Review of CHOYOYU!: High School Prodigies Have It Easy Even in Another World!

Please note this review is intended to be read by those that have finished watching High school Prodigies have it easy even in another world and while care has been taken to minimise story related spoilers there may still be spoilers within character analysis. You have been warned. Based off a popular light novel of the same name Choujin Koukousei tachi wa Isekai demo yoyuu de Ikinuku you desu which is more popularly known by its English title of High School Prodigies have it easy even in another world is a fantasy-themed anime that gives us the rather unique opportunity to see what will happen,if one day a plane that carried seven of the world’s top geniuses who are all masters of their respective fields despite their young age were to one day vanish from their world and be transported to a parallel world that was suffering from the same problems and crisis that they had worked so hard to eliminate within their own. Seeing the same problems that the seven had worked so hard to deal with back in their world once more manifest itself in this new world and once more cause suffering and pain to the people of this world the seven resolved to do what must be done to save the people from this world and in doing so transcend from being mere geniuses to saviours of a world as they make use of their collected intellect and use wisdom and technology to bring down an oppressive regime and in doing so deliver to the people a world where everyone is free and can perform whatever role that they so desire. A country where it’s the people that decide on where the country should be heading and not the arrogant lords and emperors that sit on the throne.

Fantasy-themed series within the anime industry can be said to be one of the most popular ones within it due to the ease of which worlds can be fashioned and expanded upon by its creators and this is even more so within the vaunted Isekai genre that had experienced a massive surge in popularity in recent years. While the concept of Isekai itself is pretty standard as settings go what served to differentiate High school prodigies in my eyes and what served to draw my eye to it was the fact that unlike the standard series that made use of only one mc that was transported to the parallel world in the case of High school prodigies there are seven of them all of which had unique skills, quirks and personalities that made them all unique. In addition unlike most common Isekai series that tend to have overall goals that centre on individual matters that focus on the individual struggles of its characters High schools is the exception in that its cast, for the most part, operate as a single entity that operates in concert with one another to go about the task of inducing change on a global scale through not just displays of physical strength but also through introduction of new tech advancements that give the people, not just a better but also a fairer and more organized society to live in but also the weapons that they need to preserve their new way of life. This combination of not just entering a parallel world but also serving to repay those that have helped them by using their unique talents to change the world and overturn the cruel and oppressive regime that rules them and replace it with one that treats its people fairly and freely was what served to draw me to the series and convince me to watch it to the very end a decision that I felt was justly rewarded here.

The overall story for the series follows the life of Tsukasa Mikogami and his six friends who despite their young age and only being in high school have as a result of both their intelligence and their own unique skills in their respective fields have enabled them to not only ascend the rungs of society within their own worlds but also create many great changes within their home timeline that’s served to improve the lives of many within their world. After being mysteriously transported to parallel world that for all intents and purposes was one that appeared to be one that was within the time period known as the medieval period Tsukasa and his friends find that not only had they been transported to another world entirely but that this world while certainly beautiful and full of interesting races that are both welcoming and generous in temperament was one that was ruled by a cruel and oppressive empire who instead of treating its people with respect, kindness and equality instead treated them with cruelty and silencing any detractors with the threat of capital punishment. While finding themselves in an entirely new world was a novel experience for Tsukasa and his friends the fact that this new world was one that was ruled by the same type of regime and whose people were oppressed by the same type of people that Tsukasa and his friends had worked so hard to displace in their efforts to change their world was something that created a sense of fury within their hearts. When the empire in both its arrogance as well as in its desire to avenge its humiliation at the hands of Tsukasa and his friends who had not only defied the empire’s standing orders to help demi-humans but also go about modernising them struck out and captured one of their own to both the villagers and Tsukasa and his friends this was the last straw and served to create a catalyst that began Tsukasa and his friends journey to go about changing the world and sweep aside the trash that had ruled for far too long within this world and finally bring salvation to the people of this new world.

Tsukasa Mikogami

Tsukasa Mikogami portrayed by veteran voice actor Yuusuke Kobayashi of Re Zero and Aico Incarnation fame is one of the main characters of the series and is the main protagonist of the series. A teenage boy that despite being only of a young age is already actively serving his country as its youngest PM to date Tsukasa from initial appearances is shown to be a calm, composed and responsible person by nature and is someone that can be seen to prefer to solve problems via diplomacy rather than with action and as a result was someone that was seen to be held in high regard by both his countrymen and politicians around the world earning him the title The world’s Top Politician. However despite boasting such a formidable reputation, Tsukasa was seen to be someone that rather than being overconfident and vain in his attitude was rather the opposite in that he was a quiet person by nature that made great use of not just his intellect but also his logical nature to divine the best path forward towards his goals while taking great care to ensure that such goals were ones that were realistic a skill that few within Tsukasa’s chosen field can hope to achieve. While a quiet person and someone that can be difficult to read by others Tsukasa was someone that was seen to have two traits that served to define him as both a person and as the PM of Japan in that unlike many of his field Tsukasa was someone that had both an immense sense of responsibility to both his friends and to his allies as well as surprisingly strong sense of justice as well traits that I felt while reflecting well of his role as a leader as a country also serve to reflect the kind of person that Tsukasa really was which was someone that will do his utmost to preserve peace and protect his friends and allies while still trying his utmost to maintain his core values of justice and responsibility a struggle that I really admired about him.

As the series goes on and Tsukasa’s personality is gradually expanded upon his personality gradually starts to change as a result of the events that he and his friends helped shape. In the beginning of the series Tsukasa while noted to be someone that advocated peace, understanding and cooperation through the showing of kindness towards others was someone that can be said to be rather too logical in that he often didn’t take into account the emotional bonds that can result from their actions and the potential effects that this can have on both he and his friends and the allies that he had resolved to help a matter that is brought to the head during the height of the series first arc when a dear friend of theirs was kidnapped by the empire. While certainly an uncomfortable revelation for Tsukasa it can be seen that this revelation that while logic and being realistic about situations was an excellent skill to have it will be even so if this is paired with an understanding towards the desires and wishes of the people that you wish to protect was something that served to have a profound impact on Tsukasa as a person. While still retaining his quiet nature Tsukasa after this revelation was shown to have become more understanding of the feelings and wishes of others and more willing to consult with others on their own opinions rather than going for the most logical option that he would have done so in the past.

In line with Tsukasa’s incorporation of emotions and taking the feelings of others into his equations was the reveal of what can be said to be the main driving force behind Tsukasa’s true struggle within the series which is the reform of the world. As a result of both Tsukasa’s core nature as well as his beliefs in what the people of any given land should have it can be seen that Tsukasa was someone that viewed the needs and desires of a lands people to be of paramount importance and was someone that believed that any land should be one where a ruler rules with both fairness and dignity and treats his subjects with both the respect that they deserve and more importantly be given the freedom and choice to live their lives the way that they want. As a result of this Tsukasa, more than any of the seven was shown to be dismayed by the fact that rather than doing this the empire instead rules through fear and oppression terms that were anathema to Tsukasa on a fundamental level and doing well in creating the groundwork for his goal on changing this warped world. While largely borne out of his desire to pay back his allies and friends for all the help that they had provided to him it can be said that unlike the empire Tsukasa while certainly the driving force behind it was not trying to create a world that will have him as the ruler but rather in line with his beliefs was instead trying to create one where the happiness of the people through equality was the priority and one where rather than having centralised control was one where the self-determination of the people was most important which is best shown in Tsukasa’s preference to let his subordinates handle things despite having the ability to do so himself. As a character, I felt that Tsukasa was a well designed and developed character that can be said to represent the ideal image of what a politician should be like being both a fair and honest person that treated his friends and allies with respect and at the same time being both intelligent, far-sighted and cunning in equal measure adept at creating grand and multi-layered plans as well as anticipating and thwarting the enemies own plans before they can even commence. While shown to be and acknowledged by his friends to be the leader within the team it can be said that he’s also the foundation that serves to support the team and keep them honest and in line with their shared goal of helping the people of this land.

Ringo Oohoshi

Ringo Oohoshi portrayed by veteran seiyuu Rina Hidaka of Sao and Accel world fame is one of the main characters of the series and is one of Tsukasa’s fellow geniuses and one of the seven heroes that have come to this world. A teenage girl that despite her young age is widely known as one of the world’s foremost inventors on account of both Ringo’s ability to not just visualise what is needed for a given situation based on local environments and resource requirements but also her ability to create tech that’s as deadly to the enemy as it can be useful to her allies. From initial appearances, Ringo is shown to be a quiet, calm and intelligent girl who while finding it difficult to talk easily with others is shown to a friendly, kind and caring person who tries her utmost to help her friends. While certainly gifted with great intelligence Ringo is someone that is shown to have little if any arrogance unlike many of her fellows and indeed is someone that works hard and tries to be useful to both her friends and allies something that is aided greatly by her ability to plan ahead. As a character Ringo through easy to overlook is someone that can be said to be just as important as any of her fellow geniuses for it is her intelligence that enabled not just Tsukasa and his fellow geniuses but also the members of the territories that they liberate to not just enjoy a higher quality of life but also have the means to not only defend themselves from aggressors but also fight them on close to even terms. Whether it’s the metal tools that enabled the villagers to farm more effectively, the power stations that served to give them their first taste of what comfort actually is, the rail gun and shields that enabled the villagers to storm the local lords castle to save their friend or the defence's that warded off Gustav’s assault it is to Ringo’s intelligence and her strong desire to help that the seven was so successful in their move to liberate and change the world.

While each of the seven can be said to have been affected by the charisma that Tsukasa exhibits in his personality it can be said that of them Ringo is perhaps the one that was most affected by this as to Ringo Tsukasa while a very dear friend and ally is also someone that Ringo views as her savior due to the impact that his help provided her when her family situation got complicated when she was in high school. This while keeping her from developing standard levels of depression as can be expected from such dramas also served to allow Ringo to realise that there are many others throughout the world that require the unique skills that she has managed to gain in order to improve their lives a motivation that went on to become her sole source of motivation of wanting to help others no matter the task and requirement assigned. Arguably one of the more prominent traits of Ringo is no doubt her own creation which her AI Bearrabbit. While itself an excellent showcase of Ringo’s skills as an inventor Bearrabbit also provided an opportunity for the reveal of Ringo’s own inner feelings as unlike Ringo it was not restricted in its display of emotions and feelings something that I felt added a small window that allowed us to see the kind of feelings that she may be feeling as a result of events happening around her.

Aoi

Aoi Ichijou portrayed by new seiyuu Sayaka Kaneko is one of the main characters of the series and one of Tsukasa’s fellow geniuses that have come to save the new world in which they find themselves in. A teenage girl that despite her young age is shown to possess both the skill and figure of a veteran athlete but unlike standard athlete’s Aoi’s talent is something that is not used in competitions of prestige but rather on a field that requires all of her skills and reflexes that will enable her to triumph over her opponents this field being no other than a battlefield. For unlike normal athletes Aoi’s genius lay in her ability as a swordswoman and is rightly famed worldwide for her skill with the blade that can allow her to take on entire platoons at a time when needed. However, beneath these claims from initial appearances, Aoi is seen to be a girl that’s kind, positive, friendly and loyal to both her friends and to those that have earned her trust. While shown to be extremely skilled with the sword Aoi was also shown to be someone that can be said to have both the attitude and beliefs of the ancient samurai both in terms of her strong sense of honor and her strong sense of justice and was a strong believer in the fact that no matter how powerful one is their first responsibility is to protect the innocent from harm traits that I felt really suited Aoi. As a character, while Aoi is less skilled in leadership and planning that Tsukasa or at inventing tech as Ringo was Aoi was someone that was shown to be the perfect defender as her skill with the sword while considerable was also paired with Aoi’s strong desire to protect the innocent a combination that proved not just to be a potent one but also proved to be a perfect counter to the first serious threat that the seven faced within the world. At the same time with regards to Aoi, I was also particularly impressed by Aoi’s rather unique way of speaking as she makes use of a very formal method of speaking that I felt paired well with her focus as a swordswoman that’s based off the ancient Samurai.

Shinobu Sarutobi

Shinobu Sarutobi portrayed by new seiyuu Natsumi Hioka is one of the main characters of the series and is one of the seven geniuses that came to this world with Tsukasa to save it. A teenage girl who despite her young age is known widely among the world not just for her cute catchphrases but also for her prowess as a journalist for Shinobu is known throughout the world as the world’s top journalist that’s capable of gathering info on any subject and target within the world due to both her skills as a reporter as well as her ability to seemingly materialise out of nowhere to provide both timely info and advice an ability reminiscent of the ancient shinobi something that I felt matched well with Shinobu given her skill set. From her initial appearances, Shinobu is seen to be a positive, curious and surprisingly energetic person that’s shown to have boundless levels of energy and approaches her role as a spy/journalist with great enthusiasm. While most people that are transported to a parallel world may be dazed somewhat by the unique circumstances to which they find themselves in Shinobu was not just able to take things in stride but also be able to assume her new role as a spy in this new world relatively quickly showing not just her fast-thinking nature but also her confidence in her own skills for she was able to easily convert them to suit her newfound station.

While her positive and often overly enthusiastic approach to her work may give the impression that she was a rash person it can be seen that rather the opposite is true for Shinobu was someone that was not just intelligent but also a calm and perceptive person that was well versed at not just determining the best sources of intel within a given area or situation but also able to perceive minute irregularities within an area as shown during her infiltration of Gustav’s home territory. While the members of the seven can be said to be one that operates as a unit Shinobu true to her mannerisms as a shinobi was someone that was seen to prefer to operate solo when on the field not because she was averse to being with the others but because she determined that by being alone she was able to get more things done faster while still remaining a potent source of info for her friends a result that is shown well within the series in the amount of detailed info that she was able to provide the team that allowed them to neutralise many of the enemy’s attacks. As a character, I felt that Shinobu was an interesting one as while her role as a journalist/shinobi was one that presented her with arguably the most danger she was able to not just take these in stride by masking it with her positive and teasing nature but also help secure many notable victories that aided her fellows. This contrast between her base nature and her vital but dangerous role within the story I felt suited her perfectly and served to make her one of my favourites.

AMV

In terms of animation, I felt that the individual character designs for both the seven and the people that they encountered within the new world were both well designed and showed some great variety. While the designs for the seven did well to reflect their chosen fields within their former world the character designs for the people reflected not just their social class but also their relationships with the rulers of the world on a social level. However while effective at their given role I felt that the main highlight of the series animation was on the tech advancement that the seven embarked on within the series with it doing particularly well in showing the various advancements that have been introduced whether they were advanced tools that aided the people in their lives or weapons tech that allowed the people to defend their newfound freedom from the nobility. In terms of locations and terrain variety while the series did feature a good mix of locations in which the seven began their social uprising that was paired with some unique quirks with notable examples being the lords castle that represented both oppression and retribution and Gustav’s town that represented false promises I felt that the locations featured were rather too standard and I felt that a greater variety of locations could have been used that would have allowed more expansion into the world’s social class. In terms of music, the series made use of one opening and ending theme which was Hajimete no Kakumei that was performed by Dialogue and Dear my distance by the popular up and coming seiyuu singer Akari Kitou. The former I felt gave the impression of both an unforgettable adventure to a new world with friends that will not only allow them to meet dangerous beasts but also encounter the same conditions in which all of them trained so hard to help eliminate as well as an opportunity to not just save but also help change the very social fabric of the new world by working together with not just themselves but with their newfound allies as well. In the case of the latter, I felt that in terms of feelings it provoked one of both finalities and of bonds that have been both formed and strengthened as a result of the adventures that had been shared together.

In terms of voice acting, I felt that overall the series main voice cast all did an excellent job at portraying their assigned characters. While this series like most animes these days featured a core cast of both veterans and new seiyuu’s I felt that due to the character roles within the series that many of the new faces were not just given an excellent opportunity to show the rewards of their labours but also get the opportunity to learn from the many veterans within the cast. In particular, I felt that Yuusuke Kobayashi, Rina Hidaka, Sayaka Kaneko, and Natsumi Hioka all did an excellent job at portraying their assigned characters of Tsukasa, Ringo, Aoi and Shinobu respectively. Natsumi’s portrayal of Shinobu in particular I felt deserve special praise as I felt that her unique voice paired especially well with Shinobu’s ninja and cat-like mannerisms.

Overall conclusion

In overall High School Prodigies have it easy even in another world was an anime that I really enjoyed and was definitely one of the more interesting anime’s that aired this season. Its main strong points, in my opinion, was its unique premise, excellent story, well designed and developed core cast, excellent voice acting and its focus on using multi-vector strategies so as to deal with the trials that the team comes across within the series.

The overall story and premise of the series in my opinion was one of the main highlights of the series and was one that I felt made excellent use of both the Isekai genre as a whole as well as the unique premise that comes from taking seven geniuses from the modern world and transporting them to a parallel one that was not just leagues behind them in terms of tech level but also is one that is battling the same kind of problems that the seven had worked so hard to eliminate within their own. As a genre the Isekai is perhaps one of the most popular ones within the anime industry due largely to its ease of use by both authors and animation studios but whereas the most common formula for such a series is to make use of the solo hero story type that follows the rise of a hero as they change the world with the support of their friends in the case of high schools it is different. What made High school prodigies different in my eyes was the fact that unlike its counterparts within the genre High school prodigies did not feature just one hero as its main character but rather it actually had seven people each while powerful in their own right and masters of their own respective fields were nonetheless confronted with both a task that was beyond their skills as one person but also one that required them to work with their friends in order to invoke a change that they all so wish to desire within the new world in which they find themselves in. While itself an almost impossible task I felt that the method in which the series overall story took to allow the team to instill change within the series was an excellent one that while making use of each of the seven’s unique skill sets to push back the corrupt nobility that held power within the world also did well to reflect that social advancement is not just about pushing evildoers back but also about giving the people both the power and knowledge that they have lacked to not only live their lives the way in which they desire but also have the means to defend what is precious to them as well. In this, I was particularly impressed with the fact that while Tsukasa and his friends sought to change the very social fabric of the world through both the promotion of democracy, fair rights and powerful tools and knowledge that served to improve the quality of life of its people it was done in a way that feels natural in terms of world consistently due largely to the fact that this advancement is done so via the introduction of a new religion that promotes this in the form of the seven-star faith that amusingly enough has Akatsuki as its god. While serving as an effective method in which to spread its teachings among the people of the land I felt that this also served well to show that while the seven’s skills made them formidable opponents for their enemies whether on a social, economic or military level even they cannot hope to change the world without the help of the people of this world and reinforcing the series overall theme that whether it’s the seven or their friends and allies that they are all working together to tear down the unfairness that has been plaguing this world and making it hell for those that call it home.

Overall High school Prodigies I felt was an interesting anime that featured as its main strong points a unique premise, excellent story, characters and voice acting that was paired with some rather interesting themes that are rarely found within anime’s that served to make it one of the more interesting ones this season. However, I felt that its lack of an effective central villain that could match wits and intelligence with Tsukasa and the seven made the seven’s victories rather too easy with the magic knight Gustav providing an effective but brief trial for the seven to overcome while his fellow general within the empire while certainly more cunning and intelligent than Gustav was appeared too late within the series to have much of an impact on the overall story . At the same time while the seven were more or less represented equally within the series I felt that not all of them were expanded enough to make them effective characters with Akatsuki and Keine being the best examples of this. I for one would have liked to see the kind of effects that Keine a renowned doctor within the modern world would have had on the healthcare and medical infrastructure of this new world. Overall as a final score, I would say that High School prodigies easily deserve a score of 8/10.