Uncle From Another World, or Isekai Ohjisan, is a fantasy isekai anime produced by AteierPontdarc. It follows the life of Uncle Yousuke, who falls into a coma after being hit by a truck, and his soul gets transported into an isekai (another world), which is ruled by magical beings. Seventeen years later, he finally wakes up only to witness that the world around him has completely changed. The anime series is filled to the brim with humor and otaku references, making it an instant hit with anime watchers. It has been one of the most anticipated anime of 2022. Here are some of the main reasons why the anime has gained so much popularity in such a short time:
As mentioned earlier, Uncle From Another World is an isekai anime. For those unaware, in the isekai genre, a character is usually transported from their everyday life into a strange, often fantastical world. What’s special about Uncle From Another World is that it doesn’t follow the usual pattern that most isekai anime do. Rather, the anime is set after Uncle Yousuke returns from the fantasy world of Granbahamal.
The audience still gets a glimpse of all the action that took place in the fantasy world, but it’s more in the form of flashbacks. Interestingly, the audience doesn’t get to see the flashbacks in a “first-person” perspective; that is to say, Granbahamal isn’t shown from Uncle Yousuke’s perspective. Instead, the audience gets to see it for the first time, along with Takafumi. Another cool trick that the anime employs is that when Takafumi and the audience are maneuvering through Uncle Yousuke’s memories, the viewpoint is akin to that of a gaming frame. The perspective does change from time to time, but the gaming perspective is really cool, especially if you take into account all the other gaming, and SEGA references in the anime, but more on that later. Uncle From Another World keeps its audience on its toes; every time the audience gets invested in the fantasy storyline at Granbahamal, they’re forced to return to reality. The audience, much like Takafumi, is left wondering what exactly happened next at Granbahamal.
Perhaps one of the most charming aspects of Uncle From Another World is Uncle Yousuke himself. Takafumi’s uncle is quite an eccentric character. Uncle Yousuke goes through quite a lot of traumatic experiences when he’s transported into a different world. Mistaken for an orc when he first arrives at Granbahamal, Uncle Yousuke is sold into slavery. He then has to fight for his life against various monsters, with only a sadistic and pessimistic elf as his only companion. After seventeen years of struggling in a strange land where humans are just as vicious as monsters, Uncle Yousuke is brought back to the real world, and it’s quite apparent that something is a little off. Not only is the man speaking in riddles, but he also claims to have magical abilities. As the anime progresses a little, it becomes apparent that while physically, Uncle Yousuke seems to be 34 years old, mentally, he’s a teenager. Perhaps, one of the reasons why Uncle Yousuke and Takafumi clicked so well is because, in terms of maturity level, the two are the same.
The comedy in Uncle From Another World is absolutely gold, especially if you’re familiar with anime and some of the inside jokes within the anime community. The humor within the anime is built on three core jokes. The first revolves around the fact that the anime is set in 2017, but Uncle Yousuke was conscious in 2000, which leads to quite a few amusing moments as the audience witnesses him trying to get up to date with all the latest technology. Uncle Yousuke returns to a world where most people are eager to get their hands on a smartphone. However, Yousuke is more excited to get a flip phone instead. It’s also rather entertaining to see Uncle Yousuke heavily invested in SEGA and its place in the gaming console war. The second point of humor comes from the fact that even though Uncle Yousuke has left the fantastical realm, he still has his magic abilities. This means he can fly, create a sword of light, and use interdimensional storage. Of all the ways to make use of Uncle Yousuke’s powers, the uncle-nephew duo decides that making Youtube videos and saving on shipping fees with Yousuke’s power is the best route for them.
Lastly, the third core joke revolves around the concept of tsundere. Anime watchers would know that the term tsundere refers to a character, who appears tough and cold, but can act soft and sweet towards their love interest. Even though the character type existed in Japan, it only gained popularity in Japan in 2004. Given that Uncle Yousuke got into the accident in 2000, he’s unaware of the characteristics. Therefore, he was oblivious to the fact that his elf companion was in love with him. It’s rather amusing (and sad at the same time) to see Uncle Yousuke trying to show his nephew the horribleness of the tsundere elf, only to see that she’s interested in him too (just has a tsundere way of showing it). Uncle From Another World, with its otaku inside jokes and various anime tropes, promises its audience quite an entertaining time.