I Got a Cheat Skill in Another World and Became Unrivaled in The Real World, Too is a fantasy-isekai light novel by Miku. It was adapted into a 13-episode anime series by Studio Millepensee. The studio is partially responsible for bringing you the 2016 meme adaptation of Berserk.
While watching the trailers I went “Oh shit, the art looks pretty nice”, I read the concept and chuckled I was prepared for some corny stupid fun of the MC getting sexy, getting a harem, and beating up his bullies. I do like trash sometimes.
A unique idea of allowing the MC to transition freely between his original world and a fantasy world at his whim.
The writing didn’t need to be good, it needed to do the bare minimum and have some self-awareness. Yet… we didn’t even get that.
The best way to describe the writing is to imagine, someone starts telling an ironic joke. The beginning is admittedly funny, but then you realize the person telling the joke cannot read the room. They continue pushing the joke and everyone goes from laughing to cringing. The person telling the joke still does not realize that the joke has run its course and has become unironic. The anime in a nutshell is a joke with worse writing than that of Platinum End.
Cheat Skill Isekai is a wish-fulfillment fantasy about a fat & ugly teen who transforms into a stud and gets a harem. This is the author’s second work, his first work The Fruit of Evolution, which sounds strikingly the same in concept… as it also features a teen depicted as an ugly fat loser who transforms into someone good-looking and gets a harem.
In the first episode, we see how bad the MC’s life was. He looks like Eric Cartman with parents that kicked him out of the house for existing, and siblings that are just plain evil.
The MC Yuuya finds a door in his grandpa’s house, which is a portal to a fantasy world with RPG mechanics. He claims a house with a magic barrier that keeps calamity-class monsters out while gaining access to the holy grail of instant kill and end-game weapons. He kills some monsters and the next morning he turns into Japanese Terry Crews. But is too stupid to realize his physical changes until he checks himself out in a mirror.
Now he is the sexiest sigma male, with 100+ intelligence, increased height, and increased dick size you name it.
Unfortunately, the fun stops here as it becomes apparent this story has nothing going for it. As I said the writing is awful, yet hilarious at how oblivious it is. It is funny until it becomes a chore to watch.
Yuuya is kind, but frustrating. His good trait is that he never lets his new abilities and sex appeal inflate his ego, he knows he did not earn any of his stats or muscles, and he recognizes that he cheated. He is humble to the point where it is too much, he should be more aware of what he looks like now and what he is capable of, before spouting his drivel to normal people.
Yuuya is very very stupid.
In episode 5 he… I shit you not! He puts a dog collar on a puppy Fenrir, and then takes it on a walk in the human world as if it was a normal dog.
He thinks German suplexing a grizzly bear in front of his classmates won’t make them think he is a freak.
Or how he wanted to gift a sex bed to the king’s daughter in front of an audience.
Matsuoka Yoshitsugu is a brilliant seiyū, but his performance as harem MC ID number 4123 is about as common for him as it’s changing his underwear.
Episode 4 is objectively one of the worst episodes I have seen of 2023.
What is it about?
Yuuya’s evil siblings come for “revenge”.
A common narrative tool I see… do they hire some thugs to beat him up or burn his house?
No, they hire a biker gang, and while they themselves are PHYSICALLY PRESENT with no face coverings. They break into a prestigious high school to harass the people and attempt to kidnap the principal’s daughter.
How is this taking revenge on their brother? Yuuya says fuck keeping a low profile and jumps 4 floors down, dispatches every thug like he’s a supe from The Boys, and saves the girl.
The art is pretty, but the studio cuts so many corners with the animation. The transition between 2D and CG is bad, there isn’t much movement... just a camera switch to an image and you’re supposed to pretend it moved. Episode 12 particularly has a lot of stills, panning shots of grass, and rushed storyboarding.
Do I recommend this anime? Well, it is at least entertaining to see how bad it is... I think watching it with your partner while smoking shisha or being drunk with friends makes it more worthwhile.
Otherwise, this anime is bad and you will be impressed at how oblivious it is at times.
31 out of 41 users liked this review
