Don't Hurt Me, My Healer!

AustinDR May 22, 2022

5.5

So this is by no means a fantastic show, but at the same time, I would be lying that I didn't find some aspects of the show funny. It follows a young adventurer collecting herbs when he gets a run-in with a magical beast. Just as he was about to get mauled, he meets Karla, a dark elf "healer" who agrees to help him if he groveled before her. One thing leads to another and Karla accidentally curses him saying if he were about 300 meters away from her, he would die.  Okay. So, the make-or-break factor of this anime would be the comedy. How is it? The manga was written in the style of a four-panel comic where it would establish the setup for the joke followed by the punchline. Because of this, the humor doesn't really land.  For instance, after Karla "healed" Alvin, she bemoans that she was unable to reconstruct his face. Sure, it does start off as funny, but then it loses its traction as it is continued to be drilled in that ultimately nothing was wrong with his face. Karla's non-subtle jabs at Alvin also get old fast. If anything, the show fails at being a comedy because it instead annoys the viewer. Unless you like cringe, the show is virtually humorless.  Alvin is an okay lead character who is painfully weak due to his rank and that serves as the backdrop for most of the jokes at his expense. Truthfully, Alvin does not deserve any of the pain that Karla puts him through.  Karla herself...I still can't make a decision on what the writers were hoping to accomplish with her. She is a sarcastic Dark Elf who constantly belittles Alvin all while being unhelpful. She can appear completely stupid one instant while gaslighting Alvin in another. I swear: it feels like you are the one being abused in this scenario.  Ortegaia does make the two more bearable once he joins their guild of his own volition. He comes across as being pretty pleasant. In fact, several of the monsters in the show are actually benevolent (with a few exceptions) that assist the group my favorite being Mostly-Bear. Really, one of the few saving graces of the show in my opinion. The opening and ending themes are good, but maybe too good for a show of this quality. Voicework is serviceable.  But can't in good conscience recommend this show because there is nothing much to offer. <nav></nav>