Isekai Meikyuu de Harem wo

"In the beginning, the anime gods created the Heavens and the Earth in the form of Interspecies Reviewers, the "men of culture" anime that would define the new decade of the 2020s. But then came Redo of Healer a year later, which made the earth formless and empty with its over-the-top violence and gore, and darkness covered the deep waters, and the anime gods were hovering over the face of the waters. And the anime gods beckoned, "Let there be light," and there was light. But what they saw is that Isekai Meikyuu Harem's light, now released, was tainted in blood and sexual innuendos, and they separatedthe light from the darkness." - Genesis 1:1-4, if written by the anime gods Out of the shows that aired in the now passing Summer season, it's safe to say that we were all anticipating novelist Shachi Sogano's Isekai Meikyuu Harem a.k.a Harem Labyrinth in Another World for nothing more than to have our seasonal dose of the degenerate taste and feast for the eyes. Well, we got that and more...which basically comes off as "so bad it's good" kind of show where there're a lot of factors working for and against it, and that'll ultimately be the make-or-break point if you do plan on watching this. Well obviously, I did (and so are you), so let's get to it for a breakdown, shall we? So first and foremost, an Isekai works the same way as what you would expect; the Meikyuu a.k.a labyrinth segment being one of a slow burn of grinding for experience; and a harem, which I don't really need to explain it, yes? And this is what casually happens to Michio Kaga, after randomly being Isekai-ed like just any other unassuming protagonist. Except that he instead faces a Seirei Gensouki-like situation of being a newbie but having to commit murders and decapitation of people due to witnessing a horrific killing spree of bandits to ordinary townsfolk (or NPCs for that matter). Of course, what's an Isekai without the MC being OP, and this is definitely the case for Michio here, having to face the brunt of a PTSD-inducing shock seeing blood spats just about everywhere, and weirdly enough, loving the end result of it. So think of Redo of Healer's Keyaru, but at least a mentally sane version of him after collecting his thoughts and regarding that the fantasy world he's been transported to has no rules bogging everyone down, and everyone's a free man until proven otherwise. Michio's next task is to find adventurers to support his camaraderie of adjusting his life to a new world, but instead, finds slaves trapped by slave traders awaiting to be sold for good prices. Of course, being the good guy that Michio is, would enquire one such trader (by the name of Alan) for help on his next navigational points, and Alan reveals of a labyrinth that would help set off a good starting point for Michio. But being cashless with only experience backing him up, Alan then decides to recommend buying a slave to aid him in his endeavours, and also "Sweet Home, Alabama" virgins as sex slaves, just because why not. They are good for companionship and sex anyways, so there's no limits to how far one could go. It's the offer that put Michio on temptation to purchase one, and this sets the course for the series' progression further dowb the road. Not gonna lie, Isekai Meikyuu Harem (at least for this initial season) may feel like a slow burn, but it's not like Shachi Sogano is stupid enough to basically make a fantasy world version of World's End Harem and call it a day. In fact, the labyrinth segments are actually worth more than the sexual parts, and his idea is to make the labyrinth section a necessity to get to the harem stuff, which depending on your tolerance for patience, can feel like things are happening that slowly builds up to its own climax moments. And that certainly was his modus operandi for Isekai Meikyuu Harem, for Michio's engagement with his very first sex slave, the beastwoman Roxanne (which she is even more tasteful in the anime than the LN) helps to build the codependent relationship between the two, albeit at a snail's pace. And this is where most people have a mixed reception of the show as it progresses on the actual plot as compared to the "plot", which makes you feel like you're actually playing an RPG game and earning rewards along the way to purchase secret bonus items. Honestly though, this feels refreshing to watch and admire, but at the cost of pacing (which is pretty fine from what I can tell following the manga version of the LN) and waning interest for more girls to come and fill up Michio's family of a harem to get to the full-on degeneracy. Michio himself seems like a very cautious person who has thought through each and every plan and strategy, whether it be in the labyrinth or perfectly sound at home. Roxanne is a beastwoman of beauty, perfect with the dog-like ears and tail, which makes her alluring side more pretty than what Michio had initially bargained for with a hefty amount of a price. And for the most part, these two work like husband and wife: the perfect embodiment of a master-slave relationship that is aware of the ridges of satisfaction yet work in harmony so much to appreciate one another's presence, it almost feels surreal living the kind of life one would've thought of in a fantasy world. And yes, despite the key visual showcasing other girls that would be to come in Michio's harem, it definitely is a shame to exchange more characters for the subservience in plot, and I feel that a Season 2 will give this show more justice than its wonky beginnings. Being the "Men of Culture" studio, Passione under freelance director Naoyuki Tatsuwa (who's done 2018's Yuri drama cringefest Citrus and this season's mobage adaptation Warau Arsnotoria Sun—!) just feels very lacking, it gave the sign that it was content for the production to be this way: an average Isekai show with much action but not enough prowess to offer in any way of animation. But then again, there were other sacrifices in the way that either way, would not have made this show being the stand-out figure it is, other than what the degenerates all came here for. It honestly just looks subpar, almost close to the point of being bad. The OST...also is another area where it could've been better. If you would've told me who Shiori Mikami is, I would have no idea other than her stand-out character roles like AOT's Krista Lenz and Yuru Yuri's Akari Akaza. In fact, her last theme song performance was all the way back in 2015 with the Yuru Yuri series, and this comeback of an OP song...just feels like a waste of a talent, to be frank. To me, it's one of the worst OPs of the season for being a snoozefest, that's all I can judge it based on. But what is NOT a snoozefest is the ED song between Michio and Alan, and I certainly did not expect that both Taku Yashiro and Kenta Miyake would nail the song-convo hybrid formula so perfectly that it pays homage to Interspecies Reviewers's YMCA-ish rhythmic vibes of its now memeified, but still cultured OP. If I had to compliment this show on THE one thing that made it stand out, it would be the ED, which has grown to be my No. 1 ED song of the season (and maybe the best ED of the season) HANDS DOWN. It's a certified banger of a song, bar none. If you still want to watch a Hentai, then Isekai Meikyuu Harem unforuntately isn't the go-to show for your "peak degenerate" tastes. It's classified as a more serious "(actual) plot than plot" setting, and for a change, this puts into the question that both anime-onlies and LN readers have for the longest time: if there is "harem" in the title, why make it such a way that it takes second place below the precedence of the whole dungeon-crawling, labyrinth headspace? The answer we will never know, but if this show does get a Season 2 (which cross my fingers, I wish it does), this harem adventure is but only just the beginning of a long journey for Michio Kaga and his family of sex slaves. This ain't peak degeneracy, not just yet. It still needs a lotta cooking in the process, and that'll determine the success of the source material through the now current mediocre anime adaptation.