This season's top Isekai turned into a CGI disappointment
Kuro no Shoukanshi was off to a great start
Introducing an impressive main character who I found very relatable due to his many dualities, good animation and easy solutions for plot cliches, Kuro no Shoukanshi started as a really good show.
He died due to a god's mistake, so he got the chance to be reborn in a new world. One of the treats he got was being accompanied by the goddess who was transitioning him between realities. You see, he fell in love at first sight with her, and she needed a vacation.
This protagonist exchanged memories from his past life for bonus points in character creation. As a first display of a great personality, the person who he is now was initially frustrated by this, but soon realizes how optimal his old self's choices were. He's impulsive and he's got some trust issues, but he's also able to recognize when he's wrong.
The goddess who made a pact with him serves as telepathic support. But he talks normally to her, so often he's seen mumbling to himself in public. That doesn't make people demonize him, because he comes off a confident and friendly person who inspires other to enjoy his company. An attractive personality combined with his continuous show of strength make people around him willing to overlook his flaws.
Although he initially wants to lay low, his growth attracts an ill-intended group who invites him into an ambush. Because he's impulsive, proud and confident, he accepts the invitation and ends up beating those scumbags to a pulp with the help of his first summoning, a slime that evolved into an incredibly powerful "glutton slime". Oh, by the way, he's a summoner who'll slowly tame interesting monsters to fight at his side.
So far, everything clicks together. Most specially when something doesn't happen as intended. That's the best part.
Even though he ends up under the spotlight, it's not because he's really stupid or because he was really unlucky. There was no plot device that forced him into coming out of the shadows. His personality did it for him when the opportunity came, and even the way he attracts higher-ups attention through others' envy and bullish personalities came off as natural. Humans are often that mediocre, after all.
But then, this happens...
Although fights themselves are all right despite being completely done in CGI, the studio decided to mixed 2D and 3D scenes in a terrible way. CGI characters stand out like a bad photoshop attempt. It's infurating, because everything else in this anime had been great so far.
Despite the terrible use of CGI, the story and characters seem relatable enough and the 2D animation is generally well done, so I'll keep watching.
Poster from animeschedule
Screenshots from episode 1 and 2 scenes
Just one example of bad 3D use but 3D done right can blend well with 2D, just not on the same layer, this one was off in how the shadows were shaded.
Black attired main character, a cute mascot monster, elf girl and mmorpg-ish themes. Almost every isekai mixes and mashes tropes to produce a product and less about the art. I didn't have high hopes when I read the plot for this one and still not regretting not picking it up yet. Maybe if I want to do more self torture with the isekai genre.
I disagree, most of the episodes are done on traditional animation and only use the 3d animation on a very selective fashion. I do agree it stand out, but I wouldn't consider a turn off specially because NOT all fights are done like that, nor is something that is being used again and again. I do agree that to show the action is easier to do with avatars than handdraw every single quick movement from the characters. But saying the series is a disapointment is sort of naive and just jaded.