English Dub Season Review: I’m Standing on a Million Lives Season One

Overview: I’m Standing on a Million Lives follows a group of middle school students as they are thrust into a strange new fantasy world by a powerful unknown entity. To survive, they must work together and navigate it’s harrowing fantastical challenges that will push them to the limit both physically and psychologically. 

Our Take: On the surface, it’s easy to look at I’m Standing on a Million Lives and see another run-of-the-mill Isekai anime. It centers on Yusuke Yotsuya, a troubled young man with a lead protagonist-like-complexion and he is the only dude, this season at least, amongst a group of four other attractive girls, Iu, Kusue, Yuka and Kahvel. If this is already starting to sound familiar and like a harem situation, you are absolutely right. Luckily though, it doesn’t go down that conventional route. There is room for improvement as it does have its drawbacks, like predictable plot twists, for instance. However, the sci-fi fantasy show sets itself apart in an already crowded genre by how well developed each character is and how there is a relatable aspect in each and every one of them. 

Based upon Yusuke’s outward appearance, you wouldn’t be remiss for  thinking that he is just a basic boy. As most with his looks have traits so similar that you would think they all go to the same barber and are distant cousins. However, Yusuke, our main leading man, a Noir (the guy from The Hidden Dungeon Only I Can Enter) he is not. He is anything but your everyday good guy. He has his own code of honor that differs so much from the general collective of the most due to how he views every life in accordance to how he views their value. No matter how misguided his logic may be. So rather than just being the overwhelming light that most would expect, that gap is instead filled with a darker complex layer, which makes Yusuke all the more engaging to watch. Even if it’s not all that pleasant. When you watch him, you know that despite his best intentions, he just keeps plunging deeper into the abyss. While he benefits from being in a hazy grey area, his descent into madness, at the very end, had one too many shades of black much too soon. His transition towards even more icy coldness doesn’t completely feel like a natural progression from his journey throughout the season and specifically of the last episode. Luckily for the series though, irrational developments don’t apply to his other companions. Iu Shindo, the smart and stunning blonde beauty with plenty of confidence to boot. Like Yusuke, she isn’t shackled into the formulaic role, you may at first glance, lock her into. She resonates so well due how much she tries to exercise every last modem of control especially in circumstances that are out of it. Then there’s Kusue Hakozaki, the sweet innocent girl with a frail body. Her frustration with always being looked after and cared for which leads her to want to do the same for others is not only noble but understandable to want to repay that kindness as well. Fourth is Kahvel, the noble knight, native to the parallel world, with a disturbingly hilarious fetish for cutting flesh. She works hard striving to prove what her self-worth is, especially compared to her high-achieving family. Lastly, there’s Yuka Tokitate, the adorkable nerd. Wanting to fit in with others to avoid the pain of bullying is one of the most brutally real human aspects and goes a long way in grounding her. Now with that being said, at first, she doesn’t come off as the most likable teammate, due to her self-preservation and mistreatment of Yusuke, initially. While it is understandable, due to her being bullied and the pain that causes her to prevent that from happening with anyone, it nonetheless hurt her debut for me. Especially considering the series never even makes an attempt to show why it’s wrong or for her to rectify the mistake. With that being said, as the series progressed, I couldn’t help but identify with and find her dorkiness and love for all things visual novel, “Tsubasa” especially, endearing as hell. So simply put, she grew on me. Each character feels fully fleshed out and seems as if they have only just scratched the surface of who they are both independently, together as a team and closer friends down the line. 

Overall, the story does a nice job of keeping you guessing as to the true nature of the world that while differs so wildly shares many similarities as well with the Earth we’ve come to know. And also how to complete the quests due to their particular wording. The parts where it loses its balance a bit involve how predictable some of the plot twists are such as how the world is not virtual, based upon how much it telegraphs the reveal with common tropes such as character’s reiterating how it’s either undoubtedly or most likely not real. 

The English dubbing is excellent across the board with talented performers filling out the main cast nicely. Zeno Robinson truly delivers as Yusuke by showing the damaging pain that isolation and alienation have on one’s developing psyche as a young man. Jeannie Tirado rocks as Iu with all the confidence you’d expect but also the frightening vulnerability that comes when her worst fears come true. Valeria Rodriguez is amazing as Kusue as she discovers her true strength and conviction to carry it out. Tara Sands is charming and adorable as the nerdy gamer, Yuka, and gives an authentic performance as someone who does their best to fit and avoid the hardships of being bullied. Cristina Vee absolutely kills it as Kahvel whether it be her hilarious zany infatuation for the gruesome tearing of flesh or her more down-to-earth scenes showing the struggle she goes through as she tries to prove herself. 

While the VA work may be great, the same can’t be said for the animation. Throughout the entirety of the first season, it remains continuously bland and flat. There aren’t even any big noteworthy battles, at the very least. The monsters that cause our heroes so much pain also make the audience suffer with their boring and generic monster designs, initially at least. There are some more unique ones as it progresses such as the gargoyle that Iu slays but they’re far and few between.  

The freshman season’s blemishes are evident, ranging from predictable plot twists, some rudimentary character design, simplistic animation and questionable character decisions, at times. Here’s hoping it’s initial acne doesn’t break out further in it’s next outing. Even with that though, I’m Standing on a Million Lives has enough good elements like well-developed, relatable characters, strong vocal performances and enough intrigue to keep you guessing to make it an enjoyable watch for Isekai fans and, in doing so, generates much anticipation for it’s sophomore outing.