Every night, it still haunts me that this happened. I’ll put my vote in for Michelle Cooper — the award goes to Demons.
I know this isn’t really meant to be taken seriously, because after all, it is just one big popularity contest. But me being the isekai fanatic I am, I couldn’t just sit idly by and let Crunchyroll commit what was essentially an affront to God himself.
I mean… Demon Slayer? Really?
I’m not going to act like it doesn’t belong in this genre, but to pit such a low fantasy against the high fantasy powerhouses of Overlord, Mushoku Tensei, and Made in Abyss? That just doesn’t make sense.
For those unfamiliar with what I mean: high fantasy refers to an alternate world filled with all sorts of imaginative creatures, landscapes, and magic. It’s a completely separate universe that shouldn’t bear any resemblance to our own. The key element defining low fantasy, then, would have to be the setting’s location in the real world — or worlds not far off from our own — in which magical creatures and elements intrude.
So for a low fantasy where the only magical aspects are demons and slightly overpowered breathing techniques, it makes you wonder how it even got nominated in the first place. I mean, if “best fantasy” is judged on the elements that make it fantasy, then you’d think the nominees would only be the shows that were chock-full of them. Even Attack on Titan would have made more sense than Demon Slayer here.
But since there was obviously little thought put into this, allow me to right the wrong that Crunchyroll has made and tell you about what I think is the actual best fantasy anime of 2022 — a show that not only incorporates high fantasy well into its story, but also excels in many of the other areas that make an anime objectively good, too.
Let’s talk about Mushoku Tensei.
At first glance, Mushoku Tensei seems just like every other isekai. A shut-in from Japan gets run over by a truck, then before he knows it, he’s reincarnated into a new world of magic and fantasy. It’s the classic intro we’ve seen hundreds of times by now — the standard approach that so many others have gone on to replicate.
So what makes Mushoku Tensei different, you might ask?
Well, not too much — if you’re looking for something that breaks the mold. But pretty much everything in the way that it handles that mold.
You see, all those generic tropes you may find cliché and overused in other isekai are applied to the fullest here — and used as a means to develop the world, characters, and plot. Something as simple as our protagonist becoming overpowered isn’t just a product of the new life he’s been thrown into, but instead the result of a long, fleshed-out journey that spans the length of years — decades, even.
It’s a journey in which there is no finite goal like “defeat the demon lord,” but instead an ongoing path of self-exploration and self-reflection. It’s a highly character-driven narrative — far more immersive than any isekai or fantasy we’ve seen before.
The core reason why, I think, is because the main character, Rudeus, is shown to actually age. He physically gets older with each passing arc. He’s not perpetually stuck in a single time period of his life, but is instead shown to grow from infancy to adulthood. The entire series is us going through the events of his life as he matures — both physically and mentally — providing this incredibly realistic portrayal in the way he and the others around him are developed.
Now, I could talk about how this is masterfully applied to portray Rudy’s progression from degenerate to respectable, but I think that concept is pretty much a given by now. I mean, anyone who’s even heard of Mushoku Tensei knows that he’s about as degenerate as degenerate can get.
So rather than talk about how the story constantly works toward rehabilitation by having him learn from his mistakes, I want to focus on how the side characters are developed.
You see, it’s not just Rudy who’s on this journey of growth and self-exploration. With a lot of the other characters not fitting in — much like how Rudy didn’t in his past life — you’ll find several parallels between them and Rudy, along with quite a few significant developments of their own.
Take, for example, Paul — Rudy’s father. While being just as degenerate as his son, a significant crisis paves the path toward his redemption. He initially starts off as a deadbeat and almost splits the entire family, but over time and throughout that previously mentioned crisis, Paul goes through numerous ups and downs while discovering just how important family really is to him. It’s all part of the journey that develops him into a better father and husband.
If we look at the female protagonist, Eris, next — as a character so intent on becoming strong — she’s constantly reminded of just how weak she is. So what initially starts off as a hot-headed character always quick to violence slowly becomes one that’s more disciplined as she’s forced to confront her weaknesses and flaws. It’s another journey that focuses on personal growth — one that leads to purpose and self-understanding.
Now, with other characters dealing with themes like atonement and belonging, what they all eventually come back to is growth and self-improvement.
It’s just as Gigguk once said in his own video talking about this: Rudy and the others aren’t characters intended for us to self-insert into, but instead characters meant to provoke self-reflection.
Personally, I like to think it’s all to show that it’s never too late to turn your life around. No one wants to live their life the way Rudy lived his before — so why waste the life we have now? We’re not going to get a second chance at it, like Rudy did.
So whether it’s through Rudy or any of the other characters’ impactful journeys, you’ll come to see that it’s all about making the most out of the life you’re living now. And it’s that deep-seated basis in such a profound topic that really makes Mushoku Tensei excel in terms of plot and character development — far better than any of the other fantasy anime we got last year.
Now, an intriguing plot and strong character development are always great — but what about the characteristics that make it a fantasy? The brand-new world and magical elements within it?
I mean, that is the category we’re vying for here.
Well, when it comes to that, the influence of magic is just the tip of the iceberg. Whereas other isekai center their whole plot around it, magic isn’t the end-all, be-all here. Yes, it has a complex and fleshed-out system — but so too does the element of swordsmanship. Both are equally important and prevalent in this world, where power is so disparate between those at the top and those at the bottom.
So it’s not just whoever can fling the most powerful spells — but instead, whoever’s mastered their skills in swordsmanship or magic best.
Even the very art of combat is something that’s heavily explored throughout the series. And that’s an element that ties deeply into the various kingdoms and races that stem from them.
Just like how Overlord has various kingdoms, each with their own political goals and motivations, so too does Mushoku Tensei — except bigger.
What I mean is that the entire world is established beyond the scope of just kingdoms and cities. There are continents, regions, kingdoms, and zones that constitute them — and the unique populations that reside within them, all of which are made distinct and clear, as well as given historical reasoning as to why they turned out that way.
You might think details like that would be given in some sort of exposition dump, but the way the world is defined is actually far more creative. Certain historical facts may be briefly mentioned as part of a larger conversation, while defining landscapes are always highlighted whenever the setting changes. Clear features distinguish certain races from others — and those traits can even be the root cause of the problems they face.
Those problems can range from cultural to political — and even tie back to the diverse history of the world I was just mentioning.
Then, as if lengthy visuals weren’t enough to highlight the transition from one kingdom to the next, the opening song and sequence always change to match the setting. So let’s say one episode is in the Fittoa Region — this song will always play during the opening. If the next episode is in the Holy Kingdom of Millis, the opening song will change to that one.
It’s a well-known concept in music called a leitmotif — a recurring theme or musical composition associated with a specific person or situation. Since the leitmotifs here are associated with individual places, there’s a certain sense of familiarity and nostalgia that’s created whenever it happens.
It’s a small yet highly impactful detail that immerses you right from the beginning of the episode. Ninety seconds of music and visuals, both working in tandem to set the tone of where we are in this adventure.
Aside from that, we also have monsters, gods, and demon lords. Floating castles, academies, churches. Wars of all scopes and sizes. Even separate worlds adjacent to this one.
That may sound like elements you’ve come across before — but I assure you, each is implemented in a way you’ve likely never seen before.
So if all that doesn’t highlight
the imaginative and immersive fantasy that is Mushoku Tensei, then that’s on me for not explaining it well. I honestly wish I could dive deeper into each of them, but an analysis like that would last for hours.
So instead, let’s move on to its strongest selling point yet: the animation.
Regardless of whether you like the anime or not, pretty much everyone will agree — the animation is phenomenal.
For me, I honestly haven’t seen anything this good since Violet Evergarden. Whether it’s a super intense action scene, the casting of some beautiful magic, or even just the opening of a piece of bread — every aspect, foreground or background, just comes to life with the stunning visuals and fluid motion of it all.
With such precise detail and rich textures being applied to both characters and environments alike, there’s a whole new layer of depth and realism to be appreciated here.
Like Eris’s character, who had never stepped foot on a beach before — she can be seen losing her footing when experiencing the unfamiliar terrain of sand for the first time. If that isn’t attention to detail, then I honestly don’t know what is.
It’s little things like that — sprinkled all throughout the anime. They’re not always apparent, but if you pay enough attention, you’ll start to see just how much of a masterclass of animation this anime really is. The studio behind it was clearly passionate about what they were working on.
Combine that with a soundtrack by Yoshiaki Fujisawa, and what you get are OSTs that perfectly capture the tone of whatever is happening. Grand orchestral arrangements capture a sense of awe, while ethereal notes are used to create mystery and intrigue. There’s such a wide range of moods and emotions to cover that it’s no wonder the entire soundtrack spans hours.
They really do enhance the emotional impact of everything — especially those leitmotifs I mentioned earlier.
So whether it’s the captivating soundtrack, stunning visuals, or engaging storytelling — just about everything in Mushoku Tensei was amazing.
I know the anime awards aren’t meant to be taken seriously… but it just didn’t feel right letting things sit like this.
So Mushoku Tensei — here’s your AniNews Award for Best Fantasy Anime of 2022. It’s not really worth anything, but at least with this, I can sleep a little better now.
So until next time, ciao.