Tags: Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Comedy, Romance, Harem, Isekai

Sub-Tags: OP, Strong Lead, Slapstick, Dungeons

Seiichi and Saria Head for the City!

Returning with a new review, the first of this week sees a return of Seiichi’s misadventures alongside his gorilla bride Saria.

The second volume in the series has Seiichi and Saria finally out of the forest dungeon and exploring the wider kingdom. They eventually end up at the royal capital of Terbelle and registering at the guild. Unfortunately, the guild is filled with world-class deviants and perverts.

Deciding to continue with the guild’s exam, their proctor ends up being Altria. Whilst most would consider being saddled with this beauty a blessing, she’s cursed with misfortune and those who end up too close become just as unlucky. Will Seiichi stave off bad luck to complete the guild exam, or will it bring perils beyond even those of the Forest of Endless Heartbreak?

The Perverts and the Calamity

Continuing from the previous volume, Seiichi was likely hoping for an end to all the zany madness after escaping the Forest of Endless Heartbreak. Unfortunately for him, this volume ups the ante, showing that the humans of this world can be every bit as insane.

Following a warning from the guards, their visit to the guild opens them up to a world they’d rather have kept closed. Exposed to unabashed debauchery and deviancy, it makes for one hell of a welcome to the royal capital.

For the comedic effect, some of these work better than others. The speedo guy and dominatrix receptionist have more than just a caricature. Others made for just odd additions, for example, the three guy welcome party. Thankfully, these oddities are interrupted by the star of the volume, Altria.

Much like in the anime, she quickly becomes one of my favourite characters in the series. This volume gives Altria a nice little character arc; unblemished by her calamity, she retains her kind nature, a nature which is repaid in kind at the volume’s conclusion. This is also spurred on by both Seiichi and Saria’s oblivious sensibilities. They don’t care about her curse, it doesn’t matter to them that she brings bad luck, what matters is how she still helps regardless.

Heroes and Demons

Altria’s curse does, unfortunately, activate, leading to this volume’s dungeon exploration and boss fight. In this case, the boss battle happens to be against a dragon god. A slight struggle later, it’s defeated.

In return for victory, alongside all the new skills and levels, is yet another sad biography. More insightful than previous entries, the biography finally gets Seiichi to use his brain and think critically.

The life of the dragon god is a tragic classic. Betrayed by the humans he once protected and living to see the horrific death of his only friend, it provides a fuller picture of the world to Seiichi and reveals that humans and heroes may not be the force for good he’s been led to believe.

Overall, The Fruit of Evolution’s second volume remains a fun, comedic read. The introduction of Altria is a good move for the series, a more fleshed-out character with ample reason to join Seichii’s growing harem. The lack of a conclusion to the confession gives a good incentive to see what happens in the next volume.