The Brilliant Healer's New Life in the Shadows

(16+) Could have been a lot better! The show is divided into two halves with the first half being the best in my opinion. There are some gritty moments and sad outcomes, but mostly the story suffers from a lack of identity, because there is a clear break from one half to the next that I can't recall seeing before. All the characters you had gotten to know and their relationships with the male protagonist got kind of thrown on the backburner as a new arc was explored - and it didn't work. Props to the specter queen, though, she was by far my favorite character and was also present in both halves (thankfully) her evil giggling "huh huh huh" + her gleeful pronouncements of doom were awesome. She stole the show. Also, what happened to the young elf at the beginning is awful, but she became a really central figure after her rescue. Neither of those characters could save this anime, though, so I give it a lukewarm thumbs up.

Check out my comprehensive list of Anime titles to find your next watch - just click my profile link at the bottom left of this review!

I typically enjoy this kind of fantasy fluff and have low expectations but so far it seems like they put together a bunch of enjoyable tropes and yet bombed. The op MC is so naive and boring that it has no charisma. He only wants to heal so he lets all the bad guys go. Without arresting or punishing them, it's guaranteed they will continue to r@pe, enslave, and kill other people. He's a pathetic MC. The trope of an extremely over powered guy getting kicked out of his party because they think he's too weak is super common but that's not the problem here. The problem is that he's so overtly OP that the scenario doesn't make sense. If you can snap your fingers and heal anything and even regrow limbs when nobody else has ever heard of anything close being possible, how is anyone supposed to buy the idea that neither the mc nor his party thought he was useful? Apparently he's an invincible fighter too but nobody wanted him because he grew up poor. Honestly I'd be quicker to believe magic is real than believe the mc could be this stupid.

Okay, some of the english voice acting is really, really terrible to start things off. Lynga's VA is atrocious. Extremely high pitched and extremely grating on the ears. Almost impossible to listen to her speaking without cringing from the pitch of her tone.

Next is the main character himself. Constantly deadpan and absolutely unflappable. Nothing phases him. He's also the stereotypically dense main male character. Extremely generic. There's also the fact that if you play a drinking game where you take a shot every time he says "But I'm just an underground healer," you'd be drunk before the episode you're on ever finishes. He says it CONSTANTLY. Like we could EVER POSSIBLY FORGET with how he says it almost literally every other sentence out of his mouth.

Some of the other characters, like some of the antagonists, have some of the worst voice acting I've heard in a long time. Extremely wooden with almost no emotional inflection.

And as far as the plot goes? He goes from absolutely nothing to having the three major crime bosses of the area absolutely fawning over him... before 3 episodes are even over. Then solves a multi-year long gangwar between them... in five minutes. And all of them are just suddenly buddy buddy with absolutely no real hostility between them despite the background information saying that they've been killing each other for years.

And before three episodes are even over, they introduce the new antagonists who somehow got wind of the MC's 'underground clinic.' Within a month.

There's also glaring issues with how they portray healing magic, too. They make the MC capable of doing things that apparently no other healing mage can do! And he's CONSTANTLY SURPRISED ABOUT THAT. Despite being a healer for YEARS before hand. Sure, he's self taught but that's not excuse. Just more stupid levels of denses. "Oh wow. You can regenerate things!? Not even the best healers can do that!" "Oh whats this scan spell? It tells you whats wrong? Oh wow! Not even the best healers can do that!" "Oh, I can't feel anything... that spell numbs pain? Not even the best healers can do that!"

Like... okay? What the hell? Then what good are healers in this world? And yet they're supposedly super elite high class individuals? But they can't do basic healing magic stuff?

The anime had potential however terrible writing, terrible characters, and terrible lore ruin it. Also the fact that the MC is an Underground Healer is a problem. Because he's an Underground Healer. So why would anyone care about him because he's an underground healer. No one would bother an underground healer.

They are a lot of female characters with the personality wanting to go to bed with the protagonist, horrible.

There is not even a romance development, every female character presented immediately falls in love with him and begins to pursue him without stopping, while he is invincible and amazing in everything and can solve all the problems of the story immediately and without consequences.

It makes the entire story feel hollow and predictable. The lack of genuine character growth or emotional stakes strips any weight from the narrative. Conflicts are introduced just to be swept away by the protagonist's effortless brilliance, leaving no room for tension or meaningful resolution.

What could have been an intriguing tale of a healer navigating a new life turns into a shallow power fantasy overloaded with one-dimensional characters and forced admiration. If you're looking for a story with real stakes, believable relationships, or character development, this one will likely disappoint.

The Brilliant Healer: New Life in Shadow delivers a grounded and refreshing fantasy story that puts a support-class character in the spotlight. Rather than relying on brute strength or flashy powers, the series emphasizes healing, strategy, and quiet resilience.

While the narrative isn't groundbreaking and occasionally leans on predictable tropes, the central character's calm, composed approach makes for a compelling watch. The worldbuilding is serviceable, and the cas, though uneven, provides a few memorable moments.

The animation is clean, the tone stays consistent, and the show offers something a bit different in a genre often dominated by power fantasies.

Positif : _Unique focus on a healer and support magic _Consistent tone and competent animation _Relaxed but engaging protagonist

Négatif : _Story structure is a bit too familiar _Some characters lack depth or purpose _Low narrative tension at times.