​”Takafumi's uncle returned from an alternate fantasy world after seventeen years, and now he's (sort of) getting the hang of the twenty first century. From virtual YouTubers to modern netiquette, there's a lot to learn for a guy who lives in service of games. But as Uncle recalls his memories of ax-wielding battlers and draconic forces, Takafumi keeps noticing one thing: the swooning heroines who failed to catch his romantically oblivious uncle's attention! Can Takafumi help him get a clue, or is it too late for such a die-hard gamer?” (Yen Press)
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The first volume of “Uncle From Another World” introduced us to the titular troublesome Uncle, a man whose Isekai dream was more a nightmare in his longing to return to play his part in the console wars. Crass and awkwardly obtuse, ‘uncle' became an instant lovable loser, holding godlike power yet struggling to pay the bills due to his awkward online persona (aiming for the big YouTube bucks) and horrible spending habits. Video games come first, and even as the second volume introduces subsequent lore of the veteran gamer's time in another world, he remains ever stubborn – beating high scores of vintage games being the true measure of manliness.
As such, the second volume in the series continues to build lore but still hits the same comedic strings and action of the inaugural release. Not necessarily a negative, the comedy still feels fresh, making it apparent that the cantankerous boomer has staying power to carry on the series. Furthermore, his nephew, Takafumi, is starting to develop as an intriguing central character, thanks to an awkward romance he has with his childhood friend – Uncle is always there to chime in with crass advice to make them blush. Consequently, the series stays fresh through deepening familiarity with entertaining short-lived conflicts over a larger overarching humorous narrative.
The expressive art of Hotondoshindieru still shines through in the second volume, with many ‘memeable' images of aged and distorted faces often acting as the perfect punchline. Conversely, elements of fantasy are explored with a more picturesque aesthetic that embraces both the beauty and ‘kawaii' aspects often explored in the isekai genre. Both styles come together in the most riotous chapter to date, uncle using his powers to transform into an attractive female elf to gain more YouTube subscriptions. The second volume, if any notable change in style is to be mentioned, does begin to blur the line of magic and reality more than the inaugural release. Regardless, the art still plays a major contribution in making the series such a stand out and there is good reasoning behind Yen Press opting for a slightly larger format for the series.
Despite the enjoyable visual chaos of seeing the world emerge a bit more, “Uncle From Another World” does begin to show some signs of narrative strain. Notably, the series can get quite cluttered in spots, making it hard to follow the commotion without slowing down to better understand the context of the set up. Quick cuts to absurd panels are certainly nothing new in the comedy genre, but it can lean on the excessive and confusing side – aggravated by the further blurring of past and present. Ultimately, the second volume feels like it is at the conjuncture where it will either break down or transform into something remarkable.
If you enjoyed the first volume of “Uncle From Another World”, there is still reason to be optimistic about the continuation of the series, albeit cautiously. My own personal impression was that the title had warranted potential to become the next big comedic manga, particularly with an anime adaptation planned. However, the second volume has me treading more cautiously as it feels like it could begin to lose its charm as it becomes more convoluted. Regardless, there is still plenty reason to be excited to see how the series progresses in the coming volumes, – fans of comedy deserve to give this one a shot before the adaptation lands.
