The Everyday Superpower Club: More Fun Than Saving the World?
Ever wished you had superpowers? Imagine suddenly getting one, only to find out everyone else did too! That’s the hilarious premise behind anime like When Supernatural Battles Became Commonplace, also known as Inou-Battle wa Nichijou-kei no Naka de.
The Superpower That's...Kinda Useless?
Our main guy, Ando Jurai, gets this awesome-sounding power: Dark and Dark. Sounds cool, right? Except, it's basically a useless black flame that doesn't actually do anything.
That's the charm! Instead of battling evil villains, they're stuck using their powers for...well, not much. Picture this: a telekinetic who can only move pencils, or a time traveler who can only rewind a few seconds.
More About Friendship Than Fighting
What makes this anime (and others like it) so enjoyable isn't the epic battles. It's the everyday antics of these friends trying to figure out their weird new abilities. You've got the bookworm, the energetic one, the stoic beauty – all learning to navigate their powers and high school life together.
Think after-school clubs, but with the occasional accidental explosion (or, more likely, a spark). It’s more about the bond between them than saving the world. Their friendship truly shines and you can’t help but love them as each episode passes.
The Parody of Power Fantasies
When Supernatural Battles Became Commonplace pokes fun at the whole "chosen one" trope. Instead of destiny calling, it's more like destiny accidentally butt-dialed. Ando, in particular, embraces his role with such enthusiasm that it's genuinely funny.
He loves his powers, useless as they may be, and role-plays as the brooding hero even when just buying bread. It's this self-awareness that elevates the show from a simple power fantasy to a clever comedy.
Anime That Capture the Same Spirit
If you enjoyed the humor and slice-of-life feel of When Supernatural Battles Became Commonplace, there are others you might like.
Nichijou - My Ordinary Life: While not about superpowers, it's got the same absurdist humor and focus on everyday situations blown way out of proportion.
Gabriel DropOut: Angels and demons living in the human world and struggling with, well, human things. Expect a lot of laziness and video game addiction.
The Disastrous Life of Saiki K.: A psychic who just wants to live a normal life, but his powers (and the people around him) keep getting in the way.
These shows all have that special something: a blend of the fantastical with the utterly mundane. It's like watching your friends cope with extraordinary circumstances in the most ordinary ways possible.
The Heart of the Matter: Ordinary People, Extraordinary Circumstances
Ultimately, anime like When Supernatural Battles Became Commonplace remind us that it's not always about having the most powerful ability. It's about how we use what we have, and who we share it with.
These characters learn to appreciate the small things, the value of friendship, and the humor in the everyday. And that's a superpower we can all aspire to have. In the end, it’s not about what you can do, but who you do it with that matters most.
