Isekai is, safe to say, one of the most hated and infamous anime genres. The idea, in itself, isn’t terrible but there are so many cookie-cutter series which use this trope. Isekai, or “other world” in English, is a cliche in many shows which involves the protagonist being transported somehow from our world to another, usually fantasy style, world. Mostly, this is done in order to allow for easy and somewhat lazy exposition. A character who was born in a fantasy world would have no realistic reason to suddenly explain or have someone explain to them how a world and it’s mechanics work. Whereas, if a character is new to this world, it allows for the writer to easily have the aspects of the imaginary world explained to the protagonist and, at the same time, explained to the viewer. It also allows for this character to make references and jokes which relate to pop culture whilst still making sense in a fantasy world which would not have the same pop culture as ours.
Now that the idea and history of Isekai has been explained, we can move onto the show itself. Isekai Quartet is often described online as “the most ambitious crossover in anime history.” This is, of course, a pun on how Avengers:Infinity War was called “the most ambitious crossover in film history”. There were a total of four shows characters in the first season: Re:Zero, Overlord, KonoSuba and Tanya; hence ‘quartet’. However, in the second season, characters from Tate no Yuusha are added to the cast. So I guess the show is now Isekai Quintet? The shows which the cast come from are very well respected and well known within the anime community. So you can see why they would want to create a crossover show. It allows for all the fans of the four/five individual shows to come together and watch this show, giving it a wide appeal. In addition, all the shows are in-between seasons. This short and cheaply produced show allows the series which the characters are from to remain relevant and continue to keep a grasp on their fanbase, ready for the new installments in their individual franchises. The animation is a Japanese chibi style, which is exceptionally simple and easy to draw or animate. Isekai Quartet is a blatant cash grab which Kadakowa, the license owner of all the shows, uses to keep shows more relevant and for a very low production price. However, I shall give credit where credit is due; The voice actors for almost all of the characters is kept the same and makes the auidience feel that these are the same people that they have watched before, despite their change into chibi style.
The show is mostly a situational comedy which follows the cast whilst they have some kind of goal or problem which they want to overcome by the end of the episode. The journey towards their goal is fodder for comedic situations. I would say that not all of the jokes land, but they land enough to call the series a comedy; Not a good comedy, however a comedy nonetheless.
Overall, I would give Isekai Quartet a rating of 6/10. The show isn’t breaking any molds and doesn’t seem to have a greater overarching plot. Although, it has a short run-time for each episode and is entertaining enough to be enjoyable. An okay show is the best way to describe it. Just OK.
Jamie's Anime Review Blog 