"An Isekai with the same reincarnation themes...that's damn boring. Oh, I know! Let's change it up to an OP MC who, for all intents and purposes, wants to be a NEET and spread the Otaku love so that he does not need to get involved with all of the usual kingdom political bootlicking and BS? That'll be good."
If you ask me, we've gotten used to the same old, tried-and-true Isekai reincarnation shitshows that have come out every season that try to sell their "differing" narratives for years now. But to bet on what is "actually" good (though "good" is calling it a bit of a ... stretch here), it's no longer the premise nor its setting, but how it's executed, and for one certain author by the name of Sai Sumimori, the work-turned-anime that is Jitsu wa Ore, Saikyou deshita? a.k.a Am I Actually the Strongest?, has some peculiarities that make it stand out, though in my opinion, in a good way.
A NEET in his real life to then only be reincarnated in another world where he wants to continue lavishing his NEET lifestyle — this is the crux objective for Haruto Zenfis. As a baby, once abandoned by the family he came from, he was adopted by a lowly family simply because he didn't fit the usual kingdom requirement of competent magical abilities. That, and how his magic was measured, meant that due to some faulty assessment, he was deemed a failure, but in retrospect, he's the same OP-ness of an MC, and of course, how would people know unless he unleashed this exact power? So then, the lowly Zenfis family accepted him into their household, where, as Haruto grows up, he just wants a life of relaxation and navigates all troubles to ensure he maintains his NEET lifestyle. And in this case, it kind of feels refreshing that the typical OP MC is not summoned and tasked to defeating some Demon Lord or King by gathering a dream team of a harem party and growing stronger; we don't need crap like that.
I've got to say that Haruto is an unhinged character. Aside from his usual typical OP stuff that he has magic powers to prove, all he wants to do is lie on the bed, read manga, and laze in the house day in and day out. Whoever the characters that come popping into his life, from the young female Fenrir of Flay, who, because of her tendency to go ham, Haruto essentially has to treat her like a dog; to his own adopted lil' sister of Charlotte, who, despite her young age, is quite the intelligent and curious child that finds her adopted older brother being somewhat of an oddity. Even worse, because of Haruto's tendency for the NEET life, he introduces her to the otherworldly magic called the internet, and soon, she becomes the anime otaku chuunibyou to gather like-minded people and perform acts that only anime can do. Char's love for Haruto may be there, but her dedication to anime is just so over-the-top that in regard to Haruto clearing out the usual "big bad" trash, he has to brandish himself as the mysterious Dark Knight hero from time to time, which, if you know that design, good on you. The way that Haruto "obtains" his harem group may look like one, but it's a helper team that involves Char, Flay, and yet another blue dragon who has a NEET life like Haruto, for which he gave her the name Liza. And that's what I like about the characters here: they may be so much like the typical people who adore Haruto (and I'm not gonna lie, they do), but they are saved out of necessity because of the common inklings towards him, which, take it or leave it, is a recipe for madness...in a rather comical way.
This is Staple Entertainment's 2nd full-fledged series, and it doesn't look all that different from the newbie studio's debut work of last Summer's Kinsou no Vermeil a.k.a Vermeil in Gold in regard to animation quality. It's just decent and nothing noteworthy, despite the fact that the anime is actually following the manga adaptation of the LN to almost a 1-to-1 degree. Same with the OST; it's just there, but nothing worth remembering outside of the show.
In the average Joe's eyes, Jitsu wa Ore, Saikyou deshita? a.k.a Am I Actually the Strongest? is a show that does nothing different than the usual generic Isekai reincarnation fantasy shitshow that the AniManga industry has been tainted with for years now. But I oblige to argue, because this is a show that's not meant to be taken seriously (hence the "comedy is subjective" argument) and watching Haruto's exploits for the Otaku NEET lifestyle and how hard he tries to avoid stepping out of the house gives me the chuckles for a show that has no right to be this good.
Yeah, it's an average, typical Isekai, but a fun comedy gag-infused reference to pass the time.
 Alternative Titles Japanese: 実は俺、最強でした? Information Type: TV Episodes: 12 Status: Finished Airing Aired: Jul 2, 2023 to Oct 1, 2023 Premiered: Summer 2023 Broadcast: Sundays at 02:00 (JST) Producers: Kodansha, DAX Production, Avex Pictures, Crunchyroll, ABC Animation, MAGNET, ADK Marketing Solutions Licensors: None found, add some Studios: Staple Entertainment Source: Light novel Duration: 23 min. per ep. Rating: PG-13 - Teens 13 or older Statistics Score: 6.501 (scored by 71,527 users) 1 indicates a . Ranked: #68992 2 based on the top anime page. Please note that 'Not yet aired' and 'R18+' titles are excluded. Popularity: #1552 Members: 147,413 Favorites: 529 Available AtResources |
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