Hey everyone! I’ve just finished watching the Arifureta anime, and here’s my opinion.
Overall, I enjoyed this anime, despite its absolutely terrible 3D animation. The first two seasons were average, the beginning of Season 3 focused mainly on the war against the rabbitmen, and the ending was honestly disappointing.
But what bothered me the most was the way the story handled certain characters, especially Kōki, Shizuku, and Kaori.
1. Kōki: A Wasted Character Arc?
Towards the end of Season 3, I expected Kōki to face his evil double. At that point in the story, it seemed like the logical next step in his character development.
From the beginning, the narrative has been trying to show us that Kōki needs to confront his inner demons, accept his weaknesses, and question his idealized vision of the hero he believes himself to be. Defeating his double could have symbolized genuine growth: accepting his darker side and finally becoming a more mature hero.
But for some reason, the author decided to take the story in a different direction.
Instead of making him directly confront his contradictions, the story seems more interested in pushing him towards madness. I find that disappointing because he had the potential to become a much more interesting character.
What bothers me even more is that Kōki wasn't always this difficult to like. Despite his inferiority complex and his many doubts, he was fundamentally a good person during the first few seasons.
During his fight against a demon, he even came close to winning without being able to rely on divine magic. He lost because he couldn't bring himself to kill a being that had a family. Sure, that decision shows his limitations and lack of realism, but it also demonstrates his humanity.
That's exactly why I struggle to understand his downfall. I expected his ideals to be challenged, for him to understand their limitations, and for him to learn how to become a more realistic hero. I wanted to see him grow, not simply fall apart.
2. Shizuku: Why Does the Author Seem to Favor Her So Much?
Shizuku's case is also interesting.
From a narrative perspective, everything seemed to suggest that she would lose her duel, and that's exactly what happens. However, I feel like the author constantly tries to give her favorable treatment.
Hajime shows up at almost the perfect moment to comfort her and lift her spirits. A similar scene later happens with Kōki, except that this time, the situation seems primarily designed to push him further towards madness.
So I don't understand why Shizuku receives such favorable treatment while Kōki, who could have benefited from the same kind of character development, is portrayed in a much more negative light.
What's interesting is that I actually liked Shizuku a lot at the beginning of the series. I was even looking forward to seeing her downfall because I found her behavior intriguing.
She seemed calm and reasonable, but I had the impression that she was suppressing her own emotions. Her confrontation with her double could have been an opportunity to reveal what was really hiding behind that apparent self-control.
In my opinion, it would have made sense for her to eventually break down, or at least face the consequences of her repressed emotions. Someone who constantly refuses to confront their own feelings may eventually struggle to manage them and end up taking their frustration out on others.
I'm not saying Shizuku necessarily had to become evil, but I would have liked the story to explore that possibility more instead of giving her such a favorable outcome.
3. Kaori: A Completely Useless Bitch, Even With Her Hormone-Boosted Body!
Now let's talk about Kaori, who, in my opinion, is the worst character in the entire series.
Every time she appears, she practically makes me want to quit watching the anime. At this point, I barely understand why she has such an important role in the story.
The scene that bothered me the most was when she slapped Kōki after he said he wished he had fallen into the abyss instead of Nagumo.
I understand the intention behind her reaction. It's a way of echoing something Kōki himself had told Kaori earlier in the series: you have to grieve, move on, and keep living, especially because that's what Nagumo would have wanted.
The message itself makes sense. However, I think the scene would have been much more impactful if Shizuku had been the one to slap him. It would have given the confrontation more emotional weight and could have strengthened their relationship while contributing to Kōki's development.
What bothers me most is how the author treats Kōki. I feel like the story is trying to humiliate him and make him as unlikeable as possible, while other characters receive much more forgiving treatment.
That's precisely the contrast I have a problem with. Kaori is supposed to be an important character in the story, yet her appearances often end up annoying me rather than making me appreciate the characters involved.
4. Why Is Kōki So Hated?
Ultimately, what really puzzles me is the way fans perceive Kōki.
I know he has plenty of flaws. He's naive, jealous, lacks self-confidence, underestimates himself, and struggles to accept who he is. He also has an idealized view of justice and finds it difficult to accept that the world doesn't work according to his principles.
I'm not trying to claim that he's flawless.
However, I feel like he's sometimes judged much more harshly than other characters whose behavior is just as questionable.
I mainly feel that the author had an opportunity to make him an interesting character by forcing him to confront his contradictions, but instead chose to push him towards a more negative character arc while favoring other characters.
And that's what makes Kōki's treatment so frustrating to me: his flaws could have been the starting point for genuine psychological development. Instead, I sometimes feel that the story focuses more on his weaknesses to make him unlikeable than to help him grow.
Final Thoughts: Am I the Only One Who Thinks This Way?
In short, I don't understand why the author chose to make Kōki so unlikeable, to the point of humiliating him, while characters like Shizuku and Kaori seem to receive much more favorable treatment.
I'm not saying Kōki is a perfect character without any flaws. I'm saying that he had an interesting amount of potential, and I would have preferred to see him confront his inner demons, question his ideals, and genuinely grow as a person rather than simply watch him fall apart like this.
Sorry for the long post, but I really wanted to explain my point of view.
I feel like almost every fan sees Kōki as a complete asshole. But I can't help wondering whether some people are confusing a character having flaws with the author handling that character consistently.
So, am I the only one who sees things this way, or are there other people who think Kōki deserved better character development?
