Cautious Hero: The Hero is Overpowered but Overly Cautious (2019)

[この勇者が俺TUEEEくせに慎重すぎる]

Director: Masayuki Sakoi
Studio: White Fox
Starring: Yuichiro Umehara, Aki Toyosaki, Kengo Kawanishi
Episodes: 12

Synopsis:
Novice goddess of healing Ristarte is tasked with saving a world in order to become a full-fledged deity and summons a hero with unimaginable power but an infuriating excess of caution.

Impressions:
These days it's almost impossible to make an isekai and play it straight (without being met by eyerolls from cynical viewers who have had their fill of the subgenre), so ones that skewer the tropes mercilessly are going to have a chance at appealing to more jaded members of the audience. This series does just that, effectively having Yuichiro Umehara reprise his role as Goblin Slayer, a meticulous sociopathic hero. He plays the straight man to our female lead Ristarte. We don't usually see female characters both be the persistent butt of the joke in physical comedy and pervertedly lusting after the opposite lead. Seiya cuts through most of the usual nonsense in the subgenre like a knife through butter and I like that the Demon Lord and his minions are a near match when it comes to their cautious nature. We do surprisingly get some genuine character drama, but the series is mostly played for laughs. The only real downside for me was the rushed exposition dump in Episode 11. I guess I should give Keiko Han credit for managing to cram so many lines in so little time. Overall, I enjoyed it, but as with fellow comedy isekai Kemono Michi, the humor might wear thin for you. Unlike its counterpart, though, I thought there was enough variety here to keep it fresh and engaging until the end. Give it a watch.

Rating:
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