Watashi, Nouryoku wa Heikinchi de tte Itta yo ne!

Clocking in as this season’s fifth isekai, we’ve got the characteristically long-winded Didn’t I Say to Make My Abilities Average in the Next Life / Watashi, Nouryoku wa Heikinchi de tte Itta yo ne Starring the diminutive Mile, Average’s hook seems to be that in spite of possessing nearly unlimited power, our heroine doesn’t actually want to conquer this world. In fact, she’d rather just attain “absolutely average, completely unremarkable, everyday happiness.” So how does Mile’s quest for everyday happiness measure up against the pack?

Quite well, as it turns out. Though I haven’t personally enjoyed the great majority of properties in this recent isekai boom, I still like the fundamental conceit of the genre, and particularly sympathize with it as a totally understandable reaction to an alienating modern world. My issue with most isekai is not the pain that drives their protagonists to desire a new life, but the sense of anger and grievance they carry with them to that life. Shows like Arifutera or Shield Hero often seem to most prioritize empowering their protagonist beyond belief, and making everyone else either directly subservient to or indirectly worshipful of them, which is a fantasy I can’t relate to at all. While I agree the modern world is cruel and alienating, I also believe we’re all in this together, and that merely reasserting the arbitrary hierarchies of our own world with ourselves at the top is a tragic way to react to our unhappiness. In light of that, Mile’s desire for “ordinary happiness” feels far more sympathetic to me, while still harnessing the sense of personal injustice that often spurs these narratives forward.

Mile’s strength as a protagonist extends beyond her understandable desire for a normal life. Though this episode is still peppered with lots of the lazy “hey, it’s just like an isekai” gags that tend to drag down these properties, Mile tends to react to these situations not with dismissive snark, but honest glee. Her positive attitude keeps the tone light throughout this premiere, and that style of sympathetic characterization extends to the supporting cast. No one here is “out to get” Mile; everybody is just struggling through, a choice that keeps this episode feeling lighthearted throughout, while avoiding the misanthropy that tends to hobble these show’s attempts at genuine human insight.

Tone aside, this episode moves quickly through an episodic conflict that naturally introduces a whole adventuring party worth of characters, while simultaneously setting up a longer arc, giving this premiere a solid sense of progression and forward momentum. Mile also gets plenty of fun expression work, and what exposition dumps exist are fairly brief. My biggest issue with this episode was its severely hit-or-miss comedy; along with the lame fourth wall gags, there are also a fair number of tired boob comparison jokes, and an equally wince-worthy variation on Edward Elric’s old “who’s calling me short” gag. There are certainly a fair number of jokes that land as well, but the episode’s strike ratio is significantly below where I’d like.

Still, on the whole, Average stands as the clear best of the more traditional isekai this season, with only the fully satirical Cautious Hero matching its appeal. I’d be happy to see more isekai that echo the positive tone of this one, and recommend it to any fans of the genre. You can also free anime watch Watashi, Nouryoku wa Heikinchi de tte Itta yo ne! online and free download now.