Hai to Gensou no Grimgar

Fear, survival, instinct. Thrown into a foreign land with nothing but hazy memories and the knowledge of their name, they can feel only these three emotions resonating deep within their souls. A group of strangers is given no other choice than to accept the only paying job in this game-like world—the role of a soldier in the Reserve Army—and eliminate anything that threatens the peace in their new world, Grimgar.

When all of the stronger candidates join together, those left behind must create a party together to survive: Manato, a charismatic leader and priest; Haruhiro, a nervous thief; Yume, a cheerful hunter; Shihoru, a shy mage; Moguzo, a kind warrior; and Ranta, a rowdy dark knight. Despite its resemblance to one, this is no game—there are no redos or respawns; it is kill or be killed.

It is now up to this ragtag group of unlikely fighters to survive together in a world where life and death are separated only by a fine line.

[Written by MAL Rewrite]

Haruhiro Main

Hosoya, Yoshimasa Japanese

Merry Main

Anzai, Chika Japanese

Yume Main

Komatsu, Mikako Japanese

Manato Main

Shimazaki, Nobunaga Japanese

Ranta Main

Yoshino, Hiroyuki Japanese

Shihoru Main

Terui, Haruka Japanese

Moguzo Main

Ochiai, Fukushi Japanese

Barbara Supporting

Noto, Mamiko Japanese

Renji Supporting

Seki, Tomokazu Japanese

Chibi Supporting

Cook, Justin Producer

Saitou, Masaya Producer

Harada, Naoki Producer

Nakamura, Ryousuke Director, Sound Director, Episode Director, Script, Storyboard, Series Composition, Key Animation

Reviews

Dec 4, 2025

Zethell

Recommended

Hai to Gensou no Grimgar, or Grimgar of Fantasy and Ash is one of those rare Anime that's in a class of its own.
Your typical Isekai beginning, yet manages to do something that no other Isekai has done before.

It's the only Anime I would ever rate 10/10. Based on Story, Visuals, Sound/Music, Animation and Characters.
And it certainly excels at all of those.

The characters are interesting, well drawn and well animated.
Every scene feels special, like you're watching a unique painting each scene.

Even the sound design for ambiance is amazing and compliments the scenes, the music is well made and fits in perfectly.
...
The fighting scenes feel grounded in reality and are extremely well animated.
Every swing of a weapon looks like it has actual weight to it.
None of the characters ever feel like they're overpowered or the "hero".

It's simply an extremely well made masterpiece.
A work of art in every aspect, a must watch.

It may never get a season 2, but I still highly recommend this to Anime and Isekai enjoyers alike.
It does not end on a cliffhanger, but it leaves a desires to watch more.

Reviewer’s Rating: 10

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May 30, 2025

BigDongDantes

Mixed Feelings

Story – 4/10
Grimgar sets out to portray a more grounded and emotional take on the fantasy genre, but it often feels empty. The pacing is slow, and the worldbuilding is minimal to the point of being confusing. While the premise had potential, most of the episodes feel like mood pieces rather than actual story progression.

Characters – 4/10
The cast is balanced in terms of RPG roles, but their behavior doesn’t match their supposed training or the danger of their situation. They struggle with even basic coordination in combat, and their reactions to life-or-death encounters often lack intensity or urgency. There’s some growth over time, but it ... takes too long to get anywhere meaningful.

Animation – 6/10
The watercolor backgrounds are beautiful, but the actual animation is limited. Combat lacks impact, and there are too many static shots used in emotional moments. It’s visually pleasant but not very engaging in action scenes.

Sound – 5/10
The music is calming and matches the tone, but it’s often used in place of actual storytelling. Voice acting is decent, but some scenes could’ve used more emotional range to feel authentic.

Enjoyment – 3/10
While the show has an interesting atmosphere and artistic direction, I found it hard to stay invested. The pacing is slow, the emotional beats didn’t land for me, and certain choices (like misplaced fanservice or inconsistent logic) broke immersion. It left me feeling more frustrated than moved.

Overall – 4/10
Grimgar has a strong aesthetic and an interesting concept, but it doesn’t follow through on its potential. If you’re looking for something slow and introspective, it might work for you — but if you want solid storytelling or impactful character development, this might leave you disappointed.

Reviewer’s Rating: 4

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Jan 10, 2025

kirinamaterasu

Not Recommended

First of all, it's really weak as an anime.
Boring dialogues, meaningless conversations, and poor environment design are all points that discourage you throughout the anime.
But most importantly, the wrong choice of voice actor for the main character. The main character, Haruhiro, is a young boy with an average physique, while the voice chosen for him is a relatively mature voice suitable for young people with a larger physique and older age. This inappropriate choice makes it impossible for you to feel a connection with the main character throughout the anime, and the inconsistency of this voice with the character bothers you.
Perhaps if this were not ... the case and a voice actor suitable for the character's appearance was chosen, it could cover the other weaknesses that I mentioned at the beginning, but unfortunately it was not.
Apart from these issues, the fact that the story had no beginning and end anchor was also annoying. Compared to anime like Sword Art Online and Log Horizon, this anime is really weak, with annoying characters and a boring story.

Reviewer’s Rating: 5

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