He’s just a boy with no meat on his bones. She’s just a girl with all the fleshy bits a man could ever need. Actually, there are a few fleshy girls. Can they help him put on weight, and is The Unwanted Undead Adventurer worth your eye time? Prepare your resurrection spells, and let’s take a look.
The Unwanted Undead Adventurer (望まぬ不死の冒険者, Nozomanu Fushi no Bōkensha) anime is based on the light novel series written by Yū Okano and illustrated by Jaian. It tells the story of Rentt Faina (Ryouta Suzuki, Alex Hom), a hard-working adventurer who never rose above the Bronze class. Rentt soon discovers the cure for a slump is a change of scenery. Even if it’s a one-way trip through a dragon’s intestine.
Everyone Needs a Hero, an Unwanted Undead Will Do
I love anime’s diversity. There’s something for everyone in anime land. Stories that resonate with you. Check. Comedy tuned to your tastes. Check! Heartstring-plucking tales, appealing character designs, and stories pitched at your stage of life. Check, check, and check. Look at otaku arguing about a season’s Best Girl, and you’ll see how tastes differ. Me, I have a thing for uptight purple-haired spellcasters.
Sometimes, a character resonates deeply with us, and we’ll become instant buddies. Rentt Faina worked hard to reach his dream but was frustrated with little success. Can you identify with him? I can. Anyone who has tried learning kickflips can. Effort doesn’t guarantee success, and (this will sting) hard work doesn’t entitle you to succeed. The same rule usually doesn’t apply in anime land. But Rentt hit that wall. Fortunately for him, he found his stride after a closer-than-comfortable encounter with a dragon’s spleen. A change is as good as a holiday. Rentt gives us, the real-world audience, hope. Maybe changing things up is the best way to get ahead. No other isekai main character has made it into my inner circle like Rentt.
Of course, not everyone will see themselves in Rentt. Maybe you will, and watching the first episode of The Unwanted Undead Adventurer should give you enough to go on. Considering the show’s Japanese salaryman audience, I bet there are many guys out there nodding their heads at Rentt’s struggles.
Animating Skeletons is Hard, Dayo
Skeletons are cool. We have dungeons full of dragons, packs of werewolves, and a smorgasbord of slimes. Skeletons are the new hotness. This is my professional opinion as an owner of a skeleton.
But how do you tell attention-grabbing stories with bare bones? Rentt’s lack of lips, eyelids, and eyebrows makes storytelling hard. How do you draw anatomically accurate happy skeletons? You can expect Rentt to level up quickly because train-of-consciousness monologues get boring, and this is anime, not a radio show.
Animating a skeleton is hard work, too. All those bones have depth, cast a shadow, and must stay in the right place as the character moves. “The leg bone’s connected to the… hip bone…,” as the song goes. Using 3D models for skeletons makes sense, but The Unwanted Undead Adventurer combined 3D and traditional animation seamlessly. We get a beautifully animated show that’s a joy to watch.
Of Course, Booba
Lorraine Vivie (Mikako Komatsu, Corey Pettit) has two more reasons just for you to enjoy the show. I’m not spoiling the plot. Or inflating the issue. Go and watch them. Ahem… the show. I meant to say “the show.”
Watch The Unwanted Undead Adventurer If You Enjoy Underdogs
The Unwanted Undead Adventurer hamstrung its animators with a fleshless main character. Although Dr. Doom’s…ahem…Rentt’s appearance changes quickly, his time sporting facial muscles is short. Still, the show works, and I found it delightfully watchable. Lorraine Vivie is a bombshell, while Rina Rupaage (Sayumi Suzushiro, Abigail Blythe) plays the good girl to Lorraine’s bad girl. Rentt’s conscience and work ethic could provide an intriguing battleground for their opposing outlooks. You’ll enjoy this possibility more if you’re Team Doom. I mean Team Rentt.
The Unwanted Undead Adventurer was produced by Connect with Noriaki Akitaya directing, based on scripts by Yukie Sugawara. Takao Sano produced the character designs, and Shun Narita composed the show’s music. The series premiered in March of this year.
You can watch The Unwanted Undead Adventurer on Crunchyroll (subs and dubs included). The Unwanted Undead Adventurer earns an outstanding four Chibi Megumis for expertly telling a story about hard-working underdogs. With skeletons! Rentt’s body might cast diffuse shadows, but he’s still grinding through dungeons. I’m excited to see if his fortunes really do change.
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Did you watch The Unwanted Undead Adventurer already, or is it on your list? How about the anime? Tell us in the comments below or on social media. Keep it spoiler-free, or I’ll release the dragon.
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