Anime's Newest Isekai Is Flipping the Script, Overcoming the Genre's Most Overused Tropes

On the surface, Headhunted to Another World: From Salaryman to Big Four! is just another isekai. After constant failures in his first life on Earth, Uchimura Dennosuke finally finds a meaningful existence upon reincarnating in a new world of demons and monsters. However, all similarities end there, with Headhunted to Another World flipping the genre's script entirely.

Uchimura doesn't even obtain some overpowered ability that makes him special in this new world, nor an ostensibly disappointing power that's secretly incredible. Better yet, his best traits from his former life are the reason why he's been summoned to this new world. By episode #1, Uchimura has already proven that his natural skill sets as a human from his former life are capable of making him a hero in his new world.

Although isekai is sometimes unfairly ridiculed for its overuse of too many tropes, the true problem with the genre lies in how its formula fails to capitalize on its best quality that naturally has the most potential - the protagonist's former life. Anime is known for its rich use of metaphors and symbolism, and isekai could easily create stunning juxtapositions between the hero's former and new lives. But most series perplexingly ignore the protagonist's former life completely to focus more so on the quality of escapism, eliminating any and all potentially rich comparisons. However, Headhunted to Another World's entire premise is based upon Uchimura's former life, and the effect is massive.

Finally an Isekai That Gives Meaning to The Protagonist's Former Life

Based on the manga by writer Benigashira and illustrator Muramitsu; produced by Geek Toys and CompTown

Although most isekai ignore the protagonist's former life, the bare minimum that's usually touched upon is that the hero had an unfairly tough existence despite being a good person. In fact, if a god is involved in the hero's transportation to the new world, it's usually because they feel bad and want to give the protagonist another chance with some "cheats" to make up for the initially poor hand they had been unfairly dealt. But this new existence erases everything about that person's past by giving them something completely new. In every sense of the word, it's the truest form of "escapism."

However, Headhunted to Another World overcomes this by having a Demon King headhunt Uchimura for what Uchimura's former bosses had failed to recognize him for - his unrivaled negotiating skills as a businessman. Uchimura always desperately wanted recognition from his bosses and even helped his company achieve many great successes despite being assigned the worst possible assignments.

In fact, just how dismal these jobs were exacerbated Uchimura's sense of rejection, as he was consistently taken advantage of and undervalued. The fact that the Demon King who headhunted Uchimura was cognizant of his skillset and believed he was the right man for the job meant that Uchimura could finally gain the recognition he always desperately wanted but never got in his first life.

This shift is even more drastic when considering how Uchimura is now just a powerless, weak human in a world that is driven by strength and power. Just like how he was overlooked despite taking on Herculean jobs, he's now being recognized for them despite possessing below-average abilities.

This New Isekai Has Similarities to Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead

Part of the first episode's effectiveness can be traced to a completely different type of anime that explores a similar situation in real life - the harsh and sometimes fatal working conditions in Japan. Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead was initially so successful, in part, for its dramatic and absurd use of irony. Akira Tendo is so mentally and physically crushed by work that he sees a sudden zombie apocalypse as a better alternative that he can't help but enjoy and cherish.

Headhunted to Another World also uses absurdity when deconstructing Japanese culture by having Uchimura finally gain recognition in the unlikeliest of places. However, there's a more immediate heartwarming dynamic involved. After witnessing how difficult and unjust his life was before, the audience can't help but feel moved by how Uchimura finally gains recognition for his efforts after years of unjust failure. And it's all because Headhunted to Another World: From Salaryman to Big Four! had the courage to completely flip the script on isekai.