Highlights
- The Wrong Way to Use Healing Magic takes a unique twist by making a non-hero character the protagonist, highlighting Usato’s resilience and strength compared to his hero counterparts.
- Usato’s training with Ms. Rose is unorthodox and focuses on physical aspects rather than honing magic power, reshaping his personality and turning him into a formidable warrior.
- The series differs from standard Isekai tropes by primarily focusing on Usato, Suzune, and Kazuki, sidelining other characters in the new world and providing a fresh take on the genre.
Warning: The following contains spoilers for The Wrong Way to Use Healing Magic, Episode 2, “The Training From Hell Begins!,” now streaming on Crunchyroll.
With one jarring revelation after another, The Wrong Way to Use Healing Magic kept viewers on the edge of their seats with its initial episode. However, the narrative seems to have settled down with Usato resigning himself to his laborious training under Rose, and Suzune and Kazuki continuing their training within the Llinger Kingdom.
It’s certainly rare for Isekai anime to deem a non-hero character as the protagonist, yet The Wrong Way to Use Healing Magic takes on this very twist. If Usato’s role as the main character wasn’t clear from the initial episode of the series, the current one certainly cements his protagonist-like presence. Despite being accidentally dragged along with the heroes, Usato has proven to be much more resilient and stronger than his hero counterparts, and the second episode’s focus on his hellish training further proves this point.
Usato’s Training From Hell
Unlike the heroes Suzune and Kazuki, Usato’s training is under the infamously brutal Ms. Rose of the Kingdom Rescue Team. One would expect a healer’s training to be gentle and to revolve around honing the use of magic power. However, Ms. Rose’s training methods are rather unorthodox, revolving primarily around perfecting the physical aspects of being a warrior. While there’s currently no explanation as to why Rose has taken this route for a healer’s training, it likely alludes to the series’ peculiar name.
The training regimen itself is quite odd, consisting entirely of running around the countryside the entire day. Muscle soreness and strains aren’t an issue either, as a mere touch of Rose’s healing power can make Usato’s muscles as good as new. He awakens this power for himself during the second week of his training, healing himself entirely and nullifying any sort of strain on his body.
Usato’s training isn’t merely a way for him to grow stronger physically. Instead, it serves a dual purpose of reshaping Usato’s initial wimpy personality. While he already had a resilient disposition, his behavior was nothing like that of a warrior. This training has primed him to double as a tank in battle while healing all his allies beside him. However, this training goes beyond the battlefield, as it has given him a ledge to jump from his initial role of a side-character to become the primary hero of The Wrong Way to Use Healing Magic.
From Zero to Hero
The first episode of the series presented Usato as nothing more than an average highschooler with little to no ambition or talent. Suzune and Kazuki, on the other hand, are two competent students that are also part of the school’s student body council. It was due to this very competency that the two were summoned to the Llinger Kingdom through the Hero Summoning spell.
While these events presented Suzune and Kazuki as heroes in this new world, Usato was left as a mere extra, a side-character aiding the primary heroes in their journey. However, the aftermath of his training under Rose has changed this narrative, showcasing a side of him that was previously masked by his mediocrity. After more than three weeks of training, the difference between Usato and his hero counterparts becomes quite apparent, with the latter seeming to be much weaker than him.
Despite training under the Commander of the Llinger Kingdom’s knights, Suzune and Kazuki had barely gained any strength. This lack of power can easily be attributed to their safe and comfort-laden training under the Commander, since the Kingdom does not wish to burden the heroes with excessive training. Usato, on the other hand, has become significantly stronger than Suzune and Kazuki, and his harsh training from hell has certainly played a major role in bringing out his protagonist-like presence.
The Wrong Way to Use Healing Magic’s Isekai Dynamics
The Wrong Way to Use Healing Magic differs from the standard Isekai trope in many ways, making itself rather unique in this vast Isekai landscape. The primary difference lies in the character dynamics of the series, with most characters belonging to the new world being sidelined for the most part. The only character to receive some spotlight is Rose, though that could be attributed to her proximity to Usato.
None of the other characters in the new world have been explored, and the focus has remained primarily on Usato, Suzune, and Kazuki. It’s certainly a differentiating factor for the series, especially in an oversaturated genre such as this one. Though there is still a possibility that the focus may shift to newer characters as the show progresses. However, it’s too soon to come to a conclusion of how such characterization will fare for the anime in the long-run.
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