English Dub Season Review: Seirei Gensouki: Spirit Chronicles Season One

Based on the Japanese light novel series written by Yuri Kitayama and illustrated by Riv. The story follows a 20-year-old college student Haruto Amakawa who dies in a tragic bus accident, what he doesn’t expect, however, is waking up in an unfamiliar world in the body of a young boy named Rio. As their memories and personas begin to fuse, Rio realizes that he now also possesses magical powers. He is relieved to find that his burning passion for revenge against his mother’s murderers has not subsided, despite his newly changed identity.

Not soon after, Rio comes across the kidnapped princess of the Bertram Kingdom and saves her without hesitation. To express his gratitude, the king grants him the opportunity to enroll in the Bertram Royal Academy. Believing this to be a new chapter in his life, he is excited to study at this prestigious academy, but life here proves to be difficult for him, a slum-dweller surrounded by the majestic children of nobles…

On the technical side, The series was animated by TMS Entertainment (The very same people who brought us “Dr. Stone”) and directed by Osamu Yamasaki, with Yamasaki, Mitsutaka Hirota, Megumu Sasano, and Yoshiko Nakamura writing the scripts, Kyoko Yufu designing the characters, and Yasuyuki Yamazaki composing the series’ music. Wao World is credited with animation cooperation. With Marika Kouno performed the opening theme song “New story”, while Aguri Ōnishi performed the ending theme song “Elder flower”.

For the first 3 episodes, everything about Rio’s academy life that didn’t involve Claire, or Celia came across as cliche and sometimes bland writing. Even though the reason behind Rio leaving the school was felt terribly forced, and completely avoidable. It made me kinda glad he left because it just wasn’t going anywhere. The male students are the most stereotypical upper-class douche-monkeys imaginable and the female students do literally nothing. Thankfully everything flew by quickly with Rio going on solo adventures and meeting more women in the process while flaunting how hyper-capable he potentially is.

Overall, it’s a decent show from start to finish, But it can’t be sugarcoated that it didn’t always lead anywhere with it’s reincarnation subplot. And doesn’t completely do anything to set itself apart from other Isekai shows. But I did wish that Rio as a character had a bit more of a struggle to gain power or showed you gaining it more than straight to the elders for a party to keep its audience emotionally invested. With the way this season ended, it sort of hints at a Season 2, but at the very least, it’s passable enough scratch that itch until Rising of the Shield Hero starts up again…