Kei Sazane, the author behind Our Last Crusade or the Rise of a New World (KimiSen), is back in the anime spotlight, and this time with not one, but three adaptations of his works in quick succession. While KimiSen Season 2 and Gods’ Games We Play have garnered attention, it’s Why Does Nobody Remember Me in This World? (Naze Boku no Sekai wo Daremo Oboeteinai no ka?) that holds a unique, albeit flawed, appeal. Sazane attempts something different here, venturing beyond his usual tropes to craft a narrative that, despite its shortcomings, hints at originality within the well-trodden fantasy genre.
A World Rewritten, A Hero Forgotten
The premise itself is intriguing. Imagine a world where humanity, once victorious in a great war led by the hero Sid, is suddenly erased from history. This is the reality that confronts Kai Sakura-Vento, a soldier from the Urza Federation. He awakens to find himself in an altered timeline where humans never existed, and the heroes he fought alongside—Ashran Highroll, Saki Miscotti, and Jeanne E. Anis—are strangers. The world he knew, built on the triumph of Prophet Sid, is gone, replaced by one where demons reign supreme.
Kai is the anomaly, the only one who remembers the original timeline and the legendary Prophet Sid. In this new world, he is a ghost, a forgotten footnote in a history that never was. His mission becomes clear: unravel the mystery behind this temporal shift and understand why he alone retains memories of a world that no longer exists. He must navigate this altered reality, retracing the steps of the Great War of the Five Races, but this time as an unknown, with the daunting task of potentially setting history back on its original course.
Passive Protagonists in an Active World
As Kai grapples with his forgotten past and uncertain future, he encounters Rinne, a mysterious demon chained in what appears to be Heaven, and inherits Code Holder, Prophet Sid’s legendary sword. These encounters become crucial pieces in piecing together the puzzle of humanity’s erasure. However, despite the high stakes and intriguing world, Kai and Rinne often feel surprisingly passive.
Compared to Sazane’s other protagonists, like Iska and Aliceliese from KimiSen or Fay and Leoleshea from Gods’ Games We Play, Kai and Rinne lack dynamism. They often appear to be driven by external forces, reacting to events rather than actively shaping them. The narrative frequently relies on other characters to propel Kai and Rinne forward, a storytelling choice that undermines their agency and impact on the plot. For a series with such an elaborate and potentially compelling world, this reliance on passive protagonists feels like a missed opportunity. The intricate world and power fantasy elements deserve characters who are more proactive and engaging.
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