The Eminence in Shadow

This anime was a real surprise to me. I only had minimal interest in watching it, but when I did I was surprised. The first few episodes were average, but by episode 3 I was hooked. Unlike most of my experiences with similar anime's, the episodes just got better and better.

Make sure you watch at least the first three episodes and make sure you watch it on a high quality format, preferably from HIDIVE. If you do you will not be disappointed. The biggest challenge you will have is to pace what you're watching, this series is very easy to binge.

One other advantage I found was the episodes were very re-watchable. I have watched it twice since I watched it originally and enjoyed each watch. I am Atomic!!!

Wow, I just finished watching this show and I can confidently say that it exceeded my expectations. It deviates from the typical tropes of Isekai Anime and creates a unique experience. The writing, storytelling, and sound design are exceptional, elevating the entire project. First, the characters are diverse and dynamic, although some of the female characters in the Shadow Garden, villains, and those in encounters are poorly written. However, other characters have a depth of emotion that is rarely seen in other anime. The story follows a boy who dreams of becoming the Eminence in the Shadow. When he realizes that he cannot achieve his dreams in the real world, he comes up with a theory about magic and reincarnates himself into another world. The pacing of the show is quick, and there are moments when it becomes hard to follow, but it doesn't detract from the overall enjoyment.

However, the world-building could have been better. The show only focuses on a few places, such as a building and a castle in a school, which are generic. There was not much exploration of the fantasy world, which could have been interesting.

The main character is the highlight of the show, with a complex personality that blurs the lines between reality and fiction. He is obsessed with becoming the Eminence in the Shadow, and his personality is an interesting study of pretension, trust, and relatability.

The sound design and soundtrack are some of the most creative aspects of the show. The producers utilized Beethoven songs to manipulate the mood of the scene, and it was impressive how it affected the characters' emotions. However, the animation quality is not the strongest point of the show. The studio had a limited budget, which resulted in the use of repeating cycles, but they were creative in using it to make the scenes more dynamic. Despite this, there are moments when the animation is poor, and it can be distracting.

In conclusion, the show is worth an eight out of ten. The engaging storyline and the absence of any bad episodes make it a must-watch. While the animation quality could be better, the sound design, characters, and world-building more than make up for it."

Though I wasnt sure of the direction the plot was going to be taking, which took a few episodes to get into I found something truly unique. A main character trying not to be a main character is something no show has ever done and the comedic gags it brings along is really hilarious.

The protagonist is simple yet hugely likeable and the characters have unique personalities. Watch at least till ep 11 to give it a thorough understanding of the anime and what its trying to accomplish. Animation is decent and is pretty good in fights, shadow garden and the cult are well defined orders and provide an interesting rivalry.

Worth a watch!

While, the manga is much much better in all most every aspect! I try to judge anime's and manga separately there are references in this anime that I disliked, like this for example anime reference "Dark Knight" in my opinion is weak an overly used everywhere else plus you doesn't get a sense of what means for the characters! In the Manga they are referred too as "Spell-Swords" which is unique name an makes ref to magic swordsman very effective!

But this anime is still great in its own right, an is worth a watch! You don't need to even watch ep1 as it was terrible an there's nothing in it you don't gain from the other 3 eps of what is going on!!! After eps2 things definitely get better for watching!!

A lot of people seem to think the manga was far better than the anime.

It is mostly due to the side story becoming the first episode of the anime. Can't blame them since starting with Cid's monologues would have bored people out.

If there was one thing the anime failed to do, it was about showing Cid's pre-reincarnation self where he was described as a hunk.

Some people complain about the anime being cringe and turning into a generic harem. However, Cid IS a chuuni. The entire novel revolves around Cid being the cringiest yet coolest character. Romance? Nah we all in for the comedy and action. They just don't get the whole point of the anime. It is not "Reincarnated as an assassin". It is Eminence in Shadow. It isn't supposed to be a serious plot.

If you think the anime is cringe, it means the anime did a good job.

Edit: I forgot to mention but I too am salty about Shadow Garden's masks missing in the anime.