You're listening to The After Hours Arc, your
new anime podcast. My name is Antai, and I'll
be your host. Join me as I review, recap, and
relive anime, one arc at a time. And as always,
these are all from a manga -free point of view.
There is something really specific about starting
a brand new anime when only a couple episodes
are out. You're not behind. You are just stepping
into it while it is still forming. That is exactly
where I was with the Isekai Office Worker. The
Otherworld's books depend on the bean counter.
Winter 2026 gave me this show. And when I started
it, there were only two episodes out. So I didn't
feel like I was chasing anything. I went in very
intentionally. And I think that's very important
because this was not random. I did not just stumble
onto this anime. I went in because I heard one
specific thing on TikTok. That it's a BL. And
honestly, that's enough for me. This isn't something
I needed to be perfect. But because BL isn't
something I feel we get a lot of, let alone an
Isaac A1, I was definitely interested to see
what all this hype was about. I had briefly touched
on this show during my Winter 2026 Roundup. That
was more of quick thoughts. This episode is where
I am actually going to get into it. Because this
ended up being way more than just that BL isekai
I checked out because of TikTok. When I started
it, I really tried hard to not have high hopes.
That was hard because I knew it was a BL. I felt
good about it. But the fact that it was an ice
carry made me a little cautious. But the lack
of information that I actually had on this show
really helped. Because when I started, like I
said, there were only two episodes. So I didn't
know any arcs and I didn't know the tone beyond
workplace fantasy. And even though TikTok made
me watch it, They weren't spoilers. They were
more reactions and recommendations. And then
my whole feed got flooded with Jujutsu Kaisen
anyways, so I probably wouldn't have been too
spoiled with that show. But once I got caught
up on those first two episodes, it became such
a comfort anime for me. This was not just background
noise. There's plenty of shows. That I put on
just to have noise. This wasn't it. This was
a show to help me wind down and get cozy. And
the wild part for me is that each episode got
better. And better. And not in a crazy plot twist
kind of way. But it was more of I like the vibe.
I like watching the relationships build. That
is what made this a comfort show for me. The
fact that I wanted to spend time with these characters
again and again. I loved the show so much. So
here's the setup. Saichiyo, who is our main character,
gets pulled into this magical kingdom. Because
he gets caught. In this holy maiden summoning.
He's literally just a tag along. Instead of reacting
like a typical isekai. He asks for a job. And
he ends up working in the palace as an accountant.
Now this is where we start meeting people. He
meets Norbert. Who's kind of the one easing him
into how things work. In the kingdom. We also
get introduced to some nutritional supplements.
These are basically energy elixirs that help
wipe out any form of fatigue. And also around
the same time, we get introduced to Aresh. And
Aresh lets Serichio basically know that people
have their eye on him. So right away, there's
already this feeling like, all right, something
is going on. At this point, I still wasn't fully
sure how I felt. Nothing major happened yet,
but I was definitely enjoying the vibe. Those
energy elixirs come back into play though, and
this is where things go very south for Sirichio.
He ends up overusing them and has like a full
-on overdose. I mean, he almost died. He ends
up getting saved by Arash, who uses healing magic.
And that healing turns into basically sexy time.
This is the easiest way for Arash to acclimate
Saichiyo to all the magic within this world.
If I remember right, I'm pretty sure they only
went all the way twice, if I recall. The next
morning, when Suichiyo is trying to go back to
work, though, Arish is not having it. He brings
him to the medical office, and this is where
we meet, I believe his name was Siro. And he
is the one who figures out that Suichiyo has
no magic, or little to no magic, resistance.
I really enjoyed that concept, because it made
sense. If the summoning is meant for specific
people, a tagalong would not be built to handle
that world. This is also where we see Arish start
to show he cares. He is known as this black beast,
and he is a high -ranking member in this faction,
Third Order. They can use magic, and I'm pretty
sure he's a noble as well. There's also this
10 year age gap. And then it's not weird like
18 years versus a 40 year old. This is they are
in their 20s and 30s. Which was a little refreshing
to see. And not based on the age. But that they
did a really good job in showing the difference
in maturity I feel like. As the show went on
I could really see the difference. That Arish
is 10 years younger. So his maturity, it was
just so fun for me. So the show starts building
itself a backbone. We have Arish basically hovering
Saichiyo. He's enforcing arrest and controlling
his diet. And Saichiyo is so confused because
he doesn't understand why he cares this much.
And obviously we know it's because he's falling
in love. But then the bigger plot happens. So
Ichio starts digging into the accounting department.
And he realizes that the kingdom's finances are
in trouble. Even with all the spending on the
miasma expectations, which is the whole reason
they need a holy maiden, is to purify this miasma.
There is still a ton of useless spending happening.
It was around this time that we met the prime
minister, Camille, and he becomes very fond of
Soichiyo. We also get Arish's vice captain. I
believe his name was Orjeff. I could be completely
wrong, but being the vice captain of Arish, he
works side by side with him a lot. And he starts
to notice that Arish is doing paperwork and...
Being proactive. And he's basically thinking
to himself that this is what happens when you
care about somebody. He has fallen in love. But
unbeknownst to him, he doesn't realize it's with
Sirichio yet. He thought it was going to be some
girl. But everything changes dramatically. Because
Arish gets called to the medical office. And
when he gets there... Saichio has been jumped.
He was attacked because he was denying financial
requests to the other departments. And that scene
was intense. We had the doctor worried. We had
the prime minister all worked up. And Arish immediately
steps in. This is where the show makes something
very clear. So Ichio being fragile in this world
is the core tension. But after all of that, we
get into this royal banquet. And this is basically
to hype up the miasma purification expedition.
So Ichio gets all dressed up. And when I say
he cleans up nice, I mean they cleaned him up.
He had bags. upon bags under his eyes and they
were gone. They were able to use some type of
magical ointment that was so low in the magicules
and everything that would have actually made
him sick. So this was a safe alternative for
him. But he definitely looked good. This is where
we meet a couple more people. We get Zoltan from
the magic division. and Ist, the deputy administrator.
This is also where Prince Urias starts laying
out the details for the expedition. And somehow,
Soichio ends up on the volunteer list. Now, of
course, Arish and the prime minister are definitely
against it. Because let's be real, there is no
way that this man with no magical resistance
Is going to be able to survive this expedition.
But Sirichio decides that he is going to go.
And his whole reasoning is efficiency. This becomes
a very clear character trait for him. It's his
whole character concept. He is always looking
for the most efficient path. No matter the situation.
So by the time we get to the forest, that my
asthma is thick. Like you can feel how imperative
this mission is. And the night before the expedition,
him and Arish do the deed because apparently
if they have sex, that creates some kind of barrier.
It's very much don't ask any questions. This
is just what we're doing now. And honestly, Arsh
definitely overheals him a lot, but we're not
going to get quite into that. At least not right
now. But we have the Holy Maiden who tries to
purify the miasma, but it's not enough. This
is where Suiccio really steps up and he does
the math and he figures out that it's going to
take at least three more. expeditions to fully
clear it he is definitely not a fighter he is
not trying to be a hero he is the planner he
builds systems give him the numbers and he will
figure this out and this is where Tuesday really
started locking in for me with this one because
it went from being just a feel -good anime for
me to being a show That is actually giving me
substance. That is not something that I expect
from an isekai at all. Like, you've seen one,
you've seen them all. That is where this show
is different. And it really shifted my perspective
on isekais. So one day, Saichiyo comes back to
his dorm with Norbert. And all of his stuff is
gone. And the most important thing to him is
his work. And then we have Arish who shows up
right behind him. And this might be my favorite
moment from him the entire season. There's no
buildup. There's no conversation. There's not
going to be a, what do you think? He just goes,
we're moving. He holds up a key and says he bought
a house. And that delivery was everything for
me. I was grinning ear to ear. I found it so
funny. And this is where his age really starts
to show. To Suiccio, he thinks this is so sudden
and intense. But to Arish, he sees this as an
opportunity to be... more efficient. He literally
starts using Sirichio's own logic against him.
Like this is the most efficient way to keep you
safe. And I really loved that. I found it very
adorable and I couldn't get enough of it. It's
around then when the prime minister also sends
Sirichio to the church to inspect their income
reports. So now we've got miasma planning, living
together with your almost boyfriend, and a church
audit. This is where the show really started
layering everything. And I was so here for it.
The church immediately gives off bad vibes. They
are not welcoming. They are not helpful. And
they clearly do not want to cooperate. And on
top of all that, the accountant that Soichiro
is supposed to meet is conveniently missing,
which is a huge red flag. Because how do you
audit anything without the person who handles
the numbers? Right away, the whole situation
already seems stalled. And this is what I loved
with Soichiro, because instead of getting frustrated,
Or instead of backing off, he just does what
he always does. He observes. He is looking at
the environment. The church is neglected. Rooms
aren't being maintained. Records aren't being
watched properly. And instead of seeing this
as a problem, he sees it as an opportunity. But
before we get deeper into that, we meet Celio,
who is this green -haired kid. And I mean, he
is a literal child. I couldn't even tell if it
was a boy or girl at first, but I should have
known where this is a BL. Chances are it's going
to be a boy. But right away, something felt off.
Because even though he's a part of the church,
he's not really important. He's kind of just
there. But his interactions with Tsuchiyo were
actually really fun. Because you can actually
see the shift from him being annoyed to slowly
but surely starting to admire and care about
him. That is throughout the end of the season,
but it was really sweet to watch. And the accountant
still hasn't shown up throughout all of this.
And without this accountant there, Sirichio just
starts looking around on his own. And the more
he digs... the more uncomfortable the church
gets they do not like that he's paying attention
and noticing things this is where the tension
really starts creeping back in and it's not a
physical danger like when he got jumped or like
the overdose situation this is more of a political
danger And I really enjoyed that shift because
it did really make the world feel real. Like
corruption is not just going to sit there and
let you find it and let itself be exposed. We
also get more R -ish moments. And this is where
he really works for me. Because before, I mean,
he did care and he was protective. But now he
seems so much more present. And he's checking
in, making sure Suiccio is okay. And he's also
writing him letters. And oh my god, it was so
adorable. But the biggest thing with Arish is
he's also trusting him. And that is a big shift.
Because early on, it was you're fragile, stay
put. You're doing too much. I've got my eye on
you. Now it's like, I trust you, but I am still
right here. Which I found really adorable. That
balance really worked for me. Everything starts
to connect though, because the church situation,
this is not isolated. This ties back to the financial
issues that Soichiyo has noticed earlier. Money
is moving weird. Resources are being misused.
And nothing is adding up. And when you start
to realize that this isn't about inefficiency.
This is very much intentional. Which the show
didn't scream at me. It really let me piece it
together for myself. And I think that made it
much better. Even though obviously I knew the
church was going to be doing something shady.
It was nice to watch it unfold and to see what
I thought was going to happen if it actually
did. As this church audit keeps going, things
really start to tighten up a little because now
Sirichio isn't just getting a general sense that
something is off. He's actually starting to see
the patterns and that is what makes this part
work so well. It's not loud or dramatic, but
you can feel the shift from this church is messy
to the church is hiding something big. And getting
into Celio again, his role keeps growing in a
really natural way. Because Celio has been in
this environment his whole life. And none of
this looked strange to him before. But now that
Tsuchiya was pointing things out, like indirectly.
Celio starts to notice things too. You can see
him hesitate more, and you can see him question
things he normally wouldn't. And that slow shift
from passive to aware actually adds a lot to
the tension. Because now it is not just Sirichio
who sees the problem. There's somebody inside
the system starting to wake up to it. And the
more that this builds, the more it feels like
Suiccio is getting close to something really
big. And not just general corruption, but something
very intentional behind it. Which is why when
he gets attacked, it hits so hard. It doesn't
come after some big reveal or after he exposes
anything. It's happening while he is still putting
everything together. And because the show already
established how fragile he is in this world,
the second that magic hits him, there is no question
about how serious it is. This isn't he's going
to shake it off type of a moment. This is the
same person who almost died just from misusing
some energy elixirs. When he collapses, it is
so intense. And Arash just so happens to be at
the church that day. And he was so mad that Sirichio
collapsed in another man's arms. It was so funny.
But what I like is that this wasn't a dramatic
buildup. It was sudden. And that made it feel
real. Because this wasn't meant to be a warning.
This was meant to stop him. And Arsh's response
completely reinforces that. Because up until
now, his care has had different layers to it.
Protective. A little controlling at times. Sometimes
even played off lightly. But now it is confirmed
that this isn't just mismanagement. There are
people actively protecting whatever is happening
here. And once Riccio recovers and things start
getting pieced together, the full picture finally
comes into focus. The church wasn't just mishandling
funds. They were redirecting them. And not randomly,
but with purpose. They were using their position
to collect and store magical power, specifically
tied to the Holy Maiden. Which explains... everything
we have been seeing. Why the records were inconsistent,
why they didn't want him snooping around, and
why him being there was just an absolute problem.
It's because he doesn't operate like anybody
else in that system. So once he got close enough
to connect those dots, this is what makes the
resolution satisfying for me because when everything
finally comes out, it didn't feel random. All
of the small inconsistencies, they actually mattered.
And that quiet buildup actually led somewhere.
And the plan gets shut down before it can fully
play out. And looking at the season as a whole
after that, what really stood out to me is how
small this all started. So Ichio didn't enter
this world with a goal. He didn't have some bigger
purpose driving him. He wasn't even supposed
to be here. He chose to work. And because of
that, he ended up interacting with the systems
instead of fighting people. Which is what allowed
him to see things that nobody else was able to
pay attention to. And I feel like that is why
the ending works as well as it does. Because
nothing about him changes. He doesn't suddenly
become stronger. He also doesn't become somebody
else. He just keeps doing what he's been doing
from the beginning, which is paying attention,
staying consistent, and following things through.
That consistency is what ended up exposing something
way bigger than he ever intended to get involved
in. And Arish and Suichiyo's relationship by
the end isn't just built on attraction or those
kind of moments. It is built on necessity and
balance. Arish brings protection and strength,
where Suichiyo brings structure and clarity.
And neither of those things work the same without
the other. Which is why... By the time it ends,
it doesn't just feel like a BL isochay. It felt
like a real story about somebody stepping into
a system, understanding it better than the people
inside of it, and unintentionally breaking something
that was never supposed to be seen. I thought
it was so well done. I absolutely love... The
natural flow that Arish and Sirichio's relationship
has turned into. I really enjoyed everybody that
would fawn over him, even though Arish was the
main love interest. We had people at the church
who loved him. We had the prime minister. It
was just so fun to me. This was definitely one
of those animes that surprised me. It's so hard
to go into a show with an open mind when you
have a basic idea of what it's supposed to be.
I feel like it's really hard to go into a show
truly blind. It's very hard for me to push out
any sense of preconceived notion that I may have,
especially if I know that there's a theme or
a specific genre. And that's more of a personal
issue I've been trying to work on. I definitely
want more of an open mind going into these shows.
It's really hard though. Especially with isekais
or BLs. Because more so with the isekai than
the BL. But I feel like once you've seen one
isekai, you've seen them all. So this was definitely
one of those shows that surprised me in the best
ways possible. But that is what I have for the
Isoke office worker. This was definitely one
of my favorites from this winter 2026 season.
If you've made it this far, thanks for hanging
out with me. Hopefully you enjoyed this episode.
Until next time, I will see you then.