As the new Winter anime season of 2020 kicks off, there are countless shows to choose from! We’ve got Moe, School-life, and Shounen, but there’s always that one genre that keeps us itching for more. Isekai – the genre which is the guiltiest of pleasures to watch. It may make us feel sick for enjoying such utter garbage, *cough cough* Sword Art Online, but it never fails to pull us back in to fill our ever-expanding desire to be anywhere except here, good ol’ planet Earth! Yet, until we finally receive the blessing of full-dive virtual reality we’ll just have to continue consuming the next best thing, and Infinite Dendrogram is here this season for guilty consumption.
Synopsis
In the year 2043, <Infinite Dendrogram>, the world’s first successful full-dive VRMMO was released. In addition to its ability to perfectly simulate the five senses, along with its many other amazing features, the game promised to offer players a world full of infinite possibilities. Nearly two years later, soon-to-be college freshman, Reiji Mukudori, is finally able to buy a copy of the game and start playing. With some help from his experienced older brother, Shuu, and his partner Embryo, Reiji embarks on an adventure into the world of <Infinite Dendrogram>. Just what will he discover and encounter in this game world known for its incredible realism and infinite possibilities?
Source: myanimelist.net
(No, this isn’t the copy of the Sword Art Online synopsis with replaced character names and title)
Worth Watching?
As someone who is choosing to watch 10+ animes this season, would I find Infinite Dendrogram worth adding to the list? Unsurprisingly, yes, I would. With a studio like NAZ in control of producing this adaptation of Infinite Dendrogram, it doesn’t matter how generic the show is. It’s got everything an enjoyable Isekai needs… which isn’t much. The animation and art style doesn’t make you want to bleach your eyes, unlike The Master of Ragnarok and Blesser of Einherjar which has animations and scenes still giving me nightmares.
If you take out the edginess from Sword Art Online, remove a mass harem, and implement what we call ‘fun’ and ‘comedy’ into the show, then you’ve got yourself Infinite Dendrogram. It’s not the anime of the year and it isn’t here trying to do something game-changing in the genre, but it is a fun anime with a likable cast of characters and interesting world/game design. If you’re an Isekai junky like me always looking to scratch that itch, then Infinite Dendrogram is for sure one to add to your watch list this season.
