A damsel with wings (one black, one white) is chained to a pillar in a heavenly realm with columns and stairs. She begs a young man with a black uniform for help. A flashback reveals that Kai is an unusually thorough cadet of the Humanity Aegis Agency, Vishal Branch. Aegis is the unified defense force of humanity. It guards the places where its enemies were sealed during the Great War of the Five Races thirty years ago: these enemies were angels, demons, spirits and mythical beasts. While doing his compulsory military service, Kai stares each day for exactly 300 seconds at the blue pyramid that seals the entrance of the demon’s prisons, much to the awe of his comrades Ashran and Saki. They are good friends of Kai, though, and tease him to no end when he receives a message from Jeanne, the 17-year-old military prodigy getting transferred to headquarters, an unprecedented honor for one so young. Jeanne and Kai are good friends, and she knows why he is so serious about his service: as a young child, he had a vision of demons and of the magical sword Prophet Sid used to defeat them. There is something Jeanne wants to say before leaving, but before she can, the world gets glitchy. The city is now in ruins, nobody remembers Kai, and Ashran and Saki say that humanity lost the Great War.

This is an odd one. With its blue pyramids, inhuman armies, global forces, alternate worlds and warrior prophets, it should feel like something between Warhammer 40,000 and Edge of Tomorrow. Instead, it looks like every isekai ever. The inhuman armies are commanded by bishōnen and bishōjo types you’ve seen everywhere else. The city of Vishal looks like a standard Japanese city with holographic traffic lights. Even in the reality in which humanity lost, New Vishal looks more or less the same, and the personalities and uniforms of Ashran and Saki haven’t changed much. Really, now? The small cast makes the world feel uninhabited: no parents, no commanders, no one to miss when reality changes. And now, the good parts. Here and there, the show gives us something unique: we get a monstrous, Evangelion-like demon; Kai has been patently trained to fight inhuman opponents and uses a sword-rifle to great effect; Jeanne’s change in look and personality is cool and intriguing, as is her position as the paladin of humanity, clearly inspired by her namesake St. Jeanne D’Arc. I thought that Kai’s motivations and relationships were relatable and properly conveyed. So far, this adaptation of Why Does Nobody Remember Me in This World? is decidedly okay, but ironically enough, it could have been much more distinct and memorable. I’m not sure I will be interested enough to continue, unless I hear it gets more unique down the line.

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Why Does Nobody Remember Me in This World? is available at Crunchyroll.