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Although only one episode ofThe Beginning After the Endhas been released,it already feels like it has started to differentiate itselffrom your typical isekai fair. The anime adaption has capitalized on the opportunity to showcase a darker tone, supported by the art style choices and expanding on the backstory of King Grey.
While these decisions have divided fans online, they do represent a sort of break from tradition. This break can be refreshing to those who have seen one too many “high schooler transported to another world” storylines. This article will examine howthe first episode has entered an interesting isekai spaceand sets itself up to explore unique ideas in the future.
Playing to Its Strengths
How the Anime Hones In on Unique Aspects of Its Story
The anime adaptation ofBeginning After the Endseems to be deliberately highlighting the themes and dynamics that make it stand out from other isekai. What makes the series such a great read is how it is willing to explore common tropes on a deeper level, even if that sometimes makes things uncomfortable.
“I keep wanting to wake up, yet this bizarre dream persists.” -Arthur Lewyin.
In the first episode, the anime takes the liberty of showing more of King Grey’s backstory before he was reborn. We see him in a much more negative light, with corpses depicted leading up to his throne, and Grey is seen ordering the brutal carpet bombing of a city. While having an isekai protagonist who isn’t morally good isn’t new, the anime tries to make the viewer uncomfortable with the concept of this mass killer now inhabiting the body of an innocent child in another world, a plot point that is often taken for granted in other series.
In the anime adaptation, we are made to feel that Grey, now Arthur, is an alien to this new world. His deep, overly serious voice contrasts with his struggles to adapt to his toddler body. Through this lens, the audience is invited to question the strangeness of a grown man being raised by two grown people as an infant.
“My bodily functions are beyond my control… Nothing is turning out how I would choose. This body is like a prison.” -Arthur Leywin.
InMushoku Tensei, which this story no doubt takes inspiration from, this disconnect is also explored but becomes a light-hearted source of humor. By contrast,Beginning After the End’s humor is more subtle. It finds humor in the way the stern thoughts of Arthur rebel against “the prison” he refers to his toddler body. However, it’s a different kind of humor. It’s done the same way one might view a comically trapped evil genius or a Stewie fromFamily Guytype character. As a toddler, Arthur’s main concerns are acquiring weapons, gaining strength, and developing a capacity for violence to protect himself in this new world.
Setting Up a Contrast
Even just in this first episode, we see how the advantages of going for a darker tone benefit some of the themes in the story. The expanded backstory of King Grey gives us a better contrast between the terrible upbringing and life Arthur left to come to this new world. He is confounded by the empathy shown by his new parents, and is able to recontextualize the concept of family he didn’t understand in his previous life.
“These days know no end of frustrations, but moments like these aren’t so bad.” -Arthur Leywin.
Through a darker approach,the anime gives a stronger foundation for Arthur’s characterto be truly grateful to his new parents for giving him something he couldn’t find in his old life. As King Grey, Arthur had to fight and conquer for approval and acceptance, and even then, assassins were after him to the point he could never get a peaceful night’s sleep. The mundanity of his new toddler upbringing taught him a new perspective, one that the old King Grey lacked when he ordered the bombing of cities and killed those who defied him.
Overall,while the animation quality leaves much to be desiredin the minds of some fans, the show seems to be setting itself up well with an eye toward the future to hit its major themes and emotional beats. Time will tell how wellThe Beginning After the Endadaptation canlive up to its reputation as a beloved Webcomicand light novel isekai story.
