Is The 8th Son? Are you Kidding Me? Good? – A Complete Review

The brand new anime, The 8th Son? Are You Kidding Me? Good? has earned considerable praise and admiration for its good visuals, unusual story line and interesting characters.

Based on a light novel series and a manga series, the anime released a little more than a month ago on April 2, 2020.

Barely a month later, its English Dub version was released on May 14, 2020. This is a testament to its rising popularity.

1. Article Highlights

This anime proves to be a delightful watch right from the start. Its skillful portrayal of a man who gets transported to another time in a different body is entertaining. This adds vast amounts of dimension to the whole series. While some parts, especially the magic and the adventure, can seem like nothing special, they add entertaining elements to the anime.

2. Is it Worth Watching?

The plot of The 8th Son? Are You Kidding Me? revolves around the magical journey of a salary man who wakes up as a little boy in a magical foreign land. His new identity is Wendelin Von Benno Baumeister, the eighth son of the Baumeister family.

However, their family is a poor noble family and only tries to keep up with appearances by organizing elaborate weddings. As his magical powers awaken and he improves his swordsmanship skills, he sets off on his own adventure.

The anime does offer a whole new other experience, especially due to its unique and engaging plot. While the plot does feel stagnant at times, it also provides a refreshing spinoff to the adventure Shonen genre.

I. Plot

The plot progresses well and has a consistent pace. It slowly reveals a lot of mysteries alongside the character development that is crucial to the progression of the story. The way it is treated is what hooks the viewer.

There have been many anime of the Isakai genre, where the protagonist gets transported into another or a fantasy world. However, there have been very few anime shows where even the protagonist’s body undergoes an age transformation.

This is basically what keeps you coming back from more. The premise, fatigued it may seem, actually manages to hold your attention far better than you may initially think.

II. Characters

The character of Wendelin Von Benno is an interesting one. The charting of the transformation of his character is done well. His character often evokes laughter and pity as we are taken through the development of the plot.

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His confusion over how to react when he is told the introduce himself by his father is done brilliantly. All the strange faces that loom over him expectantly take on the air of malice and claustrophobic nature.

His realization that he is actually the eighth son, which means he would have a lesser share of the property, is touched upon with a funny brush. His emotional side is also portrayed with a degree of empathy that is characteristic of anime.

III. Setting

The setting of the plot is elaborately drawn. It is a brilliant fictional representation of a landscape that looks very similar to the Alps in Europe. The architecture of the buildings also helps to infuse an element of realism into the whole world.

IV. Themes

The whole structure of the story itself is a coming-of-age story. As he is transported to another world as a little boy, he gets to live out another adventure that is a much-needed break from his boring, monotonous life as a salary man. While it is fun and intense, it can also get very emotional at times.

It also does a brilliant job of portraying the family dynamics of the poor noble Baumeister family. The character’s “tragic” destiny of having been born as the eighth child is also humorously portrayed. Even its title emphasises Wendelin’s shock at such an outcome of being the youngest son.

3. Final Thoughts

The anime The 8th Child? Are You Kidding Me? is a good anime that you should invest your time in. While riddled with problems, the story does have some pretty interesting and new things to offer, even to otakus who have watched everything.

Its commendable portrayal of the coming-of-age journey of a little boy is relatable and has amazing moral lessons to teach the viewers.

4. Grade

5. Info Card

6. Watch Order

A watch order won’t be necessary for this anime.