Not Recommended
As you imagine, a title like this will spark and make you scratch your head about what to expect. It's essentially about a guy who reincarnates into a world where women reigns supreme. Being a mob, or otherwise a background character, main protagonist Leon plays his life like a game as he's trapped in this dating sim world. At first, it wasn't easy to figure out exactly what this anime is trying to be. An isekai otome harem? A fantasy school drama? Or one of those wild unpredictable stories carved from the author's wild imaginations? One thing is for sure is the anime follows a recurringtrend we've seen countless times in these recent years: reincarnation. Whether he likes it or not, Leon is reincarnated and more importantly, trapped in a world where women rules all. He is pretty much a background character, a nobody like one those nameless NPCs you find in roleplaying games. Fortunately, the author decides to allow Leon to retain hs past memories so he has the knowledge to change the dating world he's trapped in.
First, the audience have every right to think this may be another cash grab at the recurring isekai tropes in today's industry. Isekai comes in all shape and sizes except this one throw in a few twists. Nonetheless, I also admit this show does justice at establishing Leon as a knowledgable protagonist. He may be a mob but he also represents far from being a useless NPC type character. On a mental level, he is virtually unmatched when he plays mind games against his adversaries. As witnessed in the first few episodes, he plays his life like a game. And for Leon, his games are how he plays by exploiting vulnerablities. He is essentially a gamer that uses his knowledge as a psudeo cheat code. A defining trait is also Leon's pride as he believes in his own superiority. Maybe we can call this a source of 'gamer's pride' as it may have stemed from his past life.
For a dating sim, there's no void for its cast of colorful female cast. These include the protagonist from the first otome game Olivia, Redgrave heiress Angelica, and the petite yet manipulative Marie. Between these characters, it's shown that some of them possesses traits you'd find in a real life otome game. For instance, Olivia is the friendly type of girl who has an inferior personality compared to her noble classmates. Angelica represents a more traditional type of heiress who has pride but does not arrogantly look down on others. And, we can't forget about Marie, a manipulate girl who uses others for her personal gain. Yeah, it would be easy to designate her as a major antagonist for her manipulative nature. However, I will say that she's less cunning compared to Leon but far more devious. This central female cast represents a typical otome game but you have to also remember Leon's role here. He knows events from the game and because of his knowledge, he can potentially change outcomes. That's what happens throughout the story as certain game events are altered or occurs at different time frames. In essence, this is like changing routes in a game with previous acquired knowledge. Talk about cheating on an unique level.
Now, I will admit that a good deal of the characters in this show are unlikale. Very few are tolerable at best such as Angelica. However, characters such as Olivia and Marie are filled with flaws. Marie in particular carries a personality that borderlines to psychotic with her childish and manipulative nature. The anime protrays it in a lighthearted fashion but who can stand someone who always tries to use others for personal gain? That reminds me that the majority of the male cast are forgetable. To me, they are the supporting cast with limited roles other than to be partnered with the female cast. Oh and of course, some of them fall victim to Marie's twisted plans so that adds bonus points for their uselessness. Leon practically carries this anime with his mental intellect and knowledge of the game world. Even if you don't like Leon, you have to admit that he is one, if not the most talented character in the show.
Composed of 12 episodes, the anime falls victim to a common trend with mediocre adaptations: failing to reach its full potential. In other words, you're missing out content from the light novel. The anime adaptation had to limit content to reach its audience and sacrifice character development with more limited storytelling. To me, it's a travesty because at some point in the show, I did show interest in the growth of the main female cast. For instance, Olivia getting bullied by her peers is an obstacle I want to see her overcome. Unfortunately, it didn't change my mind based on my initial impressions. There's so little character development in the show that I just gave up on them.
What does director Kazuya Miura and studio ENGI have in common? He literally directed four of the five projects produced by this studio since they've aired. And to me, they were produced with mixed results. Now, I'm not saying ENGI failed as a production studio because they did manage to animate this show with some highlights. For instance, character designs are lavishly crafted with beauty and elegance. The female cast has their feminine charm while the male roster are decorated with handsomeness that you'd expect out of an otome game. Only Leon has the average look because of his 'mob' status. However, animation quality with its character expressions are questionable. Almost all the characters have similar faces and at times, their expressions feels off. One of the major distractions is the female character designs with their eyes, most distinctively involving Angelica. Nonetheless, I'll give credit where credit is due. ENGI did manage to reach expectations with their work. Similarly, the voice acting in this show gives off an aura of charisma. My only complaint is Olivia, who shows far too much vulnerablility that makes me want to glue my ears shut.
In my disappointment, I have to confess that the anime felt little more than advertisement of the novels. There's just not enough to make me hungry for more unless they make an actual bold attempt at character building. It doesn't matter much really since I've grown to dislike the majority of the character cast after the final episode. Sometimes, storytelling with these type of genres work. Sometimes it doesn't. This is one of those times that it didn't.
