Blank Slate Hero in The Beginning After the End

A hero torn from their comfortable world and thrust into adventure is a fantasy staple. From Luke Skywalker to the Elric brothers to every isekai protagonist, putting a main character in a new situation helps writers teach an audience about their hero and their world. Since I’m always starving for good world building I’m a sucker for fish out of water heroes like these.

Being a blank slate isn’t necessary for a fish out of water. Luke had hopes and dreams of leaving Tatooine. The Elric brothers had a solid grasp of alchemy before they went to Central and learned what it really meant to be a State Alchemist. For every generic know-nothing noble on the brink of ruin, there is a reborn atheistic salaryman in Tanya.

Which brings us to The Beginning After the End, and its unique take on a blank slate hero.

A Hero Reborn

The Beginning After the End starts with the rebirth of its hero, Arthur Leywin, as a newborn. I’m not a fan of isekai leads starting this young. It’s obvious that an infant or toddler is useless — they can’t speak, or even walk. I’ve seen too many shows hate their own premise when they’ve started this young. They fast forward through years in ten minutes, or give their protagonist overpowered magic that lets them do everything. Except change their own diapers, for laughs.

The Beginning After the End is an exception as it’s the best take on the subject I’ve seen. Yes, Arthur progresses from newborn to young child in only two episodes, but he learns along the way, and so does the audience. He understands that knowledge is power, so he reads. Once Arthur knows about magic, he works on learning spells. Then, when he can walk, he practices the sword with his child body and includes magic in his fight training. The progression is logical and teaches us about the setting while keeping Arthur’s efforts interesting.

Now, Arthur isn’t technically a blank slate. He’s a reborn hero called King Grey. He was a warlord of a technologically advanced civilization. King Grey was also an isolated and emotionally repressed man. Arthur starts out not understanding emotions like relief or joy, in addition to not knowing the politics or magic of his new fantasy world. Arthur’s lack of humanity makes him feel like a blank slate despite his having a history.

Emotional Blank Slate

Arthur’s start as an emotionally crippled man reborn as an infant is evocative. Unlike stories that fast forward across the youngest childhood years, The Beginning After the End uses Arthur’s baby state to teach emotional lessons that are simple but humanizing. Concepts like magic are explained, but they are secondary to the short emotional arcs that kept me watching for four episodes straight.

I was never frustrated that Arthur was a child. Or that he was powerless. Instead, his limitations enhance the story. His not understanding things we take for granted — like family — reflects the ignorance of a child. While he has the thoughts of an adult, he still acts ignorant and immature in important ways. I didn’t find myself wondering when Arthur would grow up. I wasn’t worrying about how old he’ll get. Arthur’s childhood isn’t delaying the real story.

Arthur Leywin’s maturation into an emotionally complex human, from the non-person warlord he was as King Grey, is the story (at least so far).

The Deeds of an Isekai Hero

The Beginning After the End doesn’t lack other fantasy staples. In the episodes I watched there was magic, an explosion, and classic anime fantasy combat. There are bandits and monsters. Because he’s a child, Arthur can’t solve every problem on his own, but he’s still competent. While his parents and their old adventuring party are helpful, Arthur’s personal conflicts combine his growth and his competencies so that others aren’t doing all the work. Arthur’s a good fighter and has some magic, but he’s not the best fighter. Or the best mage. He’s a talented kid.

While the plot is enjoyable in its own right, without the emotional arcs it would feel generic. Unlike many isekai characters before him, the emotional arc comes naturally. It’s so natural that The Beginning After the End makes isekai anime that don’t take advantage of the emotional consequences of learning experiences feel bland by comparison. In this sense, the show reminds me of Re:Zero without the meta references and without Subaru’s modern feel.

Concluding the Hero’s Journey

Someone torn from their world, adult-minded but open to learning, is the ideal hero for this story. Some isekai make me wonder why they aren’t generic fantasy instead, because the other world aspect doesn’t matter. The Beginning After the End doesn’t make that mistake. It is King Grey turned Arthur Leywin’s unique emotional journey that has me watching more, and I almost don’t want to finish the airing episodes because that will mean it’s over… at least for now. For anyone looking for good emotional storytelling that isn’t romance, or wants enjoyable fantasy, I recommend The Beginning After the End.

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