This review on Hachi-nan tte, Sore wa Nai deshou! Contains spoilers. If you have not seen the chapters, we recommend you do it and then return to read the review.
Hachi-nan tte, Sore wa Nai deshou! – Final chapter: The eighth son ?! It is not too bad!
In Hachi-nan tte, Sore wa Nai deshou! Final chapter, Wendelin along with Brantag and his companions manages to devise a plan to meet Kurt alone. posing it as a mere coincidence, however, that his older brother showed up despite being alone is not a good sign. At the scene, Kurt knows that Wendelin is not alone, however, none of them dares to attack him because they have the Dragon Tamer Flute in their hands. A legendary magic artifact capable of summoning an army of dragons, in such quantity that not even the dragon slaying hero could fight them.
But when you touch it, the result is different. Being consumed by the effects of the Flute of Resentment, the true flute that was given to him. Becoming an undead, Kurt no longer has salvation, so Wendelin, after accepting what happened, decides to purify him with the help of Elise. Kurt’s soul, along with the resentment of many other evil spirits accumulated on the flute, ends up arriving at Auditor Luckner’s mansion. Generating a disaster. With the result of several dead noble families in the place, including the same auditor.
With the end of the Baumeister domain problem, Amelie and her children are not well received due to being Kurt’s family, so they are kept hidden in Hermann’s mansion, the second son. Meanwhile, Wendelin decides to start behaving more like a noble. And, during his audience with the king, he dares ask him for the ability to deliver two ranks of nobility in the future. Ranks available due to the demise of all families by the spirit of Kurt. Despite being an offensive request to the king, he accepts it. In addition to handing the title of count to Wendelin.
The plot and its depth
As I said and thought since the anime started, Hachi-nan tte, Sore wa Nai deshou! It has a plot much more focused on political issues with noblemen involved, than battles against magical beasts. That’s not to say that there weren’t any occasional bouts, however, they weren’t the core part of the plot for this series.
Starting by showing the treatment and difficulties that a poor noble family went through and with a large number of children. Of which, the smallest should seek their independence by not having the possibility of receiving any inheritance.
Then came the importance of magic and magicians in that world, as it could diplomatically bring about change, both for himself and for his family. Whether for better or for worse.
Then came a slightly more serious topic, with presentations from high ranks in the kingdom. With an audition before the king, before the archbishop of the church, and of course, the marriage agreements between noble families. Showing necessary manners and courtesies in a noble.
Later, the responsibilities and obligations that a noble has and even more one capable of using magic to such a degree, were shown being in the first lines of the battles or being sent to dangerous and mysterious explorations.
Continuing with the dangers of being a noble appeared out of nowhere and that overshadows or annoys the plans of many others in search of better ranks, generating terrible rumors about him.
Finally there was the demonstration of what it is to be a true noble and his way of thinking, for the good of his vassals and for his own good. Exhibiting the problems that envy and resentment could generate between members of the same family just for the success of one of them. Even going so far as to involve desperate plans to show his worth.
That was not all the arcs that occurred in the anime. However, they are those that involve political issues much more than adding characters or showing strength. As would be the “school” bow or Wendelin’s training with magic.
Now this many different and potentially interesting arches did not show the potential that they could have shown. Due to the omission, summary and the large number of the same “arcs” adapted to a season of only 12 episodes. I understand that you wanted to finish big with this intriguing arc. However, it did not get to be exhibited in a good way either due to the lack of details in this and some previous arches.
Personally I have a little knowledge of the light novel, as well as the manga, however, in neither of them did I get to be on par with the story that was adapted, so I cannot say it was a faithful adaptation to any of this. At least not entirely. But, with what little I have seen and read, I can confess that most bows do not embody all the feelings and situations, both dramatic and comic, in bows. For example, I had already mentioned it earlier, but during Wendelin’s training with Alfred, there are many loose ends. So I did not manage to feel the love that Wendelin felt for his teacher.
Characters and their development
This was a curious Isekia due to this plot. In addition to the detail that, despite coming from another world and already having some knowledge about something else, the protagonist never tried to exploit his knowledge to gain even more fame and political power. He simply began to behave like Wendelin, the boy who was born and already existed in that world. With that in mind, he hardly showed his own personality, but instead created one so that it would sync up with what the previous Wendelin had and would not raise as much suspicion. He was simply a child who changed his way of thinking very easily because he was still growing and expanding his knowledge.
Which led the protagonist not to show a great development in his character. He adapted to how his new world works, his new physical world. However, the intellectual world that involved him, such as belonging to the nobility, was always in doubt. At least until Hachi-nan tte, Sore wa Nai deshou! – Final chapter where he already showed to be conscious it was he himself who did not want to recognize it. But it was too late. Wendelin’s character did not show a great development in his mentality despite all the situations that were presented to him, both good and bad. What was easier for me to see because of the number of times it happened was how indecisive it is. Even if soon after, he made the necessary decision to get out of that problem.
On the other hand, the other characters “protagonists” such as: Erwin, Iina, Louise, Vilma and Elise, were in them. The opportunities for them to stand out and develop as characters were few, perhaps due to the fact that there were several omitted, summarized or altered moments for the adaptation. But, the moment that helped them develop the most was during the martial arts tournament. Where they showed their concerns as children of noble families, but without the opportunity to receive any inheritance, having mostly the same case as Wendelin. However, those concerns came along with actions to want to be better and / or maintain their current state, either physically or socially.
There is not much to say about Vilma because she joined the group very late in the anime, having even fewer important moments to show development in her character. The main scenes where it appeared was next to food or in a battle. Nothing so tense as to show his way of thinking and seeing things.
Personally, I think Elise was the one with the most development of the characters. Showing her past and her complicated situation by being trapped in the expectations of others. But with the passage of time and company of Wendelin and company, the personality that he kept repressed began to emerge. In addition to wanting to excel. Maintaining fear for some things, but not being paralyzed like her fiancé.
Technical details
The studies in charge of the animation of this adaptation were Synergy SP and Shin-Ei Animation. Studios that I had high expectations after seeing the quality in the first episode, but that ended up disappointing me. Well outside that chapter, the previous episode, or even dare to include the second chapter broadcast, most showed an irregular animation quality. Whether in detailed environment, fluid movements, or character deformities, most of the time the animation was abnormal. It was not a complete disaster like other series that marked it in history, but I do not feel or think they have been able to meet the expectations that they generated for me at the beginning of the series.
Although the irregular quality of the animation may be due to the emergency situation Japan went through during this spring season 2020, which led to more than one series being postponed. There were moments that showed more than decent quality, but the next scene already showed quality issues. Problems you didn’t expect would appear so abruptly. Whatever the case may be, the animation is on the fine line of what is generally acceptable in this anime. Even despite the situation they were going through. So I applaud your effort.
But, among other technical details of the adaptation is the way in which they decided to do it. I understand that there are times when the anime does not have to be completely faithful to the original work to keep more intrigue in the anime, or simply because it was decided to take a separate path. However, in Hachi-nan tte, Sore wa Nai deshou! I feel that the changes between the adaptation and the play was somewhat of a “censorship” for the potential of the plot. After all, in the novel there are much cruder or “stimulating” moments than those shown in this adaptation. For example, only in this episode should some important and interesting events in the story have been shown or at least mentioned. Ones that involved Auditor Luckner, Kurt, and his beloved wife Amelie in their relationship with the now Earl Wendelin.
I do not know if these changes in the adaptation have been decided by the animation studios, the producers, the creator of the work itself, or by someone else. However, honestly I think it was not the best idea, because keeping or showing a little more of the story of the novel would have given a bigger and better impact to the anime. Although that meant more than 12 episodes or having to end the anime without showing the arc of family conflict between the Baumeister.
But not all are negative things in the technical details, because, personally, I think the best work was the sound section in the series. With a large selection of seiyuus in charge of most of the characters (I’m still not convinced by the voice of Duke Bleichröder), as well as the musicalization to set the scenes better. And of course, without forgetting the sound effects, from those generated by monsters to those of the different magic spells. They were not perfect, however, for me they did maintain a more than good quality throughout the series.
Final opinion of Hachi-nan tte, Sore wa Nai deshou!
As I already mentioned, I was completely excited to see the first episode. What led me to make the decision to want to review this series. Despite the problems and flaws it showed, it never crossed my mind to want to stop doing it or even want to stop watching anime. Since it is not so bad as to do it. In the same way, I do not regret my decision to want to review it either. They gave me no reason to do it.
However, I really think that they missed the great potential that the history of this work offered. Mainly because of the plot that the novel has. Since, I would have settled for this animation if they had kept at least a little more of the hard story that came out from time to time.
With all the points I already mentioned, I can only say that the rating I give to this anime is 6/10. It is not as bad, but not as good as it could have been. If I were asked to recommend it, my answer would be doubtful, since I would recommend the manga a thousand times and the novel a million times. It is an entertaining anime, nothing more, nothing less.
He does not finish sharing the typical cliche of an Isekai anime, as an almighty protagonist would be. Well in Hachi-nan tte, Sore wa Nai deshou! the protagonist did make an effort in his training and lessons to be able to use different types of magic. Not like others where they just already know how to do it the moment they first see it. Yes, he has the help of having a large amount of mana, however, until the end of the anime, he is not the most powerful wizard in the kingdom.
Nor does it share the cliche of a plot that involves defeating a demon king, each bow had its own “villain”, even though the antagonist of the last bow has been defeated so quickly, just like most enemies in the other bows. Although this was often acceptable because it was more focused on the bureaucracy of the nobles and not on battles … it would not have been wrong to see one that was really exciting.
Personally, putting myself in Wendelin’s shoes, I would have tried not to belong to the kingdom. From the moment he was the only one capable of facing the undead dragon. It would not have sparked a rebellion as such, but my intuition would have alerted me to stay away from the cunning king who only sees you as just another pawn.
I honestly don’t expect to have a second season.