The following contains spoilers for Reincarnated as a Sword Episode 1 "Catgirl Meets Sword," now streaming on HiDive.
Although some may argue that the isekai genre has already overstayed its welcome, it is a fact that isekai titles continue to do well in the market -- and there are reasons for that. Isekai anime usually offer an escapist fantasy with relatable main characters, making it easy for viewers to get immersed in the plot. But with so many titles saturating the genre, it is becoming harder for newer arrivals to find an as-yet-uncovered angle. There is, however, one anime in the Fall 2022 season with a rather ingenious idea to set itself apart from the competition.
Reincarnated as a Sword joins established anime series like My Hero Academia and Mob Psycho 100 for the Fall 2022 anime season. With similar titles turning their main characters into humans of varying status, monsters and even demons, Reincarnated as a Sword breathes new life into the genre by turning its protagonist into an ever-growing sword. The premise may sound absurd at first, yet it has everything a quality isekai anime vows to offer.
Reincarnated as a Sword's Titular Sword Has Its Own Life and Goals
The pilot episode saw the titular sword explaining how it and its current wielder accidentally met. Like in most isekai, Reincarnated as a Sword's hero was transmigrated to a fantastical world after meeting his end on Earth. Upon waking up, however, they discovered being brought to another world not as a sentient being, but as a legendary sword. Goblins then started swarming over it, trying to pull it out of its stump. Contrary to what one might expect, the sword was not immobile. It used Telekinesis to move and wipe out the goblins with ease, then earned various skills from destroying what seemed to be their cores.
The sword then set out to earn more skills and hone itself for its future wielder. It went on a journey using Telekinesis to travel while obliterating every monster it met. It categorized the area near its holder into 5, with each area inhabited by monsters of varying levels. Through constant grinding, the sword became strong enough to ultimately fight, defeat and steal the Area 5's bosses' skills. With no other monsters to defeat, it decided to go beyond Area 5, where it got stuck to the ground and met Fran, its new wielder.
How Reincarnated as a Sword Stands Apart From Other Isekai Anime
Having a weapon for a main character is unheard of -- at least in the world of anime. By taking this untrodden path, Reincarnation as a Sword easily creates intrigue. It gives the viewers a reason to at least check out what the series has to offer, though this hook is more than just a clickbait of sorts. By having a sword as a main character, the anime also gives it a very obvious weakness.
As a sword, the only way the protagonist can move by itself is through telekinesis -- which depends on mana. The moment his mana is rendered useless, he is reduced to nothing more than a talking sword. It becomes immobile with no fighting ability. In that state, the protagonist can only depend on its wielder. This dependence not only humbles the overpowered weapon but also establishes a connection deeper than companionship. After all, the wielder will also be depending on the main character's absurd amount of power and skills as the story continues.