'Choyoyu', a.k.a. 'High School Prodigies Have It Easy Even in Another World', Probably Has the Most BS Isekai Protagonists Ever

High School Prodigies Have It Easy Even in Another World a.k.a. Choyoyu (the abbreviation of its Japanese title) follows a group of seven extraordinary teenagers who have somehow become the “World’s Greatest” in their respective fields even though they’re still in high school.  Tsukasa Mikogami is the world’s greatest politician, and the Prime Minister of Japan – making him the obvious leader of the group.  Ringo Ōhoshi is the world’s greatest scientist and inventor.  Shinobu Sarutobi is a ninja on top of being the world’s greatest investigative journalist.  Keine Kanzaki is the world’s greatest doctor.  Aoi Ichijō is the world’s greatest swordswoman.  Masato Sanada is the world’s greatest businessman and economist.  And Prince Akatsuki is the world’s greatest stage magician.

One day, while riding a plane, they mysteriously crash in a feudalistic fantasy world called Freyjagard.  There, they are recovered, nursed back to health, and hosted by the inhabitants of Elm village.  In return for their kindness and hospitality, they use their remarkable intellects and talents to improve the village’s standard of living.  Later, upon encountering the oppressive nobility that rules over the realm, the seven geniuses proceed to lead a revolution against the Empire, and set out to build a modernized, democratic republic for the people.

Choyoyu is easily the most BS isekai I’ve ever encountered, primarily because its absurdly-proficient protagonists make it very difficult for the audience to suspend disbelief.  Now, when it comes to isekai MCs, godlike over-competence is actually not an uncommon quality.  So, what is different this time around?  Well, the writing just fails to sell this aspect logically.  The principle of “suspension of disbelief” can’t be used to justify every unbelievable happening in a story.  It can only justify those that have been properly established by the premise.  Logic still needs to apply.  There must be consistency with the premise.  A character drinks potion X that allows him to have super strength.  The premise in that is “potion X gives super strength to anybody who drinks it.”  Thus, if a character drinks potion X, the logical result would be him gaining super strength.  However, if a character drinks the same potion X, and the result is that he becomes telekinetic – without any accompanying or additional information that explains how can that be – then that’s illogical, and suspension of disbelief can’t be used to cover that inconsistency.  That’s just bad writing.

What the seven teenagers have done in the story go way, way beyond the “high school geniuses who are the greatest in their fields” premise.  At the very least, the narrative should have revealed the “how” of their most unbelievable achievements more clearly.  But, no, it had to have the “how” occur mostly off screen.  Usually, what we just see is the end product – an incredible feat or creation that’s supposed to validate their genius (/rolls eyes).

The greatest offender is definitely Prince Akatsuki.  He’s supposed to be just an expert in stage magic – make-believe magic.  However, in the course of the 12-episode season, he displays abilities that simply go beyond what stage magic can realistically do, and the show doesn’t remotely attempt to hint how he’s pulling it off.  Thus, his “make-believe” magic is indistinguishable from bona fide fantasy-magic.  Narratively, what he’s been doing is essentially just magic magic, not stage magic.  He’s the character that drank the super-strength potion but ended up with telekinetic abilities.  It’s the same thing with his peers at a lesser – but still significantly maddening – degree.

There’s fun to be had in Choyoyu.  Power fantasy and nation-building are two of isekai’s most enjoyable tropes, and they are notable aspects of this show.  However, the aforementioned issue with its poorly-written protagonists off-sets most of that fun.  And whatever enjoyability left over is still eaten away by other unrelated, dumb parts of the narrative – because, yeah, Choyoyu is basically a pretty dumb show.  It could at least have been dumb but fun, though, if it had just been thoughtful, detailed, and creative in selling its cast of Mary Sues.

It’s really unfortunate how bad High School Prodigies Have It Easy Even in Another World turned out being.  Its premise does have potential; there are aspects of its storyline which I’m genuinely intrigued about (there’s a reason why I picked it up in the first place).  But its self-indulgence and its sloppiness prove to be its undoing.