Chillin’ in Another World with Level 2 Super Cheat Powers has been doing a good enough job at both innovating and pandering to various isekai tropes to keep the series on the radars of Crunchyroll viewers. Ever since its first big subversion of a major isekai trope, the series had been going at a steady pace without shaking any major foundations until the latest episode with an absolutely brutal albeit classic twist that is no way associated with isekai. The overall delivery and effect of this twist proves that sometimes an isekai needs to resort to classic storytelling to appeal to viewers.

The fifth and latest episode initially puts an unprecedented amount of focus on the humorous and fun relationship between the protagonist Flio and his familiar, Rys, who had already successfully convinced Flio to advertise the fact that they are married to the female adventurers who live with them.

Before episode 5, this arrangement had mostly functioned to provide some amusing interactions, but episode 5’s initial formula set viewers to be devastated when she is suddenly killed in front of Flio at the end. No other event during the first four episodes has hit as hard as Rys’ ostensible death, and it’s notable that this twist isn’t proprietary to isekai – or even anime, for that matter.

Chillin’ in Another World’s Isekai-Based Formula Was Good But Not As Incredible As This Latest Twist

Chillin’ in Another World with Level 2 Super Cheat Powers first differentiated itself from the majority of isekai when a key scene from Flio’s former life directly influenced a critical moment in the new world that he had recently reincarnated into. The fact that it served as the basis for his relationship with Rys underscored just how important that scene was to the story and why it was therefore the right decision for the anime to use this scene to link both of Flio’s lives. Episode 5 also revived this type of situation by having Flio use his previous skill sets from his former life to help him sustain his also stereotypical “slow life” dream.

Although many of these tropes have been entertaining, they haven’t had the same impact as Rys’ sudden death.

Since then, the series has given fun spins to well-known isekai plot lines, like how it has been capitalizing on the situation where the protagonist is wrongfully assumed to have been summoned accidentally. The fake hero who is initially embraced is depicted as a pompous egomaniac who ridicules Flio, so when he falls from grace, it’s all the more enjoyable. Flio’s desire to stay off the battlefield, which is the case with many isekai heroes, also recently took a more extreme turn than most series when he casts his already rare teleportation magic to teleport not just himself and his friends away but their house and fields. His actions are much more relevant and shocking when taking into consideration that his fleeing had some disastrous effects on the ensuing battle.

There is also an instance where Flio uses his absurd strength to level up one of the adventurers living with him by killing a dragon for her. Interestingly, this type of scenario recently set another new Crunchyroll series called The New Gate apart from the current roster. However, unlike in that particular case, this moment in Chillin’ in Another World is just one random, isolated event that has had no influence on the story since then.

While many of these tropes have been entertaining, they haven’t had the same impact as Rys’ sudden death, a tragedy that is reinforced by the image of her broach shattering, which Flio had bought for her earlier that day during their one and only date. It’s noteworthy, however, that her death comes as a result of the disgraced fake hero’s actions, who has actually resorted to villainy rather than just falling from grace, as is usually the case with most of his predecessors.

That said, it isn’t as though the disgraced fake hero killed her directly. He just randomly comes across a djinn who will grant him three wishes. One of those wishes is what results in Rys’ death, even though it was intended for Flio. Regardless, nothing like this has happened in Chillin’ in Another World with Level 2 Super Cheat Powers before. Even if Rys survives, her dynamic and overall relationship with Flio will never be the same.