Review of The Weakest Tamer Began a Journey to Pick Up Trash
I feel a bit of a heretic to say it, but in contrast to the most common complaint I've see against this series, I don't agree that it starts well and ends poorly. On the contrary, the issue is almost the opposite. In its first few episodes this show is slow, dull, boring. For three episodes, nothing happens. Had I not been binging and unwilling to start something new, I would have dropped it at episode 3. This is a good example of 'the veneer of quality'. So many have lauded this show's mature themes examining the psychological trauma of an outcast child, but the realityis that those first few episodes that recieve so much praise have nothing to say beyond 'an outcast child would be miserable'. I fear many have mistaken addressing a mature topic with actually having something to say. If you step beyond the cynical world view that misery is somehow art, these episodes are empty, shallow, and oh so boring. Imagine watching an eight year old girl talk to herself for an hour. That is the art that is receiving so much praise.
Not to mention the entirely unnnecessary inclusion of an isekai angle. Quite what that added to the narrative I have no idea, but I guess it let the author add another keyword to maximise how often it came up in search results.
Where this show shines is not in these early moments, but rather later on, where Ivy begins to interact with other people, and we begin to see how her previous experiences have damaged her ability to trust and cooperate with other people. That's the strength of this series, and at moments 'shine' is absolutely the right word. For a while, it seems the series will lift itself from the funk it trapped itself in from the start.
Unfortunately, instead we get a convoluted plot involving the 'organisation', a shadowy band of kidnappers and slave traders. None of this content is bad, but the sheer amount of new characters, events, and plot drivers means there's little time to address the themes that should sell the show; that is, overcoming childhood trauma and the feelings of inadequacy that such a world imbues upon its most unfortunate. As a result, while I wouldn't call the last few episodes bad, I can't really find a reason to complement them either.
Overall, this is a series that starts dull, gets a little interesting in the middle, and then settles into a formulaic and average finale. Frankly, I don't think that early slog is worth what follows, so I can't think of anyone I would recommend this to.