The Eminence in Shadow (2022–2023) User Reviews

Mixed Feelings

[tposask · 8/10 · 27 October 2022]

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!!

This is one of the best isekai I've seen in a while

[Poipop · 8/10 · 13 April 2023]

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."

Almost perfect adaptation

[packor · 9/10 · 24 June 2023]

Season 1 Review:

I wasn't aware of the other media when I watched this, so it was my first experience with this story. I really liked it for the same reason that I loved One Punch Man. In most stories, the protagonist is always struggling against their conflicts. In One Punch Man and Shadow, both protagonists had an ambitious goal, and they've both achieved their goals before the story even started. In other words, they're already a success, and everything going on in the story is serious to everyone else, but just fun for them, and that really appeals to me.

Now, Shadow is quite unique, as his way of life is just to roleplay his fantasies. Mainly, that happens to be playing an overpowered pseudo-ninja hero. People may have problems with his character, but, imo, all that doesn't matter. It doesn't change the fact that he is, indeed, doing good. Especially important is that, he is, indeed, very much badass. In a way, it is much more real than other fantasy hero characters, because, honestly, if it was you, you wouldn't want to become a hero because you wanted to be chivalrous and just. You want to play hero because it's fun and cool. In other words, Shadow is living the way a NORMAL person SHOULD fantasize about being a hero. Do YOU want to be a hero that has to live through hardship and sad events? No, you don't.

And another factor for both One Punch and Shadow are that they DID work for it. It's not emphasized, but they put they had a strong will towards it, and worked towards it with the ultimate resolve. Shadow is quite a bit delusional, but he is absolutely smart and strong.

I see a lot of people comparing the anime to the manga, and it really doesn't make any sense. The original work is a novel. I didn't read the manga, but I went back and read the novel up to the end of the anime, and the adaptation is perfect. From the reviews I've read, it really sounds like the MANGA deviated from the source.

There was a problem with the novel, in that much of the story is in the first person perspective of Shadow, so a lot of things aren't clear until it is revealed later on in the story. The anime makes sure to hold your hand so you know what is going on. It also doesn't convey the chuuni-ness of Shadow as well as the novel. This made that aspect less funny, but in return, it made the story a lot more sexy, and the action was also a lot more exciting. I thought that the first episode was added content, but it turned out to be a side story in Chapter 145 of the novel, and it is chronologically correct.

The only problem I had with the anime was the ending. Because they wanted to make the ending dramatic, they deviated from the source, changed Iris' relationship with Shadow, and made an over-the-top final battle. While it was fun to watch, I felt that the novel content was sufficient for the ending, and that they just made it harder to make a sequel. If not for this, it would be a 10/10.

BEST ISEKAI ANIME I EVER SEEN!

[DANIAL8405 · 10/10 · 30 September 2023]

This anime is one of the best of this genre ever made and I can't wait for its second season The humor, characterization, plot, and especially the animation is excellent I like the main character of this anime very much because he is very different from other overpowered MC characters and has a unique and special purpose.

The manga and the novel of this anime are also masterpieces, and some humorous parts of the story are better implemented, but in the anime, some parts of the story have been changed for more action and fights (episode 20), which made me more excited and pleased.

If you are a fan of Isekai , action and fun This anime is here for you to watch and enjoy.

Its a top tier anime

[milawochooka · 10/10 · 30 January 2023]

In the anime-verse there are a variety of anime but this anime as an isekai stands above many, i dare say its better than 90 % of the isekai anime out there. I have been watching anime for 22 years so trust me when i say Eminence in the Shadow is unique in both its storyline and character build up. Anime successfully combines raw action with comedic traits. And the best part for me is that it is free from any overly excessive ecchi depictions that most anime of day has. It is just unfortunate that it will be overshadowed by the release of Attack on Titan last part of season four, Demon Slayer season 3, and Jijutsu kaizen later this year.

It is cringe because it is supposed to be

[retraigo · 10/10 · 25 November 2022]

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.

Fresh take of isekai genre

[john-25452-97663 · 10/10 · 3 January 2023]

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!

Underrated

[zadraznikzan · 15 February 2023]

It's good but doesn't get the recognition it deserves, probably because the current animes releasing are outshining it.

I like the characters but some are forgettable unlike in other shows.

It's my favorite isekai anime but not in my top3 from every genre.

It's interesting to see the main character trying to act like a background character but failing most of the time.

I'd say it's worth watching since I can't really think of an anime similar to it.

The harem part is ok but it would be better to just have good side characters and not a harem

After reading the manga I will update the review if my thoughts change.

Has great potential but really frustrating to watch

[onikage-49324 · 6/10 · 31 May 2023]

Let me preface this by saying I'm a fan of the Isekai Genre and have enjoyed others where the main character is ridiculously overpowered.

The show is a multi-layered concept: Its a parody of a serious show that itself is a parody. Interesting concept and I really like pretty much all the characters except Cid. He's supposed to be cringe and the fact he wants to be a background character is fun but I just can't care about him.

There's zero threats or potential adversity he faces and most shows at least give a hint that there could be challenges in the future. He kills thousands of innocent bystanders because he's a sociopath who doesn't care about collateral damage as long as his AOE Nuke looks cool (Infact he literally calls it Atomic which is part of the overly-stated joke that the show is supposed to be). I don't know why I should care about anything he does.

The biggest issue tho, is the reason WHY he's so powerful (and its shown in the first episode). He drove himself insane in this pursuit of being so strong that nothing would be a threat to him (including a nuclear bomb) and in his ridiculously stupid pursuit he wanted decided MAGIC was real and then bashed his head on a rock and got hit by a car. His own obsession killed him but the REWARD is he gets unlimited power that he uses like a child with ADHD.

Hopefully you like it more than I did. The only things I want to see happen is either: A. Cid grows as a character and slowly becomes likeable OR B. Cid gets the crap kicked out of him in a extended punishment for his Hubris

However the show has made it very clear that NEITHER of those things will ever happen.

Surprisingly addictive

[peterfmodel · 10/10 · 13 February 2023]

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!!!

Bad backbone story, only a final aim.

[zmariux · 6/10 · 29 June 2023]

It's really hard to say if the anime is good in the early episodes.

It kinda lost me early in show, probably in the second ep. It felt like it has no backbone (only an end game to which it was aiming)

Pros:

• the anime has potential
• it has been inspired from few other animes (not necessarily bad, but it didn't integrate well in whatever the writer thought about)
• the chars seem to have a personality.

Cons:

• the environment in which the story evolves (at least early in the story) it's so confusing.

• ep 2 made me feel like I lost some details. Made me confused on what's going on.

• Very few of the details have been clarified in the 3rd episode. It's not mystery, it's purely a lack o properly introduction in the story.

• I'm at the ep 4 and don't feel it to have a well developed backbone, but only a final aim.

• "huge" display of power for no reason, just to kill someone who would die with extremely less dmg.

Conclusion: After the episode 6 it's starting to be less painful to watch, and it got actually better. In the end I actually enjoyed it.

There's a reason for that over the top 10/10

[HardLight · 10/10 · 19 January 2023]

Imagine you're me, a guy who likes Isekai anime and has seen them all, going from the earliest of them in things like Vision of Escaflowne to the modern versions like Arifuetta, Konosuba and ReZero.

Imagine you've got an expectation of what to see in this, as the primary mediums are either serious drama with action, action with harem elements or comedy.

See the opening episode with an over-the-top edgelord who fights with Tonfa Crowbars of all things (THAT IS AMAZING) and love the idea.

Then get to see the actual plot of the series start with episode two.

A Mega Chuuninbyou who is making things up on the fly and not only getting every single thing right on the mark, but he's instantly impressing not only his enemies but also his massive army of waifu material that he has ZERO interest in because he's all about his background character Chuunin lifestyle

I don't know how I missed this before the anime came out but holy good god is this series amazing in every aspect, it manages to take the violence of things like Mushoku Tensei, the drama of things like ReZero and the comedy of Konosuba, meld them together into not only a coherent plot full of fun and exciting moment,s but it does it while at the expense of the central character in portraying him as the self-aware Chuunin who is perfectly happy being that over the top.

I can never get over the 'I am Atomic!' as that is the single most Chuunin line ever! And I love it!

Lazy writing that is at times amusing

[glumski · 7/10 · 9 September 2023]

(This review is based on the first season. At the time I'm writing it, the second season has been announced but not been aired yet.) 'The Eminence in Shadow' tells the story of Cid Kageno, whose ultimate goal is to become the titular eminence in shadow, i.e. The powerful force in the background that remains unseen. While forming his shadowy society 'Shadow Garden' in the shadows, in his public life he tries to appear as a 'background character' as much as possible.

The story is very obviously a tongue-in-cheek parody of those Isekai shows where the protagonist ends up being an undefeatable hero who gets all the girls. 'The Eminence in Shadow' pretty much starts with that, with a protagonist who is pretty much the epitomous Mary Sue, and an array of gorgeous female characters that make up his secret society. Cid often only tries to appear enigmatic, yet because he literally can do no wrong, his thoughtless decisions uncover treacherous plots and defeat heinous enemies.

What bothers me most with the show is its inconsistency. In many episodes Cid is this borderline incompetent and overdramatic Japanese-guy-reborn-in-a-fantasy-world stereotype whose plot armour makes him undefeatable, yet in the next scene he will suddenly turn actually competent as his role suggests. For many episodes the show is an obvious parody, not taking anything serious and focusing on humour, yet at the end it tries to build up a complex and serious story. In its first half the show keeps a tight lid on the fanservice, yet in the second it is fairly lewd (though still pretty tame for a typical anime of this genre). All of these facets are at odds with each other, and IMHO they don't really work.

The characters are, unfortunately, another issue. Cid is partnered with an absurd array of gorgeous females, some of whom become secondary protagonists. Yet those that should be closest to him, the various members of Shadow Garden, are so underdeveloped that I don't even know who is who after twenty episodes.

The production level is at least very high, with nice animations, a solid soundtrack, and (English) voice acting that ranges from serviceable to excellent.

Ultimately I'm quite happy that I'm done with the first season, and quite surprised that a second season was even made. Many episodes felt like a slog to get through, so bland and boring that I wondered why I was actually continuing. The final episodes are pretty good, but it's difficult to take the properly dramatic events serious of the antagonist is literally called 'Perv Asshat'. Honestly, it would've made more sense to make one serious show and one parody, keeping the two themes separate. This is just a mess.

Bonus points for Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata, though.

Is just...horrible bland trash

[anonocl · 1/10 · 27 March 2024]

Sorry but all those tens are false. If you look at it, it does everything wrong. No character building, no real danger, he has an out for everything. No real work for the power and he treats everyone like they do not matter. He is the exact opposite of what he said he wants to be in the beginning. He has the generic harem and its just god awful. Even if this is satire...its trash and boring as satire. Immensely boring and forgetable. If you like watching drama free, no worry garbage or just want background noise woth fall flat jokes then have at it. Its predicrable trash since he has an out for everything with zero danger at all. In conclusion, it would be a better anime world without this garbage being out there.

Can't wait for a new Season!

[amirflash-92995 · 10/10 · 16 February 2023]

So today the last episode of this series just dropped and im sad cuz its going to end :( hope we get a new season soon :)

overall, i can say this show was one of the greatest isekai's i've ever watched!

The fun of this show is something else! Hits you where you don't even guess it and actually makes sense. I've seen others saying that this show is not good at all!!! Y'all need to chill. Like c'mon this show is that weekly show everyone enjoys. It's what everyone was waiting for every week. So overall MASTERPIECE :D

i hope we get see shadow-sama again sooon.

Can't wait :D.

I recommend watching this.

I mean i know they didn't follow the path of manga to some degree and skipped some. BUT this anime is good right now. Let's just forget about the manga for a second and talk about the anime itself.

It has alot to offer and its good and as a person how first saw this from anime and then read the manga i can say this anime is worth the watch!

One of the best!

[kazouathao-40079 · 10/10 · 14 August 2023]

I was afraid this anime was gonna be one of those generic annoying harem animes but im so glad I decided to watch this!! ABSOLUTELY A MASTERPIECE!! 100% recommended to everyone! It is comedic, fun, extremely great at attention grabbing and I did not skip ANY parts of the anime. The pacing is FANTASTIC, not too slow nor too fast in the 20 episodes of season 1. He is a unique character, an OP protagonist who is extremely intelligent, skilled, humorous, very dedicated to his goals, and most importantly he is respectful toward WOMEN. Even though he was exposed to some nudity, he respectfully treated everyone the same and not once did he make the female characters uncomfortable. In the hotspring when he ran into the princess he did not s*xualize her, and nor when he was walking unside down with the witch, he closed his eyes. Despite being surrounded by many women he treated them with human being level of respect. Which MANY male protagonist of anime lack. Example: jobless reincarnation. The Eminence in Shadows they were able to make the female characters attractive in the show and at the same time avoided making our protagonist an overbearing character that sexualizes everything. Looking forward to the next season!

One Of The Best Isekai Anime Ever Made

[jvarun-24207 · 10/10 · 20 September 2023]

It's just an Fantastic anime for me and like it very much I can't wait for season 2 to be adapt. I know it's gonna adapt soon, I am really excited for it . We know isekai for overpowered mc and I also like overpowered mc anime which this anime given me and it's in a very cool way I didn't expect that ,that's why I say one of the best isekai atleast for me and the best isekai for me is "That time I got reincarnated as a slime' aka "tensei slime datta ken" No anime come close to it in isekai for me even in all genre it's on my top 5 . I already watched over 500+ anime in which 50 or 60+ is isekai even after watching that much anime i find out "Eminence in shadow" in my top 3 isekai list and I thought after getting more seasons of it it could be mine 2nd best isekai cause I don't think any isekai can replace "tensura" for me.

Story, Animation, and Sound design

[newpepper · 10/10 · 6 May 2023]

When I first started watching this anime I believed it would be a generic isekai anime. But as the story progressed it started to get more complex with lore being built into it as well. I wish they would've included more lore to the anime as most of Cid's childhood and training goes by instantly and we don't get to see his skirmishes. In the LN, it goes into depth on how he increased his magic, but its just skipped over in the anime. Other than some things being left out its an amazing story with dialogue thats cringe but in a really fun way, not a cringe where you want to skip to the next scene.

The animation style is generic for the most part but when they break free from the norm, it's impeccable. When Cid goes on a monologue on "becoming atomic" in episode 5, theres a unique art style where its all white in the background with black swirls filling the screen and it's really a sight to see. The way they animate his "I am atomic" moves is also amazing. In episode 20 I couldn't get over how amazing the art was when he finished the fight between him, Beatrix, and Iris. Watching his magic surge through his body and change his eye as it overflowed was genuinely one of the coolest scenes I've experienced in media. In this fight there was another scene that I couldn't get over due to its uniqueness and its a very small detail but it makes it so much better. When the fight first begins, Cid literally teleports behind Beatrix with no afterimage or blur. It just made his speed come off as that much amazing as not even a blur could be seen as he moved.

Last, but most importantly, sound design. The sound design could probably be the biggest reason I loved this anime. Every time Cid goes atomic, the audio distortion on his voice is amazing, especially in episode 20. The way they distort his voice when he's letting loose on his magic is just insane. The OST is also really good and its the way the did the closing song was really neat too, having each of the seven shades sing the song separately was a really unique thing that I haven't seen many animes do in the past.

I believe this anime is worth 10/10 due to its perfect blend of cringe, badassery, sound and graphic design, and story. I cannot wait for the next season.

Protagonist is mind numbing

[ghostsoldier-44583 · 7/10 · 30 January 2024]

The anime in itself is good and I enjoy the story they are actually telling. No I haven't read the manga so that plays no part in my opinion. My BIGGEST beef is with Cid the protagonist. While he does have good ideas and is able to figure out how to get out of some of these situations, the dude is so frustrating to say the least.

He wants to play as a background character, which for the most part isn't that bad. It is a common trope in certain isekais, but for whatever reason instead of trying to stick to the background he comes up with every plan that puts him at the forefront of every situation.

Anyone with half a thought could tell that his attempts to 'play' off certain situations just makes it seem that he is hiding something. In the first arena fight instead of just getting knocked out of the fight and call it good, he gets up time and again to re enter the fight, which is completely contrary to be a background character.

On top of he has to explain he is trying to be the background character or what a background character does almost every episode or multiple times an episode. If he wasn't so frustrating it would be much more enjoyable.

During the fight with the ghouls every time he runs into a new character all he does is repeat the same sentences which is also a major annoyance.

My now favorite anime.

[ziondigiacinto · 10/10 · 9 May 2023]

Watched dubbed and I think the voice acting was perfect for each character. I absolutely love anime's with all powerful main characters and this one is insane. I loved every episode and was on the edge of my seat with the last one. I hope more and more seasons come to continue Shadow's and Shadow Garden's story. This and EdgeRunners are the only shows I have ever put reviews for. So it goes to show how good Eminence in Shadow was for me.

!Spoiler!

To fill space. In the last episode, Iris went on saying there was no where to hide no where to run and Shadow started laughing, then snapped and yelled "WHY WOULD I RUN!?". That felt amazing seeing the absolute confidence in his power and then he covered the entire city with to "vaporize it". The scale of his powers are unparalleled and I hope in the coming seasons we see more insanely powerful skills.

Also I absolutely loved every scene with him just flexing his speed.

Language Options Are Too Narrow

[kefferlori · 2 January 2023]

I just now listened to the trailer of this show, but I could not begin to understand what each character sais, because every one of thrm spoke in Japanese. Ehile thst is an rxtremely beautiful lsnguage, not everybody can speadk it, or understand it. I firmly believe that it would be most advantagrous to you who designed this show to provide a larger variety of languages spoken in the show, to better insure that more people can understsnd ehat is being said. For example, viewers living in India, or at least come from there, would need to hear the audio in Hindu to understand what is happening. People who speak Spanish need the Spanish audio. People who speak English need the English audio. So, could you al please provide the needed audios to allow a wider variety of viewers to be able to understand what is being said? Many thanks.

A weird little gem that didn't have to exist

[aaronlgertler · 7/10 · 27 March 2024]

I'm not sure "Isekai" is the right term here - this is a show about a child playing with toys. But the writing is fresh and funny enough that I had fun for the first six episodes (more than I can say for most anime!). The show spends basically no time on exposition (much as a child playing with toys wouldn't explain the game to themselves). This has a hypnotic effect; you let the nonsense wash over you and try not to think about any of it. There are no stakes, and no one gets meaningful characterization, but I prefer a show that gleefully avoids these things to one that tries to establish them half-heartedly. And I laughed out loud three or four times in those six episodes. Not bad at all.

THINK CODE GEASS BUT LESS CRINGE&MORE LOGIC

[yellowfellows7 · 10/10 · 21 September 2023]

Binged a bunch of isekai in past months. Watching shows alike Reincarnated as a slime, vending machine, campfire, daily life immortal king, overlord, mushoku tensei, Am I really the strongest, Cleric, SAO&GGO(painfully),Strongest Exorcist in Another World, Greatest Demon Lord Is Reborn as a Typical Nobody, Devil is a part timer, chronicles of an aristocrat born in another world, GATE, handyman, the rising of the shield hero and etc. I've seen almost all the renown isekai anime and so far, this is #1 with Mushoku Tensei being #2, Overlord being #3, and GATE #4.

Think of an Anime that has a serious undertone mixed in with perfectly timed ironic comedic reliefs and that's what you'll get here. Definitely delivers the comedic reliefs and serious dialogue better than Mushoku Tensei which at a lot of points cringe me but the depth of world building puts MT as #2 for me.

boring

[mexiiko · 1/10 · 5 April 2024]

This anime is an utter disappointment. From the shallow character development to the nonsensical plot progression, "Kage no Jitsuryokusha ni Naritakute!" fails to deliver on every front. The protagonist lacks any depth, and the supporting characters are forgettable at best. The story meanders aimlessly, lacking coherence and leaving viewers bewildered rather than intrigued. The animation quality is mediocre at best, with lazy character designs and uninspired backgrounds. Overall, this anime is a waste of time and serves as a prime example of everything that can go wrong in the medium. Avoid at all costs.

One of my most favorite anime and I've never even watched an Isekai

[djwsummers · 10/10 · 17 August 2023]

I didn't know if I would like this show because I thought the Isekai genre was bad but this one is really good. The closest thing I have seen to an Isekai is the strongest sage with the weakest crest and that was amazing, but this is even better. The show is about a boy who wants to be able to withstand an atomic bomb but if he wants to do it in the first world that wouldn't be possible so he would need magic to do that. He also want a to become apart of the shadows and be the strongest and show off to everyone.

Good things about the anime: Amazing story Amazing characters Amazing animation Really good voice acting

Things that might be bad: The opening has nothing to do with what is going on in the season The fights don't really last long until you get to the last episode but that's not that bad.