English Dub Review: Hell Mode: The Hardcore Gamer Dominates in Another World With Garbage Balancing “Trouble”

Overview:

Allen experiments with his Summoner abilities, unaware that a coming crisis will remind him that the world he treats as a game is a harsh reality for others.

Our Take(Spoilers):

This episode made me think of Man of Steel, the Superman movie by Zac Snyder. There was a part in that movie where Clark Kent could have easily saved his father from a tornado, but he didn’t because his father didn’t want people to find out he was an alien and had powers. I was reminded of this: Allen’s father was almost killed by a boar, and it seemed like a similar situation was about to arise. Luckily, his father survived, but it opened his eyes and made him realize that this wasn’t a game to the people around him, and he should use his abilities a bit differently.

Honestly, Allen’s beginning to view the NPCs around him as alive was thought-provoking. I get invested in characters in video games as it stands now, but can you imagine if you were raised and grew up alongside them? I haven’t figured out if this is a game still or if there’s magic at work and he’s been isekai’d. Either way, I think approaching these characters around him as if they’re real is the right choice, I think. I look forward to seeing how much Allen grows with his new “family comes first” mindset.