Let’s be real. If you’ve spent any time in the anime community, you know exactly what people say about Isekai wa Smartphone to Tomo ni, or In Another World With My Smartphone. It’s the "smartphone anime." It’s the show that represents everything people love to hate about the modern isekai genre. Touya Mochizuki, our main guy, gets struck by lightning because God made a mistake. God feels bad, brings him back to life in a magic world, and lets him keep his iPhone. Oh, and he also cranks Touya's stats up to basically infinite.
It’s ridiculous. It’s "trash."
Yet, here we are years later, and the series remains a massive talking point with a second season that people actually watched. Why? Because Patora Fuyuhara, the original light novel author, understood something very specific about what fans want when they’re stressed out. They don't want a gritty struggle like Re:Zero. They want a breezy, low-stakes power fantasy where the most stressful thing that happens is Touya figuring out how to introduce ice cream to a medieval society.
The Touya Mochizuki Problem: Is He Too Strong?
Yes. Obviously.
Touya is the definition of a "Mary Sue" or "Gary Stu" character, but the show doesn't really try to hide it. In most shonen or isekai series, the protagonist has to train. They have to lose a limb or a friend to realize their potential. In Isekai wa Smartphone to Tomo ni, Touya just looks at a spellbook and masters every single element. He’s basically a cheat code with a heartbeat.
The nuance here—and yes, there is some—is how the series handles the "overpowered" trope. It’s not a battle shonen. It’s a slice-of-life comedy disguised as a fantasy epic. When you look at the light novels, which have been running since 2013 on Shōsetsuka ni Narō, you see a clear pattern. The conflict isn't "Can Touya win?" The conflict is "How is Touya going to use his modern common sense to solve a problem in a way that makes everyone else look like an idiot?"
Honestly, it’s satisfying. There’s a psychological comfort in watching someone just... win. No stress. No trauma. Just a guy, his phone, and a growing group of girls who are all remarkably okay with sharing him.
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Why the Smartphone Isn't Just a Gimmick
When the show first dropped, people thought the phone would be the center of every fight. It’s not. Most of the time, the smartphone is just a GPS or a way for Touya to look up recipes. It’s a literal bridge between our world and theirs.
One of the more interesting aspects of the world-building is how the phone interacts with magic. Since Touya has "Null" magic—a rare category of spells that don't fit the standard elements—he can combine his phone's tech with his mana. He uses the map app to "search" for specific enemies and then casts "Gate" to teleport directly to them. It’s efficient. It’s what any of us would do if we had Google Maps and the power of a god.
A Cast That Defies the Usual Harem Tensions
You’ve got the usual suspects: Elze and Linze Silhoueska (the sisters), Yae Kokonoe (the samurai), Sushie Ernea Ortlinde (the literal child/noble), and Yumina Ernea Belfast. Usually, in these shows, the girls fight until the end of time and no one ever wins.
In Another World With My Smartphone does something different.
Yumina, the princess, basically decides she’s marrying Touya and then helps him recruit the other wives. It’s a polygamous arrangement that is established early and agreed upon by everyone involved. While it’s definitely fan service, it removes that annoying "will they, won't they" tension that drags down so many other anime. It’s refreshing in its honesty. They aren't pretending this isn't a harem. They’re leaning into it with both feet.
Production Hurdles and the Season 2 Shift
The first season was handled by Production Reed back in 2017. It was bright, colorful, and a bit stiff. When the second season finally arrived in 2023—six years later—the studio shifted to J.C.Staff.
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If you're a long-time fan, you noticed the change. The art style got a bit softer, and the pacing picked up. This shift is common in the industry, but for a series like Isekai wa Smartphone to Tomo ni, it was a gamble. Most "trashy" isekai don't get a second chance after such a long hiatus. The fact that it did proves there is a dedicated, silent majority of viewers who keep the light novel sales high and the streaming numbers steady.
J.C.Staff brought a slightly more "modern" feel to the animation, though it still suffers from the budget constraints typical of the genre. You’re not getting Demon Slayer levels of animation here. You’re getting functional, cute, and occasionally janky visuals that get the job done.
The "Isekai Fatigue" Myth
People talk about isekai fatigue like it’s a plague. They say the market is oversaturated.
They’re wrong.
If isekai fatigue were real, shows like this wouldn't rank in the top ten most-watched series on platforms like Crunchyroll or HIDIVE during their seasonal runs. The truth is that Isekai wa Smartphone to Tomo ni is the ultimate "comfort food" anime. It’s the grilled cheese sandwich of television. It’s not gourmet. It’s not going to win an Oscar. But when you’ve had a long day at work and you want to turn your brain off, you don't want a complex political thriller. You want to see a guy with a smartphone accidentally become the king of a magical duchy.
What Most Reviewers Get Wrong
Critics love to tear this show apart for its lack of depth. They point out that Touya has no personality flaws. They complain that the stakes are non-existent.
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They're missing the point.
This series is a "power fantasy fulfillment" story. It’s designed for a demographic that feels powerless in real life. It’s a dream of competency. Imagine if every mistake you made was actually a stroke of genius, and every time you tripped, you landed in a pile of gold. That’s the core appeal. To judge it by the standards of a "hero's journey" is like judging a sitcom by the standards of a Greek tragedy.
The Legacy of the Light Novels
If you want the real meat of the story, you have to look at the light novels. The anime barely scratches the surface. By the later volumes, Touya is dealing with interdimensional threats, ancient civilizations (the Babylon structures), and even more complex divine politics.
The Babylon arc is where the series actually gets some "lore." The flying islands, the gynoids (androids) created by Professor Regina Babylon—this stuff adds a layer of sci-fi to the fantasy that the anime hasn't fully explored yet. Each gynoid has a distinct personality and role, from Francesca to Rosetta. They manage the different "parts" of Touya’s kingdom, giving the world a sense of scale that goes beyond just "magical forest" and "medieval castle."
Actionable Steps for New and Returning Fans
If you're looking to dive deeper into the world of Touya and his multi-wife kingdom, don't just stop at the anime. Here is how you should actually consume this franchise to get the most out of it:
- Read the Light Novels (Don't start at Volume 1): If you've seen the first season, you can technically jump in at Volume 4, though Volume 1-3 have some fun side stories the anime skipped. The prose is simple, making it a very fast read. J-Novel Club handles the English translation, and they’ve done a great job keeping the tone light.
- Watch Season 2 for the Babylon Reveal: If you dropped the show because it felt too aimless, Season 2 introduces more of the overarching plot regarding the Babylon ruins. It’s worth the watch just to see the world expand.
- Check the Manga for the Character Designs: The manga adaptation by Soto has a slightly different art style that many fans actually prefer over the anime. It captures the facial expressions and the comedy beats a bit better than the stiff animation of Season 1.
- Embrace the Genre: Stop comparing it to Jobless Reincarnation. This isn't that. Go in expecting a low-stress, fun time, and you’ll actually enjoy yourself.
The reality of Isekai wa Smartphone to Tomo ni is that it’s a pillar of the "slow life" and "overpowered" subgenres for a reason. It does exactly what it says on the tin. It’s a guy, a smartphone, and a world that bends to his will. Sometimes, that's all an anime needs to be.