The Unwanted Undead Adventurer (Season One) – Nozomanu Fushi no Boukensha

The Unwanted Undead Adventurer Title

Rentt Faina was exploring a new area of a supposedly easy dungeon when he found a strange dragon. Before he could act, it ate him. However, he woke sometime later as an undead skeleton! What was he going to do?

The Unwanted Undead Adventurer (Season One) – Nozomanu Fushi no Boukensha

What did you watch?

Recently, I decided that I would increase the number of shows I watched each season. There would be a handful that I would review episodically and the rest would get a seasonal review… and maybe more, if I felt like I needed more time to talk about them. Well, this is the first of those extra shows that I watched from the Winter 2024 schedule. I picked it based entirely on the fact that it was a fantasy series and I was curious to see who the blonde was that appeared on the promo image. That’s all it takes to make me want to watch a show… but, you have to do something with it to make me keep watching. So, what did The Unwanted Undead Adventurer do?

The Unwanted Undead Adventurer Episode 1 The Dragon eats Rentt

What happened?

Rentt had become an undead skeleton. He couldn’t go back home. Someone would capture him. Then, the priests would purify him before he could explain things. If he ran into any adventurers they would undoubtedly attack. No, this was a bit of a problem. Well, other than being dead and all. Rentt took some time to explore the dungeon in his new form, learning to use his new body. He discovered that he was still able to use all three types of magic, which was surprising given his new form. His new form was surprisingly stronger too. He was able to easily defeat the skeletons and slimes that inhabited the dungeon. Then, something strange happened. He’d heard of it from Lorraine but never believed it could happen. He evolved into a ghoul!

Meanwhile, the people at the guild were beginning to wonder where he was, especially as he was going to show a new adventurer around. Since he wasn’t there, they sent her to the easy dungeon to practice. Soon, she ran into Rentt. Well, he found her in a spot of bother, cornered by a skeleton. He saved her and then tried to explain his situation. Surprisingly, Rina believed him and then went to get him some things to help him out. Rentt was apprehensive that she would come back, or that she would come back with other adventurers. She did come back and she brought him clothes and a mask. However, when he put on the mask, he discovered that it was cursed and wasn’t able to remove it. That was probably for the best given his appearance.

Rina helped Rentt get back into the city where he sought out Lorraine, hoping that she wouldn’t instantly turn him to ash. Lorraine believed him and agreed to help, provided he helped her with her research into monsters and their evolution. She was quite excited since this was the first actual case of evolution that anyone had witnessed. Maybe, he could evolve again. It certainly seemed possible.

The Unwanted Undead Adventurer Episode 1 Rentt evolves into a ghoul

What did you think?

Fun fact about The Unwanted Undead Adventurer – I almost gave up in the first episode. In my defence, I was tired and it was fairly slow to begin, however, I decided to start again when I was refreshed and I loved it. I breezed through the first four episodes and then had to stop myself from continuing until I had another batch to watch. This is a very chilled series. It’s slow and thoughtful. The main goal of the series is to see if Rentt can evolve into a form that would make him able to pass as a human, at least by appearances. So, he sets his sights on becoming a vampire and Lorraine is there to help him along the way. It’s not an easy journey and Rentt also has to create a new persona and requalify as an adventurer. He soon learns that his absence has been felt by the guild. Maybe, he wasn’t just a low-level bronze adventurer. This series has some great feel-good moments as it explores what it means to be a monster and how that impacts his relationships with others.

The Unwanted Undead Adventurer Episode 5 Lorraine experimenting

What was your favourite moment?

My favourite thing about this series was how Rentt impacted those around him, even once he was a monster. Those who knew his best were quick to realise that it was him even with the mask on. However, they understood his need for privacy and didn’t push the matter, preferring to wait until he was ready to talk. The blacksmith and his wife were a great example of this. They quickly worked out it was him, but said nothing. Then, we saw how sad they were for him as he left, wishing they could help him. We saw Rentt’s impact on the two rookie adventurers, Raiz and Laura, helping them to pass their bronze adventurer exam. He taught them so much in that exam, that he outed himself to the guild receptionist, Sheila. However, rather than just confront him, she created a magical contract where she would sell herself into slavery if she ever betrayed him. Rentt was just your average hardworking adventurer, but his life had impacted so many others. It just shows that everyone has the ability to enrich another’s life by simply showing up and getting the job done.

The Unwanted Undead Adventurer Episode 8 Rentt rewarded for saving the girls

What was your least favourite moment?

I was a little concerned about the introduction of a mouse-like familiar for Rentt, however, that quickly vanished. Rentt had taken on a quest that paid next to nothing. It was the adventurer’s equivalent of doing charity work, however, most had passed it up. The quest was from the orphanage. They needed a rare flower for medicinal uses, but they only appeared in a dangerous swamp. The medicine was for the nun who ran the orphanage, but the eldest girl had submitted the quest in secret. The cover was that Rentt was to deal with some monsters in the basement. This was the introduction of the mouse-like monsters. One bit Rentt, however, it soon evolved because of his blood and became his familiar. Edel actually ended up being a fun addition to the story and helped Rentt out several times. The last we saw was when he turned the other monsters in the basement into his familiars and set them to protect the orphanage. Yet another great feel-good moment.

The Unwanted Undead Adventurer Episode 9 Rentt and Lorraine with Edel

Who was your favourite character?

Well, I called it. Lorraine was my favourite character. I loved her wit and sarcasm. She constantly teased Rentt but also thought nothing of it when he bit her, driven by his need for blood. She even seemed disappointed when he healed her wound too. I think she was excited to have a battle scar. Then, she kept messing with him such as putting her blood in the food she made him, since he is a monster and that’s what he craves, even if he only needs a drop or two. I loved how calm and collected she was with everything too. Her skills as a researcher and a magic user were invaluable and without her, Rentt would have been on his own, and I dare say that wouldn’t have gone quite so well.

The Unwanted Undead Adventurer Episode 12 Lorraine and Rentt

Who was your least favourite character?

I don’t think there was anyone that I found objectionable. I do wish we’d learned a little more about the mysterious woman who lived in the dungeon. I dare say she has something to do with what happened to Rentt, or at the very least, she can give him some answers. Maybe, if we get a second season, we’ll find out more. Obviously, some people were jerks but they were pretty much inconsequential. There were some adventurers who were too cocky and then, the traders who were stealing women from the one village Rentt went to help. Anyhow, I was overly impressed with the series on pretty much every level.

The Unwanted Undead Adventurer Episode 5 The mysterious lady in the dungeon

Would you like some more?

Yes, I’d love some more. There are a lot of questions still to be answered, especially when we learned about why Rentt wants to be a Mythril-level adventurer. His backstory was pretty sad. His family and best friend were killed by a powerful monster who could hold its own against a Mythril-level adventurer. We need to find out more about the dungeon and what happened to Rentt. We need to see if he will start a relationship with Lorraine, or could it be Sheila. Either way, there’s a lot more in the tank with this series so I hope we get another. I enjoy action-packed fantasy adventures as much as if not more than the average person, but I also love variety and this was a refreshing change.

The Unwanted Undead Adventurer Episode 10 Lorraine teasing Rentt

What have you learned?

I’ve always believed that you should give a series a chance before walking away. That’s why I try to ensure that I watch at least four episodes. Now, I understand that this is a tough ask sometimes, especially as it should be up to the series to grab you as quickly as possible, well, at least by modern standards. If you took that approach to a lot of old fiction, you wouldn’t read most of the classics. Lord of the Rings starts incredibly slow and the Hobbit begins with a dinner party that includes thirteen dwarves all with similar-sounding names. I don’t think it’s fair to the series or a book to give up after an episode or a chapter. At the very least, if you are going to do that, don’t rate the entire series based on your brief experience.

The Unwanted Undead Adventurer Episode 2 Lorraine sees Rentt evolve

Other shows from Winter 2024

Series Information

English TitleThe Unwanted Undead Adventurer
Japanese TitleNozomanu Fushi no Boukensha
MediumAnime
ReleasedWinter 2024
Episodes12
Animation StudiosConnect
GenresAction, Adventure, Fantasy, Magic
DemographicShounen

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