So now that I have an HDive account I try to find shows to watch on there since I’ve grown to really enjoy the streaming service. In my random scrolling for shows I came across yet another isekai called My Life Reincarnated as a Sword. Now as you can surmise from the title it’s about an individual who dies and comes back as a sword. I can see how this would be a little perplexing as to how can a show be interesting when the main character is an inanimate object but that’s actually not the case. The sword can move and develop skills much like any typical isekai character, except in the body of a sword; however, this blade gets into a situation where he needs the help of a wielder to get out of and comes across Fran a black cat girl who happens to need a huge power boost to free herself from her situation. The two come together and then chaos ensues.

So after meeting Fran the sword gains the name Teacher and the two set out as Fran’s goal is to be the first black cat to evolve. I really wanted to know more about this process as I’m a huge fan of Pokemon so evolving characters is a big plus for me but unfortunately, we really wind up knowing very little about this during the season. Instead, the show focuses entirely on how the bond between Teacher and Fran develops. Teacher lends the hoard of skills he has learned to Fran who uses them to excel in any situation she’s in but in the process, she grows from a weak character in body and mind to someone who is rather capable of handling herself even without the aid of her overpowered blade. Watching her growth is actually rather subtle it wasn’t until the show actually made note of the glaring changes in her personality that I actually saw how much Fran changed and I really liked how the story had me captivated enough that I failed to notice them. It wound up being a pretty cool moment. The story is pretty straightforward as a whole since it’s based around a singular goal where literally every mission brings Fran one step closer to realizing it. Instead like most isekai animes, we find the world as the primary focus.

The world itself runs just like you would expect from an isekai. It has rules like you would find in any video game such as a level up and a skill system. As a gamer, these aspects were very easy to follow but I will admit the explanation wasn’t the clearest. I watched the dub of the show and the voice of the menu that Teacher calls upon to understand his skills was hard to understand mainly in the early episodes of the season. It’s a minor issue but a noticeable one. The adventurers form guilds and go on missions and dungeon quests for levels and rare items so it functions very much like any isekai anime. It doesn’t reinvent the wheel by any means as nothing about the world felt unique. This isn’t a bad thing at all it just means if you’re looking for something new you won’t find it here. I will say it was well executed as the power-ups and their uses were really cool to watch. Plus the fact that we get to watch a sword use them made for a cool visual.

The characters are very interesting as Teacher is hilarious but also very kind and so his moments have this really entertaining blend of wholesome versus humor. Fran starts off pretty emotionless which made me really question if she would be entertaining at first but as she became more comfortable we got to see more personality come out and she is actually a very sassy but blunt character. These two characters pair exceptionally well together to create moments that were so much fun to watch. The supporting cast for the most part are one note characters that serve to advance the plot but you do have some exceptions as some characters give very clear indications that while the story is pretty straightforward so far we could see that change in the future. As to how or to what end that was left ambiguous.

The combat was a lot of fun to watch because whether it’s Fran wielding Teacher or Teacher himself floating around and mowing down enemies each battle had a very different feel to it. Some were focused on being humerous while others served to advance the plot and others still served to show the power scaling of the world and the incredible abilities of these characters. I really liked how it didn’t feel repetitive as the circumstances from one fight to another were very different.

So overall if you’re looking for a story that’s new and captivating that’s not really what My Life Reincarnated as a Sword is going for. What it does have is a unique interpretation of the isekai genre in the very characters that the show focuses on and it plays on that unique idea very well. The characters themselves pair very well together to make for a duo that is very entertaining to watch especially as they grow. So it’s a very enjoyable show. I absolutely loved it. I wouldn’t say this is one of my favorite shows but I found myself binge watching it after being hooked.