WEBVTT 00:00:06.509 --> 00:00:10.550 You're listening to The After Hours Arc, your 00:00:10.550 --> 00:00:15.890 new anime podcast. My name is Antai, and I'll 00:00:15.890 --> 00:00:21.129 be your host. Join me as I review, recap, and 00:00:21.129 --> 00:00:25.929 relive anime, one arc at a time. And as always, 00:00:26.230 --> 00:00:29.170 these are all from a manga -free point of view. 00:00:30.600 --> 00:00:33.780 There is something really specific about starting 00:00:33.780 --> 00:00:36.960 a brand new anime when only a couple episodes 00:00:36.960 --> 00:00:41.659 are out. You're not behind. You are just stepping 00:00:41.659 --> 00:00:46.439 into it while it is still forming. That is exactly 00:00:46.439 --> 00:00:50.439 where I was with the Isekai Office Worker. The 00:00:50.439 --> 00:00:53.659 Otherworld's books depend on the bean counter. 00:00:54.780 --> 00:00:59.590 Winter 2026 gave me this show. And when I started 00:00:59.590 --> 00:01:04.290 it, there were only two episodes out. So I didn't 00:01:04.290 --> 00:01:08.390 feel like I was chasing anything. I went in very 00:01:08.390 --> 00:01:11.430 intentionally. And I think that's very important 00:01:11.430 --> 00:01:16.629 because this was not random. I did not just stumble 00:01:16.629 --> 00:01:21.950 onto this anime. I went in because I heard one 00:01:21.950 --> 00:01:27.260 specific thing on TikTok. That it's a BL. And 00:01:27.260 --> 00:01:31.799 honestly, that's enough for me. This isn't something 00:01:31.799 --> 00:01:37.060 I needed to be perfect. But because BL isn't 00:01:37.060 --> 00:01:42.480 something I feel we get a lot of, let alone an 00:01:42.480 --> 00:01:47.340 Isaac A1, I was definitely interested to see 00:01:47.340 --> 00:01:50.980 what all this hype was about. I had briefly touched 00:01:50.980 --> 00:01:56.319 on this show during my Winter 2026 Roundup. That 00:01:56.319 --> 00:02:02.260 was more of quick thoughts. This episode is where 00:02:02.260 --> 00:02:05.400 I am actually going to get into it. Because this 00:02:05.400 --> 00:02:11.500 ended up being way more than just that BL isekai 00:02:11.500 --> 00:02:15.360 I checked out because of TikTok. When I started 00:02:15.360 --> 00:02:19.539 it, I really tried hard to not have high hopes. 00:02:20.719 --> 00:02:24.740 That was hard because I knew it was a BL. I felt 00:02:24.740 --> 00:02:27.259 good about it. But the fact that it was an ice 00:02:27.259 --> 00:02:32.419 carry made me a little cautious. But the lack 00:02:32.419 --> 00:02:35.240 of information that I actually had on this show 00:02:35.240 --> 00:02:39.599 really helped. Because when I started, like I 00:02:39.599 --> 00:02:43.219 said, there were only two episodes. So I didn't 00:02:43.219 --> 00:02:47.699 know any arcs and I didn't know the tone beyond 00:02:47.699 --> 00:02:52.520 workplace fantasy. And even though TikTok made 00:02:52.520 --> 00:02:56.560 me watch it, They weren't spoilers. They were 00:02:56.560 --> 00:03:01.840 more reactions and recommendations. And then 00:03:01.840 --> 00:03:04.460 my whole feed got flooded with Jujutsu Kaisen 00:03:04.460 --> 00:03:07.560 anyways, so I probably wouldn't have been too 00:03:07.560 --> 00:03:11.400 spoiled with that show. But once I got caught 00:03:11.400 --> 00:03:15.340 up on those first two episodes, it became such 00:03:15.340 --> 00:03:20.280 a comfort anime for me. This was not just background 00:03:20.280 --> 00:03:25.280 noise. There's plenty of shows. That I put on 00:03:25.280 --> 00:03:29.759 just to have noise. This wasn't it. This was 00:03:29.759 --> 00:03:35.400 a show to help me wind down and get cozy. And 00:03:35.400 --> 00:03:39.080 the wild part for me is that each episode got 00:03:39.080 --> 00:03:45.539 better. And better. And not in a crazy plot twist 00:03:45.539 --> 00:03:50.180 kind of way. But it was more of I like the vibe. 00:03:50.680 --> 00:03:54.439 I like watching the relationships build. That 00:03:54.439 --> 00:03:58.319 is what made this a comfort show for me. The 00:03:58.319 --> 00:04:00.460 fact that I wanted to spend time with these characters 00:04:00.460 --> 00:04:07.759 again and again. I loved the show so much. So 00:04:07.759 --> 00:04:11.300 here's the setup. Saichiyo, who is our main character, 00:04:11.500 --> 00:04:17.079 gets pulled into this magical kingdom. Because 00:04:17.079 --> 00:04:20.769 he gets caught. In this holy maiden summoning. 00:04:21.430 --> 00:04:26.350 He's literally just a tag along. Instead of reacting 00:04:26.350 --> 00:04:31.389 like a typical isekai. He asks for a job. And 00:04:31.389 --> 00:04:34.170 he ends up working in the palace as an accountant. 00:04:34.689 --> 00:04:37.649 Now this is where we start meeting people. He 00:04:37.649 --> 00:04:41.209 meets Norbert. Who's kind of the one easing him 00:04:41.209 --> 00:04:46.639 into how things work. In the kingdom. We also 00:04:46.639 --> 00:04:49.620 get introduced to some nutritional supplements. 00:04:50.160 --> 00:04:54.379 These are basically energy elixirs that help 00:04:54.379 --> 00:04:58.680 wipe out any form of fatigue. And also around 00:04:58.680 --> 00:05:03.060 the same time, we get introduced to Aresh. And 00:05:03.060 --> 00:05:07.160 Aresh lets Serichio basically know that people 00:05:07.160 --> 00:05:10.439 have their eye on him. So right away, there's 00:05:10.439 --> 00:05:14.060 already this feeling like, all right, something 00:05:14.060 --> 00:05:18.800 is going on. At this point, I still wasn't fully 00:05:18.800 --> 00:05:23.240 sure how I felt. Nothing major happened yet, 00:05:23.339 --> 00:05:28.540 but I was definitely enjoying the vibe. Those 00:05:28.540 --> 00:05:31.279 energy elixirs come back into play though, and 00:05:31.279 --> 00:05:35.279 this is where things go very south for Sirichio. 00:05:36.259 --> 00:05:40.899 He ends up overusing them and has like a full 00:05:40.899 --> 00:05:44.649 -on overdose. I mean, he almost died. He ends 00:05:44.649 --> 00:05:48.089 up getting saved by Arash, who uses healing magic. 00:05:49.129 --> 00:05:54.649 And that healing turns into basically sexy time. 00:05:55.629 --> 00:06:01.089 This is the easiest way for Arash to acclimate 00:06:01.089 --> 00:06:05.290 Saichiyo to all the magic within this world. 00:06:05.870 --> 00:06:08.790 If I remember right, I'm pretty sure they only 00:06:08.790 --> 00:06:14.600 went all the way twice, if I recall. The next 00:06:14.600 --> 00:06:17.240 morning, when Suichiyo is trying to go back to 00:06:17.240 --> 00:06:22.160 work, though, Arish is not having it. He brings 00:06:22.160 --> 00:06:25.000 him to the medical office, and this is where 00:06:25.000 --> 00:06:28.819 we meet, I believe his name was Siro. And he 00:06:28.819 --> 00:06:32.759 is the one who figures out that Suichiyo has 00:06:32.759 --> 00:06:36.899 no magic, or little to no magic, resistance. 00:06:37.899 --> 00:06:41.879 I really enjoyed that concept, because it made 00:06:41.879 --> 00:06:45.889 sense. If the summoning is meant for specific 00:06:45.889 --> 00:06:51.110 people, a tagalong would not be built to handle 00:06:51.110 --> 00:06:55.829 that world. This is also where we see Arish start 00:06:55.829 --> 00:07:01.370 to show he cares. He is known as this black beast, 00:07:01.670 --> 00:07:06.069 and he is a high -ranking member in this faction, 00:07:06.170 --> 00:07:09.769 Third Order. They can use magic, and I'm pretty 00:07:09.769 --> 00:07:13.360 sure he's a noble as well. There's also this 00:07:13.360 --> 00:07:16.579 10 year age gap. And then it's not weird like 00:07:16.579 --> 00:07:20.980 18 years versus a 40 year old. This is they are 00:07:20.980 --> 00:07:24.519 in their 20s and 30s. Which was a little refreshing 00:07:24.519 --> 00:07:29.540 to see. And not based on the age. But that they 00:07:29.540 --> 00:07:33.040 did a really good job in showing the difference 00:07:33.040 --> 00:07:37.139 in maturity I feel like. As the show went on 00:07:37.139 --> 00:07:40.360 I could really see the difference. That Arish 00:07:40.360 --> 00:07:44.300 is 10 years younger. So his maturity, it was 00:07:44.300 --> 00:07:49.000 just so fun for me. So the show starts building 00:07:49.000 --> 00:07:53.519 itself a backbone. We have Arish basically hovering 00:07:53.519 --> 00:07:57.720 Saichiyo. He's enforcing arrest and controlling 00:07:57.720 --> 00:08:02.540 his diet. And Saichiyo is so confused because 00:08:02.540 --> 00:08:05.319 he doesn't understand why he cares this much. 00:08:05.860 --> 00:08:08.779 And obviously we know it's because he's falling 00:08:08.779 --> 00:08:14.180 in love. But then the bigger plot happens. So 00:08:14.180 --> 00:08:17.019 Ichio starts digging into the accounting department. 00:08:17.879 --> 00:08:22.339 And he realizes that the kingdom's finances are 00:08:22.339 --> 00:08:26.199 in trouble. Even with all the spending on the 00:08:26.199 --> 00:08:29.819 miasma expectations, which is the whole reason 00:08:29.819 --> 00:08:33.919 they need a holy maiden, is to purify this miasma. 00:08:34.960 --> 00:08:39.659 There is still a ton of useless spending happening. 00:08:40.620 --> 00:08:43.179 It was around this time that we met the prime 00:08:43.179 --> 00:08:48.480 minister, Camille, and he becomes very fond of 00:08:48.480 --> 00:08:53.860 Soichiyo. We also get Arish's vice captain. I 00:08:53.860 --> 00:08:57.139 believe his name was Orjeff. I could be completely 00:08:57.139 --> 00:09:01.360 wrong, but being the vice captain of Arish, he 00:09:01.360 --> 00:09:05.159 works side by side with him a lot. And he starts 00:09:05.159 --> 00:09:09.720 to notice that Arish is doing paperwork and... 00:09:10.250 --> 00:09:13.389 Being proactive. And he's basically thinking 00:09:13.389 --> 00:09:16.830 to himself that this is what happens when you 00:09:16.830 --> 00:09:21.330 care about somebody. He has fallen in love. But 00:09:21.330 --> 00:09:23.990 unbeknownst to him, he doesn't realize it's with 00:09:23.990 --> 00:09:27.730 Sirichio yet. He thought it was going to be some 00:09:27.730 --> 00:09:33.230 girl. But everything changes dramatically. Because 00:09:33.230 --> 00:09:36.970 Arish gets called to the medical office. And 00:09:36.970 --> 00:09:40.960 when he gets there... Saichio has been jumped. 00:09:41.139 --> 00:09:44.820 He was attacked because he was denying financial 00:09:44.820 --> 00:09:48.720 requests to the other departments. And that scene 00:09:48.720 --> 00:09:53.659 was intense. We had the doctor worried. We had 00:09:53.659 --> 00:09:58.559 the prime minister all worked up. And Arish immediately 00:09:58.559 --> 00:10:03.340 steps in. This is where the show makes something 00:10:03.340 --> 00:10:07.210 very clear. So Ichio being fragile in this world 00:10:07.210 --> 00:10:12.250 is the core tension. But after all of that, we 00:10:12.250 --> 00:10:16.210 get into this royal banquet. And this is basically 00:10:16.210 --> 00:10:21.629 to hype up the miasma purification expedition. 00:10:22.269 --> 00:10:26.710 So Ichio gets all dressed up. And when I say 00:10:26.710 --> 00:10:32.110 he cleans up nice, I mean they cleaned him up. 00:10:32.629 --> 00:10:37.570 He had bags. upon bags under his eyes and they 00:10:37.570 --> 00:10:40.990 were gone. They were able to use some type of 00:10:40.990 --> 00:10:47.470 magical ointment that was so low in the magicules 00:10:47.470 --> 00:10:49.889 and everything that would have actually made 00:10:49.889 --> 00:10:52.629 him sick. So this was a safe alternative for 00:10:52.629 --> 00:10:56.070 him. But he definitely looked good. This is where 00:10:56.070 --> 00:10:59.490 we meet a couple more people. We get Zoltan from 00:10:59.490 --> 00:11:04.059 the magic division. and Ist, the deputy administrator. 00:11:04.820 --> 00:11:08.320 This is also where Prince Urias starts laying 00:11:08.320 --> 00:11:12.320 out the details for the expedition. And somehow, 00:11:12.700 --> 00:11:17.740 Soichio ends up on the volunteer list. Now, of 00:11:17.740 --> 00:11:21.159 course, Arish and the prime minister are definitely 00:11:21.159 --> 00:11:25.379 against it. Because let's be real, there is no 00:11:25.379 --> 00:11:28.320 way that this man with no magical resistance 00:11:29.450 --> 00:11:32.350 Is going to be able to survive this expedition. 00:11:33.389 --> 00:11:36.830 But Sirichio decides that he is going to go. 00:11:37.350 --> 00:11:42.350 And his whole reasoning is efficiency. This becomes 00:11:42.350 --> 00:11:47.250 a very clear character trait for him. It's his 00:11:47.250 --> 00:11:50.750 whole character concept. He is always looking 00:11:50.750 --> 00:11:55.870 for the most efficient path. No matter the situation. 00:11:56.879 --> 00:12:00.039 So by the time we get to the forest, that my 00:12:00.039 --> 00:12:05.279 asthma is thick. Like you can feel how imperative 00:12:05.279 --> 00:12:09.200 this mission is. And the night before the expedition, 00:12:09.779 --> 00:12:14.159 him and Arish do the deed because apparently 00:12:14.159 --> 00:12:19.080 if they have sex, that creates some kind of barrier. 00:12:19.679 --> 00:12:22.639 It's very much don't ask any questions. This 00:12:22.639 --> 00:12:26.600 is just what we're doing now. And honestly, Arsh 00:12:26.600 --> 00:12:31.440 definitely overheals him a lot, but we're not 00:12:31.440 --> 00:12:35.039 going to get quite into that. At least not right 00:12:35.039 --> 00:12:38.720 now. But we have the Holy Maiden who tries to 00:12:38.720 --> 00:12:43.340 purify the miasma, but it's not enough. This 00:12:43.340 --> 00:12:47.940 is where Suiccio really steps up and he does 00:12:47.940 --> 00:12:51.519 the math and he figures out that it's going to 00:12:51.519 --> 00:12:55.379 take at least three more. expeditions to fully 00:12:55.379 --> 00:12:59.879 clear it he is definitely not a fighter he is 00:12:59.879 --> 00:13:03.919 not trying to be a hero he is the planner he 00:13:03.919 --> 00:13:08.799 builds systems give him the numbers and he will 00:13:08.799 --> 00:13:11.960 figure this out and this is where Tuesday really 00:13:11.960 --> 00:13:15.440 started locking in for me with this one because 00:13:15.440 --> 00:13:19.639 it went from being just a feel -good anime for 00:13:19.639 --> 00:13:23.809 me to being a show That is actually giving me 00:13:23.809 --> 00:13:28.809 substance. That is not something that I expect 00:13:28.809 --> 00:13:34.110 from an isekai at all. Like, you've seen one, 00:13:34.169 --> 00:13:37.049 you've seen them all. That is where this show 00:13:37.049 --> 00:13:42.330 is different. And it really shifted my perspective 00:13:42.330 --> 00:13:48.909 on isekais. So one day, Saichiyo comes back to 00:13:48.909 --> 00:13:53.379 his dorm with Norbert. And all of his stuff is 00:13:53.379 --> 00:13:57.120 gone. And the most important thing to him is 00:13:57.120 --> 00:14:00.519 his work. And then we have Arish who shows up 00:14:00.519 --> 00:14:04.399 right behind him. And this might be my favorite 00:14:04.399 --> 00:14:09.600 moment from him the entire season. There's no 00:14:09.600 --> 00:14:13.059 buildup. There's no conversation. There's not 00:14:13.059 --> 00:14:17.480 going to be a, what do you think? He just goes, 00:14:17.539 --> 00:14:21.700 we're moving. He holds up a key and says he bought 00:14:21.700 --> 00:14:26.120 a house. And that delivery was everything for 00:14:26.120 --> 00:14:31.059 me. I was grinning ear to ear. I found it so 00:14:31.059 --> 00:14:35.100 funny. And this is where his age really starts 00:14:35.100 --> 00:14:40.840 to show. To Suiccio, he thinks this is so sudden 00:14:40.840 --> 00:14:46.539 and intense. But to Arish, he sees this as an 00:14:46.539 --> 00:14:51.779 opportunity to be... more efficient. He literally 00:14:51.779 --> 00:14:56.179 starts using Sirichio's own logic against him. 00:14:56.740 --> 00:15:00.120 Like this is the most efficient way to keep you 00:15:00.120 --> 00:15:05.080 safe. And I really loved that. I found it very 00:15:05.080 --> 00:15:09.679 adorable and I couldn't get enough of it. It's 00:15:09.679 --> 00:15:12.620 around then when the prime minister also sends 00:15:12.620 --> 00:15:15.720 Sirichio to the church to inspect their income 00:15:15.720 --> 00:15:20.620 reports. So now we've got miasma planning, living 00:15:20.620 --> 00:15:23.740 together with your almost boyfriend, and a church 00:15:23.740 --> 00:15:27.139 audit. This is where the show really started 00:15:27.139 --> 00:15:31.820 layering everything. And I was so here for it. 00:15:32.039 --> 00:15:37.200 The church immediately gives off bad vibes. They 00:15:37.200 --> 00:15:41.120 are not welcoming. They are not helpful. And 00:15:41.120 --> 00:15:46.740 they clearly do not want to cooperate. And on 00:15:46.740 --> 00:15:50.080 top of all that, the accountant that Soichiro 00:15:50.080 --> 00:15:53.360 is supposed to meet is conveniently missing, 00:15:53.460 --> 00:15:57.720 which is a huge red flag. Because how do you 00:15:57.720 --> 00:16:01.440 audit anything without the person who handles 00:16:01.440 --> 00:16:04.200 the numbers? Right away, the whole situation 00:16:04.200 --> 00:16:09.259 already seems stalled. And this is what I loved 00:16:09.259 --> 00:16:13.639 with Soichiro, because instead of getting frustrated, 00:16:14.669 --> 00:16:18.669 Or instead of backing off, he just does what 00:16:18.669 --> 00:16:23.470 he always does. He observes. He is looking at 00:16:23.470 --> 00:16:27.350 the environment. The church is neglected. Rooms 00:16:27.350 --> 00:16:30.669 aren't being maintained. Records aren't being 00:16:30.669 --> 00:16:33.570 watched properly. And instead of seeing this 00:16:33.570 --> 00:16:38.029 as a problem, he sees it as an opportunity. But 00:16:38.029 --> 00:16:41.049 before we get deeper into that, we meet Celio, 00:16:41.230 --> 00:16:45.059 who is this green -haired kid. And I mean, he 00:16:45.059 --> 00:16:48.480 is a literal child. I couldn't even tell if it 00:16:48.480 --> 00:16:51.279 was a boy or girl at first, but I should have 00:16:51.279 --> 00:16:55.120 known where this is a BL. Chances are it's going 00:16:55.120 --> 00:16:58.179 to be a boy. But right away, something felt off. 00:16:58.539 --> 00:17:01.080 Because even though he's a part of the church, 00:17:01.379 --> 00:17:04.019 he's not really important. He's kind of just 00:17:04.019 --> 00:17:08.019 there. But his interactions with Tsuchiyo were 00:17:08.019 --> 00:17:11.069 actually really fun. Because you can actually 00:17:11.069 --> 00:17:15.569 see the shift from him being annoyed to slowly 00:17:15.569 --> 00:17:20.410 but surely starting to admire and care about 00:17:20.410 --> 00:17:23.509 him. That is throughout the end of the season, 00:17:23.549 --> 00:17:28.509 but it was really sweet to watch. And the accountant 00:17:28.509 --> 00:17:31.250 still hasn't shown up throughout all of this. 00:17:31.509 --> 00:17:34.529 And without this accountant there, Sirichio just 00:17:34.529 --> 00:17:37.430 starts looking around on his own. And the more 00:17:37.430 --> 00:17:40.900 he digs... the more uncomfortable the church 00:17:40.900 --> 00:17:44.799 gets they do not like that he's paying attention 00:17:44.799 --> 00:17:48.380 and noticing things this is where the tension 00:17:48.380 --> 00:17:51.940 really starts creeping back in and it's not a 00:17:51.940 --> 00:17:56.099 physical danger like when he got jumped or like 00:17:56.099 --> 00:18:01.119 the overdose situation this is more of a political 00:18:01.119 --> 00:18:04.880 danger And I really enjoyed that shift because 00:18:04.880 --> 00:18:09.420 it did really make the world feel real. Like 00:18:09.420 --> 00:18:12.339 corruption is not just going to sit there and 00:18:12.339 --> 00:18:16.539 let you find it and let itself be exposed. We 00:18:16.539 --> 00:18:20.720 also get more R -ish moments. And this is where 00:18:20.720 --> 00:18:24.319 he really works for me. Because before, I mean, 00:18:24.319 --> 00:18:29.299 he did care and he was protective. But now he 00:18:29.299 --> 00:18:32.269 seems so much more present. And he's checking 00:18:32.269 --> 00:18:36.970 in, making sure Suiccio is okay. And he's also 00:18:36.970 --> 00:18:40.289 writing him letters. And oh my god, it was so 00:18:40.289 --> 00:18:44.589 adorable. But the biggest thing with Arish is 00:18:44.589 --> 00:18:49.230 he's also trusting him. And that is a big shift. 00:18:50.029 --> 00:18:54.130 Because early on, it was you're fragile, stay 00:18:54.130 --> 00:18:58.710 put. You're doing too much. I've got my eye on 00:18:58.710 --> 00:19:03.460 you. Now it's like, I trust you, but I am still 00:19:03.460 --> 00:19:08.339 right here. Which I found really adorable. That 00:19:08.339 --> 00:19:12.299 balance really worked for me. Everything starts 00:19:12.299 --> 00:19:15.700 to connect though, because the church situation, 00:19:15.980 --> 00:19:20.940 this is not isolated. This ties back to the financial 00:19:20.940 --> 00:19:26.460 issues that Soichiyo has noticed earlier. Money 00:19:26.460 --> 00:19:30.740 is moving weird. Resources are being misused. 00:19:30.980 --> 00:19:34.859 And nothing is adding up. And when you start 00:19:34.859 --> 00:19:38.380 to realize that this isn't about inefficiency. 00:19:39.119 --> 00:19:42.880 This is very much intentional. Which the show 00:19:42.880 --> 00:19:46.400 didn't scream at me. It really let me piece it 00:19:46.400 --> 00:19:49.259 together for myself. And I think that made it 00:19:49.259 --> 00:19:52.259 much better. Even though obviously I knew the 00:19:52.259 --> 00:19:56.099 church was going to be doing something shady. 00:19:56.960 --> 00:20:00.599 It was nice to watch it unfold and to see what 00:20:00.599 --> 00:20:02.619 I thought was going to happen if it actually 00:20:02.619 --> 00:20:06.720 did. As this church audit keeps going, things 00:20:06.720 --> 00:20:10.720 really start to tighten up a little because now 00:20:10.720 --> 00:20:14.799 Sirichio isn't just getting a general sense that 00:20:14.799 --> 00:20:18.000 something is off. He's actually starting to see 00:20:18.000 --> 00:20:20.599 the patterns and that is what makes this part 00:20:20.599 --> 00:20:24.319 work so well. It's not loud or dramatic, but 00:20:24.319 --> 00:20:28.799 you can feel the shift from this church is messy 00:20:28.799 --> 00:20:33.019 to the church is hiding something big. And getting 00:20:33.019 --> 00:20:37.119 into Celio again, his role keeps growing in a 00:20:37.119 --> 00:20:40.579 really natural way. Because Celio has been in 00:20:40.579 --> 00:20:44.099 this environment his whole life. And none of 00:20:44.099 --> 00:20:47.240 this looked strange to him before. But now that 00:20:47.240 --> 00:20:50.119 Tsuchiya was pointing things out, like indirectly. 00:20:51.529 --> 00:20:55.470 Celio starts to notice things too. You can see 00:20:55.470 --> 00:20:59.109 him hesitate more, and you can see him question 00:20:59.109 --> 00:21:02.849 things he normally wouldn't. And that slow shift 00:21:02.849 --> 00:21:08.829 from passive to aware actually adds a lot to 00:21:08.829 --> 00:21:12.789 the tension. Because now it is not just Sirichio 00:21:12.789 --> 00:21:16.269 who sees the problem. There's somebody inside 00:21:16.269 --> 00:21:20.150 the system starting to wake up to it. And the 00:21:20.150 --> 00:21:23.630 more that this builds, the more it feels like 00:21:23.630 --> 00:21:26.569 Suiccio is getting close to something really 00:21:26.569 --> 00:21:30.630 big. And not just general corruption, but something 00:21:30.630 --> 00:21:34.549 very intentional behind it. Which is why when 00:21:34.549 --> 00:21:39.470 he gets attacked, it hits so hard. It doesn't 00:21:39.470 --> 00:21:43.529 come after some big reveal or after he exposes 00:21:43.529 --> 00:21:47.910 anything. It's happening while he is still putting 00:21:47.910 --> 00:21:51.410 everything together. And because the show already 00:21:51.410 --> 00:21:54.849 established how fragile he is in this world, 00:21:55.089 --> 00:21:59.890 the second that magic hits him, there is no question 00:21:59.890 --> 00:22:05.490 about how serious it is. This isn't he's going 00:22:05.490 --> 00:22:09.130 to shake it off type of a moment. This is the 00:22:09.130 --> 00:22:13.289 same person who almost died just from misusing 00:22:13.289 --> 00:22:18.519 some energy elixirs. When he collapses, it is 00:22:18.519 --> 00:22:22.279 so intense. And Arash just so happens to be at 00:22:22.279 --> 00:22:27.019 the church that day. And he was so mad that Sirichio 00:22:27.019 --> 00:22:30.859 collapsed in another man's arms. It was so funny. 00:22:32.599 --> 00:22:35.220 But what I like is that this wasn't a dramatic 00:22:35.220 --> 00:22:38.279 buildup. It was sudden. And that made it feel 00:22:38.279 --> 00:22:41.700 real. Because this wasn't meant to be a warning. 00:22:42.380 --> 00:22:46.769 This was meant to stop him. And Arsh's response 00:22:46.769 --> 00:22:50.529 completely reinforces that. Because up until 00:22:50.529 --> 00:22:54.190 now, his care has had different layers to it. 00:22:54.950 --> 00:22:59.509 Protective. A little controlling at times. Sometimes 00:22:59.509 --> 00:23:02.970 even played off lightly. But now it is confirmed 00:23:02.970 --> 00:23:07.029 that this isn't just mismanagement. There are 00:23:07.029 --> 00:23:11.210 people actively protecting whatever is happening 00:23:11.210 --> 00:23:15.609 here. And once Riccio recovers and things start 00:23:15.609 --> 00:23:19.269 getting pieced together, the full picture finally 00:23:19.269 --> 00:23:23.950 comes into focus. The church wasn't just mishandling 00:23:23.950 --> 00:23:28.289 funds. They were redirecting them. And not randomly, 00:23:28.430 --> 00:23:32.089 but with purpose. They were using their position 00:23:32.089 --> 00:23:36.769 to collect and store magical power, specifically 00:23:36.769 --> 00:23:42.619 tied to the Holy Maiden. Which explains... everything 00:23:42.619 --> 00:23:46.160 we have been seeing. Why the records were inconsistent, 00:23:46.880 --> 00:23:50.259 why they didn't want him snooping around, and 00:23:50.259 --> 00:23:53.000 why him being there was just an absolute problem. 00:23:53.299 --> 00:23:56.700 It's because he doesn't operate like anybody 00:23:56.700 --> 00:24:00.740 else in that system. So once he got close enough 00:24:00.740 --> 00:24:03.640 to connect those dots, this is what makes the 00:24:03.640 --> 00:24:06.940 resolution satisfying for me because when everything 00:24:06.940 --> 00:24:11.509 finally comes out, it didn't feel random. All 00:24:11.509 --> 00:24:15.589 of the small inconsistencies, they actually mattered. 00:24:15.950 --> 00:24:19.690 And that quiet buildup actually led somewhere. 00:24:20.910 --> 00:24:23.569 And the plan gets shut down before it can fully 00:24:23.569 --> 00:24:27.670 play out. And looking at the season as a whole 00:24:27.670 --> 00:24:32.309 after that, what really stood out to me is how 00:24:32.309 --> 00:24:37.250 small this all started. So Ichio didn't enter 00:24:37.250 --> 00:24:41.430 this world with a goal. He didn't have some bigger 00:24:41.430 --> 00:24:44.309 purpose driving him. He wasn't even supposed 00:24:44.309 --> 00:24:48.170 to be here. He chose to work. And because of 00:24:48.170 --> 00:24:52.589 that, he ended up interacting with the systems 00:24:52.589 --> 00:24:57.289 instead of fighting people. Which is what allowed 00:24:57.289 --> 00:25:02.430 him to see things that nobody else was able to 00:25:02.430 --> 00:25:05.450 pay attention to. And I feel like that is why 00:25:05.450 --> 00:25:09.630 the ending works as well as it does. Because 00:25:09.630 --> 00:25:13.569 nothing about him changes. He doesn't suddenly 00:25:13.569 --> 00:25:17.029 become stronger. He also doesn't become somebody 00:25:17.029 --> 00:25:20.690 else. He just keeps doing what he's been doing 00:25:20.690 --> 00:25:23.369 from the beginning, which is paying attention, 00:25:23.630 --> 00:25:27.789 staying consistent, and following things through. 00:25:28.130 --> 00:25:32.430 That consistency is what ended up exposing something 00:25:32.430 --> 00:25:36.309 way bigger than he ever intended to get involved 00:25:36.309 --> 00:25:40.460 in. And Arish and Suichiyo's relationship by 00:25:40.460 --> 00:25:45.799 the end isn't just built on attraction or those 00:25:45.799 --> 00:25:49.680 kind of moments. It is built on necessity and 00:25:49.680 --> 00:25:54.140 balance. Arish brings protection and strength, 00:25:54.200 --> 00:25:59.319 where Suichiyo brings structure and clarity. 00:25:59.940 --> 00:26:03.779 And neither of those things work the same without 00:26:03.779 --> 00:26:07.690 the other. Which is why... By the time it ends, 00:26:07.930 --> 00:26:13.930 it doesn't just feel like a BL isochay. It felt 00:26:13.930 --> 00:26:16.910 like a real story about somebody stepping into 00:26:16.910 --> 00:26:20.930 a system, understanding it better than the people 00:26:20.930 --> 00:26:25.250 inside of it, and unintentionally breaking something 00:26:25.250 --> 00:26:29.670 that was never supposed to be seen. I thought 00:26:29.670 --> 00:26:35.480 it was so well done. I absolutely love... The 00:26:35.480 --> 00:26:39.720 natural flow that Arish and Sirichio's relationship 00:26:39.720 --> 00:26:44.920 has turned into. I really enjoyed everybody that 00:26:44.920 --> 00:26:47.900 would fawn over him, even though Arish was the 00:26:47.900 --> 00:26:51.859 main love interest. We had people at the church 00:26:51.859 --> 00:26:55.259 who loved him. We had the prime minister. It 00:26:55.259 --> 00:26:58.680 was just so fun to me. This was definitely one 00:26:58.680 --> 00:27:04.099 of those animes that surprised me. It's so hard 00:27:04.099 --> 00:27:07.220 to go into a show with an open mind when you 00:27:07.220 --> 00:27:10.559 have a basic idea of what it's supposed to be. 00:27:10.920 --> 00:27:14.039 I feel like it's really hard to go into a show 00:27:14.039 --> 00:27:19.099 truly blind. It's very hard for me to push out 00:27:19.099 --> 00:27:23.819 any sense of preconceived notion that I may have, 00:27:24.079 --> 00:27:27.299 especially if I know that there's a theme or 00:27:27.299 --> 00:27:31.400 a specific genre. And that's more of a personal 00:27:31.400 --> 00:27:34.319 issue I've been trying to work on. I definitely 00:27:34.319 --> 00:27:37.240 want more of an open mind going into these shows. 00:27:37.779 --> 00:27:41.900 It's really hard though. Especially with isekais 00:27:41.900 --> 00:27:46.539 or BLs. Because more so with the isekai than 00:27:46.539 --> 00:27:49.779 the BL. But I feel like once you've seen one 00:27:49.779 --> 00:27:53.559 isekai, you've seen them all. So this was definitely 00:27:53.559 --> 00:27:57.099 one of those shows that surprised me in the best 00:27:57.099 --> 00:28:01.799 ways possible. But that is what I have for the 00:28:01.799 --> 00:28:05.839 Isoke office worker. This was definitely one 00:28:05.839 --> 00:28:09.599 of my favorites from this winter 2026 season. 00:28:10.660 --> 00:28:12.980 If you've made it this far, thanks for hanging 00:28:12.980 --> 00:28:16.660 out with me. Hopefully you enjoyed this episode. 00:28:17.819 --> 00:28:20.339 Until next time, I will see you then.