Genjitsu Shugi Yuusha no Oukoku Saikenki

After the death of his grandfather, 19-year-old Kazuya Souma—an aspiring civil servant—is left all alone with no one to call family. Out of the blue, he is transported to the Elfrieden Kingdom, a small ailing country in another world, to be a “hero.” An ongoing war with the demon army has put the entire world in peril, and Kazuya was summoned to aid in the conflict as an offering from Elfrieden to its allies.
Dissatisfied with being used as tribute, Kazuya decides to help the kingdom revamp its declining economy—not by way of adventuring or war, but through administrative reform. Abruptly declared the King of Elfrieden and betrothed to the princess, the “Realist Hero” Kazuya sets out to assemble a group of talented citizens who will assist him in his bureaucratic battles to get the kingdom back on its feet.

Genjitsu Shugi Yuusha no Oukoku Saikenki was one of the anime I targeted once we got into the Summer 2021 season. But, because I was already watching five other anime, I didn’t think I would be able to fit this anime into my schedule. A few weeks later and with the Summer 2021 season coming to an end, I finally found the time to fit Genjitsu Shugi Yuusha no Oukoku Saikenki into my schedule. Much to my surprise, I’m kind of disappointed in myself. I should have started watching sooner because it’s safe to say, my first impressions on this anime has been fairly good.

Who would have thought that throwing an ordinary human being with ‘real world’ logic, into a fantasy world where that ‘real world’ logic seems like some next level god-like speak. There is something about this that I found really entertaining. In some ways, Genjitsu Shugi Yuusha no Oukoku Saikenki reminds me a lot of No Game No Life because in both instances we have an ‘ordinary’ person (Sora and Shiro are far from ordinary but you get what I mean), thrown into a fantasy world. Where they’re made King/Queen of a country experiencing a crisis and employ real world thought and tactics to help revive the country. In both instances, this new way of thinking is foreign to the fantasy world they find themselves dropped into. The main differentiating factor between the two, apart from the obvious, is that Genjitsu Shugi Yuusha no Oukoku Saikenki‘s male protagonist Kazuya Souma, is a lot more relatable, grounded and isn’t over the top. Which is something I personally like.

Another aspect of Genjitsu Shugi Yuusha no Oukoku Saikenki that I enjoyed was that the anime doesn’t waste any time. Episodes one and two, we were introduced to who will be the main protagonists in Kazuya Souma and Liscia Elfrieden. We were also told who and what the antagonist was, and the setting and general vibe of the show was established over the two episodes. Then in episodes three and four we were presented with the supporting cast, all of which are interesting individuals in their own right. They also expanded on the antagonist and somehow connect them to the current state of affairs in the Kingdom of Elfrieden. This was something I liked because it created a problem that wasn’t just one dimension, it created something that potentially has multiple layers with multiple outcomes and solutions. Instead of their just being one answer to solve them all.

Now despite all that, because Genjitsu Shugi Yuusha no Oukoku Saikenki has so many genres it can fall under. I do not expect much out of the anime. I’ve mentioned this time, and time again. Any anime that has the ‘harem’ tag, will always be cause for concern because you never know what you’re going to get. You either have the extreme or something that is very light. I expect a mix and match sort of deal with Genjitsu Shugi Yuusha no Oukoku Saikenki. One the problems with an anime being in multiple genres is that you have to satisfy each category, which can make or break an anime if a proper balance is not found.

Now that I have all that out of the way, I will speak briefly on all the stuff. The art style for what its worth isn’t outstanding, in fact, it feels pretty normal. I do like, however, that everything about the art style feels very bright and is very colourful. It’s very inviting to my eyes. As for both the OP “HELLO HORIZON” by Inori Minase and ED “Kazanear (カザニア)” by Aimi, they are more or less afterthoughts. Neither are good or bad, they’re okay at best. I think it’s safe to say the pull will not be from the OP, ED, or art style. The pull will definitely from the character and whatever comes from the story.

Overall, I think it’s safe to say Shugi Yuusha no Oukoku Saikenki has left a pretty good first impression on me. I’m excited to see what becomes of this anime.