Salesman Shigeru “Uglymug” Yoshioka used to think of his ridiculous face as a blessing in disguise. He would use it to make people laugh and move the conversation forward. His life had no romance, but he would play visual novels and hope for the future. Not anymore. Things changed suddenly when he was accused of inappropriate behaviour by a young girl during the commute home. Innocent as he was, the contrast between them made the bystanders condemn him instantly. Even worse, he despaired and took a guilty plea to get a reduced penalty. As a result, he was fired from work and lost his ability to communicate with others. Riddled with anxiety and trust issues, he is now a shut-in, living off his parents’ savings, hiding from the world. One day, he comes across an online legend. Supposedly, a computer facing North at 2:00 a.m. and a small rite allow you to be transported to another world. Laughing, Uglymug decides to give it a try. And when the screen turns blue and some stats appear, he decides to make his character a parody of himself: ugly without measure, losing HP when he touches a female, and completely broke. But, in compensation, he gets a level of power called “almighty god” by the game…

Hello, human resources? Okay, this one has some good points, but I’m afraid it ultimately lands in generic isekai territory. It starts well. Ugliness and the social costs of ugliness are powerful, uncomfortable themes. We see Shigeru’s trust in others broken despite his best efforts. We watch him become discarded by society. I thought that the portrayal of an embittered and lost protagonist, unable to speak clearly to others or look them in the face even after his isekai reincarnation, was not only a rarity, but spot on, too. The production values are good. The story was flowing, though the web novel roots were clearly visible. During the first fight, I held my breath. Was Shigeru actually going to struggle? Would he have to earn his place in the new world, rely on the kindness of his comrades, learn to trust again, and find his way out of the hole? Would this be the isekai version of Bocchi the Rock or Welcome to the NHK? Well, no. Sure, having a trillion in all your stats and thunderbolts at your fingertips doesn’t make it any less easy to trust others, but it puts you at the top of the food chain. It becomes socially useful to others to become your friend. The story of Shigeru being favored because he chose bad stats and everyone else paying a karmic price for their good looks and game advantages doesn’t sound as engaging. In short, Uglymug good, Epicfighter bad. I’ll pass on this one, unless I hear it is wildly different from what I expect.

Uglymug, Epicfighter can be streamed on Crunchyroll.