When I saw the trailer for Kono Healer, Mendokusai, or Don’t Hurt Me, My Healer! (can we all take a moment to say that is a terrible title? Arguably a better translation would be This Healer is a Pain, which I prefer), I knew exactly what was coming. The whole premise is ridiculous by design, and that’s exactly how it played out.
Pretty much immediately, we’re thrown into the absurdity this series had in store for us. Pretty much every encounter with an “enemy” is settled through discussion. Like, basically every single one. I would say it was the “POWER OF FRIENDSHIP”, but it’s more one of two outcomes: pity for Alvin, or being annoyed by Carla. Maybe one, then the other?
Speaking of these two, they really go all-in on the usual tandem in comedy anime. Carla is intensely annoying, and never misses a chance to jab Alvin. By comparison, Alvin is well-intentioned and pretty traditional (for a fantasy adventurer), but is regularly smacked down by the reality that he’s comically weak.
As the series goes on, this dynamic basically never changes. There’s a bit where these two seem to actually enjoy each other’s company, but the series rarely dwells upon it long enough for anything meaningful. Instead, it’s the side characters that seem to mature.
By side characters, I mean basically every monster or enemy they befriend along the way. Like, how is a bear monster or a necromancer more kind and understanding than our two leads? Either way, they serve as the beacons of sanity in this series. You just kind of come to accept it by the end.
Final Thoughts
There’s not really much to say for Kono Healer, Mendokusai, honestly. It’s the usual gag comedy routine. There’s no plot to discuss really, the characters are exactly what you see in the first episode. I guess the only question is: is it funny?
That’ll depend heavily on your opinion on gag comedy. And if you can deal with Carla’s personality. If you’re okay with both, it’s pretty funny. The jokes are pretty ludicrous, though a bit predictable. Well, predictable in that you expect them to happen. The words that come out of Carla’s mouth, or what spell she’ll cast claiming it’s a “healing spell”, basically always comes out of nowhere.
All in all, I found it pretty fun. Nothing groundbreaking, but just a fun anime to watch. I had quite a few laughs along the way. In my upcoming anime post, I said it would depend on if the jokes landed, and I feel they did (for me at least). If you enjoy fantasy and gag comedy, I’d give it a watch. You’ll basically know in one episode if it’s for you or not.
Okay, that’s all I’ve got for this week. Pretty short, but it’s hard to do real deep analysis on a series like this. As such, I decided to skip the fluff and cut to the chase.