[Isekai Battle!] Ryouma (By the Grace of the Gods) vs Genzou (Kemono Michi: Rise Up!) - Who Improved Their Fantasy World the Most?

Not all isekai protagonists have to depose tyrannical kings or rescue royals in order to have a positive impact on the fantasy world they’re transported to – some folks just open a useful shop or introduce a few key elements from modern society that make life easier. Such is the case with Ryouma Takebayashi from Fall 2020’s By the Grace of the Gods and Genzou Shibata from Fall 2019’s Kemono Michi! Rise Up, both of whom take a peaceful and (mostly) well thought out approach to spreading happiness in their respective isekai worlds. But who improved their new home the most? Let’s take a closer look at their strategies and see who the biggest benefactor to Generic JRPG-Topia really is!


Ryouma’s Fair Employment Practices

Ryouma may look like a preteen child, but he’s actually the reincarnation of an adult salaryman who died from overwork at his stressful, exploitative job. He spends the first few years of his new life taming slimes and even discovering new types that eat dirt and grime, until he finds himself in the good graces of a local duke’s family and they introduce him to the rest of the world. Determined to make his own way without relying on the family’s financial support, Ryouma ends up opening a laundry service that uses his slimes to clean extremely tough stains most people would just give up on.

What’s particularly sweet about Ryouma is that he puts serious effort into making sure his employees are treated well (unlike, say, Yuna from Fall 2020’s Kuma Kuma Kuma Bear, who doesn’t see anything wrong with making dozens of children work day in and day out). He builds dormitories for his workers, hires them a cook, factors in paid holidays, frequently checks in with them to make sure they’re happy, and much more. The laundry service may only have a small impact by itself, but Ryouma’s introduction of fair employment practices is sure to make lasting waves in this world’s culture.

Genzou’s Love of Animals and Entertainment

Genzou, on the other hand, doesn’t have much of a plan for his new ventures in isekai land, but he’s got a good heart and a lot of people to help him. Formerly a professional wrestler called Animal Mask, Genzou is called to this world to defeat a plague of monsters... but upon learning that he’s being asked to hurt what are basically animals, he suplexes the princess who summoned him and runs off to start a pet shop so people can understand how adorable these creatures really are. In the process, he also introduces wrestling to the flabbergasted public and they discover a deep love for the spectacle and athleticism of it all.

Hilariously, the pet shop and pro wrestling projects somehow manage to solve the underlying monster problem, since the monsters start to respect Genzou and the draconic princess causing most of the issues accepts defeat in the ring (for now). Genzou does have a few bad habits, like spending what little money he has adopting new pets and insisting on cuddling any creature he comes across, but his contributions to the town’s welfare are uniformly positive.


Final Thoughts

Genzou seems to have made a bigger initial impact on his fantasy world by solving monster issues and bringing people together with an exciting sport they can all participate in, but we think Ryouma’s commitment to healthy workplace environments will lead to lasting change long after he’s gone. Maybe he can even create fantasy OSHA, so people like Yuna won’t ruin his hard work by exploiting their workers without thinking. Now that would be amazing!

What did you think of our overview? Who do you think improved their fantasy world the most? Let us know in the comments, and thanks so much for reading!

Kemono-Michi-Wallpaper [Isekai Battle!] Ryouma (By the Grace of the Gods) vs Genzou (Kemono Michi: Rise Up!) - Who Improved Their Fantasy World the Most?

Editor/Writer

Author: Mary Lee Sauder

After the hard-hitting East Coast lifestyle hit me a bit too hard, I started pursuing my passion as a writer in my cozy home state of Ohio. Aside from that, I spend my time cooking, cosplaying, collecting anime merch, and being an improv comedy actor. I also love sneaking alliterations and stupid puns into my writing, so be on the lookout for them! 😉

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