Crunchyroll

Arthur Become a Teacher for a New Friend

Aside Roderick J "Jay" Friz Anime, Anime Reviews, Crunchyroll , , , , , , , , , , ,

The Beginning After the End Ep 9 Review

When you’re a kid, there are few things as scary as the expectations of your parents. The pressure can make some kids crack from trying to meet it. Other kids choose to rebel against their parents expectations, especially if said parent happens to be of the abusive kind. Fortunately, Mr. And Mrs. Helstea are not bad parents. Unfortunately, as Arthur Leywin sees for himself, just because they’re good parents doesn’t mean they don’t saddle their daughter, Lilia, with the stress of expectations.

It’s time for the King to have an intervention.

Poor Lilia’s Insecurities

The episode starts off with Arthur in the middle of an intense training session as he’s trying to master Sylvia’s powers. However, using what is essentially “Za Warudo” is not something that a kid can fully master, much to his frustration. His concerns, though, take a backseat as his family (and Mrs. Helstea and Lilia) take him out to get a makeover. The entire experience serves as a means for Arthur to bond with his family while also revealing just how valuable the beast core Sylvia gave him really is. If people knew he had the beast core of a dragon…let’s just say that he would be the most wanted person alive.

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Besides the trip serving as a way to introduce Arthur to the value of what he has gotten, it also serves as a means for him to get to learn Lilia better. And thanks to his past-life xp, he’s able to realize just how much pressure the girl has put upon herself. Her parents, being good parents, want the best for her and hope that she does great things in life. And attending the Xyrus Academy could be the key to doing that. Unfortunately, there’s a mathematical formula at work that is not helping things:

Lilia’s insecurity over not having a mana core+envy at Arthur already having one+parental expectations and unintentional pressures+chance they could pay her way into enrollment=DISASTER WAITING TO HAPPEN.

Wait…why does Lilia sound a lot like Norn Greyrat?

I Got Norn Flashbacks

When it comes to this episode, the anime changes several things from the story in the webcomic to focus more on the plight of Lilia. Whether intentional or not, this makes what Lilia is going through feel similar to the issues that Norn Greyrat from Mushoku Tensei would undergo. Both are unintentionally overshadowed by someone better than them; both don’t like having to meet others’ expectations or what they think are other’s expectations. And both initially have negative feelings towards the main protagonist. Lilia is just more subdued about it.

Arthur, having grown to understand people better, realizes how bad things could get if they aren’t resolved now. So, he does something about them. It’s just that it is…morally questionable.

This is Not what happened in the Comic

In a major departure from the webcomic, Arthur has Lilia pretend to run away to stay with the Elves like he did, even having a note written. He only did this so that Lilia could see how much her parents cared about her, and to his credit, it does help them work things out. However, it’s still a little messed up to emotionally manipulate people like that.

In any event, Arthur says that he’s going to help Lilia gain her mana core, and he follows through on it. Using the same methods he perfected as a baby, he’s able to teach Lilia (and Ellie) how to start assembling their cores…and it works. It will take a few years, but Lilia will eventually be able to use Magic!

This was a really sweet episode of TBATE, as it shows just how far Arthur has come since being reborn. He’s better able to understand other people and relate to them, and thanks to that, he’s got a loving home, family, and now another friend in the form of Lilia. There’s just one problem: when Tessia finds out, things could get…ugly. But that’s not for a few years!

I Give “The King Teaches” a 3.5/5

Arthur Has a Baby Sister, and She’s So Cute!

Aside Roderick J "Jay" Friz Anime, Anime Reviews, Crunchyroll , , , , , , , , , ,

The Beginning After the End Ep 8 Review

At long last, Arthur Leywin is home! It took him three years and more solo traveling than most eight-year-olds, but it was worth it to get back to his family. And more importantly, he finally gets to meet the sibling that he almost died trying to protect. The only question is, what will Arthur do now?

That, and just how cute can his baby sister possibly get?

Family Reunion

Thanks to that post-credits scene at the end of the last episode, the anime jumps the gun on Arthur’s reunion with his family. It doesn’t change much, but it does take away some of the inherent heartwarming nature that such a reunion entails. That, and it spoils the fact that Arthur now has a little sister.

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Meet Eleanor Leywin, Arthur’s baby sister of about three or four years old. And like most kids at that age, she’s adorable and impressionable, innocently repeating curse words her dad uses without understanding why they’re bad for someone her age. Once her parents explain that Arthur is the big brother she never met, though, Ellie quickly warms up to Arthur, as well as Sylvie. Who, if she sees Arthur as her papa, makes Eleanor her aunt.

Arthur tells his family everything that happened to him while he was away…to an extent. He lies about meeting Sylvia out of respect for her desire to tell as few people as possible. Given how someone was out to kill Sylvia, the fewer people who know for now, the better. That, and it’s doubtful most adults would believe that Arthur was saved by a talking dragon.

What Will Arthur Do Now?

At any rate, the main points of focus for the episode beyond the Leywin family reunion are Arthur’s growth and what his future will be like. Through exposition, the anime reveals the different stages behind the Mana Core that serves as the heart of the use of magic in TBATE. And thanks to his training arc, Arthur is already close to being on his Dad’s level. Since Reynolds is a more restrained version of Paul Greyrat, Arthur finds himself immediately dragged into a sparring session with his old man out back. And, while the special effects for the magic remain subpar, the fighting animation continues to show improvements.

No, really. Arthur and Reynolds’ friendly bout is not that badly animated. No use of still images to convey the illusion of combat; just actual combat. And, again, while the way the anime chooses to animate magical aura’s is still an eyesore, it makes up for it by confirming what last episode should’ve had us suspecting: Arthur can potentially learn how to use all four basic elements. He’s basically like the Avatar!

All of this is also witnessed by the wealthy Helstea family, old friends of the Leywin’s who allowed them to move in with them in exchange for Reynolds helping guard the auction house they own. And as soon as Mr. Vincent Helstea sees what Arthur can do, he gets the idea of enrolling him in Xyrus Academy. AKA TBATE’s version of Ranoa University or Hogwarts.

Which brings us to the second main focus of the episode: Arthur’s future. He’s only eight years old, but even ignoring his past life, he’s already got more life experience than other kids his age. Whatever he wants to do, he’ll excel at it. However, enrolling in a school like that will mean that he can’t spend as much time with his family, and he just reunited with them. Considering how Arthur devoted his first life to his rise to being a king, it’s likely that he won’t want to let his time with his family go to waste. However, there might be another option that he’s considering. And, as fate would have it, it seemingly gets introduced at the end of the episode.

Did the Anime Skip Stuff Again?

It should be noted that Arthur does eventually reunite with the Twin Horns Party in the webcomic like he does in the anime. However, that reunion doesn’t take place until after Arthur has already settled back in with his family, and after several other events already take place. The fact that the anime moved this up means they’ve either rearranged the order of some events, or they’re skipping over some. If it’s the latter, then that bodes ill for the story, as some of those events are important plotwise. Given how I’ve stuck with TBATE thus far, though, I’m willing to continue giving it the benefit of the doubt. With the show starting to show some promise, it would be a shame if it were to fail now.

This was a nice episode, overall. Getting to see Arthur reunite with his family and meet his baby sister was a very sweet moment. Getting to see Sylvie and Eleanor bond, though, was downright adorable to look at!

I Give “Reunited With the King” a 3.5/5

Arthur…Becomes a Daddy?!?

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The Beginning After the End Ep 7 Review

Three years have passed since Arthur Leywin got separated from his parents and wound up in the Kingdom of Elves. Three years since he was taken in by the former King of the Elves, Virion, as his student. And three years since he started training his Mana Core and trying to master the Beast Will that Sylvia left him. As much as Arthur wanted to see his mom and dad again, those three years were worth it, as he’s gotten stronger in that time! All that strength, though, isn’t going to matter much if he can’t handle his toughest challenge yet: trying to get Tessia to let him leave.

That, and he now has a kid.

Arthur is Pretty Much a Jinchuuriki Now

Thanks to the kindness of former King Virion, Arthur was able to live in the safety of the Elves of Elenoir. He’s still only eight years old in his current life, but thanks to his training, he’s stronger than any eight-year-old would normally be. Just as important, though, is the fact that Tessia’s been able to train alongside Arthur, allowing the two’s friendship to continue to remain strong. To his dismay, though, Arthur has gotten to the point in his life where she’s showing her haughty side more often. I.E. she’s constantly waking him up in the morning and making him food, all while saying he should be grateful a beautiful girl is doing these things for him. Yet, as the anime notes, her ego isn’t unjustified, as she’s proven to be as much of a prodigy with magic as Arthur, gaining her own mana core at age nine.

This episode primarily serves as the stage upon which the story can provide more details about how magic works in the world of TBATE, and it’s here where the anime starts to show off more of what helped to inspire the world it exists in. Virion’s explanation of how magic is broken into four basic elements takes a page from Avatar: the Last Airbender. That series is set in a world where certain people can bend the four classical elements, and while it’s possible for anyone in TBATE to use all four, it’s so rare it might as well be unique. In addition, the explanation about what a Beast Will draws a lot from Naruto. Like Naruto, TBATE includes people who can gain the powers of a powerful monster and use them for themselves, though in this case, they’re called Beast Tamers. And since Arthur got his Beast Will from Sylvia, a dragon, his is extremely powerful. The good news is that all the training he’s done means he’s no longer in any danger of dying.

The bad news? He’s…now a parent.

No, Really. Arthur has a Child Now

In case people forgot, Sylvia gave Arthur two other things besides her Beast Will before she died. One was one of her feathers, and the other was a stone. Fast forward three years, and Arthur discovers that that “stone” was actually an egg…and it just hatched.

While some viewers might share Arthur and Tessia’s sentiment that Sylvia’s newborn daughter, Sylvie, is adorable, the anime ultimately does her, and Sylvia, a little dirty. After biting and leaving that mark on him in the webcomic, Sylvia gains the ability to mentally communicate with Arthur. Yet, for whatever reason, the anime either neglected or forgot to show what Sylvie was thinking, forcing viewers to guess what she’s thinking. As a result, this deprives the show of some of the humor that this moment had in the webcomic. I.E. Sylvie first calling Arthur mama, and then papa, and how freaked out she gets when Tessia insists of cuddling her.

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There are many characters in fiction whose verbal communication is deliberately rendered unintelligible to the audience. Two major examples would be Chewbacca and R2-D2 from Star Wars. The cast can usually understand them, but it’s up to viewers to guess for themselves what they’re saying. In Artoo and Chewie’s case, it’s fun. In Sylvie’s case, though, it’s an issue that’s keeping us from getting to know her better. Hopefully, this was a one-time thing and we’ll soon get to hear what Sylvie’s thinking in future episodes.

By the end of the episode, the Elves have finished the preparations to send Arthur to the human kingdom, so it’s finally time for Arthur to reunite with his family. Thus, he and Sylvie get a big send-off from everyone they’ve met and known in Elenoir, with one initial, and notable, absence: Tessia.

So, Who Ships Arthur and Tessia?

The Beginning After the End makes it no secret that it takes a lot of inspiration from Mushoku Tensei, with Tessia being a combination of the three women who fall in love with Rudeus. And just like Sylphie, Tessia’s reduced to tears at the prospect of her first and only friend going away. That being said, Tessia handles it rather well for an eight-year-old, understanding that Arthur has his own family that misses him. More importantly, while the two go their separate ways for now, it’s all but stated that they will see each other again when they’re older, meaning Tessia has another chance of seeing Arthur.

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The Beginning After the End is now seven episodes in, and while it’s no Mushoku Tensei, it feels like the anime is slowly improving. The animation could be better, with one person on TikTok even proving they could do better in under an hour. But it feels like the series is at its best when it’s not focused on the big action scenes, with the slower moments of this episode proving to be just as good.

I Give “The King Says Goodbye” a 3.5/5

It’s Time for Arthur…to Have a Training Arc

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The Beginning After the End Ep 6 Review

Ever since he got separated from them by bandits, all Arthur has wanted is to return to his family. His stay with Sylvia helped him get ready for the journey, and his detour to help Tessia get home to her own family had slowed him down. That selfless act, though, might have paid off by giving him his best chance to get back to his parents, only for him to learn that that might have to wait. Whatever power Sylvia gave him, his body can’t handle it yet. So, he either stays in the land of the elves, who aren’t too welcoming of him, and trains, or takes his chances by going home and potentially dying.

At least he has a friend in Tessia, though.

When Your Daughter Brings Home a Boy

As the last episode managed to establish, Elves are not too fond of Humans. Given how the events that led to Arthur meeting Tess involved her being captured by slavers, the feeling is not unwarranted and likely mutual on Humans part. So, despite being happy that Arthur saved their only daughter, the King and Queen of the elves aren’t happy that her grandfather wants to take him in as his apprentice. Doing so would mean that A.) a human would be living in the home of the elven royal family for an extended period, and b.) that human is also a boy Tessia’s age.

Anyone who has ever had a daughter will likely sympathize with what Tessia’s father is feeling. His little girl is only five, and she’s already bought a strange boy him. Worse, if he tries to throw him out, Tessia will hate him, making it a lose-lose situation.

Jokes aside, a big part of this episode focuses how important her friendship with Arthur is to Tessia. It’s all but stated that Arthur had no friends in his first life, so Tess is likely the first friend he’s had since he was young. Tessia, on the other hand, has only ever had “friends” who just wanted to take advantage of her princess status. That led her to close herself off to anyone outside her family, hence why she can act so aggressive at times. As her grandfather notes, having Arthur around has made her happier than she’s been in years.

This will be Tough for Arthur, but he will be Fine

Unfortunately for Arthur, the majority of the Elves don’t extend that sentiment. As soon as Tess takes him out to play, he’s accosted by a snooty elf who looks down on him. Thankfully, he shows that he’s not to be messed with in short order.

The more important thing about this episode is that Virion introduces to his friend Xinia, who uses her magic to let Arthur contact his parents. Thanks to that, he’s able to let his grief-stricken parents know he’s alive, but that he can’t come home yet. With that out of the way, though, he’s free to work on fixing his inner power. Which means it’s time for him to undergo his first training arc.

And with that, the first (webcomic) season of The Beginning After the End comes to a conclusion. It was a little rocky at first due to the animation, but once you get past that, the series does have its own rough charm to it. Next time we see Arthur, though, he’ll be bigger and stronger and likely closer to Tessia than ever! Here’s hoping that the animation improves some more!

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I Give “The King’s Training” a 4/5

Arthur Gains a Teacher

Aside Roderick J "Jay" Friz Anime, Anime Reviews, Crunchyroll , , , , , , , , , ,

The Beginning After the End Ep 5 Review

If you stick with something for long enough, there’s a chance it might end up being better than how it started. If that’s true, then maybe TBATE is finally starting to get better. With the post-credits scene from the last episode ending with Arthur being held at sword point by the Elves of Tessia’s homeland, things did not look good. It looked as though Arthur might be in even more trouble, with Tessa seemingly indifferent to his plight. What makes things more surprising, though, is how this is actually a step up from what happened in the webcomic!

For the first time, the TBATE anime has one-upped its source material.

What Happened in the Webcomic

In the original webcomic, Arthur and Tessia’s arrival in the Elven city is far more lighthearted in tone. The reaction Arthur has when learning that Tessia is the Princess of the Elf Kingdom is more comedic and the attitude of the other Elves is more respectful. Whatever suspicions they had, the fact that Arthur returned with Tessia safe and sound warrants a little courtesy.

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By contrast, the sight of the Elves outright attempting to arrest or kill Arthur could be seen as an improvement on the source material. Not only do the adults’ hostile attitudes increase the tension, but they also drive home just how deeply distrustful the Elves are of Humans for things like slavery. Thankfully, once Tess snaps out of whatever trance she was in, the sweet girl is Arthur’s biggest defender. The sight of her innocently taking Arthur home with her without any prejudice is the kind of thing we should all want to see our kids do.

The original webcomic is already good, but this was probably the first time the anime managed to improve upon things. As funny as Arthur’s reaction to learning his new friend is royalty (and he chews her out over it later), the anime’s decision to have Arthur’s life depend on his ability to talk things through feels more realistic and dramatic.

This episode really helps to hammer home the idea that TBATE seems to be at its best when it’s not focused on the fighting. Instead, the character interactions and the resulting drama help to keep people interested despite not looking as good as other anime. Case in point, when Tessia’s grandfather, the former King Virion, takes an interest in Arthur, he invites him to scrap together. The resulting fight once again shows the series’ criticized “PowerPoint fights,” as the fight isn’t that impressive. That being said, the show does make an effort to include some actual animation.

At Least the Fighting’s Getting Better

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The fight isn’t really what’s important, though. What is truly important is what happens afterward. The reveal of the cause behind Arthur’s increasing chest pains, as well as the fact that they will eventually kill him if left unchecked, is handled well by the anime. As is Virion’s offer to train Arthur as his apprentice. The alternative, though, is what will eventually happen if Arthur doesn’t get help for his chest pains: they’re the result of Sylvia giving him some of her power. And since his body can’t handle it yet, he’ll die if nothing is done.

With Arthur’s plans on returning to his family now on hold for the time being, the show looks set to settle into the land of the Elves for a few episodes. Here’s hoping that things improve for the anime’s sake, or it’s not going to last past the first season.

I Give “The King’s Test” a 3/5

Arthur Just Made His New Friend

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The Beginning After the End Ep 4 Review

Despite the heavy criticism it has received in its native West, The Beginning After the End is being well-received overseas. Various pieces of data indicate it’s been fairly popular in Japan, while the series itself has a high number of five-star ratings on Crunchyroll.

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While it might have gotten off to a rough start, TBATE has started to show some slow improvement in the last episode as Arthur met, befriended, and was trained by a mysterious dragon named Sylvia. However, their time together got cut short for reasons that likely won’t be made clear in this season, leaving him on his own once more. However, his quest to reunite with his family leads him to make an unexpected detour, as well as make his first real friend in his second life.

Arthur Goes Assassin’s Creed

As seems to be the case, there was a moment from the manwha that was left out of the anime at the start of the episode. Arthur cries in frustration as the realization that Sylvia’s dead hits him, only to be snapped out of it by a pre-recorded message from her. In it, she explains that she imparted part of her “will” to him, but he can’t use it until he grows stronger. This will become an important plot point going forward, but the immediate ramifications are that Arthur’s mana core will soon start to flare up in pain.

Beyond that, though, what happens next with Arthur and the slave traders is nowhere near as bad as it gets in the web comic. The slavers actually bind and gag the poor girl they captured, and the fact that they don’t do that doesn’t make much sense here. The whole point to that is to ensure the captive can’t escape, making the slavers feel like amateurs. Regardless, the way Arthur kills them is just as ruthless as it is in the comics.

After that, though, Arthur manages to make a new friend. And she’s an elf girl.

The King Makes his First Friend

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This is Tessia, and given how TBATE takes pages from Mushoku Tensei, it should come as no surprise that she takes inspiration from several girls in that series. Her physical appearance, status as an elf, and initial timid personality all scream Sylphie. However, once she starts to open up to Arthur, she starts to display some of Eris’ more fiery and confrontational nature. Thankfully, she’s not violent like Eris is, only going so far as get snippy with Arthur when he’s making fun of her.

The two of them make for a rather odd pairing, especially given how Arthur is mentally an adult. Still, it feels nice to see Arthur being able to have a friend his own age, something that the anime all but states he never really had by the time he died. The anime does leave out a few of the more comedic aspects of their journey together, but the overall bonding and sentiment remain present right up to when they make it to the outskirts of Tess’ home.

Don’t Worry: Arthur Will be Fine

Full disclosure: that post-credits scene was not present in the web comic. It appears that the series might be going in a more serious direction to amp up the drama, or at least leave viewers in suspense about what comes next. Those who read the web comic should also be surprised by what happened, and now have something to look forward to next episode. It feels like TBATE might be on the mend, and hopefully, if we stick around long enough, something good might come out of it.

I Give “Saved by the King” a 3/5

Is TBATE Starting to Get Better?

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The Beginning After the End Ep 3 Review

Okay, now we are starting to get somewhere! It’s not secret at this point that the first two episodes of The Beginning After the End weren’t that good. Between the poor animation and skipping over minor details, it looked like TBATE was on the fast track to becoming the laughing stock of the spring 2025 anime season. Much like the final season of Game of Thrones, there’s a petition to have the series remade from scratch. TurtleMe has asked fans to be patient on Reddit, but the comments make it clear that they’re disappointed with the animation studio. They don’t want to be patient if all that will lead to is something failing to meet their expectations, and I don’t blame them. Last year, I forced myself to keep watching Star Wars: The Acolyte, hoping it would get better by the end.

Spoiler alert: it didn’t.

But, despite its rocky start, the TBATE anime might finally be starting to get its act together. There’s still hope for it, people, and it’s thanks to the story starting to get to the good parts.

That Time I Got Saved by a Dragon

As explained at the end of the last episode, the anime made some changes regarding the events after Arthur fell off that cliff. Firstly, he didn’t wake up in the presence of that giant black creature in the webcomic. When he came to, he was lying besides the body of the bandit that was responsible for the fall…and threw up. After passing out again, he finally managed to stand enough to go in search of the giant creature who was speaking to him telepathically. After hiking for the better part of the day, Arthur makes it to the cave where he meets the one who saved him, Sylvia.

This is where the episode really starts to shine. While the animation continues to remain of questionable quality, TBATE starts to make up for it by embracing that which makes it truly great: the story itself. While Arthur’s time living and training with Sylvia gets condensed for the sake of time, and it does skip over some of the more personal moments, it manages to get the overall message across. Sylvia serves as a valuable mentor to Arthur, not just in combat but in morals. Despite his initial urges to kill the remaining bandits if given the chance, Sylvia helps him see how toxic hatred and revenge can be long-term. It’s better to just move on and live your best life.

That, and the scene where Sylvia shows him how to gather mana is decently animated.

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Alas, their time together is short-lived, for an enemy of Sylvia comes looking for her. One that is too powerful for Arthur to take in his current state. Worse, the story doesn’t explain who this mysterious being looking for Sylvia is until much further down the road in the webcomic. All that you need to know is that if the anime continues to that point (and it will need a miracle), then it will be a long time before the truth comes out.

Is there Hope for Us, Yet?

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This episode marked a slight improvement in the series, and thank god for that! There might be hope for TBATE yet. Though, to be fair, it’s gotten to the point where TurtleMe himself had to step in and run damage control. Look it up on Reddit!

Also, the dub for TBATE is now out…but it’s not good. Watch it subbed!

I Give “Meeting the King” a 3/5

Baby Arthur Almost Dies

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The Beginning After the End Ep 2 Review

The Beginning After the End is only in its second episode, but the Internet seems to hate it already. The two most common complaints are that a.) it’s copying Mushoku Tensei, and b.) the animation is terrible. They’re not wrong; TurtleMe admitted Mushoku Tensei was a big inspiration for TBATE. And when comparing TBATE to the mega-hit that is Solo Leveling, the animation is severely lacking. But to encourage people to at least read the web novel and comic, we’ll keep reviewing the show.

The Anime-Original Scene is Decent

Like the first episode, the second episode of TBATE includes an original scene that helps shed light on Arthur’s past life as King Grey. This memory shows Grey dealing with an attempted assassin from a foreign country as well as his family. Knowing that they will all face death upon returning home, Grey chose to spare the assassin’s wife and child a horrific end by killing them with his own weapon.

This moment might seem cruel and heartless to others, but it actually speaks volumes about Grey’s true character. Were he truly as cruel as everyone (even himself) thought he was, he would’ve let them all face the cruel death that awaited them. Instead, he chose to give them a mercy killing. This moment shows how Grey was a good person at heart but had to be ruthless to survive in his dangerous world. Furthermore, it provides further context about Grey’s ultimate decision during the episode’s climax.

Unfortunately, the rest of the episode proves to be severely lacking when it comes to adapting the story.

After realizing just how gifted Arthur is, his parents argue what they should do about his future. Reynolds wants him to study in an elite school, while Alice thinks he’s too young to leave his parents behind. Arthur solves things with a “here’s a bright idea” moment: they all move to the big city together. It’s a little funnier in the webcomic, with images of the parents fighting with armies made out of their dinner, though.

On the Road

This decision to move leads to the introduction of the Leywin’s former adventuring party, Twin Horns, who help escort them to their new destination. However, I’m not even sure if the name of the city they’re headed is brought up. If it wasn’t, that was one of several minor details and moments from the webcomic that helped to flesh out the world and its inhabitants that the anime chose to leave out. It might seem like a good idea to cut out things like the group bonding over things beyond eating together or Arthur helping their youngest, Jasmine, train. However, when you’re going to be telling a story that requires extensive world-building and character development, that’s not a good idea. Taking the time to develop everything early on will help maintain interest in the long run.

The moments that the anime does choose to focus on are the fighting scenes, which normally wouldn’t be a bad thing. When done right, a good fight scene can carry an entire episode. However, the anime is hindered by the fact that it’s very poorly animated. The worst example is during the sparring match between Arthur and Twin Horns member Adam. It’s neither exciting nor eye-catching, which doesn’t help things.

The one good thing that I could say about all this is the fact that we get to see Arthur do a ninja run from Naruto. As a Naruto fan, seeing this get referenced will never not make me smile.

Sadly, Arthur’s family trip to the city gets cut short by what could be described as either a turning point or canon event as their group is ambushed by bandits. In the fight that ensues, Arthur is ordered to take his mom to safety, as she’s pregnant with her and Reynold’s second child. Sadly, a mage catches them in their crosshairs, and, to save his mom’s life, Arthur’s forced to sacrifice himself.

Okay, the Anime Helped This Moment, at Least!

This is the moment that that anime-original scene helps elevate in importance. As he’s falling off that cliff, Arthur notes the irony of him now being in the same position as that assassin from his first life: giving up his life for the ones he loved. Since he had to close himself off from others, this is another important milestone in his life. And, to his credit, it’s a lesson that Rudeus took longer to understand. The sad thing is, it comes right as he’s apparently about to die. And for extra tragedy points, right as he learned he was about to be a big brother.

Thankfully, there’s a post-credits scene revealing that Arthur survived the fall. But as with other examples in this episode, the anime cut out a few things for the sake of time and to set up the next episode.

Studio A-Cat, You Have Some ‘Splainin to do

For the second week in a row, TBATE fails to meet expectations. This time, though, it feels even worse, considering how they cut out so much from the webcomic. If they were going to do it, then maybe they should’ve split things up into more than one episode. In addition, I think everyone’s reactions to Arthur’s apparent death could have been more emotionally distraught. As distraught as Eris was when she saw Rudy almost die at the hands of Orsted.

Here’s hoping that things start to get better in the next few episodes. Otherwise, this show is going to become infamous for doing a disservice to the source material.

In the meantime, go read the novel and webcomic!

I Give “The King, Under Attack” a 2.5/5

TBATE, I know you can do Better

Aside Roderick J "Jay" Friz Anime, Anime Reviews, Crunchyroll , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

The Beginning After the End Ep 1 Review

In my time on this blog, you have heard me mention something called “The Seven Summits of Isekai.” Putting it simply, it’s a term I use for what I consider to be the titans of the isekai genre. The series that put in the legwork to make the worlds the protagonists get summoned and/or reborn into feel real. In other words, the good stuff that stands mountains above the usual isekai fare. Mushoku Tensei is among those seven, and, after reading over the webcomic, I was looking forward to adding its spiritual younger brother, The Beginning After the End, to the group. However, after seeing the first episode, I may need to rethink its membership.

For those who haven’t already, I highly recommend you head over and read my initial overview of the series, as it does a good job of explaining the basic premise. This way, I can dive in, review the first episode, and explain why TBATE is going to be fighting an uphill battle.

A Small Divergence from Mushoku Tensei

Over the years, TBATE has been accused of being too similar to the likes of Mushoku Tensei, and its detractors aren’t wrong. As the first episode deals with King Grey’s death in his first life and the beginning of his new life as Arthur, it copies a lot from the start of Mushoku Tensei. Like Rudeus before him, Arthur milks his time as a baby for all its worth to help give himself an early advantage in life. Which eventually leads to both of them revealing their apparent genius in the most explosive way possible.

While it may seem like this is a word-for-word copy of the moment when Rudy blew a hole in his childhood home. However, there’s one major difference between him and Arthur that changes how things play out: their reactions. Unlike Rudy, who was never in any real danger afterwards, Arthur almost dies thanks to some falling debris, only for his dad to save him. It was this experience that finally made the former king-turned-baby realize something that Rudy wouldn’t fully understand until he was an adult: Alice and Reynolds are his parents. They love him, and he loves them, and this realization leads to all them having this very heartwarming moment together. The kind of moment that Rudeus wishes he could have had with his own family before he left Buena Village. It’s very sweet to see…

Is what I would say. Except there’s one problem with this anime that’s so bad, even I notice it: the animation.

The animation…is trash

There’s no easy way to say this about The Beginning After the End: the animation is trash.

I normally don’t put that much attention onto the animation quality for a series, as I usually care more about the storytelling. It allows me to overlook moments that may not have the best animation in order to enjoy the story to its fullest. However, when the animation quality is so bad that even I notice it, then there’s something very wrong.

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Everything about the animation in the first episode only serves to fuel the allegations that TBATE is a cheap knock-off of Mushoku Tensei. That, in turn, will only harm its reputation in the long run. I know how stressful the the anime industry can be, but the people behind this should at least have some level of standard that they’re trying to uphold. Mushoku Tensei was able to get an entire studio founded just so it could succeed in being the best, so why can’t TBATE?

I have become a fan of The Beginning After the End, but it’s seeing the anime in action that makes me question whether this will be worth watching or not. This might be a rare instance in which the webcomic or manga might be better than the anime, and that’s not something that I like to see take place. That being said, I’m going to keep reviewing the anime anyway. If we’re lucky, the story will help to offset the poor animation long enough for it to gain traction. Until then, though…

AARON! Solo Leveling stays the manwha king!

I Give “The Rebirth of the King” a 2/5

The Beginning After the End Has a Long Road Ahead of it

Aside Roderick J "Jay" Friz Anime, Crunchyroll , , , , , , , , , ,

The Beginning After the End Initial Overview

A month ago, Aaron and I were talking on Discord about the then-upcoming spring 2025 season of anime. Somewhere in the conversation, he brought up an upcoming isekai anime that, he claimed, could be bigger than Solo Leveling. It was called The Beginning After the End, and it was something that I had vaguely recalled hearing about. Despite being skeptical about his claims, they still intrigued me. Thus, I found myself jumping online and binge-reading through the webcomic that the anime would be adapting. Within a few days, I had read through the majority of the chapters currently out. And, while I still remain skeptical about its ability to be better than Solo Leveling, I do think The Beginning After the End is a good read.

A Western Isekai

Firstly, let us clarify some things: while The Beginning After the End, or TBATE, has gotten an anime adaptation, it doesn’t originate from Japan. In fact, its author, who goes by the moniker TurtleMe, is American. He’s been writing the ongoing TBATE web novel since 2017, with the webcomic coming a year later. If you want to check out the latest chapters, find them on Tapas, or join his Patreon for early access.

As its name suggests, The Beginning After the End is an isekai, and it begins with an essential moment in the protagonist’s life: his death. The protagonist, Grey, was a man who had risen to become the King of his nation on a potential future version of Earth. However, his life was miserable, with his status as King depriving him of any family or friends. Worse, it gets cut short in his mid-thirties by a death so sudden, not even he knows why he died. Being an isekai, his death only means he gets reincarnated into another world filled with swords and magic. While initially unhappy with being a baby in such a medieval setting, Grey, now going by Arthur Leywin, soon sees the second chance he’s been given. Thus, he resolves to make sure his new life is everything that his old one isn’t. IE, one filled with warmth and kindness and surrounded by the friends and family he never really had his first time around.

This is Not Like Rudeus…mostly.

If the synopsis sounds similar to Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation, there’s a good reason. In an interview with IGN, TurtleMe said that Mushoku Tensei was one of the biggest inspirations behind The Beginning After the End. Both center around a protagonist who had an unhappy first life before suffering from a premature death. Both are reborn as babies to loving parents in a world dominated by the use of magic and medieval technology. And both use their prior knowledge to help them get ahead in life in order to ensure they live their new lives to the fullest. While some may see this as TurtleMe merely copying Mushoku Tensei’s formula, there are several differences that become apparent as time passes.

Firstly, while they both had similarly unhappy lives and premature deaths, Arthur is radically different from Rudeus. Rudeus had plenty of chances to better himself and open up to others in his first life and wasted them. While Grey also chose to cut himself off from others past a certain point, it was so he couldn’t be manipulated by others once he became king, leaving him little choice in the matter. In addition, there’s how both see their families in their new lives. Rudeus never considered Paul and Zenith his parents until after Paul’s death, something he regrets. In contrast, Arthur initially keeps his distance due to not knowing what familial love is due to being an orphan in his first life. Once he understands the feeling, though, he doesn’t hesitate to consider Alice and Reynolds his mom and dad and becomes fiercely protective of them.

Secondly, while their plots start off similiarly, past a certain point, TBATE diverges from Mushoku Tensei. While Mushoku Tensei will come to encompass this grand plot involving the future for the world, it remains largely focused on the life of Rudeus and his growing family. In contrast, Arthur begins to find himself involved in a conflict that’s bigger than he ever thought possible. The kind of conflict that has the potential to end the world if things go bad. Rudeus will go on to fight great battles in the future, but none will be on the scale of what Arthur and his allies will come to face.

Lastly, and this is the most important part, is the fact that Arthur is nowhere near as flawed as Rudeus was starting out. In other words, Arthur is not as h**ny as Rudeus can be. In fact, that can apply to the entire world of TBATE. They’re nowhere near down bad as Rudeus’ new world is!

There’s Always the Web Novel and Comic

I can’t reveal anything further regarding the plot of TBATE without spoiling things. However, while the anime might not be as good as it could be, I do still think that the webcomic is worth the read. If you want to give it a shot yourself, then I highly recommend going to TAPAS and helping to support TurtleMe. He’s also got a patreon where he releases chapters of the web novel early. I might end up supporting him myself if it means he can keep making this story.