functional but not particularly memorable, lacking the impact that could make certain scenes stand out aside from the first few episodes playing bagpipes which is probably one of the few times I’ve heard bagpipes in anime ever (unless there’s other anime with bagpipes in it’s soundtrack that I’m not aware of). Both the opening and ending songs add a layer of energy sense of wonder, even if they don’t leave a lasting impression.

Overall, while the story is not all that new as it gives off heavy “Sword Art Online” vibes, it does have hints of originality sprinkled all over the place with its innovative approach to the isekai genre with its debugging theme and unique premise, but the execution may not resonate with every viewer. Fans of IT, software engineering, or game development might find a lot to relate to and enjoy in Haga’s meticulous approach to troubleshooting. Yet, casual viewers may find the inconsistencies and pacing issues hard to overlook. This is a show that, while enjoyable to some, requires a specific appreciation for its niche focus to fully engage with its narrative and themes. If season 2 becomes a reality, I’d like to see where this is all headed and if there’s an actual payoff to everything I’ve seen. Including a very specific twist tied with Nikola and whether or not the twist will have more relevance later on.