The Beginning After The End

After watching four episodes, I must admit that the adaptation of “The Beginning After The End” has fallen short of my expectations. The animation quality leaves much to be desired, and the storyline grows increasingly implausible with each passing episode. Instead of enjoying the anime as promised, I find myself criticizing more than appreciating it. Despite the comparisons to “Solo Leveling”, this series does not live up to the hype, which is unfortunate but undeniable.

As a fan of shonen anime and manga, I understand the need to set aside some realistic expectations to fully appreciate the stories. Shonen protagonists, whether they’re endearingly quirky or intriguingly outlandish, often push the boundaries of believability. However, in “The Beginning After The End”, the implausibilities are far more than just a stretch of disbelief. The anime has almost reached the point of being laughable, asking viewers to accept the extraordinary feats of our four-year-old protagonist, Arthur Leywin, as plausible. To be frank, even as a dedicated Naruto fan, I’ve been willing to suspend my disbelief for two decades to follow Uzumaki, but it’s easier to imagine him surviving with an entire village of skilled adult ninjas around to ensure he has food, like cup ramen, every now and then.

In fairness, I must admit that the storyline in “The Beginning After The End” does acknowledge the over-the-top nature of Arthur’s abilities, to a degree. Keeping in mind that he is driven by the awakened adult consciousness from his previous life, we can somewhat overlook some of the implausibility. However, Episode 4, titled “Saved by the King,” was certainly a stretch that surpassed my tolerance for absurdity.

“Saved By The King” Draws Arthur To A Scream In The Forest

Ignoring A Cry For Help Is Not Something Grey’s Consciousness Will Allow

Initially, the concept of reincarnation, where someone starts anew with their skills intact, has always been hard for me to grasp in stories like “The Beginning After The End“. However, it plays a significant role in the narrative. Arthur Leywin, in reality King Grey, is the main character, yet he often seems unaware of this fact, despite his increasing powers. If he were truly King Grey, acting alone to respond to a distress call would be acceptable. But he isn’t – he’s just a young boy. So, when he stumbles upon a group of bandits trying to sell an elven girl, it’s natural for him to feel compelled to intervene.

In the tumultuous events that unfolded during our journey, it was the sudden ambush by marauders on the wagons we were traveling in with my parents’ adventuring group that ultimately led to my separation from them. Instantly, a burning desire for retribution surged within me. However, I quickly suppressed this raw emotion as memories of Sylvia, who had declined to impart her knowledge to one who might wield it unkindly or vengefully, flooded my mind. Instead of giving in to blind rage, I opted to trail the marauders, waiting for them to establish a campsite.

In this scenario, Grey, using creatures under magical control to lure and defeat slavers individually, acknowledges the physical strain of combat in his small form. Given his extraordinary power, he successfully eliminates the bandits one by one, eventually confronting their leader who recognizes Arthur’s magical abilities could earn a good price. For a brief instant, it appears as though the bandit leader might be too much for a four-year-old to handle, but being Arthur, he emerges victorious and slays the remaining bandits before checking on the prisoner in their wagon.

Let me pause for a moment to ponder over Arthur Leywin’s heroic act of single-handedly slaying an entire bandit camp. Granted, they were wretched individuals, but remember these weren’t ordinary adversaries; they were seasoned bandits. To provide some context, let’s consider the average four-year-old child, weighing approximately 40 lbs. and standing a little over 3 feet tall. Initially, Arthur was engaging in physical combat with these bandits, despite his immense magical prowess from previous lives. Given his diminutive size, it’s hard to envision a child of that stature possessing the strength needed to inflict fatal wounds with a sword, no matter how mighty a warrior he may have been in his past existence.

Arthur’s New Friend Teaches Him How To Act Like A Child

Since His Rebirth, Arthur’s Not Been Around Any Other Children

Stepping into the rear of the cart, Arthur liberates the captive, and for the first time, they encounter each other, creating an unusual feeling that permeates between them as their eyes lock. Grey, internally puzzled by this sensation, brushes it aside and assists her in exiting the cart. Upon seeing his injuries, she queries about his well-being. Inspecting his wounds, he comprehends that a typical child would be disturbed by such damage, yet at the same instant, he recognizes this is the first time he’s ever been near another child throughout his existence.

Arthur spends time concealing the bodies of the bandits he’d earlier strewn across the camp, understanding it’s inappropriate for young eyes to witness such gruesome sights. However, when the small elf girl he saved questions his maturity, pointing out that he too is a child, it momentarily disorients him. When she queries about the fate of the men who abducted her, he awkwardly explains they suffered an unlucky mishap. Recognizing no child would accept a lone teenager defeating an entire bandit camp, he tries to be truthful yet evasive.

With her rescue completed, Arthur readies himself to resume his tasks and reunite with his parents. However, she grips him in fear as she’s unable to navigate the forest alone. The woods are an unsettling environment. Having released the beasts despite his own reservations, both of them venture forth, with him conceding to assist her in finding her way home – a journey that leads away from his family.

Elves & Humans Don’t Mesh Well In Arthur’s New World

Tessia Doesn’t Seem So Different Than the Humans He’s Met, Even If She Is A Little Annoying

As they embark on their journey together, Arthur finds himself momentarily forgetting to ask Tessia for her name. She introduces herself, and Arthur prepares a meal for them both. He acknowledges his words sound familiar as he encourages her to eat regardless of hunger, likening himself to Sylvia. They converse during their journey, gaining insights into each other’s cultures and homelands. It swiftly becomes apparent that there is tension between humans and elves, with Tessia admitting that her grandfather told her all human men are lewd, a statement she doesn’t fully comprehend. This casual reference to fan service was neither amusing nor appreciated, and for those who have been keeping up with my previous comments, I’ve made it clear on multiple occasions that such fan service should gracefully exit the anime scene.

They discover that one of the creatures they released has been shadowing them, supporting Arthur’s earlier suspicions that he should have eliminated them instead. However, things take an unexpected turn when Arthur falls ill with severe abdominal pain. In a surprising twist, the beast appears to aid them by delivering a small pig it had killed in the woods as food for them. It turns out that Arthur was simply hungry. This incident casts doubt on Grey’s survival instincts.

During their journey, it’s apparent that Tessia is fearful, evident in her repeated requests for him to stay inside the tent instead of standing guard. Despite his annoyance at her behavior, he finds himself contemplating whether this is what it feels like to have a bothersome younger sibling. As they approach the gateway to Tessia’s realm, Elenoir (the name she asks him to be called), a sudden recollection of someone lifeless on the ground briefly overtakes Grey’s mind.

In the end, our hero reaches Tessia’s royal gateway, ready to part ways, yet she pleads for his company, extending her hand. The episode concludes there, yet the sneak peek for next week portrays Arthur amidst a group of elven fighters, trying to reach Sylvia for aid, but receiving a disapproving glance instead. For now, viewers are left in suspense as they wait to uncover what befalls Arthur upon his entrance into Elenoir, a realm wary of human beings such as him.

In a different wording, “The Beginning After the End” is using a well-worn trope common in high fantasy isekai stories, which some fans might overlook. However, its numerous flaws are increasingly hard to ignore. Despite my lack of enjoyment, I continue watching because I’m not a quitter…yet. There’s still a glimmer of hope within me that the story will improve, and I want it to live up to the initial enjoyment I felt when I started watching. At this stage, though, I can hardly imagine how it could do so.

2025-04-24 00:40