The Unwanted Undead Adventurer’s Lessons on Humanity

At a glance, this show has nothing to separate it from the masses of other generic fantasy other than the protagonist. But, even there, who am I kidding? We’ve already had every type of storyteller under the sun, from spiders, to pigs, and even to vending machines. In light of those examples, an undead main character is nothing special, right? You wouldn’t be wrong to assume that, because from start to finish, that’s who this show is all about. But you know what? That’s fine. That’s more than fine. Rentt Faina is a story all on his own.

When we go back to the beginning to where Rentt’s journey began, we have a mysterious “dragon” to thank for his death and subsequent reincarnation into a skeleton. There’s no explanation for why this happens, nor is there any particular interest on his part to figure that out. He accepts his lot in death and moves on to see what he can do with his new existence. Admirable, isn’t it? I wish I had even a smidgen of that self-motivation most days.

I’m actually reminded a bit here of another winter show this season, Solo Leveling. There, as well as here, we have a protagonist who formerly felt stuck on a plateau—no matter how much they applied themselves to their own improvement, how much knowledge they amassed, they still ended up with very little to show for it. That all changes once they each transform, respectively, and Rentt realizes that each time he defeats an enemy, he gets stronger. His progress improves based on the differences in level between himself and his opponent, encouraging him to seek out tougher enemies. Again, there’s no clear indicator here of just how much experience is needed for his next transformation; it just happens. He jumps from skeleton to ghoul very early on in the series. 

In addition to Rentt’s personality, I also enjoyed his relationships with various characters around him, most particularly the one with close friend and scholar Lorraine Vivie. There’s no hesitation on his part when he goes to her that she’ll turn him away; he trusts her implicitly just as she does he. Even when he attacks her in the throes of bloodlust, she still retains belief in his humanity. I know many of her fans adore her for completely unrelated reasons (cough, that rack, cough), but it’s her brilliant mind and heart that captured my attention most of all.

Other characters pass through with their own needs and motivations, each of them gaining something of worth from their time spent with Rentt. What I love is that despite his disguise, there are those who recognize him from the past solely on his kindness towards others, a compassion that persists even in death.

The goal is clear from Rentt’s first transformation. The closest he can get to physical humanity is as a vampire; there isn’t even a question about whether he’ll ever be able to regain life. Again, I really like that acceptance of reality and focus on the remaining options. If more people give this one a chance, there’s a high chance they’ll be pleasantly surprised by how much they enjoy following Rentt’s journey.

Rating: 1 dango

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*Rating system:

• 0 dango – average and forgettable.
• 1 dango – very good in its category.
• 2 dango – excellent show that is worth a try.
• 3 dango – exceptional show one must watch.