Harem in the Labyrinth of Another World

異世界迷宮でハーレムを

6.53(133K votes)

Popularity #936

episodes

Type

Status

Finished Airing

Aired

Jul 6, 2022 to Sep 21, 2022

Studios:Passione

ActionAdventureFantasyErotica

Synopsis

One day, high school student Michio Kaga attempts to start a strange online game he found while browsing the internet. Instead, he gets transported to a rural village in the game's world, equipped with special skills and an overpowered sword. After collecting his thoughts, he finds himself battling against bandits and soon realizes that he cannot log out. Resigning himself to fate and accepting this reality, Michio sets out on a journey—enjoying his new life, conquering dungeons to earn money, and building a harem to satisfy all his manly desires. [Written by MAL Rewrite]

296,019 Members

Worth Watching? — Global Verdict

6.8/10

Average Review Score

45%

Recommend It

Reviews Worldwide

International Reviews

KANLen09

Mixed FeelingsWell-written

"In the beginning, the anime gods created the Heavens and the Earth in the form of Interspecies Reviewers, the "men of culture" anime that would define the new decade of the 2020s. But then came Redo of Healer a year later, which made the earth formless and empty with its over-the-top violence and gore, and darkness covered the deep waters, and the anime gods were hovering over the face of the waters. And the anime gods beckoned, "Let there be light," and there was light. But what they saw is that Isekai Meikyuu Harem's light, now released, was tainted in blood and sexual innuendos, and they separatedthe light from the darkness." - Genesis 1:1-4, if written by the anime gods Out of the shows that aired in the now passing Summer season, it's safe to say that we were all anticipating novelist Shachi Sogano's Isekai Meikyuu Harem a.k.a Harem Labyrinth in Another World for nothing more than to have our seasonal dose of the degenerate taste and feast for the eyes. Well, we got that and more...which basically comes off as "so bad it's good" kind of show where there're a lot of factors working for and against it, and that'll ultimately be the make-or-break point if you do plan on watching this. Well obviously, I did (and so are you), so let's get to it for a breakdown, shall we? So first and foremost, an Isekai works the same way as what you would expect; the Meikyuu a.k.a labyrinth segment being one of a slow burn of grinding for experience; and a harem, which I don't really need to explain it, yes? And this is what casually happens to Michio Kaga, after randomly being Isekai-ed like just any other unassuming protagonist. Except that he instead faces a Seirei Gensouki-like situation of being a newbie but having to commit murders and decapitation of people due to witnessing a horrific killing spree of bandits to ordinary townsfolk (or NPCs for that matter). Of course, what's an Isekai without the MC being OP, and this is definitely the case for Michio here, having to face the brunt of a PTSD-inducing shock seeing blood spats just about everywhere, and weirdly enough, loving the end result of it. So think of Redo of Healer's Keyaru, but at least a mentally sane version of him after collecting his thoughts and regarding that the fantasy world he's been transported to has no rules bogging everyone down, and everyone's a free man until proven otherwise. Michio's next task is to find adventurers to support his camaraderie of adjusting his life to a new world, but instead, finds slaves trapped by slave traders awaiting to be sold for good prices. Of course, being the good guy that Michio is, would enquire one such trader (by the name of Alan) for help on his next navigational points, and Alan reveals of a labyrinth that would help set off a good starting point for Michio. But being cashless with only experience backing him up, Alan then decides to recommend buying a slave to aid him in his endeavours, and also "Sweet Home, Alabama" virgins as sex slaves, just because why not. They are good for companionship and sex anyways, so there's no limits to how far one could go. It's the offer that put Michio on temptation to purchase one, and this sets the course for the series' progression further dowb the road. Not gonna lie, Isekai Meikyuu Harem (at least for this initial season) may feel like a slow burn, but it's not like Shachi Sogano is stupid enough to basically make a fantasy world version of World's End Harem and call it a day. In fact, the labyrinth segments are actually worth more than the sexual parts, and his idea is to make the labyrinth section a necessity to get to the harem stuff, which depending on your tolerance for patience, can feel like things are happening that slowly builds up to its own climax moments. And that certainly was his modus operandi for Isekai Meikyuu Harem, for Michio's engagement with his very first sex slave, the beastwoman Roxanne (which she is even more tasteful in the anime than the LN) helps to build the codependent relationship between the two, albeit at a snail's pace. And this is where most people have a mixed reception of the show as it progresses on the actual plot as compared to the "plot", which makes you feel like you're actually playing an RPG game and earning rewards along the way to purchase secret bonus items. Honestly though, this feels refreshing to watch and admire, but at the cost of pacing (which is pretty fine from what I can tell following the manga version of the LN) and waning interest for more girls to come and fill up Michio's family of a harem to get to the full-on degeneracy. Michio himself seems like a very cautious person who has thought through each and every plan and strategy, whether it be in the labyrinth or perfectly sound at home. Roxanne is a beastwoman of beauty, perfect with the dog-like ears and tail, which makes her alluring side more pretty than what Michio had initially bargained for with a hefty amount of a price. And for the most part, these two work like husband and wife: the perfect embodiment of a master-slave relationship that is aware of the ridges of satisfaction yet work in harmony so much to appreciate one another's presence, it almost feels surreal living the kind of life one would've thought of in a fantasy world. And yes, despite the key visual showcasing other girls that would be to come in Michio's harem, it definitely is a shame to exchange more characters for the subservience in plot, and I feel that a Season 2 will give this show more justice than its wonky beginnings. Being the "Men of Culture" studio, Passione under freelance director Naoyuki Tatsuwa (who's done 2018's Yuri drama cringefest Citrus and this season's mobage adaptation Warau Arsnotoria Sun—!) just feels very lacking, it gave the sign that it was content for the production to be this way: an average Isekai show with much action but not enough prowess to offer in any way of animation. But then again, there were other sacrifices in the way that either way, would not have made this show being the stand-out figure it is, other than what the degenerates all came here for. It honestly just looks subpar, almost close to the point of being bad. The OST...also is another area where it could've been better. If you would've told me who Shiori Mikami is, I would have no idea other than her stand-out character roles like AOT's Krista Lenz and Yuru Yuri's Akari Akaza. In fact, her last theme song performance was all the way back in 2015 with the Yuru Yuri series, and this comeback of an OP song...just feels like a waste of a talent, to be frank. To me, it's one of the worst OPs of the season for being a snoozefest, that's all I can judge it based on. But what is NOT a snoozefest is the ED song between Michio and Alan, and I certainly did not expect that both Taku Yashiro and Kenta Miyake would nail the song-convo hybrid formula so perfectly that it pays homage to Interspecies Reviewers's YMCA-ish rhythmic vibes of its now memeified, but still cultured OP. If I had to compliment this show on THE one thing that made it stand out, it would be the ED, which has grown to be my No. 1 ED song of the season (and maybe the best ED of the season) HANDS DOWN. It's a certified banger of a song, bar none. If you still want to watch a Hentai, then Isekai Meikyuu Harem unforuntately isn't the go-to show for your "peak degenerate" tastes. It's classified as a more serious "(actual) plot than plot" setting, and for a change, this puts into the question that both anime-onlies and LN readers have for the longest time: if there is "harem" in the title, why make it such a way that it takes second place below the precedence of the whole dungeon-crawling, labyrinth headspace? The answer we will never know, but if this show does get a Season 2 (which cross my fingers, I wish it does), this harem adventure is but only just the beginning of a long journey for Michio Kaga and his family of sex slaves. This ain't peak degeneracy, not just yet. It still needs a lotta cooking in the process, and that'll determine the success of the source material through the now current mediocre anime adaptation.

Episodes (12)

Filler Recap

Click an episode to read its synopsis.

Community Discussion

SpRayquaza11

Mixed Feelings

Total score 6/10 Look, it's no surprise at this point, but it is well known that the isekai genre is used to soft reset the universe so that the author may set up his own world and history without making the MC have a detailed or important backstory. just pick a random loser Michio, here and own the rules…….. Uh well, how do I say this …… slavery is legal here, AND THE MAIN FOCUS of this show, so if you do not like this topic it is actually quite understandable and actually a respectable opinion, please stay far away from this anime. If asked about this, personally,I have seen many series delve much deeper and darker into the territory of slavery in SPECIFIC Arcs to make the hero look more heroic (pretty dumb NGL). In this anime, Michio Immediately involves himself in violence and slave trading, particularly for dangerous missions and sexual favors, Roxanne, the slave in question is actually okay with both, and Michio, in his own weird way does ask for her consent. (I still feel that 90% of it was a command). He is technically not breaking the law of his new world but if one really wants to police a fictional character, by all means, skip this anime and hunt the author, please do not hold me responsible I DO NOT ENDORSE IT and fully recognize that slavery is rightfully so a crime. With the warning and personal opinion part of the review out of the way, let's get into the score. Plot (5/10) Slow paced pokemon collecting type of anime, but well, he collects women slaves, most of them out of convenience or just the chad aura of Michio willingly give him their uh, maidenhood. there is an actually overlooked aspect of adventuring and dungeon crawling , that makes up for the majority of the first ⅔ of every episode the naughty times is just the remaining parts.the gore and detailed nature of the power system does make for a subpar fantasy plot if you would call it, but do keep in mind most of this is to earn money to buy girls and sexy stuff :3. Characters (4/10) Michio is straightforward gamer chad who gathers “consent” and steamrolls any monster in his path. He is surprisingly okay with both violence and slavery as well , take it as you will. Roxanne is a timid and busty beast-folk (you know they are targeting a very particular fan base) who can be kind of independent and except of sexy times acts as Michios walkin dictionary. Sound and VA (6/10) Standard monster noises , not the best VA in general scenes , the others well, as high budget as an hentai can get IG UwU.the op is shit , the ED is rather good however. Animation and art (7/10) Easily the best art and animation if you consider this an hentai , as an anime welp , the “fanservice” (Who are We kidding its hentai tho not fanservice xD) gets much more love. The other fight scenes are a bit better than most low budget isekai’s they are like redo of healer , if that serves as a good reference. Read reviews and synopsis, itll immediately tell you wheter this is to your “taste” or not.

72 found helpfulSep 21, 2022

Sargossa

Mixed Feelings

This will be a spoiler free review. I am a big fan of the Isekai Meikyuu series. I've read the web novel, light novel, and manga. It's probably my favorite manga being released right now, and the series has a dedicated cult following. So obviously, I was really hyped when I first heard that they were going to make an Isekai Meikyuu anime, made by Studio Passione no less - The studio who made High School DxD season 4, and the new Higurashi. A friend and I thought it was going to be a match made in Heaven. But I think in the back of mymind, I knew that this wasn't going to work out. Especially when I learned it was only going to be 12 episodes. To explain, the Isekai Meikyuu manga is a *notoriously* slow paced series, with lots of little details, and tons of day to day character development - The light novel even more so. That said, that's what the fans love it for. It makes the world and the characters feel alive. The original web novel/light novel is primarily slice of life mixed with harem traits, but it's mostly tame. In the novels, everything is *implied*. The manga however is slice of life, but with a heavy emphasis on the NSFW harem aspect sprinkled throughout. In every interation thus far, the series alternates between their time in the labyrinth, daily life (making dinner, going shopping, seeing the auction broker, etc), occasional story arcs, and harem time at home. But in the case of this show, to actually be able to faithfully capture the tone of the series, the season would have needed to be at least twice as long. So this anime got turned into a 12 episode titty-fest. A good titty-fest mind you, a damn good one, but one that didn't do justice to the characters or the world building. I knew people who just skipped ahead to the sex scenes, completely disregarding the plot. To be honest I don't blame them for it. To Passione's credit, they treated the series with respect as best they could, while also making a bingeable seasonal series. There just wasn't enough time to jam pack all the tiny details into the show without doubling or tripling the episode count. Besides omitting the minute details the series is appreciated for, if I had two complaints, it would be the music, and the main character himself. The main character is a shell of his novel/manga counterpart, with only brief instances where you get to see his shrewd but intelligent mentality. In the light novel, he initially comes off as a well-educated, but selfish, paranoid, and angsty teenager. But gradually over the course of the story, you see him mature. Which according to the author's notes at the end of one of the manga chapters, is the purpose of the story. To see Michio mature after gaining someone he cares about (Roxanne). But here, he just comes off as a cookie-cutter "dumb harem protagonist" archetype. (Insert Godfather meme: "Look how they massacred my boy.") Given the time/episode constraints the studio was given to adapt this series, I can forgive them for oversimplifying my boy Michio's personality. But the music I cannot. The music is my number one complaint - Namely the music during the sex scenes. I can only describe it as "Frantic Jazz", and it's incredibly distracting. It doesn't match the tone, setting, or time-period the characters are in (which is basically the equivalent of the Dark Ages). Jazz wouldn't start to take off until the 1920s. So why then, is it playing in a series set in the technological equivalent of the year 600?? All it does is serve to make the main character seem even more stupid and generic. It might not even stand out so bad if all the other music wasn't bombastic fantasy music, which is fine. But the series goes hard on the fact that "This is the Dark Ages. These people are so primitive, they still think the world is flat." The animation is superb though. Honestly it halfway makes me wish Passione just went all the way, and made it into a legitimate hentai. Don't get me wrong, it's damn close to a hentai already. But since it's already diverging from the novels and manga, might as well go all out. Anyway so in summary, if you like the manga or light novels, this won't feel like either of them. The sad fact is, this series simply wasn't written with an episodic anime format in mind. The story structure just doesn't translate well. But if you're just someone who wants to see an eechi/harem show with some top notch sex scenes, this has some pretty damn good ones.

5 found helpfulAug 20, 2023