Why I'm Loving Isekai Shikkaku

With so many isekai offerings each anime season, it can be hard to know which shows are worth watching. Today let’s look at Isekai Shikkaku, aka No Longer Allowed in Another World, a fun anime series with a literary twist!

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What Is The Story of Isekai Shikkaku?

Osamu Dazai was an influential writer from the prewar era of Japan who wrote some classic stories, the most famous being Ningen Shikkaku, literally “Having Lost The Qualification To Be Called Human.” He was quite a gloomy fellow and struggled with depression and alcohol off and on. He ended up committing ritual lovers’ suicide by jumping into a river with his lover, a war widow, in 1948.

But what if, instead of dying, he was visited by Truck-kun at the last minute and was sent to an isekai world, instead? What if he was teleported into a world of dragons, swords, magic, and busty catgirls? That’s what happens in Isekai Shikkakku! But since he died in 1948, he doesn’t know about the tropes of an isekai world. Plus, since he’s so listless and depressed, always contemplating suicide, he has trouble getting by as an adventurer, which causes many amusing moments.

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A Clever Isekai Setup

The show features all the tropes we’ve come to expect from the genre. Our hero acquires a sexy elf guide who is passionate about helping other-worlders find their place. He meets a catgirl named Tama, who joins his party. Then he goes from place to place, inspiring some of the characters he encounters to take charge of their lives. Dazai is “weak,” but his soul is so dark he can defeat some enemies with the negative life energy flowing out of it.

As he gets used to his new life, Dazai often repeats that he’s just looking for a place to die. But what I like best is the moment that he remembers he does have a reason to live: Sacchan, the lover he was with when he died. Was she also teleported into this world? If so, he has to find her and try to complete the act of love they failed to do the first time.

Let’s Learn about Japan through Japanese Literature!

Back when I was studying Japanese, I had a “Japanese literature” phase in which I read some textbooks used by junior high school students. Some of the Osamu Dazai stories you might want to check out are:

Run, Melos! Set in ancient Greece, it tells the story of a boy sentenced to death. He asks the king for a three-day reprieve so he can run home to attend his sister’s wedding, and a friend volunteers to take his place. If Melos can’t return to the city in three days, his friend will die.
An Urgent Appeal. A fascinating stream-of-consciousness from the point of view of Judas Iscariot, giving his reasons for betraying Jesus. Read a translation of the short story here if you like.
No Longer Human. Osamu Dazai’s most famous story is an autobiographical look at a character named Yozo who struggles with a sense that he’s been disconnected from society. It’s quite popular in various countries, including the U.S.

Of course, if you’re at all interested in Japanese literature, you should make sure to watch Bungou Stray Dogs. The series includes all the famous names from Japan’s literary world, and Western writers like Dostoyevsky, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and Edgar Allan Poe. Each character has special powers based on the stories they write.

Thanks for reading this blog post about the Isekai Shikkaku anime. What series are you watching this season? Tell us in the comments below!

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