REVIEW: ‘Isekai Office Worker: The Other World’s Books Depend On The Bean Counter’ Episode 2 — “I Got Promoted”

Isekai Office Worker: The Other World’s Books Depend On The Bean Counter Episode 2, “I Got Promoted,” sees Kondou (Kent Itou, Mashle: Magic and Muscles) get a first-hand lesson about magic in this new world as he is saved from his nutritional tonic overdose. As Isekai Office Worker Episode 2 kicks off, he takes some of the more surprising elements of its implementation shockingly well. 

The opening section of this episode picks up right after last week’s conclusion. Indolark (Tomoaki Maeno, Octopath Traveler 0) discovers the struggling Kondou and stabilizes him. But when Kondou’s otherworldly body suffers a negative reaction to the magic, Indolark is forced to take Kondou home for further treatment. 

This first glimpse at magic leaves a powerful impression. While not overly flashy, the radiance and low chanting that envelop the moment give an air of majesty to the scene. It makes it feel like something sacred and precious. Making Indolark’s actions feel even more special.

Indolark needs to get Kondou up to speed on magic in Isekai Office Worker Episode 2.

Once Kondou comes to in what seems to be Indolark’s home, Isekai Office Worker Episode 2 takes a deeper look at magic. Determining that Kondou is continuing to struggle due to a lack of magical resistance, Indolark concludes that he needs to raise the other man’s familiarity with the element. This ultimately requires a very intimate form of treatment between the two men. 

As the episode later expounds, the magic of this world has a very biological element to it. Magicules (magical molecules) can be found in foods and other substances, as well as being directly produced by the human body. Since magic is produced within people and the situation is presented as an emergency, Indolark’s method for strengthening Kondou’s system isn’t as ridiculous as it might seem at first glance. Though it still feels like a weird choice. 

Weirder still is how calmly the salary man handles the situation. While Indolark makes it a point to get Kondou’s consent before beginning the procedure, you’d still expect the workaholic Kondou to be at least a bit flustered, if not fully upset about having intimate relations with a complete stranger. Every indication we have of the characters implies he probably hasn’t had much, if any, experience with this, so his calm reaction seems bizarre. 

A decent “odd couple” dynamic begins to emerge.

Once his treatment concludes and Kondou feels better, he’s off to return to work, much to Indolark’s horror. This leads Isekai Office Worker Episode 2 into the back half of the narrative, where it establishes a decent “odd couple” dynamic between the pair. 

Along with explaining some of the finer points of magical nature, the bulk of this stretch of the episode sees Indolark chastising his patient for not taking care of himself. For everything from his lackluster eating habits to his long work hours and over-stressing, Indolark is flummoxed by Kondou’s priorities. 

This clash of personalities comes to a head when Kondou acknowledges his motivations for his hyper-focus on work. He explains how his work is his form of self-worth and is his way of measuring his own merit. The tone in which Itou delivers these lines strongly suggests that Kondou is fully aware of how bad this situation is. But in his old life, it was likely what was necessary to get through a day. This moment of admission firmly plants Kondou ‘s core personality, giving his arc a set point to build from.

The visual presentation remains simply fine in Isekai Office Worker Episode 2.

While the larger narrative creates a stronger presence in this sophomore episode, the animation remains largely lackluster. Except for the magical elements, which use the simplicity of their application to strong effect, the rest of the visual presentation remains simply fine. 

Isekai Office Worker Episode 2 builds on the first entry’s setup, making for a stronger performance. While a couple of choices feel strange, it is much clearer now where the narrative is headed, and it feels like the core elements may be in place to succeed, even if some of the other aspects involved still fail to impress. 

Isekai Office Worker: The Other World’s Books Depend On The Bean Counter Episode 2 is streaming now on Crunchyroll. 

Previous Episode | Next Episode