「召喚」 (Shoukan)
“Summoning”

While summer may be the true season of isekai this year (if you don’t believe me just check), spring isn’t one to leave that modern staple high and dry as the likes of Seijo no Maryoku show. This one may not be the most intense or inspiring of shows currently premiering, but one way or another I think it’ll prove to be quite satisfying in its own right.

Much like every other isekai these days, Seijo no Maryoku involves the usual arrangement of unwitting real world transplant getting dropped in the middle of fantasy nowhere with people in need and a kingdom to save. Sure, this rescue operation may involve mystical miasma turning people into monsters instead of the usual demonic invasion, but the idea is the same. Until you get to main girl Takanashi Sei (Ishikawa Yui). For one Sei isn’t a reincarnated protagonist, she was legitimately summoned in a similar vein as Isekai Maou’s Diablo (albeit with less slavery and more social skill). Second is that she’s also not officially the saviour for this little slice of magical heaven – that would actually be the second girl summoned alongside her who the prince happened to take a liking to. Not the most appealing of alternate world introductions as you can possibly imagine, and Sei seems to think so as well. After all, if there’s one thing you never do it’s ask a woman her age.

While this premise seems to leave Seijo no Maryoku hanging plot-wise, the vacuum is filled courtesy of Sei pulling the slice-of-life routine with a love of plants and (in a sense) medicine. Pretty much think a less romantically inclined Akagami no Shirayuki-hime if you will; the hints of relationships may be present and the indications of world saving remain firm (just consider Sei’s magic potential for one), but the immediate objective will easily be one of self-reflection and discovery borne from Sei stumbling across the world of potion research. It’s honestly (for me at least) a nice change of pace to the usual isekai shenanigans, with Sei in particular dispensing with the typical characterization for a good bit of quiet demeanour and lowkey cuteness which all but teases some amazing developments later on. And not even romantic developments necessarily; Sei’s fellow researchers Jude (Yashiro Taku) and Johan (Eguchi Takuya) might already suggest that via the bishounen overtones, but I think a lot of the fun here will come in other spheres, especially those concerning Sei’s supposed function as Saint and how she may theoretically find a way home.

Overall while Seijo no Maryoku will need three episodes to get a handle on (let alone make a blogging decision on), this is certainly one isekai I plan on giving some attention to. With atmosphere like this and a story just as soft (at least right now), something tells me this one will be a real pleasure to experience in full.

 

Preview

19 Comments

  1. I’ve read some of the source LNs for Seijou, so I can tell you what to expect.

    Seijou is mainly a comfy, slice-of-life shoujo (or is it josei?) fantasy. The pacing is slow and relaxed, with little to no conflicts or conspiracies. There is romance, but it is also very slow-paced.

    Show Spoiler ▼

    Pancakes edit: spoiler tags

    zztop
      1. They should be <#spoiler> <#/spoiler> (without the #), but I do know we’re having problems with readers being able to use them for some stupid reason.

        It’s something on our to-do list once we can get a techie to properly look into it.

  2. I saw the First Episode and i got what i was excepting from this. A Anime with “feelings”.

    Made good impression on me. But nothing of the World building was shown so far, only the CGI Salamander.

    Episode 01 of 03 passed

    Rate so far 7/10

    Worldwidedepp
  3. this one is interesting, to say the least
    a healing isekai? main character is good natured, yet independent minded girl with sense of duty?
    (in more ways than one considering she gets to make healing potions…)
    definitely on 3 eps trial run for me

    ewok40k

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