The Unwanted Undead Adventurer anime release date is on the way now that production has been greenlit. Details are scarce but we do have an amazing trailer, and I can’t stop watching it!
Everything from the character designs, background, and monster designs is gorgeous. The plot is very interesting with the main character Rennt Fania wanting to be a Mithril-Class Adventurer.
The problem is that he’s been a Bronze Adventurer for the last 10 years. He prefers to work alone and can’t handle more than 3 monsters safely.
And that’s just the beginning. As Rennt explores a labyrinth that he’s been in countless times he finds himself in an unknown area. When he chooses to investigate it and make a map so he can sell it in town, he finds himself face to face with a dragon… the highest level of a monster!
He tries to run but his body won’t move, and then the dragon eats him. Somehow, Rennt wakes up and finds that he’s been turned into a Skeleton!
It’s not a total loss, though. He still has his weapons, gear, skills, and memories. What’s more, Rennt remembers that there’s a way for monsters to evolve through a process called Existential Evolution.
All he has to do is kill monsters and he’ll eventually level up to a better one. There are several problems with this plan.
Skeletons can’t move fast and Rennt wasn’t that powerful when he was alive. The Bronze class is the second to the lowest class, and he’s been for so long that he has little chance to climb the ranks.
But it’s the only chance he has to regain a human appearance since the labyrinth is common knowledge to adventurers.
What do we know about The Unwanted Undead Adventurer
Though we know next to nothing about the anime, we do know that the light novel series and the manga are still going. Both are being published by J-Novel Club for English readers.
There are currently 9 light novels with the 10th coming out in Japan on April 25, 2022. The 9th volume of the manga is coming out on the same day. No word yet as to when we can expect these to be translated into English.
Yu Okano launched the series on the Shosetsuka ni Naro website in 2016. OVERLAP published volume 1 with illustrations by Jaian in October 2017, and the manga adaptation is being done by Haiji Nakasone.
The Unwanted Undead Adventurer has sold over 1.4 million copies and has over 350 million views on the Let’s become a Novelist website alone. And since the series is still going, there’s a good chance we’ll have more than one season.
But we’ll have to wait and see how the first season goes. At least we have the trailer to keep us excited.
Should you read the light novels or the manga before The Unwanted Undead Adventurer anime begins
Normally, I would say it’s a matter of opinion on whether to read the manga or light novels before the anime. Details can change among mediums and sometimes certain versions will have exclusive arcs, characters, and more.
I’ve read the first chapter of the manga as well as the prologue and part of chapter 1 of the light novel. And after comparing them carefully, I recommend the manga over the light novel.
Worldbuilding is tricky. Especially when it’s the first book. This was Yu Okano’s first work, and it shows in the first chapter of the light novel.
There’s a ton of unnecessary info-dumping and backtracking. Rennt spends a lot of time describing Skeletons and comparing them/himself to a pile of bones.
Rennt knows he has to fight monsters if he wants to look more human. But he also reminds readers of events that happen two pages ago. The illustrations are nice, and I love the dragon.
It looks more like a frog/snake thing with a halo floating around its head! But when he finds a Skeleton and goes to attack, it’s a simple fight scene. It essentially ran at him and wound up piercing itself on Rentt’s sword through one of its eyes, and then he used spirit to finish it off.
Turns into a muti page battle where very little happens. It’s not the worst thing I’ve ever read, but the manga does a much better job of getting to the point and keeping the reader engaged.
I’m looking forward to the anime. The plot is interesting, the art is fantastic, and I want to know more about that dragon. Did it decide to turn Rennt into a Skeleton?
How did no one discover that area until Rennt did and why was the dragon there? Are there any other people who have gone through what Rennt is going through?
We’ll have to wait and see, but I’m going to read the manga to see how the Skeleton battle is handled. This Summer 2022 anime season is going to be full of great anime!