Zanting! Rang Wo Cha Gonglüe

It's dumb, it's chaotic, yet surprisingly lively. The series boasts an interesting concept — a story about reincarnation into a world that looks like a video game the hero once played. While I've encountered similar premises, the twist of reincarnating directly into the actual video game, complete with video game mechanics, is a unique take. Chinese creators excel at drawing inspiration from popular games and anime, crafting something new and original, akin to Genshin Impact not being a mere copy of Zelda. Packed with pop culture references, the series cleverly twists video game mechanics, exploring how characters could leverage their gaming tools in the actual game world. Some resulting ideas are entertaining, while others are plain silly. Humor in the series follows a similar pattern — some jokes hit the mark, while others induce an awkward silence. Nevertheless, the energy the series exudes, coupled with the dynamic nature of most characters, managed to keep me engaged. There's always something happening, leaving little room for boredom. While animation-wise it doesn't stand out, being overshadowed by the likes of Genshin Impact, it remains watchable and grows on you after a few episodes. Character overacting wasn't an issue for me, as I watched it with Japanese dubbing, which felt solid and in line with regular anime. Is the plot confusing? The intentional chaos doesn't make it challenging to grasp the main points, and occasional twists even managed to surprise me. Despite not being a child, I found myself enjoying the series, not just for its vibrant visuals and constant action, but also for the plethora of references and the authors' ability to conjure up a slew of crazy, stupid, unique, and weird ideas. 6/10 (22.12.2023)