Yeesh! It’s after midnight on a weeknight, and I’m reviewing The Unaware Atelier Master, another isekai with a doormat MC. Why do I do this to myself? Bad life choices? Nah. A masochistic bent? Maybe! But I’m convinced that fantasy is a conduit for our humanity. Like having a shelf of Hatsune Miku figures shows we’re otaku. Stories show our humanity.
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The Minecraft Movie might be crushing it at the box office, but we’ll forget about it if the story’s a weak, weedy Frankenstein of memes and dull plot points. We need good stories. And sure, boobs are a bonus. Let’s rip The Unaware Atelier Master apart and see what the newest anime on Crunchyroll offers for a plot. And, um, plot!
The Unaware Atelier Master: A Synopsis
Helpful. Dutiful. Reliable. That’s Kurt Rockhans. Now, add “unemployed” to his list of adjectives. The Flaming Dragon Fang adventuring party doesn’t want his help anymore, so they’ve thrown him out on his posterior. But Kurt is a helpful guy who can get any job done. And well! It’s too bad he has no clue how talented he is. Or of the attention he’s getting from the women he meets. Clueless Kurt-kun can’t catch a… hint.
And The Unaware Atelier Master isn’t an isekai. It might as well be, but let’s momentarily appreciate this rare fact. (Moments done, moving on.)
The Unaware Atelier Master’s Cast of Characters
Kurt Rockhans: The titular wet doormat of The Unaware Atelier Master is the ultimate ladies’ man. That’s not his superpower; it’s his KY (kuuki yomenai or inability to read the air) plot armor. Ignorant bliss for Kurt-kun means an ever-expanding harem of fascinating female followers for fans. Mikako Komatsu voices Kurt Rockhans.
Flaming Dragon Fang
Bandana the Ranger: Supposedly, the name “Himopan” was taken. From what we’ve seen, Bandana is a capable and independent woman who’ll work hard to keep ahead of the game. Mayu Yoshioka voices Bandana.
Golnova the Warrior: The leader of the Flaming Dragon Fang has a fiery temper and red hair. Let’s call him Public Enemy Number One. Nobuhiko Okamoto voices Golnova.
Marlefiss the Priestess: Like Bandana and Golnova, Marlefiss is a member of the elite Flaming Dragon Fang adventuring party. Will she risk her place in the party to heal the rift between Kurt-kun and Golnova? I hope not. But I do expect she will. Marlefiss is voiced by the talented Saori Hayami.
A Miner, a Minor, and a Massive Madam
Yulishia: A pink-eyed Ciri with better eyeliner. Apart from the subtle Witcher nod, she also owns a mine. That’s all the license I need for more references to The Minecraft Movie. Thank you very much. Asami Seto voices Yulishia.
Lieselotte Homuross: The blonde third princess has a flashing, neon-pink target on her back. Will Kurt-kun keep her alive? Probably. Will he ever realize how helpful he has been to her? I doubt it! Minami Tanaka voices Princess Homuross.
Ophelia: An Atelier Master with a massive chest (of spell books, you degenerate!). Rie Tanaka voices Ophelia.
Did I miss anyone? I sure did. The Unaware Atelier Master has a bigger cast than a human cannonball after show night. Most of them are kawaii waifu material. I’ll leave them for you to discover.
Isekai MCs are Salarymen with Swords
Kurt Rockhans is every Japanese salaryman fired after doing a good job. The animators at studio EMT Squared can’t fool us, even by giving Kurt-kun white hair and armor. April 1st is long gone!
So, we sympathize with Kurt. We’ve all worried about losing jobs. Kurt’s visit to an employment agency in The Unaware Atelier Master’s second scene drives the pity home. And no, we’re not stopping to consider the lunacy of employment agencies in fantasy worlds! Imagine Frodo handing over his résumé. Key skills: Food Consumption and Foot Combing.
Unwanted, Unaware, or Both in The Unaware Atelier Master
Will our sympathy for Kurt-kun survive scene three? Like many isekai shows, The Unaware Atelier Master has an overpowered MC. Kurt Rockhans’ superpower is his unnaturally large mana reserve, efficiency, and work ethic. This puny dweeb packs a potent magical punch that’ll beat any menial task.
Kurt is like Spider-Man, whose appeal is that he’s also nerdy Peter Parker. Even if he can lift a car, he’ll still glance awkwardly at his shoes when a girl enters the room. We haven’t seen any fights where Kurt’s SSS-ranked gofer skills are worthless yet. But they’re coming, and I expect Kurt will overcome those challenges with inventive uses of the same SSS-ranked gofer skills.
The Unaware Atelier Master
I’m all in to see Kurt shoot, obliviously, from unwanted doormat nice guy to sugar daddy idol, mining magnate, and harem master. The recipe seems right for a good story.
Nowadays, we often talk about AI in writing. But writers need writing to keep sane and human. Writing is a meditation and a conversation with other living, breathing humans. Fantasy, as a medium, helps us wrestle with our messy humanity from a safe distance. From behind the shield of imagination. The Unaware Atelier Master, as absurd as its premise is, is a heartful story and more fun than generating Ghibli memes of Donald Trump.
Hisashi Ishii directed The Unaware Atelier Master on behalf of EMT Squared. Deko Akao wrote the scripts, and Harikemu Wata composed the music for the series.
Catch The Unaware Atelier Master on Crunchyroll. It has many audio and subtitle options, which hints that this production has a sizable wallet. I give it three Megumis out of five because it’s a fun show with plenty of potential, plot, and plot.
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