'Didn't I Say to Make My Abilities Average in the Next Life?!'

Even more so if it's an Isekai, there are times when you just want to relax with some clean entertainment. That sounds like a denial anime: an isekai that doesn't ask too much of you, one without a lot of bloodshed. Why? Because I enjoy violent stories with interesting plots. When watching anime, it's natural to wonder, "Did I get that? Is this the kind of anime to whet my appetite?" Well, let's find out.

The Japanese light novel series "Didn't I Say to Make My Abilities Average in the Next Life?!" is written by FUNA and illustrated by Itsuki Akata. Neko Mint's manga adaptation debuted in serial form in 2016. Seven Seas Entertainment holds the North American license for both the light novel and manga. On TV, an anime adaptation by Studio Project No.9 aired from October 7 to December 23, 2019.

Little is known about FUNA, who is from Japan. In addition to this anime, he also wrote I Shall Survive by Using Potions and Saving 80,000 Gold in Another World for My Retirement. His illustrator, Itsuki Akata, has worked on the Dragon Crisis series, including anime, light novels, and manga.

The story in My Abilities is about Isekai and reincarnation. The duration of each show is 23 minutes and should be enjoyed by those at least 13 years old (PG-13). At the time of this writing, you can watch My Abilities on Crunchyroll.

Because of her remarkable personality, Misato Kurihara has always stood out from the crowd. As a result, she has never known the comfort of close friendships or the routine of everyday life. After an unexpected death, however, she was taken to a divine realm where she would be reborn and granted a single wish. She wanted a normal life, so she hoped to be reborn with average skills for the world she would one day live in.

Adele von Ascham, the daughter of a noblewoman, is her reincarnation as a commoner. This has given her extraordinary magical skills. Determined to live the life she always dreamed of, she runs away and disguises herself as "Mile" to attend a hunter school in a distant kingdom. Even if she does everything she can, she will still run into strange things that will make it hard for her to reach her goal.

In recent years, there have been a lot of adaptations of fantasy isekai stories, and the FUNA anime is one of them. My Abilities, or "My Abilities" for short, is a story about a teenage girl who gains extraordinary powers and sets out on an adventure that doesn't require much original thought on the part of the viewer.

Aside from our primary female protagonist, Mile, we also have Reina, Pauline, and Mavis. Mile is also joined by Nano. Nano is a nanotechnological floating Piacachoo-type character that provides Mile with information about the world and her powers. Nano also occasionally breaks the fourth wall to explain things to the viewer.

One of my favorite things to do these days is to watch anime on Crunchyroll or any other site that lets viewers comment. I like to look through the comments and read the different complaints, but I try to stay away from comments with spoilers. After reading them, it's clear that Isekai fans, and any anime fan for that matter, are concerned with the anime staying true to the source light novel, manga, or webcomic.

After all, the length of the anime adaptation's 12 episodes raises the possibility that some key details were omitted in order to keep the show moving. Instead of following the manga's storyline, the anime skips over Mile's time at the academy and puts her right into the four-girl group we already know. As a result, Mile's character loses value since the viewer won't understand her as well. It would have helped to learn more about Millie's time at the academy, but instead, we get a Millie who is more concerned with not maintaining her flat chest and a Millie who, for lack of a better term, might as well be called an airhead.

We'll let that slide, though, because Millie wants to be average, so being an airhead and being dented makes sense. However, despite being highly competent and intelligent, as we see time and time again in the few fight scenes shown throughout this anime, I really didn't connect with Millie; instead, I connected with Reina.

Before we jump to Reina to move the story along faster, the anime sometimes uses flashbacks and explanations to show how Mile ended up at the Hunter School. As soon as I heard that she went to the Hunter School, I thought of the Hunter x Hunter anime. But it was nothing of the sort. The school is where she and her three friends form "The Crimson Vow." The anime becomes more or less about their journey after they form the Crimson Vow.

The decision to keep the main cast of My Abilities to just four characters rather than expanding the cast is understandable. Crimson Vow is the characters' group. Since the story was mostly about Crimson Vow, Millie and the other characters got the same amount of attention.

These characters' personalities, rather than their growth, are the focus of the writing. It's all about the characters and how they interact with each other, The more I saw these people, the more I just wanted to care about them. The humorous tone, however, was too much to take in. Leave the breast jokes and the lolicon cringe bait at the door; this anime is quite serious.atch and go with it.

My Abilities isn't very deep, so I'll just give a quick summary of the characters so I don't give anything away. Adele von Ascham is the main character and protagonist of the series. She used to be Misato Kurihara, a young Japanese girl. She had forgotten about her past life for the first few years after she was born, but when she was ten, she had a terrible headache and remembered everything. The person who reincarnated her tells her about nanomachines, and she finds out that she can talk to them. Due to a series of unfortunate events, she changed her name to Mile in the hopes that she would be able to hide and remain average.

Mile, having grown up in a family where most of the members were themselves otaku, continues to share their shared passions and interests. That would be her devotion to Japanese animation and manga, as well as Western video games. By putting this knowledge into her adventures and fights, the show gets a better understanding of its own rules. Mile's own stories reveal aspects of her character that she is aware of.

Mavis von Austien, or Mavis for short, is a swordswoman of noble birth and the official leader of the Crimson Vow (though Reina is always the one doing the actual "leading"). Mavis is our resident androgynous character. She ran away from home against her father's wishes to become a knight, which was her dream. Despite her perceived androgyny, Mavis is beautiful and quite popular at the academy. She is a competent swordsman, and though she refers to herself as the weakest member, I call her "bs,” as her resolve was admirable.

Pauline comes in at number three. In many ways, Pauline is reminiscent of Akari from Shokei Shoujo no Virgin Road. Both main characters were sweet at heart but harbored hidden depths. Furthermore, it was always emphasized that both characters had impressive chests. Pauline is the bookkeeper at the Crimson Vow. She is the daughter of a merchant. She is a mage who is good at both healing and water magic. Her family's company is called the Beckett Company.

Last but not least, we have Reina, the crimson mage turned hunter with a murky past. As a crimson mage, she has learned a lot about fire, which makes her an important member of the team in terms of strategy. The character of Reina herself has a history that adds depth to the show. I would say Reina is one of my favorite characters. She receives the most emotional content explaining her nature. She shares much in common with Mile.

Most anime have a climactic battle at the end because the protagonist has been building up to fight the main antagonist throughout the series. Well, the story moves forward because of a series of bad guys, but not in the usual way. In its place, we get a climactic arc that aims to establish a second season; whether or not that season actually gets made is anyone's guess.

You know there's a lot to like about this anime, especially its OP and its ending theme. Its opening theme is a banger, and I found it very catchy, as was its accompanying animation. In terms of the expected and baseline quality of animation, I'd say that Project No.9 succeeded and was at least bearable. The references to other anime were also a plus, especially one that uses a spirit gun, but I'll leave that one for you to guess. Lastly, animations aside, I did have a few laughs throughout.

There is a lot to dislike or find annoying about this anime as well. When adapting anime, it's common to cut out crucial scenes that build up the characters' arcs and the audience's investment in them. Although each character had depth and interesting histories, I never felt any affinity for any of them. Probably because Mile's idiocy quickly glosses over what depth there was. What we get at the end is a protagonist who detracts rather than adds to the anime.

"My Abilities" didn't make me hungry, but it wasn't because of the uneven pace, the thin plot, or the questionable fan service. My issue with this anime is that, while it is good, it’s not worth a second watch. Compared to similar works, it doesn't do much to differentiate itself. I really, really, really hope there will be a second season. With more than 300 chapters, there is a lot of substance in this light novel that deserves to be properly prepared and then devoured.