It’s a minute since I’ve done a first impression on an anime. I haven’t been watching that many as of late, however, I recently got into The Eminence in Shadow, and honestly, this anime has been a thrill to watch.

For as long as he can remember, Minoru Kagenou has been fixated on becoming as strong as possible, which has led him to undertake all kinds of rigorous training. This wish, however, does not stem from a desire to be recognized by others; rather, Minoru does everything he can to blend in with the crowd. So, while pretending to be a completely average student during the day, he arms himself with a crowbar and ruthlessly thrashes local biker gangs at night. Yet when Minoru finds himself in a truck accident, his ambitions seemingly come to a sudden end. In his final moments, he laments his powerlessness—no matter how much he trained, there was nothing he could do to overcome his human limitations.

But instead of dying, Minoru reawakens as Cid, the second child of the noble Kagenou family, in another world—one where magic is commonplace. With the power he so desired finally within his grasp, he dons the moniker “Shadow” and establishes Shadow Garden: a group whose sole purpose is to combat the enigmatic Cult of Diablos, an organization born from Cid’s imagination. However, as Shadow Garden grows in both membership and influence, it becomes increasingly apparent that the Cult of Diablos is not as fictional as Cid had intended.

Where do I even begin with this anime? Some may dislike the ridiculousness of this anime and Cid’s antics, but I for one have enjoyed every single episode that’s come out so far in season 1. With so many isekai anime out there feeling reletaliy the same in terms of plot progression, there’s something refreshing about The Eminence in Shadow’s over-the-top action and remotely interesting plot that has me coming back time after time, after time. And it’s all thanks to Cid’s actions, his dedication to being an NPC by day, and a menace to society by night. What makes Cid such an interesting character to follow is the fact that he’s genuinely a sociopath, who cares little for human lives. Don’t mistake the time he’s saved a few people, I honestly think he sees everyone he saves as a key NPC which only furthers his goal of playing an Eminence in Shadow. The fact that he blew up a nuclear bomb while saying “I am Atomic”, destroying a whole estate already told me all that I need to know about this man’s state of mind. He does not care. He will do anything to roleplay and I admire his dedication to the craft.

He does have a troupe of girls who are the main force pushing the narrative, with their main goal being to fight the Cult under the name “Shadow Garden”, but honestly I don’t really care for them like that unless they’re fighting. This anime honestly may not be for everyone, however, if you’re someone that likes to see some overpowered sociopath wreaking havoc in the most disrespectful way possible, then go ahead and check out The Eminence in Shadow.