The upcoming summer anime season brings the highly anticipated anime adaptation of the light novel series Sweet Reincarnation. Penned by Nozomu Koryu with illustrations by Yasuyuki Shuri, this delightful story follows the journey of Pastry, a pastry chef who has been reincarnated as the son of a humble lord with a future leadership role. Despite his challenging upbringing, Pastry is determined to spread joy by creating delicious desserts and building a thriving community. This Sweet Reincarnation Episode 1 review will show why this new anime series is a delectable treat that will leave you wanting more!
Destroyed by His Own Creation
Episode 1 of Sweet Reincarnation follows a pastry chef’s journey as he competes in the final stage of the Patissier World Tournament. Unfortunately, moving his candy sculpture causes it to fall on him, causing fatal injuries. As he lies on the floor in a pool of blood, he expresses frustration towards God for not allowing him to fulfill his lifelong dream of creating the world’s most delicious sweets and using them to bring happiness to people. In response, God offers him another opportunity by reincarnating him, but with a magical twist.
The character design in Episode 1’s first scene will instantly catch your attention because all characters shown lack facial features like eyes and noses. Only their mouths, ears, and hair were visible. This type of character design is frequently used during the episode and serves as a way to indicate when a character is on screen but should not be the viewer’s focus. However, we get to see the full facial features of the same characters when they speak or perform any action, which helps us to know where to direct our attention next.
Welcome to Morteln
As the episode continues, we learn that the talented pastry chef has been reborn as a young boy named Pastry, destined to become the next lord of Morteln. Despite his tender age, Pastry remembers his past life and retains his impressive pastry chef skills and his unfulfilled childhood dream. However, Pastry faces numerous challenges in his newfound life that will prevent him from achieving his dream, including bandits planning to attack the domain and destroy the crops in just two months. As a result, his father, Father Casserole, decides to expedite Pastry’s Sanctification Ceremony.
Pastry’s determination to fulfill his lifelong dream using his skills and knowledge was inspiring. Had he decided to use his knowledge of reincarnation for malicious purposes, the anime would have taken a different turn, losing its charming and heartwarming vibe. It’s reassuring to see him maintain his pure intentions to bring joy to people with his confectionery creations, even after his untimely demise in his previous life.
The Sanctification Ceremony
As Pastry and his father embark on a journey to the city, they suddenly disappear in a spectacular flash of light, hinting at the magical world they inhabit. This captivating moment not only captured the interest of the children of Morteln but also drew me in further, eager to see how the episode would unfold. Upon their arrival in the city, we discover that the Sanctification Ceremony is the key to unlocking one’s hidden magical abilities. As Pastry discovers his new magical abilities, you will become hooked on the show, much like the delectable treats he aims to create for his community. The series is an excellent introduction, and you will be excited to explore Pastry’s magic and how he uses it to achieve his goals.
Animation Style
Sweet Reincarnation employs the Moe animation style, which endears the characters to the audience. This choice is especially fitting for Pastry, whose love for sweet confections makes him a character you can’t help but feel protective of. However, don’t be fooled by the cutesy style – the show has depth. In one scene, Pastry and his father practice sword fighting, which is beautifully animated and foreshadows the stark reality that will contrast with Pastry’s fantastical life in the land of sweets. This contrast is briefly glimpsed when Pastry daydreams about all the sweet treats he hopes to make someday – depicted in vibrant colors – only to be interrupted by his father knocking his sword out of his hand.
The Verdict
I found myself completely engrossed in Sweet Reincarnation from the very first episode. The character design was captivating, especially the adorable protagonist, Pastry. The hints of magical abilities possessed by the inhabitants of Pastry’s new world added further intrigue to the story. The animation style was delightful, reminiscent of the sweet confections that Pastry dreams of creating in his land of sweets. Episode 1 shows why Sweet Reincarnation will be the most scrumptious watch of the summer.
Sweet Reincarnation will premiere on Monday, July 3, 2023, at 11:30 AM PDT and is available to stream weekly on Crunchyroll.
Published: Jul 2, 2023 11:50 am