English Dub Season Review: Onmyo Kaiten Re:Birth Verse Season One

Overview (Spoilers Below):

Narihira Takeru (Ethan Connor Condon) is a delinquent who often thinks about Tsukimiya (Trisha Mellon), the girl who appears in his dreams.  After an unexpected accident, Takeru finds himself in a parallel universe, and the world that Tsukimiya lives in.  When Takeru and Tsukimiya are slain by a monster, he awakens again and realizes he has leaped through time.  Now, Takeru must train with Abe Seimei (Jordan Dash Cruz) to fight for Tsukimiya’s life!

Our Take:

Onmyo Kaiten Re:Birth Verse is an original anime television series that’s based on the manga written by Fujiko Sakuno and illustrated by Kyūjo Matsumoto.  It is directed by Hideya Takahashi, known for directing JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Golden Wind, with Hayashi Mori writing the scripts.  It is produced by David Production, known for producing other shows such as Level E, JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, Cells at Work!, Fire Force, and Undead Unluck.  Kazuaki Morita designed the characters, and Masahiro Tokuda composed the music.  The opening theme song, “Cry Out Cry Over!”, is performed by Who-ya Extended, while 9Lana performed the ending theme song, “Turn Over”.

We often fantasize about being with the girl of our dreams, but what if that fantasy actually becomes a reality?  The answer is one of the most bizarre ideas ever to be incorporated into an isekai concept, which involves a delinquent being transported into a different world, but with a catch.  Usually, whenever a manga comes out, it often takes around a year or more to receive an anime adaptation, at least that’s what I’m aware of regarding my anime experience.  However, Onmyo Kaiten Re:Birth Verse takes a much different outcome by releasing the anime just months following its manga debut.  As far as I’m concerned, the manga must’ve been good enough to receive such treatment.  If that’s the case, then the adaptation had to face the challenge of faithfully translating this multi-genre narrative.  But, for those who haven’t read the manga, it’s also a matter of whether its premise packs enough punch to warrant its conventional isekai formula. 

Onmyo Kaiten functioned similarly to other isekai anime that came before it.  The protagonist, Narihira Takeru, got involved in an unexpected accident and reincarnated into an alternate city known as Denji Heian-kyo.  There, he trains with a team of onmyoji fighters led by Abe Seimei to defend Denji Heian-kyo from a band of oni via their shikigamis through a special event called Centennial Pandemonium.  At the same time, Takeru strives to uncover the immaculate strength within himself to protect the girl of his dreams, Tsukimiya.  It seems fairly straightforward for an isekai anime involving a Pacific Rim/Power Rangers concept, which could lead to some concern that it would be another throwaway piece in the overused genre.  But, to my surprise, the series managed to prove me otherwise with its twisty approach to its conventional narrative.

In addition to its traditional isekai and giant mech elements, Onmyo Kaiten also incorporated a “time loop” aspect, in which Takeru’s deaths resulted in him being transported back in time.  As a result, Takeru utilizes this strategy to ensure he prevents Tsukimiya’s cruel fate from occurring through his inner power.  For its first six episodes, the series draws directly from similar time-loop movies, such as “Groundhog Day” and “Edge of Tomorrow,” to depict Takeru’s time-looping journey, in which he repeatedly encounters the same day.  Thanks to Hideya Takahashi’s approach to this inclusion, the series managed to provide something fun and refreshing to its otherwise ordinary isekai storyline, which would’ve grown stale and formulaic without it.  Of course, it’s also where the title’s term, “Re:Birth”, comes from.  However, the series’s second half was where things got a little bit crazy regarding its world-building, further revitalizing what we would generally believe.

The final six episodes involve Takeru uncovering that the “time loop” is actually him transporting through numerous parallel versions of Denji Heian-kyo via the World Whittle created by Seimei.  As a result, Takeru is now tasked with stopping Seimei’s plot to destroy innocent lives throughout multiple universes, leading him to confront the ultimate challenge that he may not be prepared for.  Essentially, the anime transitioned from isekai territory to time looping to the multiverse within a single season.  I’m assuming the latter was utilized to rival the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s current take on the multiverse.  Some of its narrative aspects were a bit complex to follow, but once these puzzle pieces were in place, they helped the series revitalize conventional isekai tropes through its effective twists and character development.  Despite the final twist being one too many or even frustrating, it didn’t cause me to drop out of it entirely.  Instead, it helps deliver an entertaining conclusion that highlights the consequences of one’s selfish intentions and the show’s action sequences.

The show’s English dub also provided enough moments in its cast to elevate the character moments through their vocal performances.  One of the actors who stood out the most was Ethan Connor Condon, who voiced Takeru in the dub.  Takeru is described as a delinquent, or “Yanki”, who is often perceived as a tough-as-nails individual who dives headfirst into battle without much thought.  However, he also possesses a generous soul determined to protect people despite the impossible odds, especially Tsukimiya, serving as both a strength and a weakness that he’s forced to overcome.  Condon managed to convey Takeru’s emotions effectively through his acting range, providing audiences with a delinquent who’s more human than intimidating.  Trisha Mellon was also decent in her role as Tsukimiya, especially in the second half when she’s tasked with highlighting her true nature.  By the way, you might like Tsukimiya at first, but after the second half, you will want to get her out of your dreams as fast as possible.  Another voice actor worth mentioning is Ciaran Strange, who’s known for voicing Kurt Rockhans in The Unaware Atelier Meister.  Strange had shown potential in his vocal performance as the titular protagonist, which was enough for me to tolerate that tiring series.  Onmyo Kaiten has Strange voicing Kazura, one of Seimei’s exceptional members, and I thought he did pretty well regarding his performance.

As for the animation, it certainly has plenty of moments that illustrate the rich vibrancy and diverting action sequences.  However, if you’re expecting it to have the same animation quality as My Hero Academia or Demon Slayer, you might want to reincarnate into another anime.  This is another series that utilizes a combination of traditional animation and CGI elements, with the latter used for the shikigami sequences.  It bears repeating that most anime shows have faced the tricky challenge of mastering this combination, with some failing to excuse its uncanny nature.  Regarding the way it looks in Onmyo Kaiten, I grew concerned that the show would end up being another example of the uncanny valley due to its clunky CGI appeal.  Thankfully, the later episodes showcased that some effort was put into the 3D effects to integrate them with the 2D environments.  The animation from David Production may not rival the quality of other anime shows like My Hero Academia, but at the very least, it satisfies with the effort in matching the style with the show’s action-packed premise.

Overall, Onmyo Kaiten Re:Birth Verse is a surprisingly watchable addition to the isekai genre whose twisty narrative revitalized the conventional formula for the better.  Its direction for the show’s twists may not resonate with everyone, especially in its ninth episode.  Nonetheless, it provides fans with the elements they’d expect from previous isekai anime while retaining the entertainment value with its narrative and characters for newcomers.  It may not be groundbreaking in its emotional depth. Still, its English voice cast, solid twists, and decent animation help the series stand out among the never-ending supply of paint-the-numbers isekai content.