“The Rebirth of the King”
What They Say:
The Beginning After the End follows the thrilling journey of King Grey, a once-powerful ruler reborn into a vibrant world of magic, mythical creatures, and epic battles. Now living as Arthur Leywin, a boy with untapped potential, he discovers that his new life is filled with danger and adventure at every turn. From mastering powerful spells to facing fierce enemies, Arthur must use his skills and wits to protect those he cares about and uncover the secrets of his mysterious reincarnation. Along the way, he finds friendship, challenges, and a destiny that could reshape the very world around him.
The Review:
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers)
I haven’t dealt with too many anime adaptations out of Korean material but I’ve seen a few over the years. They generally don’t click as well for me but there are always bright spots. This is being released in Japan as Saikyō no Ō-sama, Nidome no Jinsei wa Nani wo Suru? and comes from creator TurtleMe who serves as a story supervisor for the adaptation. The project brought on Keitaro Motonaga to direct with their extensive list of projects with Takamitsu Kono on the script supervision. A-Cat animation is where a lot of people are feeling less than thrilled with this production as their reputation on certain projects definitely precedes them. I haven’t read the original so I’m not doing any comparisons but just taking in how it looks as presented.
Great Man theory reincarnated? The show introduces us to King Grey, someone who led a life in a violent world as a conqueror, where he uses the tools of old, like swords, but also the weapons of modern war to conquer. He created a bleak hellscape on his world with what was at his disposal but nobody lives forever, even Great Men. When he finds himself reincarnated in another world, he ends up being given the chance at a life as Arthur Leywin while being told in the time in-between to seek the light. To essentially lead a better life. With Grey in the background of the mind, he gets to wake up to being born to simple rural family and all that it entails. But by having his past still a part of him, it’s what will drive him in this form. That’s not a bad concept in itself, as regularly used in storytelling as it is, because you can see how they play up the need for a Great Man but one to be utilized for good as opposed to the oppression that he thrived in before.
Thankfully, the time overall with Grey in baby form as Arthur isn’t as bad as it could be as he soaks up what he can about the world, including just how powerful this child’s father is. A lot of the time in this form is used to do the worldbuilding as he relates his understanding of this new place with its kingdoms and the various races that exist, because, of course, he intends to conquer again. The big difference between worlds is that magic exists here and it hasn’t focused heavily on technology, though it’s still fairly uncommon for someone to have abilities. Arthur naturally has the talent that he can exploit while trying to weaponize it from his knowledge of his past life, which at least makes it interesting to watch as he tries as a toddler to figure it all out. I swear, sometimes his expressions and demeanor reminded me of Stewie from Family Guy. And once you see that it’s hard to unsee as it progresses and Arthur grows up more.
Having an actual family life is what changes Arthur from the person he was before, though it’s definitely still part of him as he grows up and time and nurturing help to soften some of the edges. Arthur definitely spends a lot of time learning about this world, and since his father is an Augmenter, he gets some very early access to important books that his parents didn’t think he’d understand. But when he utilizes his powers and both impresses and scares the hell out of them, it’s a big moment for all involved, especially as a family. It’s something that does even more to change who Arthur is from Grey than the regular nurturing, because he’s got people who actively protect and love him. It’s such a different life than what he had before that even after a few years of experiencing it, his past light haunts him hard. The flashbacks we get to how his previous parents were and his life there just cement that and nudge him further to a new path here.
In Summary:
As is the case with a couple of other shows already getting underway this season, a lot of the focus is on the foundations of character instead of just going right to big action and advancing from there. It’s a welcome change from the norm and this episode does a lot to make Arthur interesting with the perceptions through Grey. I’m admittedly a bit more curious about his past life than I should be, and the Great Man element of it has me rolling my eyes a bit, but as a narrative here to move forward in how he can lead a powerful but very different life in this world is interesting. That so much of the first episode is spent on reinforcing the importance of family and close bonds is a really big and enjoyable thing. I can’t speak to the quality in regards to the original illustrated work, but what they have here works pretty well while still being largely familiar isekai-style stuff. It has some neat moments, a few areas where you cut a corner or two, but otherwise gets the job done and is an enjoyable experience.
Grade: B
Streamed By: Crunchyroll
