New Saga episode 1 review: Sotsu x Studio Clutch's time travel fantasy yields mixed results

New Saga episode 1 premiered on Thursday, July 3, 2025, at 2:15 am JST. With neither Sotsu nor Studio Clutch having any major anime under its now, we did not have high hopes for the New Saga anime. But surprisingly, the anime's premiere wasn't disappointing, but yielded mixed results.

While it is unfair to judge an entire anime based on its premiere, it has always been the case that an animation studio puts out its best work in the anime's first episode to draw in viewers. Unfortunately, in the case of New Saga, while the production wasn't disappointing, its lack of something unique may see the series get lost in the plethora of anime set to air in Summer 2025.

New Saga episode 1 review: Narrative and character design

Kyle as seen in New Saga episode 1 (Image via Sotsu x Studio Clutch)

As previously revealed by the anime, New Saga anime centers on Kyle, a Magic swordsman who defeats the demon lord in a fierce battle. On the verge of death, Kyle approaches a relic that sends him four years back in time. While it took Kyle some time to realize what had happened, he decided to use the new opportunity to become stronger and correct the mistakes from his past.

As for the narrative, while the series was originally a light novel, New Saga episode 1 had several narrative differences at the start of the episode compared to the manga. While the story's plot essentially remained the same, Sotsu and Studio Clutch added several scenes to depict Kyle's fierce battle with the Demon Lord properly.

The additional scenes also altered Urza's death, possibly to showcase the sacrifices the protagonist had made in his original timeline. Besides these, the rest of the episode's narrative was effectively the same as in the manga.

Liese as seen in New Saga episode 1 (Image via Sotsu x Studio Clutch)

As for the character designs, when compared to the manga, Sotsu and Studio Clutch made several changes to them. The anime not only changed Kyle Lenard's design in the original timeline but also in the new timeline. Unlike the manga that showed Kyle wearing a crop top, the anime showed him wearing a lace-up shirt. Additionally, the anime slightly altered the protagonist's hair, having it point downwards rather than upwards.

Similar changes were seen in the character designs for Liese, Theron, and Seraiah. Liese's outfit was changed from a risque one to a dress, and Theron's lace-up shirt was altered. Meanwhile, Seraiah's entire design went through an overhaul. The anime not only changed her curly hair to straight but also changed her aristocratic-esque apparel to something far more common, evident from the lack of details and the odd scarf wrapped around her torso.

Production and cast

Seraiah as seen in New Saga episode 1 (Image via Sotsu x Studio Clutch)

While this was the first time Sotsu and Studio Clutch animated a series, the two animation studios did surprisingly well. While their efforts are certainly praiseworthy due to the occasion, the production itself was nothing special. This raises some concerns for the anime, as if an anime's premiere was not particularly impressive to its audience, it is tough to say how the remainder would play out.

As for the cast members, while Hiro Shimono (as Theron), Fairouz Ai (as Liese), and Hisako Kanemoto (as Seraiah) did a good job in expressing their respective characters' personalities through their voices, Yuuma Uchida's performance as Kyle Lenard was especially praiseworthy. This is because the voice actor not only voiced the protagonist on the verge of his death but also his younger version, who was left confused after his time travel incident.

Final thoughts on New Saga episode 1

Unfortunately, while the premise of the New Saga anime is indeed interesting, the production doesn't offer much to draw in a weekly audience. Therefore, while New Saga episode 1 could interest some fans to stay and watch what happens next, chances are that they might switch over to the other anime premiering in Summer 2025. And honestly, no one can blame them.

For now, one can only hope that Sotsu and Studio Clutch outdo themselves in the anime's future episodes and offer fans something much more intriguing than anything seen in New Saga episode 1.