Why No Game No Life Works

LOOK, I KNOW WHAT YOU'RE THINKING. AND YOU'RE PROBABLY RIGHT. No Game No Life is an Isekai and it does contain an exorbitant amount of fan service. So, why is it so good? Here's three reasons:

God's Existence

Initially, the story starts with two gamer twins, Shiro, and Sora, trying to brainstorm ways they can make their mundane world more interesting. Being geniuses, video games are their only reprieve from the sloth of everyday life. That is until God appears. Challenged to a chess match, Sora and Shiro work together and after a grueling ten hours, finally prevail. That's when God asks them a simple question: "is life fun?"

This leads the siblings onto a huge adventure as they answer "no," and are transported into a different world—into God's world. God explains that there are ten rules that must be obeyed in his world.

1. All murder, war, and robbery are forbidden in this world.
2. All conflict in this world will be resolved through games.
3. In games, each player will agree to bet something that they agree is of equal value.
4. As long as it doesn't violate pledge 3, anything may be bet, and any game may be played.
5. The challenged party has the right to decide the rules of the game.
6. Any bets made in accordance with the pledges must be upheld.
7. Conflicts between groups will be conducted by designated representatives with absolute authority.
8. Being caught cheating during a game is grounds for an instant loss.
9. In the name of god, the previous rules may never be changed.
10. Let's all have fun and play together!

Does this remind you of the rules written on the back of the Death Note?

No Game follows a conquest plot in which Sora and Shiro try to conquer the entire continent through the use of... well, games. Now remember, rule number eight says that getting caught cheating is grounds for an instant loss. Operative word: caught. As gamers, this is where the twins shine.

This of course begs the question, why conquest? This comes back to my point: God. In Sora and Shiro's world, God lost. Now, the twins are in his world. And, gazing down at the continent from the stars, the siblings realize why it looks so familiar. Each kingdom is a chess piece!

In the ultimate game, the twins embark on their conquest to collect all 16 kingdoms under their banner in order to make the ultimate challenge for God's throne.

God's Rules

One of the true tests when it comes to storytelling is when an author attempts to solve problems in his story using magic. In No Game, the author does a great job of not straying outside the rules he established. This is my favorite aspect of this series. It's also why I love Death Note. It's a tricky balance to establish when your rules are specific enough that they must be followed and act as constraints but at the same time, allow enough ambiguity for the author’s interpretation. This is really when the author implements the tools of his craft. Another example of this is Hunter x Hunter. While most of the internet attributes its awesomeness to the magic system itself, in truth, it's how the author uses the magic system to solve problems that makes HxH so successful.

Rule #8 is a perfect example (being caught cheating during a game is grounds for an instant loss). The rule is just specific enough that it will, to most, act as a deterrent from cheating. But allows just enough wiggle room for interpretation. The key is to not get caught cheating. And the author does a wonderful job over the course of the series of exploiting this loophole.

God's Charisma

I don't mean literally God's charism; I'm talking about two things: the absurd creatures that exist in God's world (the charisma it took to create them, get it?) And two, the stupid amount of fan service.

The idea on which both of these hinge is the awesome animations. Seriously, hats off to Madhouse. While some might not be fans of the absurd, hilarious way No Game was animated, to me, it captures the essence of the light novels.

They were written to be liberally interpreted and the animation style does just that. It's almost like the audience is underwater while watching the show. That's how fluid the animation style is. This perfectly complements the flippant way species such as elves, dwarves, Dragonia, and Phantasma (don't ask) are depicted.

No Game is an exception because it's rare that I ever give an Isekia any modicum of praise. Usually, in Isekia, fan service eventually takes the steering wheel, and that's where I begin to have problems. I can safely say that No Game is an exception.

While it does boast its fair share of fan service, it's done with a purpose: to ridicule.

Ignore the fact that siblings are kissing (actually they're step siblings so...)

No Game may be no Death Note, but the reason it's great is because it doesn't strive to be. The show is quirky, funny, and even has moments of epicness mixed in. To me, No Game represents what the Isekai genre can become. No Game doesn't strive to imitate mainstream shows or get popular fast by plagiarizing the plot from the classics. Instead, the author acknowledges that No Game isn't for everyone. And runs with it anyway. That's my favorite part about this series.

To avoid spoilers, I won't go into detail about the light novels. So far, there is a 12 episode anime adaptation with a one-shot movie called No Game No Life: Zero. While the movie is not a continuation of season one, it adds more depth to the story through the... well, I'll let you guys watch it.

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