B-TIER: Saga of Tanya the Evil
Premise:
The Saga of Tanya the Evil is the isekai about a narcissistic business man who gets reincarnated as little girl in a parallel universe. Throughout this twelve-episode series we see borderline war-crimes and insanity, and WW1-esque scenes furnished with magically augmented anime-typical archetypes. With a small cast including the titular Tanya, supporting roles comprised of an elite squad, and a politicking war council, this series is a fast-paced morally ambiguous shounen that will make any fan of fantasy or fighting anime happy.
Animation:
Produced by NUT Studio (FLCL Alternative, Deca-Dense) the animation for this show is above average. With flashy and beautiful fight sequences, colorful and detailed backgrounds, and unique character designs, the visuals of this anime is definitely one of its top selling points.
Inspired by the beautiful art of Shinobu Shinotsuki (illustrator of the Youjo Senki light novels), the animators of this show combined World War 1 era technology with the digital-magical aspects of the manga. They successfully paint a grim and unforgiving world that draws the audience in and enhances the story presented by author. If I were to pick a desktop wallpaper from an anime, this show would definitely be a runner up.
It's obvious that the creators behind the animation took this show's animation seriously and wanted to do a good job, which in my opinion, they did.
An example of the art from the light novels:
Story Critiques and Other Thoughts:
The Saga of Tanya the Evil has one big issue that places it further down on my list then it otherwise would be: you don't know whether or not you should root for the protagonist.
Usually, especially with an isekai where the main character is specifically designed to have a background that the audience can sympathize with (normal person transported to a fantastical world) the draw for this anime is that the main character is one that shouldn't be sympathized with. She's evil, and yet, the creators of this show still want some empathy for the character. The Saga of Tanya the Evil does a good job with making the protagonist morally ambiguous; Tanya is narcissistic and sociopathic and yet, she is a character that the audience can sympathize with most of the time.
The issue arises when you realize that that's not what the show promised. From its title alone it promises an evil main character, not a morally ambiguous one. The plot isn't built to hold a morally ambiguous character, there is already little to no suspense for the safety of the protagonist, the only, and I would say best, tension in this story, comes from not knowing how far the protagonist will go to secure her own goals. To show how evil she really is. And this is where the anime struggles, at some points it seems reluctant to let Tanya be her evil self, and at other points seems to relish the fact that she's crazy. For this show to stand out from its isekai counterparts it needs to fully embrace its own premise.
Conclusion:
The Saga of Tanya the Evil is an atypical isekai, one that has a different protagonist, not one that the audience is meant to sympathize with, though we may do that, but one that we are supposed to fear.
The biggest selling point for this show is its animation, its awesome soundtrack, and its premise.
The show promises that the main character is a monster, and then it delivers. Even if its delivery is the show's weakest point, the premise is interesting, the main character follows through on her already established morals, and there is enough of a plot to justify the fight scenes.
If you are interested in well animated fight scenes, politics, a bloodthirsty protagonist, then this show is for you.
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