I just recently finished watching another show and the title is so long that I’m going to abbreviate it as Cheat Skill. Cheat Skill is about a man named Yuya Tenjo who was overweight, bullied and neglected by most of his family except his grandfather. Upon his grandfather’s passing Yuya is left with his house and finds that it contains a gateway to another world where he can level up just like a video game. The world included a myriad of overpowered items that made leveling up a breeze; however, upon returning to the real world his new powers came with him.

This is an anime that’s a bit hard to classify into one genre. It’s almost like it splits its time up between a traditional isekai anime and a slice of life show depending on which world Yuya is in and somehow it’s also a bit of a harem anime as he has women that love him in both worlds. So for those who like a variety of different styles of anime you’re in for a treat with this one.

Prior to gaining his powers and still in his weakest form Yuya tries to protect a woman named Kaori out of the kindness of his heart. Turns out she was very well connected and as a token of thanks she extends an invitation for Yuya to attend Ousei academy a very prestigious school for future elites. His life in the real world is where a lot of the slice of life moments of the anime happen as he relies on Kaori to adjust to the new academy and the people within. The characters introduced here are all incredibly kind and entertaining filling various roles that you’ll see in most slice of life shows like the potential love interest, best friends, the awkward show off etc. What I liked about this part was that the strength of Yuya’s character was what shined the most here. Sure he used his new powers to pull off amazing feats but in the end it was his personality that won over the hearts of his peers and it was really cool to see that even with all of these larger than life powers they often played second in the eyes of the supporting cast as they often just were impressed by his willingness to help more than anything as they face several different scenarios. I also especially like the dynamic between Yuya and Kaori as they clearly function as the awkward potential love interests and it’s fun to see how these two characters bond.

In the alternative world the story features more of the isekai format as Yuya learns more about the world around him and the powers he can obtain. He also meets new friends and yet again finds himself saving another woman Lexia who is also very influential in that world. Note I’m keeping the details vague to avoid spoilers. What I like here is that while Lexia’s story with Yuya shares many similarities to Kaori their personalities are very different. Because of this the banter Yuya has with the characters of this world are very different than ones in the real one. It really solidifies how Yuya’s experiences in both worlds have very little overlap and makes for a lot of story to tell between the two. Also the powers Yuya has take more of a priority as his character has less of a chance to win over the hearts of the powerful monsters he has to face. So we get to see a more grandiose display of his new abilities for some very entertaining fight scenes. Like in the real world I also found myself loving the dynamic between Yuya and Lexia. Unlike Kaori, Lexia is very upfront about her feelings and is actively trying to win Yuya’s heart which again speaks to how different the stories are between the two worlds. This dynamic results in scenes with a lot more energy to them and balances perfectly with the scenes we get with Yuya and Kaori where they are more relaxed and carefree.

So the thing I love most about this show is the balancing act that it does because clearly that had to be perfected for this show to work at all. It has a slice of life feel where Yuya’s character is the driving force behind how he moves the people around him and in another world an isekai where Yuya’s regularly uses his new powers and often impresses with how he uses them to help people. Sure you do get to see how Yuya’s character is loved in the other world and we get to see him use his powers a lot on the real one but somehow we still get what is a clear separation to the stories told in each world and the methods Yuya uses to address the scenarios within.

Overall I highly recommend this show as it was very entertaining to watch. You ultimately get a balancing act between two stories that fall under very different genres so the mixture is something that can appeal especially to someone who likes a variety of anime like myself. The characters are all very interesting and fun to watch and the scenarios in each world are very different. What I like best is that it really balances these differences well. To best explain it I know how chicken and waffles are a common combination of food because the savory chicken balances out well with the sweet syrup you pour with the waffles. It’s very much like that as the sweet story of the real world balances perfectly with the savory story of the isekai world. If a second season were to happen I’m going to be very quick to watch it.