As much as I love video games and stories about people finding themselves trapped inside fantasy realms or even MMORPGs, I wouldn’t call myself a fan of the isekai genre. I haven’t watched too many of them outside of, say, Sword Art Online and Inuyasha but I grew bored with them and, in the case of Sword, the premise got uninteresting over time. Granted, I do have a bit of a short attention span when it comes to long, multi-season TV shows, so maybe I’m the problem! Nah, that can’t be it. Anyway, video game worlds and magical realms that follow RPG tropes and rules lack a special secret sauce to keep me coming back for more. And wouldn’t you know it, the OVA Knight of Erin showed me exactly what that special “magic” was: hardcore sex! As I entertained the exploits of a mercenary traveling the world with a magical companion, any and all concerns I had over series longevity and maintaining an interest melted away in the presence of joyful, exuberant sex. But after euphoria gave way to that all-too-familiar moment of post-fap clarity, it turns out that Knight of Erin has little to show for itself beyond its super cute, sex-hungry protagonist.
Knight of Erin might not be a true isekai because Erin was born and raised in the fantasy realm where the OVA takes place. Instead, it’s the kind of realm that’s totally self-aware and leans on elements of old school video games like Dragon Quest but only for the sake of an early gag. Honestly, I wish it would have gone further with it. Lord knows I’d love to see Erin get it on with an army of blue slimes. Anyway, the series shares the story of Erin, a mercenary and adventurer who was captured by monsters before the start of the series and would have been left for dead were it not for a sword spirit, calling itself Nighthawk, swooping in at the last minute to save the day. Assuming humanoid form, Nighthawk follows Erin around and acts as her partner, chipping in whenever things get dicey. At least, that’s what I assume! We never really see Nighthawk nor Erin raise their swords against enemies at any point in the story which, given the setting and the circumstances of their partnership, seems kind of odd. Instead, Knight of Erin zeroes in on Nighthawk’s peculiar quirk: she is easily susceptible to weakness due to a lack of nourishment but she doesn’t enjoy the same delectable cuisine as you and I. Instead, she subsists on the biological fluids of Erin’s sexual partners, frequently encouraging her to fuck anything that moves to satiate her appetite–something that our hero has no problem in obliging.
Erin and Nighthawk’s call to adventure comes from a spirit naming itself Tomcat that has taken over some young girl’s body so that she may interact with others. As it turns out, Nighthawk has somehow had her powers reduced and the only way to get them back is to put together a magical contraption that will restore the spirit to its fullest potential. Some of those parts, however, are locked away inside hidden shrines and without questioning how something that looks like a walkie talkie can restore magical power, the two set off on what amounts to be a flimsy, pedestrian journey that serves no other purpose than to showcase Erin’s sexual talents. Case in point: on their way to the first temple, Erin is ambushed by a goblin and instead of fighting it, Nighthawk suggests she fucks it so that she can get some energy back. Two more goblins appear and engage the adventurer in a pretty hot threesome that ends with the sword spirit getting her fill. The second episode is far more aimless, as the pair find themselves on a beach where Erin literally fucks around with dudes until they remember why they’re out there in the first place! Eventually, Erin and Nighthawk wander into the temples and find the treasure guarded by spirits who command them to pass a test to prove their worthiness.
I’m sure you’ve got an idea of where this goes. Since the sword spirit can’t engage the temple spirits directly, that leaves Erin in the best possible position to meet the guardian’s demands, which conveniently involves her boobs and their ghost dicks. The second temple spirit’s demands, though, are far more exciting because it involves magical breast expansion and a cowgirl bikini. I connect to this guardian on a deep level because if I were in his place, I’d do the exact same thing. Of course, all this begs the question of what would happen if male adventurers also sought the same treasure. Once the magical mechanicals have been collected, Tomcat rewards Erin with–yep, you guessed it–more sex! At one point, she is treated to a high paying VIP at a brothel, given an erotic swimsuit to allure men, and a cheerleader outfit that makes her quite popular during their beach trip.
As much as I love watching a cutie like Erin pleasure three goblins at once, get her clothes dissolved by a grabby tentacle slime, her sexy boobs creamed on, and get transformed into an adorable and wonderfully endowed cowgirl, Knight of Erin is a resounding “meh.” Strip away the sex scenes and all that’s left is an incomplete and forgettable adventure that doesn’t make a case for itself. A lot of world and character building elements are either half-assed or simply not there. The way the series glosses over material leads me to believe that this has to be an adaptation of a visual novel or manga, which means now I have homework. I say to hell with that because there’s very little reason to even fake an interest in the series, especially when the characters are endangered by the appearance of Nighthawk’s evil doppelganger. Visually, Knight of Erin doesn’t overly impress. The sex animation is pretty good but everything else is so-so. And it cuts corners by reusing animation. If you’re looking for a plot with your porn, then Knight of Erin is going to leave you wanting. Best enjoyed by skipping the empty plot entirely and going straight to the sex.