Content Warning: Fanservice.
What’s it about? Overworked and suddenly dead, office worker Arihito Atobe finds himself reborn into the Labyrinth Country as the uniquely rare Rearguard class, an all-around support role that covers just about everything. Joined by faces familiar and new, Arihito dives right into the fray and works hard to rise through the adventuring ranks!
Hand to god, Truck-kun is working overtime, because this anime opens on an almost infinite line of people slain by death on four wheels. Or, I suppose I should say “Tour Bus-san,” to put some respect on the vehicle that brought Arihito Atobe to another world.
In this case, the world is Labyrinth Country, and Arihito isn’t alone: it turns out many of his former coworkers have arrived in the same place, instructed to go straight to the guide and find a class. Thankfully, the guide he arrives at is specific to those who are reincarnated, meaning that his path to living in another world isn’t going to be too bad.
Still, Arihito’s got a lot to get used to as a recently reincarnated soul. So when he encounters his former manager, he thinks that maybe it won’t be too hard. But his trials and tribulations aren’t over quite yet, because when Arihito receives his class, it’s just the start of him figuring out how to survive to dungeon-dive another day.
The World’s Strongest Rearguard is another entry in the “Overworked Adult Goes to Another World” niche in isekai, and speaking honestly, while not spectacular, it’s pretty decent to watch.
What it’s not is interesting. It’s tried-and-true dungeon-diving dynamics, and while it’s novel to see an entire company get sent to another world, The World’s Strongest Rearguard quickly loses any possible edge it has and just becomes an infodump of a premiere. I understand it needs to lay down the rules of its fantasy world, but there are engaging ways to do it that aren’t this. Surely there’s a better, more compelling way to draw anime-only viewers in.
Of course, I also have to mention the big thing: Arihito buys a slave. If you read my recent thoughts on isekai’s slavery problem, then you already know how I feel about the fact that a human flesh trade exists as a way for characters to form a party instead of, I don’t know, gaining associates and fellow adventurers by having one iota of a personality.
Also, the lizardwoman he buys is strangely sexy in her design, which, ew? She’s basically a teenage girl with a few scales so you can tell she’s a demi-human. It’s written as “something something she’s cursed,” but like… what a flimsy excuse for a shitty plot element.
I sort of knew I’d have fairly middling feelings about The World’s Strongest Rearguard, and honestly, I’m okay with that. Despite the slavery elements, this wasn’t truly egregious, just kind of forgettable. While the light novel covers do make me curious (the most recently localized volume features ARIHITO WITH A GUN), I’m not sure I’m intrigued enough to invest any further.
Painfully mediocre animation, fairly bland characters, adult jiggle physics, and a well-trodden but ultimately uninteresting plot are what’s on offer here, at least from a newcomer’s point of view. Once more, I’m happy for those who are invested fans, but for me, well…it’s a packed season and I’ll be letting my eyes go elsewhere.
