April 1, 2025
Reincarnated Idol Tactician!
Have you ever thought to yourself. “I really wish I could watch an anime about an ancient Chinese tactician managing a Japanese Idol”? No? Well, you’ll wish you did. The plot of Ya Boy Kongming! is simple: Zhuge Kongming wishes to be reincarnated into a more peaceful era and gets exactly what he wanted! He’s made young once more and is transported to modern day Tokyo, where he meets a Japanese pop Idol and begins helping her grow in popularity.
This show’s main idea is that Kongming still remembers his previous life in ancient China and uses the same tactics that won him countless wars on the battlefield — but now on the club floor! One such strategy he uses is the “stone sentinel maze” maneuver, where he utilizes smoke, flickering lights, and evenly spaced surroundings to disorient club-goers, making it almost impossible to leave the venue while the pop idol he manages, Eiko, is singing.
This absurdity makes the show a hilarious watch, while also learning about genuine battle tactics through venue management! On top of this premise, the idea of seeing an ancient Chinese tactician live in, adapt to, and thrive in modern-day Japan is really entertaining! There are other anime with similar plots, but Ya Boy Kongming! has a very wholesome premise and masterful execution.
If you’re looking for a funny, short, and sweet anime to pass the time, this is a must-watch! Every episode can be consumed on its own, with no need to binge to understand the overall storyline or plot progression. This isn’t a deep, high-concept show but simply one you can put on and enjoy from start to finish every time!
—Shane Ewig, Anime Editor