Bizarre Reincarnation: The Anime 'The Hero and His Rib' Arrives in April

An Isekai That Breaks All Molds

Imagine a world where, upon reincarnating, you can choose your new form. Sounds great, right? Well, there's a small problem: the popular options, like "Demon King" or "Hero with broken abilities in a harem", have waiting lists of up to 50 thousand years. Who has that much time?

Our protagonist, a pragmatic soul, decides to take a different path. Instead of waiting, he opts to reincarnate over and over again into the strangest and most bizarre forms one can imagine. His first choice? To become the rib of a hero who has already achieved his happy ending in a harem story. But that's just the beginning of his peculiar journey.

A Stellar Cast for a Unique Story

To bring this peculiar premise to life, an impressive voice cast has been assembled. Atsushi Abe will voice the anonymous protagonist, while M.A.O will bring to life the Goddess who oversees the reincarnation process. Daisuke Namikawa will handle the Master Red Salmon (Benizake Shishō), and Toshihiko Seki will be Tanaka-san.

The list of talents continues with names like Show Hayami as the God of Creation, and a long roster of top-tier seiyūs in unspecified roles, including Kana Asumi, Yuka Iguchi, Marina Inoue, and Megumi Ogata, among many others. With such a group, the performances promise to be as memorable as the plot.

The Creative Team Behind the Magic

The direction is in the hands of Yasufumi Soejima, known for his work on 'Ensemble Stars!', and production is handled by the studios Qzil.la and S.o.K. The original character design for the animation is the work of Kagiji Kumanomata, whose style you'll recognize from 'The Sleeping Princess in the Demon's Castle'.

The music, a crucial element for setting the tone of this alternate world, will be composed by a team led by Yūta Uraki and Kayo Konishi. Every detail, from the art design to the sound effects handled by Kōsuke Kobayashi, has been carefully planned to immerse us in this story.

From Web Novel to TV Screen

This adventure began its journey on the web novel service Shōsetsu ni Narō in November 2017. Its popularity was such that the publisher Takarajimasha began publishing it in physical format with illustrations by Mebaru in January 2021. Volume 11 was just released, proving the story is more alive than ever.

To celebrate the anime announcement, illustrators Mebaru, Kōpo, and Kumanomata created commemorative images that perfectly capture the absurd and charming spirit of the series. They are a perfect appetizer for what awaits us.

Why Watch This Anime?

We are facing a season loaded with isekais, but this one promises to stand out for its genuinely original premise. It's not the typical overpowered hero story, but a comedy about improvisation and acceptance of ridiculous circumstances.

What lessons can a protagonist who chooses to be a vegetable, a hermit crab, or a bone teach us? Probably more than we think. The series seems to play with concepts of identity, destiny, and what it really means to have a second chance, all wrapped in absurd humor.

We already have its premiere marked on our calendars for April. The question is: will you join this collective reincarnation? What bizarre form would you choose if you had to skip the 50-thousand-year line? Tell us your craziest ideas!