The Saint's Magic Power is Omnipotent

Spoiler Free TL;DR

“The Saint's Magic Power is Omnipotent” is a relaxing romp through a world that exudes a comforting, feminine energy. Beautiful backgrounds and attractive, good people everywhere! While it can be slow to get to the isekai flavour, and what it does show lacks the complexity of other popular isekai, it is still entertaining. The final bow on this parcel is the completion of a cute, interpersonal arc for the heroine that leaves me wanting more, but feeling satisfied with the 12 episode run of the anime. For those who like pretty boys, pretty fantasy worlds and pretty feelings.

Review
Having been getting back into watching anime again by swiftly binging season 2 of Dragon Maid and wailing about how everything else looks shit in comparison, “The Saint's Magic Power is Omnipotent” sates me. Certainly it doesn't come close to the top tier aesthetics of DM, but it has been good enough to get me through it's 12 episode run and make me read the manga.

You can't say they don't try here. The backgrounds are stunning, the shot composition is varied, character designs look good and there are moments of quality animation in depiction of magic and what little combat is present in the series. Even despite the lack of typical anime exuberance in character reaction, they still throw in those small piece of animation - cow lick quivers and heroine screams - that remind you you're still in anime land. It all feels very good natured and relaxing. Like "Shirayukihime", but with the shoujo melodrama stripped out of it. In it's place is the older office lady, who straddles the line between world weary and pure maiden (when it comes to her love interest).

I was actually very impressed with the characters in this series. Namely Prince Kyle/Liz, and I also enjoyed the relationship between our two isekai'd heroines. It was nice to feel like the dickhead royalty trope was getting turned on it's head a bit - Kyle recognises his faults (some of which are a ruse to greater ends) and he made an effort to rectify it. Sei and Aira also don't have any ill will towards each other, but actually demonstrate empathy. Sei being the older one realises the hard position Aira is being put in as girl still in high school, with false preconceptions and expectations placed upon her by a foreign aristocrat. When Aira is then removed from her social vacuum and finally given a chance to make her own place in her new world, it may be saccharine and easily found, but it just felt good.

I would also be remiss to not mention the very clear and direct romance that is central to the narrative of this story. I was already grasped from the beginning when Sei just straight forwardly proclaims to the audience that Hawk was very much her type. Nice. Hawk's design isn't my favourite, even though I think he looks good (I'm probably more likely to remember Prince Kyle than Captain Hawk at this point), and his personality is one of the least explored. But their relationship does end up being the interpersonal backbone of the season; the broader plot is really only getting going by the time the 12th episode finishes after all. No, instead the creators of this anime choose to have the main pairing literally creating life with the power of their love. More foliage than flesh, but still.

Reading the majority of available manga chapters did make me realise that this series is currently best consumed via that medium though. There are just a lot of little details that have been cut out in the anime. Probably for good reason, but it is still missing lore and cutesy energy. The anime also takes 3 episodes before it even starts touching on magic, versus several chapters in the manga, and that just didn't feel as good to me. I'm a big fan of concepts and lore being woven into shows. Even better if it is done in an intelligent way where it reveals more about the world and our protagonists place in it. They do have this in the form of the saint’s powers, but as already mentioned, these are plodding discoveries over our 12 episodes. Unfortunately “The Saint’s…” reveals little else, so that dimension of this show is quite a bit weaker than the average isekai as a result.

BUT, I probably should hammer this home. This show is quite clearly not going for a deep dive into fantasy concepts and mythos. The very comfy energy stands in stark opposition. No, this is a different kind of isekai. One which probably has a name which I don't know of, but which I would define by the isekai'd hero shirking their duties in favour of finding true freedom in their overwhelming power. The ability to set up a business somewhere and commit oneself to that enterprise. This is depicted as truly different to the tensions and stresses of the office work so commonly the cause of the deaths of our protagonists. It is much more iyashikei than a fantasy action/adventure. Though this has sort of wound down by the end of "The Saint's..." with her beginning to have to take part in her saintly duties, after being thoroughly exposed.

I do think this show is worth the time of anyone who likes pretty boys, fantasy asesthetics and a little bit of isekai flair. If I had to choose, I would read the manga. But I also don't believe I would be able to sit through the anime if I had read the manga first. Proceed at your own discretion.