This review is spoiler-free.

The anime medium is really amazing. It is a place where imaginative animation effortlessly mingles with the skill, talent and passion of its creators. Each work, a story waiting to be told, holds the inherent right to exist and show its worth to the world. However, among the endless possibilities, there are occasions when a work completely devoid of heart, empty and without purpose, appears before us, and you cannot help but question the validity of its existence. In the same vein as its predecessor, the second season of Isekai wa Smartphone to Tomo ni is such a creation, and I hate its guts.

⁤In the past, I might have been lenient and forgiving towards the production values and called them the least offensive element of the show; I thought they were horrible but somewhat passable. ⁤Nevertheless, as time has passed, my tolerance and patience for lazy products have completely disappeared. Now, I am of the belief that not a single element of this mass-produced, passionless piece of shit that pretends to be art can or should be excused under any circumstances.

To describe the visuals and the soundtrack as merely uninspired, plastic-like, and personality-less would be a gigantic understatement, and I am more than certain that you have already seen them countless times before in other shows. They are as nutritious and tasty as sewage water:

‣ The backgrounds are plain, dull and watered down, much like cheap stock images shot on a shoestring budget. ‣ The colour palette is tacky and unpleasant to such a degree that it is sincerely sickening to look at these vomit-resembling hues. ‣ The character designs are beyond generic and humdrum; it is almost like some utterly lifeless and corporate algorithm generated them during one of the lunch breaks. ‣ The animation is as rigid, motionless and lively as a dismembered zombie. ‣ The opening, the ending, and the various insert songs scattered throughout the episodes are as enjoyable and lovely as radio static.

To make matters worse, this laughable state of affairs haunts the series like an eerie ghost from start to finish, and not even an ounce of originality or quality can be found within any of its derivative ideas and tedious conventions at any point. ⁤⁤In a way, the visuals and the soundtrack make the already abysmal framework of the anime somehow even worse, and they are nothing more than a giant, pain-inducing eyesore that will make sure you have as little fun as possible.⁤

As it is the series's second season, mentioning the premise is redundant at this point. However, it must be said out loud that the show's inclusion of a smartphone within an isekai setting is the only element that puts it on the map. Remove this insipid gimmick, and the ever-present hollowness becomes even more pronounced. What is more, each episode follows a repetitive pattern that can be quickly summarised like this:

1. The protagonist encounters someone in need or faces some sort of obstacle. 2. He miraculously resolves the situation in a fraction of a second thanks to his bullshit powers and abilities. 3. Everyone around him instantly falls head over heels in love with him and starts praising him for the rest of the episode. 4. Rinse and repeat.

Is that it? Does the plot ever evolve beyond this pattern? Do any meaningful developments take place? The answer is a clear and loud no. The only change that happens is the ever-increasing number of women who suck Touya off every second.

What about worldbuilding? Haha, new locations are injected into the story just to introduce female companions from different yet indistinguishable countries and make them join the harem.

What about the fight scenes? As you would expect, they contain nothing in terms of substance, both visually and narratively, and exist solely to showcase the main character's supposed coolness, brilliance, and faultlessness.

What about comedy then? The foundation of the Isekai Smartphone's sense of "humour" is conversations and situations that centre around the girls talking about coupling, marriage, kissing, hugging and intimacy, with the protagonist awkwardly responding to these requests. It is the most foolish, childish and awkward thing in the universe, and I wanted to kiss a shotgun's barrel whenever I witnessed them in action.

The concepts of working hard to achieve greatness, seeing the fruits of one's labour, and earning recognition and admiration through hard-earned achievements and charisma; such ideals are obviously rejected, as Isekai Smartphone deems them to be too demanding. "Who would want to see such things?" it thinks to itself. Instead, its only desire is to glorify its shallow protagonist and showcase his effortless accumulation of a colossal harem full of goobers that will wet themselves at the mere thought of being in his vicinity. It is truly remarkable, almost poetic, to witness how utterly hilarious and unapologetic the narrative is in its awfulness.

Even if you decide to overlook the disgraceful plot altogether and instead focus all of your attention on the characters, you will be greeted by some of the most cartoonishly stereotypical, painfully one-dimensional and hilariously obtuse cardboard cutouts you have ever seen in your life. Just like a bunch of bootleg toys that are meant to mimic some of the most recognisable and beloved IPs to ever exist at every cost, they are appalling, terrifying creatures that are a disgraceful sight to behold through and through. Naturally, this description not only fits Touya's harem but also the countless NPC-like background characters that populate the series. They have no personalities, goals, ambitions, motivations, or unique traits of their own, and exist solely to carry out every whim of the viewer-insert protagonist as his trusty and reliable human-shaped tools. Even though they have different names, outfits, hairstyles, and hair colours, these "people" are nothing more than a pile of indistinguishable objects that do the main character's bidding without batting an eye and treasures awarded to him for simply existing.

With all of this in mind, you would think that the protagonist is someone actually cool and interesting. In reality, he is nothing more than a blatant personification of the word "overpowered." He is so ridiculously powerful and perfect that even the likes of Kirito, who serves as his crystal clear inspiration (simply look at their attire), pale in comparison. Every character worships and adores him unconditionally; any opposition he faces is humiliatingly obliterated, and all of his desires are always conveniently within his grasp. Much like his dog-like lovers and followers, Touya is a disgusting, flat, depthless creature that is bereft of any redeeming qualities, authenticity, humanity, complexity or likeability to speak of. Just like the show itself, the cast resembles an endless abyss... empty beyond human comprehension.

I find it difficult to find any new words to convey how horrific Isekai was Smartphone to Tomi ni is that have not already been uttered a million times before. It is a repulsive shitstain of a product that is appalling, soulless, creatively bankrupt, substanceless and meritless, and it perfectly illustrates how low the anime industry can plummet when profit-driven motives and mindless pandering overshadow ingenuity.

Enough is enough.

I refuse to subject myself to any more of this torture.