Quality trumps quantity and I'm sure most of us prefer to watch an anime that is enjoyable than something with tons of never ending episodes or seasons. In the anime industry today, we have countless isekai that adapts all sort of tropes. It's become so common that once you've seen a few, it felt like you've seen them all. What does that say about How a Realist Hero Rebuilt the Kingdom?
For starters, we have to understand that the show is somewhat atypical with its storytelling standards, at least for an isekai. Rather than presenting a plot with a hero trying to save the world or ... going on some fantasy adventure, he's trying to save a kingdom by rebuilding it. Think of the series as a kingdom management game where the protagonist is the player and controls assets, resources, and followers. When watching the show, it became obvious that our protagonist has a lot to learn to deal with the civil unrest and rebuilding of a kingdom. Meet Kazuya Souma, the man whose life changes forever after being transported to Kingdom of Elfrieden and becomes its ruler.
At first glance, Kazuya doesn't come across as an unique individual. He looks like an average man but with a passionate personality and realist point of view. As a realist hero, he is also human and that means he makes mistakes. Being a ruler is no easy task and he learns the hard way when dealing with his followers. At the same time, he's an eager learner and always seeks solutions to problems. Luckily, he's not alone. Kazuya is aided by a diverse group of foreigners with different backgrounds and skills. These include the crown princess Lisica, songstress Juna Doma, dark elf chief Aisha, among others. What's important to understand is not how Kazuya treats them but how he develops relationships and use them to build his kingdom. And trust me, it's a complicated journey.
Describing the character roster feels like trying being in an RPG game where each party member is an important asset. Perhaps the most prominent one is Lisicia, a strong willed girl but also somewhat inexperienced in her role. With Kazuya's guidance, she learns the way of the kingdom and supports him during his travels. From politics to military experience, Lisicia's character has a lot of potential and this season explores some of those aspects. Juna Doma represents the mature character of the show as she demonstrates virtue and elegance. She's also fairly intelligent, wise, and loyal to Kazuya, which are all traits imperative for her role. In contrast, there's the dark elf Aisha who serves more as a muscle. While she can be airheaded, Aisha is also very couragous and isn't afraid to fight for what she believes in, regardless how challenging it can be. To me, that represents the heart of the Kazuya's group for she is able to stand strong when a situation gets rough. Finally, we have Roroa and perhaps the odd one from the main character roster. Honestly, she stands out less compare to the others but is known to be cleverly manipulative at times. We don't see her often until the latter stages of the series, when she put her plans to motion.
As a fantasy drama that combines military politics, management, relationship building, and character studies, it's not easy to flesh out the anime in just 13 episodes. Luckily, the anime itself knows what it needed to do to establish its main premise from the beginning. By throwing an ordinary guy like Kazuya in a fantasy setting, it tests his intelligence, integrity, and ultimately, showing us what type of ruler he can really be. When king Albert and prime minister Marx took the risk to assign Kazuya as a kingdom ruler, they made a calculated choice. To further more, he is offered by Albert to marry his daughter, Lisicia. Yes, you can bet that will set off some red flags as the romance element of the show can feel forced at times. Kazuya's humbleness and determination also draws other female characters to him such as Aisha. However, don't expect this any sort of Cinderella-like romance. This anime isn't a love story.
Despite the limited amount of action, we do see combat at times when the call needs for it. One of the most prominent threat to the Kingdom of Elfrieden is Castor, as he presents to be a military challenge during the civil war. Gaius also proves to be a troubling individual to deal with especially when he declares to kill Kazuya. it isn't until Kazuya's clever thinking as a ruler that he stops the invasion and ultimately comes up with a compromise to save the kingdom. The war drama and battles often feels like old school fantasy mixed with magic and technology. Remember, this show takes place in a world where science is absent and Kazuya realized this from the beginning. It's just up to him to make use of his skills and be the voice for the voiceless.
Adapted by studio J.C. Staff, they handled this show with care and tried to adapt the characters as they should be. The word here is 'tried' because at some occasions, it doesn't hit the bullesye. Characters such as Juna looks less appealing compared to their light novel or manga counterparts. Kazuya himself may be hard to accept as a king due to his average looks. Still, the anime maintains a fantasy level of credibility. It looks like a world built on the Unreal Engine with an acceptable level of technical quality. Still, if I was being honest, I'd say the show could've improved more in the art department.
How a Realist Hero Rebuilt the Kingdom is the type of anime that crafted a premise with kingdom management and building around a protagonist with his followers. It's a show that encompasses military drama, political topics, and character relationships. With 13 episodes, it did manage to capture the essence of the show. It's far from a masterpiece but stands above the endless amount of isekai shenanigans we see every season.
Alternative Titles Synonyms: Re:Construction the Elfrieden Kingdom Tales of Realistic Brave, A Realist Hero's Kingdom Restoration Chronicle, Genkoku Japanese: 現実主義勇者の王国再建記 Information Type: TV Episodes: 13 Status: Finished Airing Aired: Jul 4, 2021 to Sep 26, 2021 Premiered: Summer 2021 Broadcast: Sundays at 01:30 (JST) Licensors: Funimation Studios: J.C.Staff Source: Light novel Duration: 24 min. per ep. Rating: PG-13 - Teens 13 or older Statistics Score: 7.251 (scored by 201,383 users) 1 indicates a . Ranked: #30622 2 based on the top anime page. Please note that 'Not yet aired' and 'R18+' titles are excluded. Popularity: #595 Members: 389,806 Favorites: 2,582 Available AtResources |
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