I’ll tell you what, friends. There really doesn’t need to be another isekai. The concept is cool, but if I see another poor bastard get completely annihilated by train/bus-kun, then we truly have run out of ideas. One isekai that does things different is Faraway Paladin.
So when I started watching Faraway Paladin, it seemed like a neat idea. Boy is raised by what we believe to be monsters. He has vague memories of his past life because he was reincar-GODD*MNIT!
Not again….
It’s a minor detail. Whatever. It doesn’t do anything for the plot.
The Ones who Raise Us
Kidnapped at birth by goblins and brought to a tomb to be sacrificed to a wicked god, Will is found by a triad of unlikely heroes. Well… once heroes. This is where the anime starts out interesting, because it entails a human child being raised by monsters.
William is raised by a mummy, Mary, who acts as his mother. She teaches him to choose and worship the gods, because bread… and other protection of course. She’s that loving and caring mother we all wish we had growing up.
William is also raised by a skeleton warrior, Blood, who acts as his father. He teaches him proper technique on how to fight with swords and shields and combat stances. He may seem tough on Will at times, but he really just wants him to be strong enough to face the world outside.
William is also raised by a ghost, Gus, who acts as his grandfather. He teaches him magic and sorcery, and the lore of this world, which is actually kinda interesting if you bother listening about it. He also teaches Will how to use money, because even in this world money solves problems. While Gus is reluctant to care about Will, he knows how important he is to Mary and Blood, so he complies.
William is also raised by – I’m kidding. Can you imagine, though? What if this kid had like 8 or 12 guardians teaching him all different stuff. He’d be even more overpowered than he already is.
To Write a Decent Character
Our hero doesn’t even leave home to go on an adventure till like the 5th or 6th episode. But you know what? That’s okay, because it created plenty of time to flesh out these characters.
And fleshed out they are. The authors of Faraway Paladin, Kanata Yanagino and Kususaga Rin, do a splendid job creating memorable characters with real ambitions we want to see come to fruition.
MINOR SPOILERS AHEAD:
And believe me, I grew to really admire Blood and Mary and Gus. The anime made me want to know everything about their lives before finding Will. At one point the anime does actually show a glimpse of their past, as if the studio knew viewers wanted that.
SPOILER END, sort of:
I haven’t mentioned my thoughts on Will. I started out not really liking his character. He came off as a high-pitched crybaby. He cries from time to time early in in the anime, but I guess that’s to show how far his character is growing. He starts out weak of course, but gets far stronger with training and worship.
Gods Among Us
What’s especially fascinating about Faraway Paladin, for me at least, is the religion. Sure, virtually all fantasy and isekai animanga at least briefly mention gods or goddesses at one point or another. But for this anime in particular, the gods have a much more active role and presence in the plot.
As in, we actually meet these gods as characters. I don’t want to spoil anything, so I’ll briefly describe them.
There’s Mater, whom Mary has chosen long ago to worship and in return is given bread in order to feed Will. She’s basically the goddess of light and families and good health and such.
Mary thinks she hates her because of a certain contract with certain god, but gods don’t always work that way.
Stagnate is clearly a devious trickster God who wants to turn vulnerable adventurers into skeletons for his undead army. He’s basically Hades. Stagnate makes a physical presence at one point and Will even fights him. I don’t believe I’ve seen too many isekais where the hero literally fights a God. It’s a bad@ss scene for sure, and made me really interested in continuing to watch this anime.
And the third goddess that makes an appearance is Gracefeel. She leads those who died into the afterlife, but also protects the living. Will worships her like crazy, and because of that, she aids him on his journey again and again. It’s so interesting, because at certain points in the anime, yellow sparkles rain down around Will, basically showing that Gracefeel is either watching over him or is satisfied with an action he took.
Journey from Home
Once Will finally leaves the nest, he’s on a journey of self-discovery. After all, there’s a whole world just waiting to be explored. With the experiences and teachings of all three of his guardians, Will is ready to take on any challenge, as the Faraway Paladin.
He first meets a tsundere elf by the name Meneldor who’s got himself tied up in shady business. With the power and guidance of Gracefeel, Will is able to confront his conflict and convince him to join his effort.
He also meets a traveling merchant and songstress whom he helps out and travels with the first city he comes across, which of course is attacked by a dragon.
Inner Turmoil
Its no secret that William is all powerful. After all, his teachers were well known adventurers. But there’s this inner conflict that Will faces: He’s overpowered. Yeah doesn’t sound so bad, but this anime does something very unique. You see, power corrupts. And with a blade that heals upon inflicting damage, Will is a literally war machine.
There’s also the inner conflict of how to go about using the Goddess’ powers. Gracefeel allows Will to heal others, but he must realize he is merely borrowing her powers, as they are not his own.
So when his friends get hurt because of his lack of preparation, he has to realize its ok to rely on one’s own strength, but also the strength of others. After all, he’s no longer alone.
Closing Thoughts
I feel like hardly many events happened in the 12 episodes, and yet I feel as though so much has been put into these characters and environments. If you’re seeking strong character growth and development, Faraway Paladin most definitely has that. I would have to give this first season a solid 9 out of 10.
While some may think its just another isekai, it stands out among so many. It doesn’t rely on a harem of sexualized female characters to lure you in. Nor does it create a fantasy setting so riddled with clichés and awful writing that it makes you drop the anime.
Give the Faraway Paladin a chance, and check out the anime. You will not regret it! Gracefeel approves.