Chillin' in Another World Level 2 Cheat Powers Anime Review

Chillin' in Another World with Level 2 Super Cheat Powers

Even if most flowers on a single tree bloom at once, there will always be some late-bloomers. Is this a bad thing? Not at all; it is a testament to the fact that all living things and beings have varying timelines and blossom at different times from others of their kind sometimes, and such is one of the beauties of life. So don’t rush anything to keep up with societal timelines and live life to your rhythm, because this is far better than having grave regrets later on. Perhaps you have beautiful stories to share borne of your experiences or have learned from the people and world around you….

“Chillin' in Another World with Level 2 Super Cheat Powers,” also known as “Lv2 kara Cheat datta Motoyuusha Kouho no Mattari Isekai Life,” “The Laid-back Life in Another World of the Ex-Hero Candidate Who Turned out to be a Cheat from Level 2,” or “Chillin Different World Life of the Ex-Brave Candidate was Cheat from Lv2,” is a 12-episode TV anime series that aired from the 8th of April until the 24th of June in Spring 2024. It was produced by Pony Canyon, AT-X, Magic Capsule, KlockWorx, Docomo Anime Store, Overlap, Crunchyroll, Muse Communication and CTW, and brought to life by Studio J.C.Staff. The main staff behind it includes Yarimizu Yoshifumi, Fujishiro Atsushi, Ozawa Fumihiro, and Usui Hisato as producers. It features the genres of adventure, fantasy, and romance, alongside the theme of Isekai. Each episode has a runtime of 24 minutes and earned a rating of PG-13 for teenagers 13 years or older.

The anime is based on the light novel of the same title, which began publication on December 25th, 2016, and is the work of author Kinojou Miya and artist Katagiri. It originally began as a web novel on Shousetsuka ni Narou, and the first official volume was published on December 25th, 2016; it is ongoing via Overlap under the Overlap Novels label. It was even published digitally in English via J-Novel Club on the 10th of September 2021. A manga by the same title was also released on the 10th of January 2019 and is still ongoing. Serialized by Comic Gardo, author Kinojou Miya and artist Itomachi Akine brought it to life. This version was published in English via Seven Seas Entertainment on the 24th of August 2021 and also in French via Meian since the 29th of March 2021.

The story is centered around a humble merchant by the name of Banaza, who gets Isekai’d to the magical kingdom of Klyrode. Now summoned into this other world, its citizens intend for him to become the hero who will ultimately bring down the evil and threatening Dark Army. Unfortunately, our MC does not display any form of exceptional powers as at level one, unlike Hero Candidates usually do, and gets stranded there with no means of returning to his old world. As a form of compensation, Banaza is sent to live out his new life in a faraway forest. But once he arrives at this location, he suddenly levels up and gains access to limitless powers, which he has no idea what to do with in his current situation.

Choosing to avoid drawing attention to himself, he changes his appearance and adopts the name Flio to live independently. One fateful day when he was away from home, he happened to meet a young demi-human girl called Fenrys, who just happened to be searching for the same forest he was sent to. Things take an extended turn when she suddenly attacks him and reveals her true identity as a Lupine Demon. Luckily for the MC, his newfound and unrivaled magic is enough to overpower her, and she ends up swearing undying loyalty to him. But as Flio simply refuses to hold power over her, the two start to live their lives pretending to be a married couple, and there's no doubt the road ahead will be nothing short of eventful!

This is an “Isekai” anime where the MC was living in a kind of “Isekai” world to begin with but gets transported to another “Isekai” that is far too similar to his old world. As weird as that sounds, this aspect does make this show stand out from the overflowing spring of Isekai Anime, but it is certainly enough to make it good enough. Starting from the story department, it is as generic as you imagine but with a few shifts here and there. Banaza’s summoning to this new world was very intentional ; the summoners expected things from him, but he did not meet their requirements. His supply lacked the "Divine Blessing" or cheat code he was supposed to have, but occasionally the clog needs a little push. Literally all he needed to do was defeat a few slimes, and voila, he becomes OP at level 2. Nothing much happens beyond this point, outside of Fenrys, of course. Yes, Flio literally wins himself a waifu after 2 episodes, and this is the greatest “twist” of the plot.

The process is nonsensical, but the good news is that their chemistry as a couple is pretty good, and it builds up very well over the subsequent episodes. Living in a world where demi-humans are widely accepted smoothens their journey, and Flio's philosophy of not using his powers for harm is also a welcome addition. This particular MC is not interested in using his OP prowess to change the world, whether in a good way or bad, with the one exception of the time he wiped out a forest. No harem needed; this man is more than content living out his new life in peace and quiet with his waifu. So this laid-back tale invites you on a chill ride, where there won’t be any flashy fights or complications. The pacing is slow in a good way, and you can just turn your brain off and enjoy things as they are.

The character department is nothing remarkable either, but most of them are chill. Despite having a kind heart, Flio is straightforward and despises any form of conflict. He hates slavery and is a strong believer in the fact that all races are equal, being neither eccentric nor edgy. I found him to be very lackluster in the first 2 episodes, and he moves on to become so OP that none of the attacks that come his way for the rest of the season pose any real threat to him. Most of the female characters starting from Fenrys are meant to be waifus, and nobody is even trying to hide that. Fenrys is the central waifu, and this fact is ignored because the show chooses to focus on her assets while she tries to become the ideal idol wife for the MC. But she isn’t a bad character by any means, because she has a pretty good character arc, especially compared to others in the series. Even the opening focuses on this girl instead of Flio! There’s another “Hero” in this series who becomes completely useless after the very first episode and is only used as a comedic instrument henceforth. The antagonists in this series are incredibly one-dimensional, resembling typical demons with anger issues and a desire for human lands. They lack any distinguishing traits and are essentially generic "bad guys" who are evil solely for the sake of being evil.

The Art and Animation department is a letdown, as it looks quite dated, not right at all for a 2024 series. I’m guessing the budget was minimal, but they really could’ve thrown in more effort. The character designs are quite beautiful and memorable, except for Flio’s generic base design that you’ve already seen in hundreds of other Isekai MCs. The animation is quite bland and boring, as evident through the very first fight scene itself. Action is certainly not the main selling point here, but an Isekai show really could do better. They have cut a LOT of corners here and this also means they keep CGI to a minimum, which is a plus for low-budget shows like this. Granted, there are some moments that would’ve looked way better with a sprinkle of CGI, but that won’t solve the poor direction here. If you want a good example, go to Episode 4, which features a tracking shot that gets repeated 5 times….

The highlight department in this show is a very particular segment of the Music and Sounds. The opening theme is "Dannasama to no Love Love Love Song," sung by Rie Kugimiya, who is the VA of Fenrys. Both the song and visuals are just adorable, enough to become a non-skip. I recommend checking out the opening at least. "Utopia-gaku Gairon" by DIALOGUE+ serves as the ending theme, and while it's decent, it's not particularly noteworthy. The OSTs, as in most cases, are just there and aren’t memorable in the least. The voice acting is where things go drastically downhill, and it isn’t even the fault of the VAs; it’s basically like someone put a terrible filter over the cast’s already outstanding voices to make them sound bad. This is particularly bad in the case of Fenrys, which was irritatingly sad in the first few episodes but luckily doesn't get carried on to later episodes.

Overall, “Chillin' in Another World with Level 2 Super Cheat Powers” is a very lighthearted and chill show you can watch in your spare time, provided you have a lot of it. There are a number of adorable and memorable moments, alongside a generous amount of fan service to keep you entertained. The show sprinkles in jokes, but the effectiveness of these depends on your personal sense of humor, and the flow is good. If you can let the episodes pass without analyzing the plot, I recommend this show. However, if you are short on spare time and can only watch a limited number of shows, don’t waste it on something as mid and inconsequential as this.