User reviews

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!!

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. "

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.

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!

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.

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!!!

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.

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.

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!

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.

Killed then reborn in a new world, the usual. But in this anime they don't explain anything. The main character as per usual is overpowered but they don't explain why he is so strong or how anything in this world works. He is pretending to not be the main character for no reason really. Not to mention the relationships between people are very weird. Like you could tell the anime isn't that well thought of but ya know it's okay to watch. 7,9 rating made me think that it will be close to other anime's with a high rating but not really. To be in full honesty this anime's real rating is 6,5 so don't get your hopes up.

(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 Enigma tic, 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.

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.

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.

The ost is insanely good like a little cringe but I would lowk listen to it. One of my top ten isekai and I've watched atleast 30 (also including all of the renowned isekai like slime, vending machine, chronicles of an aristocrat, mushoku, overlord,strongest exorcist, am i really the strongest, daily life, greatest demon lord, devil is a part timer, blah blah. Lots of fanservice mind you but the great timing of comedic and shocking elements provide great surprise in my top 3 isekai of all time. People do tend to have mixed feelings about this show, so I must give it a 9 because their points are true. The show could use some more aspects from the manga like specific terms (when watching the anime they refer to "Dark Knights" and in the manga they are "Spell-Swords" which sounds a lot better and more fitting for the storyline.

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.