Do you believe in reincarnation? Can we ever escape who we used to be?
I'm not going to sugarcoat anything but this is one of the best anime movies I've watched as of recent. Well, if you don't agree with me, I'll love to see your top anime movie in the past 6 months ☺️
I always thought I'd seen this movie before, maybe somewhere but I couldn't really tell. When I was watching this anime, I felt as though I'd seen it before. I first discovered The Beginning After the End (TBATE) as a popular English-language web novel and webtoon on Tapas. Its premise hooked me instantly: a powerful king, Grey, reborn as a young boy, Arthur Leywin, in a magical realm, determined to correct past mistakes and forge a kinder future.
When I heard Crunchyroll and Fuji TV’s +Ultra block would finally animate it, I was excited—and cautious. As a fan of well-executed fantasy, I hoped this would deliver the thoughtful world-building and mature magic system the source promised.
It all started with a friend’s quiet obsession. They wouldn’t stop talking about this “reborn king who starts over as a baby with his old memories.” I brushed it off. I mean, how many isekai/reincarnation anime have we seen already? Been there. Done that. But curiosity is a powerful thing, and one night, I decided to go Anime Hunting, and searched for this anime and boom, I'm already with my popcorn eating and watching 😁
And just like that… I was hooked.
What mesmerized me was the emotion hidden beneath the power, the slow unfolding of a soul reborn, and the haunting question at the heart of the show: Can we ever escape who we used to be?
The story starts with the death of a king.
King Grey is a mighty ruler in a martial, futuristic world, feared and respected by every person. A great king in his former life- respected, feared and lonely beyond all conception. Power? He got it. Wealth? Plenty. Peace? Never. Grey was the man of war and silence in the midst of foes and under the iron mask of royalty.
However, behind the title and authority, he is nothing. Isolated. Numb. His life was warful, and meaningless. When his life is ended by an assassination, this is not a tragedy, it is a relief.
But it is not all.
But when he does, he awakens in a new world--as a baby, in a loving family, getting a second chance at life. He is reincarnated into this world of swords and sorcery as Arthur Leywin.
Sounds cliché? Think again.
It is not just a reincarnation story. It is a reflection on trauma, identity, purpose and the loneliness of individuals wielding power at too early an age.
He is reborn in a new world-a wealthy high-fantasy planet of mana, monsters, elves, dwarves and dragons. He is no longer a king and he was born Arthur Leywin. He is an infant. A clean sheet. This is how his second chance, not merely to live, but to live starts.
And the thing that is so beautiful about this setup is that the story was not rushed. We watch Arthur develop-upwards. The anime allows us to experience the journey of an innocent-looking toddler crawling through the woods and turning into a genius boy knowing magic and swordsmanship. It is not only how to learn spells. It is about how to learn love, friendship, fear and trust.
I’ve watched a lot of isekai and reincarnation stories. But The Beginning After the End hits differently. Yes, Arthur is strong. Ridiculously strong. His past life as a martial king gives him a terrifying edge. But unlike other protagonists, he doesn’t just flaunt his power.
He questions it.
He is afraid that he will fall back to being cold and detached king. He asks himself whether this second life is a grace-or a trial. And that civil war? It is what kept me glued to the screen.
It is interesting to observe the evolution of Arthur and it is agonizing.
Just think of a new world where now you have parents to love you, no need to struggle to live every day and the home is full of laughter. But nevertheless… you carry the past with you.
That is the pilgrimage of Arthur.
He practices early, he masters his mana control quicker than any warrior of his age, he even manages to surprise even the strongest warriors. But as his body advances, his mind remains elderly, with the knowledge of and scars of a past life. All the victory is stained with guilt. Each victory gives him a reminder of his former status as king.
And to me that was the contradiction that made his story so memorable.
The world of The Beginning After the End also known as Dicathen—is not just your generic fantasy map.
It’s alive.
Dicathen is a continent full of mana beasts, aristocratic families, elven kingdoms and secret legends. It has an awe of a discovery as Arthur views this world not through the eyes of a tourist, but through the instinct of a warrior.
The magic system is well considered and it develops with the characters. We watch how Arthur uses mana, studies wind and earth affinity, knows how to use weapons and even has a dragon as a fluffy pet. However, the best part is the balance: there is no power without pain.
Depending on the element affinities, everyone wakes up with a distinct connection to the fire, water, wind, or earth. But Arthur? He’s different. He does not go by the system. He smashes it.
Seeing him juggle a variety of factors, combine swordplay with manipulating mana, and create new skills, it is not all about the spectacle. It is an indication of him liberating himself of the shackles of his former life.
And the higher Arthur goes, the more he is losing something important, his childhood.
Let's talk about characters?
Reynolds and Alice, the parents of Arthur are among the most stable emotionally stimulated deep characters I have ever encountered in an anime. Their passion is wild. Their sacrifices do not seem fake. At one point, Arthur (who is still a kid) saves his family against a bandit gang. The expression on the face of his mother, mingled pride and horror, broke me.
There is also Tessia Eralith, the elven princess. She is not the usual love interest. It is a quest of maturation, authority, and convolution. Her relationship with Arthur is not compulsory, it grows, it vacillates, it is breathing.
All the relationships in the story are complex. There is a ripple in every decision.
Let’s get real for a moment.
This anime isn’t just about training arcs and academy rivalries (though those are there and they’re fire). It’s about:
Identity – Who are we without our past? Can we truly change?
Family – What does it mean to be loved unconditionally?
Responsibility – When do we stop being children and start carrying the world on our shoulders?
Loneliness – How does it feel to be admired but never truly known?
What touched me is the inner monologue of Arthur. One of the scenes is where he sees other children playing and laughing like nothing is wrong in the world and he is just standing there looking at them and he knows he will never live like them.
That moment shattered me.
The reason is because how many of us have the mature mask on, do the right things, put a burden on us that we never mention--just so that we could get through another day?
Watching The Beginning After the End was like looking into a mirror I did not know I required.
It got me to reflect on second chances.
What would I do differently given another chance? Would I grow more cold? Wiser? Would I be a better learner of love? To have more trust? To make a more purposeful fight?
Arthur does not only want power, he wants to find balance. He is afraid that he will end up just like he was a loner. And that fear makes him human, even as his powers are elevated to almost godlike statues.
There is one scene where Arthur cries alone after years. All his might, all his triumphs--all is nothing at that time. He is only a boy, who is afraid that he will lose everything once more.
I was terror-stricken by that scene.
It was so reminding me that no matter how much we evolve, we still have traces of our former selves. And healing does not occur in a straight line. Feeling is sometimes the greatest thing you can do.
The first thing to learn about The Beginning After The End is that it is adapted into a web novel and manhwa. The anime version is only starting to develop, and although it is well animated and tense, there is so much story that has yet to be told.
That gets me thrilled.
Since there is much more to the path of Arthur. The betrayals, the wars, the secrets of his past life and the enemies of his present one, they are accumulating into something huge. And I want to see each heart wrenching, thunderous stride.
Are you searching beyond an action-packed fantasy, wanting more of a story of identity, purpose, rebirth, and the human condition? Then The Beginning After the End is your next obsession.
it will amuse you, it will. Not only will it make you cry, but it will touch you.
It teaches us that the end is not the end. That there are second chances in the universe, not to do things larger, but to do them well.
The story of Arthur is not done yet. And in seeing him fight, fall, love and rise--I was minded of the fact that I am still leveling up as well.
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