The Laid Off Cheat Granting Mage Premieres Today

P.A. Works has a new fantasy on the air today. The Laid Off Cheat Granting Mage Enjoys a Second Lease on Life premieres October 6 on Crunchyroll, with English, Hindi, Tamil and Telugu dubs available from the start.

Revenge of the support class

Rein spent years enchanting his guildmates’ gear, quietly making everyone around him stronger, only to be expelled the moment there was nothing left to enchant. Instead of moping, he takes his magic back, pours it into his own sword, and sets out as an adventurer, gathering a band of fellow castoffs. It is the banished hero formula, but the twist that makes it work is that Rein was never weak, just invisible, and the story is about what happens when the invisible person stops being polite.

P.A. Works is the notable name here. The studio behind Shirobako and Akiba Maid War rarely touches the isekai and fantasy shelf, and when it does, the production values tend to embarrass the competition. The trailers bear that out.

Fall’s quiet contender

Sandwiched between the October 5 premieres and Rayearth on the 7th, this is the show most likely to sneak up on people. The date was confirmed in the schedule reported by Animation World Network.

My take: Banished hero stories live or die on whether the hero is actually likable. Rein is, and P.A. Works behind him makes this my sleeper pick for the season.