Sep 9, 2023
I'm a BIG, BIG FAN of this series (both manga & animated adaptation), and at the same time I am a busy man. That's why the accent in this review will be put on who the intended audience is (demographics), so that you don't lose your time and get the chance to enjoy the manga if it suits you or just skip it without becoming a grumpy troll.
This manga is not aimed at total rookies. You have to have your experience as an anime watcher or manga reader. Some exposure to the isekai genre, AoT, One Punch Man and Evangelion are definitely among the minimum
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requirements to understand what Isekai Ojisan is parodying or referencing to.
There is a bunch of other stuff that this series makes allusions of, like movies - Jurassic Park comes to mind - or videogames -mostly some old niche Sega Games developed by Treasure like Alien Soldier, but also classics like Golden Axe. You really don't need these as part of your background to enjoy the series. But be aware that it is also a thing, and because of it people who grew up in the 90s may have a slight advantage -at having fun with this work, that is.
If you are also interested in NEETs or shut-in people in general, or even in the experience of migration, you might have a blast with Isekai Ojisan.
That's about it.
Now let's review its qualities very shortly.
The art is outstanding. You may not like the style - taste is subjective, after all - but you can tell there was a lot of work behind it -something similar happens with Oda Eiichiro, who also has a very personal style.
It varies from very detailed to very simple, and from very beautiful to very ugly, depending on what the author wants to communicate.
The characters are great, unless you get stuck in the fantasy world Ojisan is showing, and expect more of it.
The plot revolves around Ojisan, a 34 years old man that returns to contemporary Japan (2017 autumn) after being in a coma for the last 17 years. A big part of the story follows his memories of those 17 years - that were spent in another world, actually - but it also shows his development after his return. He slowly but surely begins to adapt and grow - in that sense, I am convinced Isekai Ojisan is not just funnier than shows like ReLIFE, but also that the storytelling is way more natural: it doesn't tell you about the development, it just shows you the development while making you laugh at the same time.
The plot is, in other words, splendidly crafted.
The sense of humor is mostly parodic, but also quite dark, absurd or lewd. There are of course situations that bring funny misunderstandings with them, but they are not as cliché as the ones we are used to see in other, more mainstream series.
All in all, there is a lot more you could write about this awesome manga, but the risks of giving spoilers are very real.
A masterpiece as of today (9/9/2023).
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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