Salaryman ga Isekai ni Ittara Shitennou ni Natta Hanashi

As someone who is a Business Administration student I really enjoyed this anime. You might wonder why? Because this Isekai-fantasy anime really portraited some of the real world business theories. Uchimura is just an average salaryman who got summoned by Demon Lord. Now he became a 4th elite general of the demon army. He begins to reform the demon army's operation by applying modern business principles to improve efficiency, morale and overall effectiveness.

One of the standout aspects of this anime is its clever integration of real-world business theories into a fantasy setting. The protagonist utilizes concepts such as SWOT analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) ... and even motivational theories like Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs to transform the demon army. This unique approach not only makes the story engaging but also provides viewers with a practical understanding of these theories in a fun and accessible way.

This anime does a excellent job in terms of balancing both comedy and action. Other characters of the demon army's are hilarious as well. Specially Ulmandar. Her tasks(love for Uchimura) fails successfully. But overall the characters are well written with a mix of camaraderie, rivalry and mutual respect.

The animation quality and character designs are top notch. But didn't liked the Opening and ending song that much.

In conclusion, this anime is a unique blend of both fantasy and corporate drama. Must watch for those who are interested in Business and Management.

As others have pointed out, this anime has some similarities to "How a Realist Hero Rebuilt the Kingdom", but it still feels unique. Aside from a few unnecessary clichés, nothing seems directly copied—at least from other anime; I can't speak for the manga.

Like "Realist Hero", some of the challenges were fairly obvious, but Uchimura managed to solve them faster and with less information. He successfully applied real-world business strategies, which, being more advanced than those of a medieval fantasy world, helped him improve the country and its surroundings.

While I rated "Realist Hero" an 8/10 (rounded up from 7.5), this anime barely ... made it to a 7/10. Uchimura’s portrayal and his “PTSD” from toxic work culture were handled well, but everything else was just average, with below-average voice acting.

TL;DR: great if you're expecting an average isekai. Bad if you've hyped the show up to be a reinvention of the genre.

It's one of those anime where its name basically tells you all you need to know. I was intrigued by the premise, but that alone isn't enough to carry a show. It takes TWO episodes for some random girl to propose (marriage, as in) to the protagonist because apparently he's just that awesome, and his backstory itself is very "isekai" (extremely diligent, capable worker whose work isn't appreciated by his employers for little reason - it's basically "banished from the hero party" with extra ... steps). So, rather than feeling like something new, it's like you added some coating to a generic isekai, kicked out the action, replaced it with lots of exposition dumps and some not-particularly-engaging negotiation. This isn't necessarily bad, I just want to get it out of the way - no, this show isn't reinventing isekai.

Why isn't the thing you'd want to watch the anime for, negotiation, engaging? Well, several reasons.

1. Let's talk about Frieren (no spoilers, don't worry). Basically, Frieren is super old, and she did tons of stuff throughout her life. As we go through the story, she'll occasionally remember something that happened in the past, and that thing will happen to fit the current situation to a tee (so, someone doesn't want to negotiate? Frieren had the same problem 10000 years ago and knows exactly what to do). This is pretty much the EXACT structure Salaryman takes. Basically, the protagonist is living through the same thing for the second time, so he knows what to do this time. It's not particularly interesting because you don't really feel as though he's problem-solving, or that you're watching a story unravel. More-so as though he has the script / God himself speaks to him and tells him what to do.

Which is also why this doesn't feel like an actual story for now. It's one of those anime that has the protagonist arrive at the correct solution at the very end, just to reveal he's had a plan all along and explains that plan at the very end. It's like a bad mystery show that explains the murder by adding a bunch of new stuff you didn't know about before at the very end, then acts smart because the solution ends up fitting. Yes, it makes the protagonist look smart and capable, but it's like I'm watching someone's narration rather than an anime.

I saw another reviewer call it a salaryman's fantasy and I cannot put it any better, that's exactly what it feels like. The fact he doesn't one-shot anything or isn't overwhelmingly strong doesn't make this any less of a power-trip fantasy: if anything, I'd say that's exactly the reason why it's even MORE self-insert-y.

2. The protagonist is extremely bland. The negotiations both have zero "political" (I don't know how to call these) stakes, because the world exposition is pretty hasty. And zero emotional stakes because MC's only reason for being here is because he likes his boss.

I'll end with the positives, because they do exist. 1. I like that the protagonist's past experiences exist, even if overplayed (it's an actual isekai which is rarer than you might imagine). 2. The short-fuse girl side-character is actually sort of reasonable (like apologizing when she's wrong). 3. The protagonist is a chill dude (maybe too chill). 4. I like the guitar music.

So, if you're absolutely in love with the premise or liked the Frieren plot structure / down for a normal isekai, it's an okayish show. Me, personally, I like being more involved with the plot, finding stuff out along with the protagonist rather than alongside the side-character. And, honestly, I really did expect something new from this show, but it's basically your average isekai except it kicks out all the aspects that make dumb isekai stories watchable. I don't know if I can even recommend this if you enjoy isekai slop, it's a particular niche that's really not for most people, but I'm sure some will love it.