Kemono Michi: Rise Up “A Wrestler's Isekai Pet Shop Madness” The possibilities are endless in the Isekai genre. After being popularized by shows like Sword Art Online, no one would have predicted that the genre would nearly overtake Shounen and Seinen. Is it any wonder we have dug deeper into the isekai genre goldmine over the years, discovering approximately ten isekai titles every other season? Just like you, I thought that getting reincarnated as a sword, a vending machine, or my crush's dog was the end of it, but little did I know there was a wrestler who had German suplexed, the very princess who summoned him to this new world. Kazuma sure has some competition when it comes to doing outrageous stuff to royalty and gods, and it finally looks like the star of the Konosuba franchise has someone who can match his energy. With Natsuke Akatsuki being behind both titles, it becomes clear why the two oddballs are the way they are and won't change anytime soon, either. Today, it's a treat for the Isekai fans out there since we've brought a title that has only gone deeper in the pile of Isekai titles as the years have gone by because of what it’s all about. This title will surely catch you by surprise and might even become one of your favorite Isekai titles, given that it's such a mess and fantastic. That said, let's look at what an Isekai wrestler looks like. No man can defeat me or my love for animals! Genzou Shibata is a powerhouse in the ring. Every other match he fights in ends quickly, and he's built quite the following as an animal mask, with his tiger persona being one of the main highlights of his career. I had no idea Akatsuki Natsuke was so eager to slam on Tiger Mask, but I guess we will have to see where that goes. If one were to inquire about the origin of that animal mask, one would be highly naive, to put it mildly. Consider the scenario where Brock Lesnar or Bobby Laxley had an insatiable affection for animals. Unimaginable, indeed? Guess what? Genzou Shibata will show you! The princess summons Genzou to this new world during what is arguably the most significant battle of his career to help her escape the situation she finds herself in. However, being the hard-hitting, hard-boiled wrestler he is, the guy just suplexes the girl to infinity and beyond. Soon after, he finds out where he is. On an island that's full of every mythical beast and creature that he can think of, it's finally time for Genzou to fulfill the dream that he's always had: to become the owner of a pet shop, even though a pet shop with some of these creatures is bound to go out of business in no time. However, in this case, it's like letting a child loose inside a candy store and hoping for him to behave himself. It's not going to happen, Lassie. It's not going to happen! As absurd a story as that sounds, it's all true; none of it is made up. That's a recipe for success on paper, but the anime tells a different story for some viewers. Hailing from the fall seasonal lineup of 2019 makes me question why Genzou didn't just join the universe of Beastars since it literally had all he could ask for. It looks like the daughter of the Baki Hamna manga wouldn't let him in, even when he could take on some of the best that the Baki universe has to offer. Who wants to see a crossover?! The comedy lives through Even after getting teleported to this new world, Genzou Shibata hasn't lost his touch. The guy carries the comedic elements well and becomes a massive reason behind some of the laughs that define the series. Honestly, I found the show to be hilarious. Since the anime doesn't hold back at all, throwing at you all it has up its tank, it's rare not to find yourself rolling on the floor with laughter thanks to elements related to both inside and outside the ring. Certain characters are so obnoxious-looking that you can let out a hearty laugh without them even having to speak; this makes this program an ideal fit for all comedy enthusiasts! Honestly, that’s what made me watch the show in the first place. I used to think the show was about some guy wrestling his way through the Knights of the Round Table ranks in a different universe. But that wasn't the case, and I'm glad I found that out sooner rather than later! Good wrestling?! Many people need help understanding, but making a good wrestling anime can be challenging. There's a reason why only a few studios have attempted to reimagine or adapt these wrestling titles, both new and old, since getting the camera angles alone can be quite a tedious task. The moves come after that, of course. But ENGI, the studio behind Kemono Michi: Rise Up, has genuinely impressed me with the wrestling part of the series. The excellent camerawork and execution of the moves beg the question of why they did not choose a setting that emphasized slams, kicks, and punches within the ring. But what can we complain about? We indeed have something much better than that, and we all know that well. The rest of the show is standard Isekai animation that's neither too great nor too bad to brush away viewers just because of the visuals alone. If you're a fan of anime wrestling, then this is bound to become one of the main reasons you'll pick up the show. But the anime won't let you go that easily; you'll come for the wrestling and stay for the beast-hunting and pet shop endeavors! We’ve Got Everyone! An isekai with all these different creatures as its bread and butter sure opens a new realm of possibilities. But that also makes it home to these different character animal fusions that anime fans can’t get enough of, even when that’s questionable behavior. Sure, Dragon Girl, Vampire Girl, and Wolf Girl are pretty standard, but wait, since the anime has much more where that came from. Every other character adds something to the series, even if it’s just reinforcing the comedic element alone, and that makes it hard for it to seem like anyone’s there without a reason. Sure, the wrestler is the MVP of this series, but I won’t be surprised if you thought otherwise and gave that best character reward to some random beast who had a couple of seconds of screen time at most. To each their own is the ironclad rule regarding the isekai genre. The anime also has a catchy opening that’s bound to play in your head for a long time to come, so you should start skipping it in case you have something important coming up. We don’t want any accidents happening now, do we? In an era when anime wrestling is done and dusted, Kemono Michi: Rise Up is one of the weirdest yet best isekai combos. Given their preoccupation with topics such as reincarnation as dogs and similar nonsense, it baffles me why so few individuals are aware of this. The anime is a hidden gem that’s sure to make you laugh, regardless of whether you’re an Isekai fan or not. It's excellent to see Genzou go on all these adventures to capture some of the best that this world has to offer, and the bonds he and his new beast friends develop throughout the series make you feel like you’ve known these faces for a long time. Also, if you’re a fan of the god of Isekai, the man behind everyone’s favorite Konosuba, you must check this out. The manga has been running in the Shounen Ace magazine for a while, and if you want to check that out, please do, since I’m sure that just carries on what this anime is all about. As for the rating, I’d give it a solid 7. It was such a mess that it was an incredible mess, as they say. See if you can handle something like this since it might be too absurd for some of you. Again, as I mentioned earlier, to each their own is the ironclad rule regarding the isekai genre! Please Like, Comment, Share or click one of the links below to read another post. https://pinnedupink.com/blogs/random-thoughts-because-mondays-suck https://pinnedupink.com/blogs/on-screen https://pinnedupink.com/blogs/flashbacks
