The following contains spoilers for Episode 2 of Uncle From Another World, “Guardian Heroes” Shoulda Been Number One!," now streaming onNetflix.
It has been seventeen years since Uncle Kousuke Shibasaki (aka Ojisan) had his tragic accident and slipped into a coma, but he has finally awakened, and with some new mystical powers to boot! The only family member to stay by his side is his nephew Takafumi, who thankfully allows the quirky character to live with him.
Despite the significant age gap, the pair bond like long-lost brothers, finding commonality in their shared appreciation for Anime and video games, although in Kousuke’s case, onlySEGAis acceptable. While Uncle Kousuke is trying to adjust to the modern world, Takafumi soon realizes that his uncle is using assorted fictional storylines as a frame of reference in order to wrap his head around all the drastic changes.
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Uncle Kousuke’s Otaku Factor
Anyone who has had the pleasure of meeting Uncle Kousuke is sure of one thing: helovesSEGA! The middle-aged man used to obsessively play video games before his misfortune and was thoroughly invested in the Console Wars, but this preoccupation overflows into his Anime selections as well. Takafumi is surprised to find out that Kousuke was also dedicated to watching every single episode ofNeon GenesisEvangelion(which is usually reserved for the more sentimental types.) Nevertheless, according to Ojisan, he has learned everything he needs to know about “mature love” from the popular anime franchise, which is still going strong today.
Kousuke treats himself to a Manga for New Year’s Eve, apparently an old tradition of his that he would like to re-establish. Takafumi breaks the news to his Uncle that his favorite Manga,KochiKameis no longer receiving a serialization, which shocks the socks off Kousuke. He was so confident in the fact that he could just pick up from where he left off inKochiKameseventeen years prior, that he did not even consider the story’s cancelation. ToKochiKame’scredit, however,the Manga had only stopped releasingnew content a year before Ojisan awoke, indicating thatKochiKamewas in print for two decades.
Nostalgic References Everywhere
There is unlikely to be an episode ofUncle From Another Worldthat does not mention something aboutSEGA, and episode 2 is no exception. A copy ofNights into Dreamscan be seen in the box ofSEGASaturnmerchandise that Takafumi purchases for his Uncle, but nothing excites the old man more than seeing his belovedGuardian Heroesonce again. After finally reading the final publication of theSEGA Saturn Readers Choicemagazine, Kousuke is devastated to find out that his favorite game of heroes only ranked 197th on the list. Getting his hands on this magazine has been his entire motivation for surviving Granbahamal, and it seems that it was all for naught. The public opinion doesn’t stop Takafumi and his Uncle fromenjoying the classicSEGAgameplay, which combines a fighting game system with a side stroller (simply revolutionary for its time).
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Another namedrop in episode 2 includesAlien Storm,aSEGA Genesisarcade-style game depicting a dystopian society overrun by hostile alien forces. Ironically, Ojisan is comparing his current community standards to the devastation seen inAlien Storm,or perhaps he just feels alienated (excuse the pun!) from this modern-day world. The guys also realize they share a love for the popular Japanese TV show,Waratte Iitomo!(although, after closer inspection, it seems they are each referencing two entirely separate programs that just happen to haveWarattein their names. Oh well!)
Fun Fact:TheEVE burst Errorreference(the #1 in the Readers Choice rankings) holds an Easter Egg, as Amagi Kojirou is voiced by none other than Takehito Koyasu (Uncle Kousuke)
RPG’s FTW! (Or Maybe Not)
Even though aSEGA SaturnJRPG game,Grandia,placed second in the overall final rankings, that would not have been much use to Kousuke, he simply does not grasp the concept of Role Playing Games. Whether playing through a console or with the “real life” experience in Granbahamal, this Uncle evidently does not have the adequate attention span or motivation to complete a quest. Even in his youth, Ojisan would forget his purpose in life whenever he attempted to play anRPG, failing to connect the dots between collecting items and fulfilling a task, and inevitably wandered around aimlessly.
Kousuke’s complete incomprehension of RPG gaming is emphasized by the way he handles the situation in Granbahamal when a small village needs help vanquishing a blaze dragon. Ojisan was supposed to melt the heart of the mysterious Mabel and claim her Ice Clan God Freezing Sword before facing the dragon, but alas, that notion was beyond poor Kousuke. Instead, he defeated the wyvern on with his own weapon and encouraged the troubled girl to remain isolated and embrace her recluse personality, likening her situation tohis own love forSEGA.Again, his “rose-colored glasses” make Ojisan oblivious to his mistakes, as he truly believed himself victorious in this instance.
Coping With The Modern World
Waking up almost two decades “in the future” is surely an overwhelming experience for anyone, and that’s without the additional turmoil of surviving an alternate reality where everything seems quite lethal! Uncle Kousuke has adapted relatively well to the lifestyle of aYouTuber, and besides hisSEGAand online shopping obsessions, he does not seem to be concerned with much else (including potential sexual gratification.) The fact that Ojisan relates almost everything back to his childhood passions is indicative of his attempt to grasp the reality of his situation, and all the drastic changes that have come with it. Reverting to nostalgic memories brings an element of reassurance to this otherwise uncomfortable adjustment period, allowing Kousuke to relate better to the world.
His lack of social skills are undeniable, and it is safe to say this shortcoming probably stems from spending his teenage years isolated in his home, presumable permanentlyplugged into hisSEGAconsole, and making no effort to form connections in the real world. Surprisingly, this ideology did not change even when he was (technically) submerged directly into a game, and instead of enjoying the experience to the fullest and playing the part of the knight in shining armor, Ojisan is only focused on returning to his beloved video games. This mindset would have surely made the RPG portionsof his isekai adventuressignificantly more successful (not to mention the additional advantages in the romance department).
