Failure Frame episode 1 review: An interesting isekai revenge quest

Failure Frame episode 1, with the full title Failure Frame: I Became the Strongest and Annihilated Everything With Low-Level Spells, premiered in Japan on Friday, July 5, 2024, at 3 am. The isekai genre is lush with stories of ordinary people becoming heroes, adventurers, and chosen ones, usually sent to fantastical worlds via their death in the real world or by being summoned.

While Failure Frame episode 1 initially begins like an isekai of that type, it puts an almost Shield Hero-like spin on itself. Normally, the genre features overpowered characters and protagonists who specialize in one field or another. Failure Frame episode 1 asks the question: when a hero is deemed the lowest among heroes, what can be done with them?

With acclaimed studios like Seven Arcs and SynergySP—producers of Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha, Hayate the Combat Butler, and others—excellent animation, and an intriguing twist, Failure Frame episode 1 entrances with an interesting start in an oversaturated genre.

Failure Frame episode 1: A successful first episode

Plot summary

Mimori Touka has always been considered less than everyone else; to his family, he's barely a person and more of a whipping boy, and to his classmates, he's considered less than a gust of wind. Standing up for class president Sogou Ayaka against delinquent Oyamada Shougo was enough to warrant a laugh but little else.

When everyone in Okito Academy's Class 2-C was transported to the world of Alion by the Goddess Vicius and tasked with becoming heroes to defeat demons, everyone, including the homeroom teacher, was granted powers and deemed heroes of a certain rank.

Unfortunately for Touka, he's considered the "trash" of the world and is sent to the Ruins of Disposal to die almost immediately after. After using his status ailment powers to survive against a minotaur and a cockatrice and realizing they are useful, he sets out for revenge. Thus begins the story of Failure Frame.

Expansions and excisions from the manga

Failure Frame Episode 1: Ayaka's silencing manga vs. anime (Image via Overlap/Seven Arcs)

Failure Frame Episode 1 expands on several things right away that the manga left intentionally vague in its initial chapters. Everyone from class 2-C are given names and personalities from the start, as opposed to everyone being in shadow.

In addition to the kind class president and the delinquent, there's the ice-cold upperclassman Kirihara Takuto, the sharp-tongued Asagi Ikusaba, the quiet and bullied Yasu Tomohiro, the apathetic homeroom teacher Tamotsu Zakarogi, the troubled looking Kashima Kobato, and the seemingly airheaded Takao twins Hijiiri and Itsuki.

When they get to Alion, Failure Frame episode 1 showcases Vicius demonstrating her power twice: once by eradicating a wolf that murdered someone in front of them, next by showcasing she has a shield spell that deflects all magic around her when Touka objects to his treatment by trying to attack her.

Vicius' method of silencing Ayaka is more vicious in the anime—she punches her hard in the stomach instead of simply knocking her out with a chop to the neck, as in the manga.

Failure Frame Episode 1: All the classmates/Vicius' demeanor. (Image via Seven Arcs/Overlap)

Expansions include Kirihara shooting his Draconic Buster fire spell in front of Vicius as if to object but saying nothing about Touka's treatment. Yasu seems to come to Touka's aid, triggering a flashback where Touka aided Yasu when he was bullied.

Still, Yasu joins in on the bullying while arrogantly relishing his newfound status. The twins walk away, with Hijiiri even declaring the students all mocking Touka to be scum. All the students question Vicius until they all start getting powers.

In the manga, Vicius comes off as "holier than thou" and never seems to change her serene expression or mannerisms, even accusing Touka of leading Ayaka's heart astray. In Failure Frame episode 1, she gets very condescending and stern, and her smile even seems sinister when sentencing Touka.

In the manga, Touka is more outspoken about his unfair treatment and points out that the others will be discarded the minute the goddess decrees it. In the anime, he yells at the goddess only when he's about to be teleported. Touka flipping off Vicius is cut off mid-teleport in the anime.

Failure Frame episode 1: The positives

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Failure Frame episode 1's animation is glossy and very clean-looking. Even the more violent scenes, such as Vicius disposing of the wolf after it killed a man and the magic powers demonstration and character designs, are well done.

The character designs don't blend into each other; all the "important" characters are distinct in their looks and mannerisms. This is especially true for Vicius, who looks like she came off the manga page.

The voice work is likewise brilliant. Everyone's voices fit their characters, including Vicius and Touka. Touka's VA is Ryouta Suzuki, best known for playing Yuu Ishigami in Kaguya-Sama: Love is War and Ryuusui Nanami in Dr. Stone. The sinister goddess Vicius is played by Ami Koshimizu, whom Kill la Kill fans may recognize as Ryuko Matoi's voice and the voice of Spice and Wolf's Holo.

Failure Frame episode 1: Same voice actors (Image via Seven Arcs, Trigger, and A-1 Pictures)

The story sets itself apart immediately in a sinister way, though the "protagonist is ostracized" trope may be familiar to viewers of Rising of the Shield Hero and Arifureta: From Commonplace to World's Strongest. Both of these anime involve this exact plot, though some of the specifics differ.

That being said, the fact that several classmates were sympathetic or at least not outright hostile does bring hope that Touka won't have to fight or kill all of them. It would be quite a shame if everyone in the class died as a part of Touka's revenge quest.

Failure Frame episode 1's negatives: The CGI and stereotypical start

Failure Frame episode 1's monsters vs. their manga counterparts (Image via Seven Arcs/Overlap)

There are two big negatives to consider in Failure Frame episode 1: it relies a little too much on the student characters acting like stereotypes anime fans are accustomed to, which, while intentional, does feel off-putting, and the CGI for the monsters is not integrated well.

Aside from the holes in the minotaur, the first monster in the manga resembles a minotaur from Greek mythology and is very monstrous by itself. The anime decided to make the designs for the monsters look more alien and eldritch than traditional. It's a good choice for the monster designs if a little strange to look at.

Failure Frame episode 1: The cliche characters (Image via Seven Arcs)

The problem is that the CGI is not integrated well with the traditionally animated characters. This gives off a very uncanny valley feel to the monsters and may take some getting used to if one continues with the series past the three-episode rule. Some have even called the CGI animation very "rigid" for something modern.

Another negative is how similar it feels to other isekai following the same plot and characters, as many fans pointed out comparisons to Arifureta and Tsukimichi Moonlit Fantasy. To be fair, most isekai since Sword Art Online follows certain formulas, and standing apart becomes difficult. Plus, it's just the first episode, and things might improve later.

Final thoughts: A note on revenge stories

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Failure Frame episode 1 starts a revenge story, where the protagonist is thrown aside and vows vengeance against those who wronged him. It brings up the question of whether or not the Demon Empire threat is real or imagined since the goddess only offered proof with the wolf she obliterated.

A note should be made on revenge storiesas they tend to proceed and end in one of three main ways: first, the protagonist gets their revenge against clearly bad people and suffers no regret or consequence; second, the protagonist finds themselves entirely hollow afterward and aimless; third, they stop their revenge quest after being helped along the way and realize they have something to live for.

Whether or not Touka will become truly "evil" depends on how things progress from here on out. The goddess is already a condescending elitist; most of the other students have elitism in them as well, and the monsters are certainly real. The questions will need to be answered as the series progresses.

For viewers who like revenge stories, Failure Frame is one to keep an eye on. The first episode is available on Crunchyroll, as are future episodes.