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[More info about my review style can be found on my profile]

▶Summary and recommendation: -----------------------------------------------------------------
⚠ This manga contains Nazi adjacent imagery. The author appears to be what is known as a "Wehraboo". Someone who likes the aesthetic of the Wehrmacht. The German military in WW2. [Saga of Tanya the evil] is set in an alternate universe where Germany is not the aggressor.

[Saga of Tanya the Evil] is a very unusual isekai. Summarizing it is difficult, but my attempt is as follows. 'Saga of Tanya the Evil is the story of an HR manager. A libertarian psychopath with a near religious faith in the Free ... Market Economy facing god, and as punishment for their hubris they are reborn as a child soldier in Alternate universe magical earth that is at the cusp of World War 2, and they are fighting for Germany.'

⚠ There is a single scene of partial nudity of the protagonist. It is not sexualized, but I think it warrants a small warning.

With a sm­all child as the protagonist, I went into this expecting the worst. Manga does not exactly have a good track record with children!
I do not know if the author wanted to showcase the horrors of war by making the protagonist a child soldier, or if they simply wanted the protagonist to look cute. Regardless of the reason, my worries were unfounded.


It is a manga with some flaws and issues (that I touch upon later in the review), but it makes up for it with plenty of novel ideas that are well executed. It took some time before it fully resonated with me but I thoroughly enjoyed my time with it once it clicked.

I recommend [Saga of Tanya the Evil] if the premise and setting is something that interests you.


▶Story: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The protagonist Tanya is unusually well defined for an Isekai. Not a blank slate, and living up to the name of the manga; not a good person. An HR manager whose job it was to fire underperforming employees.

They hold strong beliefs about how the world should work. Many of those beliefs paint the protagonist as a psychopath. In particular those concerning the value of human life. It is these strongly held beliefs that causes the protagonist to be reborn as a girl in Germany, in a world at the cusp of war.

The story relies a lot on Tanya being misunderstood by those around them. Operating on an entirely different logic than those around her, she will express her distaste for conflict, yet be interpreted as a bloodthirsty warmongerer. The people around her will likewise express distain or disgust at Tanya's "love" of war, which Tanya in turn will misinterpret.


At first the manga did not resonate with me for taking place in a setting I am less interested in, following a character that is hard to like, and having a story that relies on misunderstandings at every turn.

However, once I realised that it is Tanya's messed up world view that is the catalyst for all the misunderstandings, it clicked with me. Tanya is a HR manager who sees humans as expendable resources. Their world view is so twisted that it is incompatible with the people around them. Tanya is so caught up in her world view, that she makes critical and dangerous mistakes that often propel her into further danger.

Perhaps I am giving the author too much credit, but it is almost like they are trying to demonstrate how a modern day libertarian with a world view shaped by the Chicago school of economics can, with a callous mind, create a horrific theatre of war. Worse than a nationalist with waning ideas of honour and chivalry could from the given time period.


In addition to the constant use of misunderstandings to further the story, I found that the story felt a bit rushed in places. There are two main storylines. That of the conflict between the protagonist and the god who sent him to this world, and that of the military campaigns of fantasy Germany vs fantasy The Allies.

The majority of chapters are dedicated to the latter, but sometimes crucial moments in the military campaign are glossed over. It sometimes felt like the author was so eager about the next story arc, that they rushed through the current one.
This manga is an adaptation of a novel, so it could be that this is the result of the adaptation into a manga, rather than a choice by the author.

Despite these shortcomings, the story is extremely gripping, there are a lot of parallels to real world history that I enjoyed spotting, and I even found myself rooting for the protagonist after a couple dozen chapters. Despite their dubious ethics.


▶Setting: -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[Saga of Tanya the evil] is set in an alternative universe Earth during World War II. Geographically identical to Earth, it features similar nations and political alliances. With one of the biggest difference being the existence of magic.

The author has amazing knowledge of the time period, and showcases it well with time appropriate knowledge, tactics and equipment. Though a lot of the equipment is ripped straight from our world. Such as the tanks used by Fantasy Germany being panzers identical to the ones used by real world Germany during the war.

The most significant difference between this fictional universe and our own, is of course Germany.
Nazi Germany in [Saga of Tanya the evil] is simply called "The Empire", and it does not (so far) commit any of tne atrocities that real world Germany did. While it is militaristic, it is not far right, and is portrayed as a bastion of equality in the manga.

It was probably a wise decision by the author that the protagonist is not fighting for actual nazis.


▶Characters: --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Perhaps the most disappointing aspect of the manga is how little character development the protagonist goes through. Despite all the troubles and misunderstandings that befalls the protagonist due to their strongly held beliefs, they never once question their faith. Much of the story is spent on Tanya interacting with other soldiers, yet they never influence her in any way.
As of the latest chapter (chapter 73 as of writing) Tanya has not seen any significant character development or changes in world view.

The protagonist is a soldier and is surrounded by her comrades. Surprisingly, the vast majority of the members of her group are faceless and nameless. Only a few have a name and face, and even fewer are given enough pages for the reader to get to know them. Something I think would have benefitted the manga a great deal.

Other notable figures in the story are fortunately given a lot more pages. Generals, politicians and the adversaries are well fleshed out.


▶Artwork: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The artwork is quite gorgeous. Chapter pages, and epic battles are very detailed, and the action scenes are spectacular, albeit sometimes a bit difficult to track. The artist also sometimes uses clever shortcuts, such as edited real life photographies as backgrounds, which fits very well with the style of the manga.
The characters are well designed, and fit the gritty setting well. The artist does an excellent job communicating emotions through extreme and exaggerated expressions on the character's faces.

It is in black and white, and not coloured. As is the norm with Manga from Japan

[More info about my review style can be found on my profile]

▶Summary and recommendation: -----------------------------------------------------------------
[Since I Have Been Reincarnated as the Daughter of a Duke, I, the "Girl Inside," Will Enjoy Being a Girl as Much as I Can!] is a Genderbend Otome isekai with low stakes and focus on wish fulfilment over anything else.

The protagonist was an adult man who gets reincarnated into the body of a 5 year old daughter of a family of wealthy nobles. Having always enjoyed cute things, he takes to his new life and appearance very quickly and happily.

It lacks the tension and the politics that is ... common in Otome Isekai and it is mostly structured like a Slice of life manga, rather than an Otome Isekai. It also does not have much in the romance department as of writing.
Otome Isekai fans might find it a bit boring, but I still recommend it as it is a relaxing unproblematic read.

▶Story: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
There is not that much to write in the story section of this review, as there is not that much happening in the story that needs highlighting. I will however say that I felt that the pace in the manga was quite rushed at the beginning. With months passing in just a couple of pages.

I will also mention that I went into this manga expecting a story focusing on the protagonist's struggles in the past with their gender, and their personal growth after having turned into a girl. The aim of this manga is hardly that lofty however, and there is very little focus on character development or serious topics.

As written in the summary, the author intends for this to be a feelgood slice of life esque isekai. There are no dangers and everything the protagonist desires is almost handed to them on a silver platter.

The only serious topic the manga touches upon is arranged marriages. However, the author creates a situation where all the problems with arranged marriages no longer apply.

There are some minor plot holes and illogicalities but nothing egregious that ruins the story.

▶Setting: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The protagonist explicitly states that it is an Otome Isekai setting, and that this is a Medieval European inspired fantasy world. Like most authors who set their story in "Medieval Europe" they have based it on Medieval Europe as seen in popular media such as movies, games and TV series, rather than real life Medieval Europe.

A minor personal nitpick is that it perpetuates the myth that people did not have baths in Medieval Europe. A very common myth, so I am not surprised they got that wrong, but it is still something that is a tiny bit disappointing to see.

None of this matter much to the story, but I feel like I should at least say something about the setting.

▶Characters: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The protagonist (now Miranda Mirandiehl after reincarnating) is unlike most isekai protagonist a well adjusted adult with a happy life, healthy parents and a decent love life.
As a character whoever, they are not very well defined outside of liking cute things and having niche nerdy hobbies. Their lack of struggles also means they have little room to grow. It is however in a genre (slice of life) where character development is not a big priority.

Very few of the character have been given time to develop or display their characteristics, but they are at the very least not typical walking anime tropes.

▶Romance: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
There has not been much romance as of chapter 22, but the relationships that are blatantly being set up are entirely unproblematic.

▶Artwork: ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The art quality is quite varied.. A lot of Otome Isekai fans enjoy the intricate and beautful dresses that the protagonist wears, and while there is plenty of that in this manga, there is also quite a lot of extremely simple designs. When the author pulls out all the stops, the dresses we get to see are very novel for the genre. There is a lot of new design styles that I was very happy to finally see in an Otome Isekai.
The lack of colour is common for Japanese comics, but I feel I should mention it as it is unusual in the Otome Isekai genre.

[More info about my review style can be found on my profile]

▶Summary and recommendation: -----------------------------------------------------------------
The Writer's Barely-Disguised Fetish

⚠This manga is softcore pornography featuring underage characters⚠
⚠Female characters in this manga are usually sexualized⚠
⚠This manga features thinly veiled homophobia⚠

[Maou-sama, Retry!] and the sequel [Maou-sama, Retry! R] is a harem power fantasy isekai focusing predominantly on the protagonist showing off how badass and capable they are, and on showing women and children's underwear to the reader.
...
I absolutely do not recommend this isekai to anyone. This is a manga for paedophiles.


▶Story: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The story is your very average isekai power fantasy story, where the protagonist goes on an adventure while fighting increasingly impressive foes. It is however not trying to go for a very deep story, and other than a slight focus on wackiness, the manga primarily exist to display the author's fetishes.

The protagonist after finding himself in a fantasy world, goes on an adventure, picking up various underaged girls along the way. Girls with self esteem issues, former slaves, victims of curses, and abuse. With his overwhelming power, he easily solves all their problems, and wins over their hearts.

As a harem, everyone of course falls in love with him. Most (maybe all?) of which are children, or look like children. Within the first chapter, he has come upon his first harem member. His 13 year old adoptive daughter/love interest.

Aping Overlord in many of its aspects, this protagonist goes on to create his ideal country, one where one of the indiginous races has to wear skimpy playboy bunny outfits (Another example of where this author's priorities lie).

While the red flags were there from the start, it is not as blatant about its perverseness until the sequel manga.

There are a couple of satisfying plot twists, and spectacular fight scenes, but there is nothing can redeem this manga.

▶Setting: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Much of the setting seem to have been inspired by the hit Isekai [Overlord]. Both turning into their extremely powerful MMO videogame characters, and both of them running a guild filled with loyal NPC characters. NPCs with high expectations of the protagonist, causing the protagonist a lot of pressure and stress.

Where they differ however is the author's knowledge of the subject they are writing about. I suspect the author may not have played an MMO since the late 1990s, or early 2000s, and are receiving most of their knowledge of videogames and the games industry from second hand sources.

▶Characters: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The protagonist is a young adult from our world, a game developer (though the author seems to not know exactly what that entails). He possesses the final boss of the videogame he made, which for some reason is also his player character. Appearance wise, he looks like a middle aged evil mastermind.Hitting all the tropes of the genre, he is immensely powerful, with hidden powers, transformations, and an appearance that terrifies his friends and some of his allies.

Most female characters are fetishized and serves only as eye candy for the viewers. The end game of most of the female characters is to fall in love with the main character (who quite persistently claim to not be a paedophile, despite the manga being firmly targetting that demographic).

The rest of the cast are jokes or common Japanese popular media tropes.

▶Artwork: ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The artwork is of decent quality, and the fight scenes flow quite well.

[More info about my review style can be found on my profile]

▶Summary and recommendation: -----------------------------------------------------------------
The Writer's Barely-Disguised Fetish

⚠This manga is softcore pornography featuring underage characters⚠
⚠Female characters in this manga are usually sexualized⚠
⚠This manga features thinly veiled homophobia⚠

[Maou-sama, Retry!] and the sequel [Maou-sama, Retry! R] is a harem power fantasy isekai focusing predominantly on the protagonist showing off how badass and capable they are, and on showing women and children's underwear to the reader.
...
I absolutely do not recommend this isekai to anyone. This is a manga for paedophiles.


▶Story: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The story is your very average isekai power fantasy story, where the protagonist goes on an adventure while fighting increasingly impressive foes. It is however not trying to go for a very deep story, and other than a slight focus on wackiness, the manga primarily exist to display the author's fetishes.

The protagonist after finding himself in a fantasy world, goes on an adventure, picking up various underaged girls along the way. Girls with self esteem issues, former slaves, victims of curses, and abuse. With his overwhelming power, he easily solves all their problems, and wins over their hearts.

As a harem, everyone of course falls in love with him. Most (maybe all?) of which are children, or look like children. Within the first chapter, he has come upon his first harem member. His 13 year old adoptive daughter/love interest.

Aping Overlord in many of its aspects, this protagonist goes on to create his ideal country, one where one of the indiginous races has to wear skimpy playboy bunny outfits (Another example of where this author's priorities lie).

While the red flags were there from the start, it is not as blatant about its perverseness until the sequel manga.

There are a couple of satisfying plot twists, and spectacular fight scenes, but there is nothing can redeem this manga.

▶Setting: ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Much of the setting seem to have been inspired by the hit Isekai [Overlord]. Both turning into their extremely powerful MMO videogame characters, and both of them running a guild filled with loyal NPC characters. NPCs with high expectations of the protagonist, causing the protagonist a lot of pressure and stress.

Where they differ however is the author's knowledge of the subject they are writing about. I suspect the author may not have played an MMO since the late 1990s, or early 2000s, and are receiving most of their knowledge of videogames and the games industry from second hand sources.

▶Characters: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The protagonist is a young adult from our world, a game developer (though the author seems to not know exactly what that entails). He possesses the final boss of the videogame he made, which for some reason is also his player character. Appearance wise, he looks like a middle aged evil mastermind.Hitting all the tropes of the genre, he is immensely powerful, with hidden powers, transformations, and an appearance that terrifies his friends and some of his allies.

Most female characters are fetishized and serves only as eye candy for the viewers. The end game of most of the female characters is to fall in love with the main character (who quite persistently claim to not be a paedophile, despite the manga being firmly targetting that demographic).

The rest of the cast are jokes or common Japanese popular media tropes.

▶Artwork: ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The artwork is of decent quality, and the fight scenes flow quite well.

[More info about my review style can be found on my profile]

▶Summary and recommendation: -----------------------------------------------------------------
[Ginger and the cursed prince] is an Otome isekai story about the most clumsy and airheaded person you can dream up trying to scheme their way through love and politics, to various degrees of success.

Like a trainwreck in slow motion, it is hard to look away. Our protagonist can always find a new way to fall, sometimes in the right direction.

The amount of second hand embarassment this story offers is on a level many will find difficult to manage. You are going to reel back in horror at some of ... the embarrassing moments of this story. It is of course intentionally done by the author, and for those who enjoy that kind of story, this is a goldmine.

Despite its inability to keep up what made it unique throughout the entire story left me feeling a bit disappointed. I still recommend this to those who take pleasure in second hand embarrassment, and those who want a story with likeable characters who are honest to a fault.

▶Story: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Rather than being reincarnated, our protagonist instead learns of the future through a book she happens upon. The story follows Ginger as she tries to use her knowledge of the future to her advantage and win the heart of her dream prince.

The story itself is quite straightforward and serves more as a backdrop to the characters and their antics.

What the author has done is to skillfully craft a story specially tailored to invoke the highest degree of second hand embarassment possible. Ginger will tackle every challenge she faces with more enthusiasm than she has skill and common sense. This will result in some of the most embarrassing moments I have ever experienced in a book. Unfortunately it fails to maintain that barrage of embarrassment throughout the entirety of the story, and is sadly quite indistinguishable from most of its peers by the end.

It is however relatively short for a manhwa at only around 70 chapters, and the cast of characters makes it worth finishing. At 72 chapters + epilogue, it is something you can blast through in only a few days (if you do not need to take breaks to recover from the second hand embarrasent).

▶Setting: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The setting is unremarkeable. It is loosely inspired by european medieval fantasy. Geopolitics do not have a big role in the story, and the author didn't put that much thought into making the world seem full and expansive. Just whatever was needed for the self contained plot of the manhwa. This is neither a negative nor positive.

▶Characters: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The characters are the primary focus of this manwha, with everything else taking a back seat, and it has some stand out characters as a result.

If you are looking for a story with a clever and intelligent protagonist, this is not it. The protagonist Ginger is unabashedly honest, and an airheaded clutz with a tendency to choose the worst option possible when given the opportunity, and even when she is not given an opportunity.

Those not bothered by, or enjoying the second hand embarrassment will find a loveable protagonist who couldn't be cruel even if she tried.

All the side characters exist to create interesting interactions between them and the protagonist. The initial roster is somewhat weak and one dimensional, but the story introduces more likeable characters with more depth as the story progresses. The main male lead, and supporting leads (while visually quite standard for the genre) play well with the personality and antics of the protagonist.

▶Romance: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The romance is the premise, main drive and focus of the entire manhwa. With a loveable protagonist, great supporting character, and a good natured male lead, it makes you root for every single one of them.

Our protagonist comes on extremely strong, which makes for great dynamics with the more reserved and (justifiably) distrustful male lead. While the romance plot is fairly straight forward it is still engaging thanks to Ginger's tendency to mess up.

As previously mentioned it is unable to keep Ginger's antics up for the entirety of the story, and possibly the weakest aspect of this manwha is that it loses some of its identity and is quite indistinguishable from any other Romance Otome Isekai by the end.

▶Artwork: ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The artwork is a bit inconsistent, with thick background lineart sometimes clashing with thin character outlines. It is fine enough for the story the manwha wants to tell, but it isn't particularly gorgeous to look at, and does not help the already generic character designs stand out.

[More info about my review style can be found on my profile]

▶Summary and recommendation: -----------------------------------------------------------------
[The Villainess turns the hourglass] was my first Otome Isekai, and I am now writing my review after finishing my second read.

It is a great introduction to the genre, but it does not excel in many areas. It is a power fantasy / revenge story, and if you can find it in you to root for the protagonist (who is most certainly not a saint themselves) you will find both very satisfying.

I usually recommend this to people trying to get into Otome Isekai, but it is far from the best ... the genre has to offer.

▶Story: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The introduction differs quite a lot compared to most Isekai in that the protagonist is a native of the fantasy world, and not from our world. The isekai aspect comes in the form of the main character dying and waking up many years in the past when she was a child, now armed with knowledge of the future.

The protagonist was a former commoner, who is now living in the rigid world of nobles. The rags to riches* story follows Aria. A sly girl who armed with the intelligence of an adult together with her foreknowledge sets out on a quest of revenge against everyone who wronged her. She of course does this through political and economic schemes rather than through ostentatious action.
The manwha does an excellent job in its power fantasy aspect, and the protagonist rarely meets any challenges she can not overcome with ease. To the point of becoming predictable at times.

Where there is contention is the revenge aspect. The villain of the story is a young child who in the present is only a mean child due to her upbringing, but will in the future become cruel and outright evil due to her being easily manipulated by the malicious adults around her.

While the villain is most definitely cruel, our modern real world sensibilities would say that her as a child is not deserving of what is happening to her, making it difficult for many to root for the main character.

There are also issues with the themes of the manhwa. Where some of its positive themes are subverted later in the story.

▶Setting: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The setting is unremarkeable. It is loosely inspired by european medieval fantasy. Geopolitics do not have a big role in the story, and the author didn't put that much thought into making the world seem full and expansive. Just whatever was needed for the self contained plot of the manhwa.

▶Characters: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The main character is intelligent and sly except for when the story requires her to be oblivious to move the plot forward (In particular the romance subplot). She does not go through a lot of character development, as that is not really the point of the story. Rather she is portrayed as a mastermind who skillfully manipulates the board to fulfill her goals. Satisfying if that is what you are looking for.

The side characters are fleshed out, with the reader learning more about them at a very well portioned out pace throughout the story.

▶Romance: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Romance is a huge focus of the story, and unlike many Otome Isekai, this is where it differs a lot from other romances. It is the one field where there are some nuance, and things do not always go according to plan.

The pairing is quite obvious when you see it, but it takes a while to get there though even though it is quite obvious how it will end. Some commenters have complained about the romance subplot being stretched out too much, and there is some validity to that complaint.

There are some oddities with maturity and characters not looking their age due to certain plot devices, that make some of the romance seem off.

▶Artwork: ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The artstyle is acceptable. It does not stand out in any particular way, but serves the plot well. Character expressions are well showcased through the art, but it does not elevate the story in any way.

[More info about my review style can be found on my profile]

▶Summary and recommendation: -----------------------------------------------------------------
This is a very satisfying power fantasy with a somewhat unique main character, and some well placed humour.

I wholeheartedly recommend this to fans of power fantasies and fans of the low power cultivation subgenre.
I also recommend this to anyone new to the genre with the caveat that it suffers from the problems every other power fantasy does. The protagonist being as powerful as he is means there is little tension and it is difficult to be invested in battles asides from just wanting to 'see a badass do badass ... things'.

▶Story: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This is a regression "isekai" story, where the protagonist dies and wakes up in the past with all his memories of the future.
The introduction relishes in how edgy the main character "The mad demon" is, but a bit of humour defused any worries I had about the story being too edgy.

We are slowly introduced to the kind of character [Lee Jaha] the protagonist is across the first few story arcs. He has a lot more depth to him than most power fantasy protagonist, despite being one of the edgier ones and deliciously cocky.
Very little will surprise fans of the genre, as it follows the standard power fantasy format, but it is still a very satisfying and engaging read with well placed humour when it fits.

My primary complaint is that the author neglects to give time to setting up the scene for a story arc, so I felt like the story was always in a hurry. Jumping from conflict to conflict, without much time to get to know the new characters and what is at stake. I wish the author had dedicated a bit more time to downtime between the fights and setting the stage before jumping to the action.
I also find it disappointing that him waking up in the past with memories of the future has not been a focus of the story or even addressed much at all as of writing.

Overall I felt the manwha started out strong and managed to stay quite strong for over 80 chapters (which is a lot more than most) before starting to encounter the questions that plague a lot of power fantasies "Where do we go from here?", "Who is the next big bad enemy?", and "What even is our character's motivation?".

▶Setting: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This manhwa is set in a cultivation xianxia (chinese fantasy) setting. This subgenre focuses on the pursuit of immortality by honing the body through medicine as well as physical and spirutual training. There are high power and low power versions of the setting and is the latter where characters are only slightly fantastical. Having the power to shoot fireballs, not the power to destroy a planet by smashing it into the sun.

▶Characters: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[Lee Jaha] lives up to the title of the manwha, but has a lot more depth than most power fantasy protagonists. Despite being a 'Mad Demon' he displays strong morals and care for the weak. It may perhaps feel a bit out of place in such a ruthless setting, but the author does a good job in justifying his beliefs through flashbacks to his past.
While there is character development, it moves at a very slow pace and not much has changed at a hundred chapters in.

At first glance it seems like all the side characters only exist as comedic relief, but there is a good few who are fleshed out (though this does not mean they are not also comedic relief). Sadly as of writing the rest of them have not been given sufficient screentime to go through much character development. The characters that do get enough screentime has developed in very predictable "tropey" ways, i.e. "Bad guy is forced to play nice and then discovers that being nice is fulfilling, so they turn good" but it is still satisfying to see a character grow throughout the story.

▶Artwork: ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The art is well above average, but can be hard to follow during battles. It does not flow that well during attacks, and the fights are lesser because of it. The art serves the humour more than the power fantasy.

[More info about my review style can be found on my profile]

▶Summary and recommendation: -----------------------------------------------------------------
A very charming 'heterosexual' crossdressing themed romcom that appeared (to me and some others) as a boy's love / yaoi romcom at first glance.
This is an adult romcom written for adults who has a more mature view on romance than teenagers. The manga is quite refreshing in that it does not have a lot of awkward misunderstandings, which is a common plot device in romcoms.

There is light nudity and suggestive scenes, but no genitalia or intercourse is shown. It is however very implied. Even in the very first chapters.

▶Story ... and Romance: --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A crossdressing romcom that stars out very strong and fast. It is common for romcoms to drag the story out as much as possible, which this manga also falls victim for, but not until much much later in the story. Only mellowing out after several story arcs.
Rather than drama, the story is mostly covering the lighthearted teasing between couples and the characters discovering themselves, rather than using misunderstandings as plot devices.

It is unclear if it has trans themes as of writing. If the main character is trans, it does not state so outright.

▶Characters: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Most of the characters are adults and feel like they were written by an adult with experience in the field of romance, which isn't the case with all romcoms.

▶Artwork: ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The artstyle is black and white only as is common with Japanese comics. Most of the scenes lack background art, but features art when it matters to the story. The most important part however are the characters, and they are well drawn and their expressions and emotions come across well.

[More info about my review style can be found on my profile]

▶Summary and recommendation: -----------------------------------------------------------------
[The worn and torn newbie] is yet another videogame themed Korean Manhwa where the author's limited knowledge of videogames is one of its many downfalls.

If all you want is a power fantasy with a predicteable story with large swathes of the story dedicated to showing off how badass the main character is, then this story might satisfy you.
If that does not meet your standards, I recommend [Overgeared]. While not without flaws, it is a bit more well thought out than this manhwa.

▶Story: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The story premise is the most praiseworthy ... aspect of the manhwa. Being quite unique; the protagonist is a veteran player of an MMORPG videogame who is sent back in time to when the game first released. His game foreknowledge gives him an extreme advantage, making this a wish fulfilment power fantasy where the protagonist cruises through the game on easy mode. He always knows whats to do and is never challenged.


The author shows some knowledge of the Korean esport scene, but shows a lacking understanding of videogames and the industry that might pull you out of the story if these things matter to you. i.e. the narration claims that "Games need to follow trends to stay popular" as a plot point, something that the current state of the industry quite firmly disproves.

There are some rare moments when the story shines, where the author subverts some of the genre tropes and sneaks in some commentary on the subgenre.

▶Characters: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The protagonist is not a good person, but he is interesting and fits the story very well. He is brash and sadistic and is a videogame gambling addict (Gacha), who does not have many redeeming traits.
Side characters are less interesting with most being stereotypes and tropes. Some however do undergo character development which is rare for the genre.
Between all of the fights and edgy postering, I was shocked when the story actually dedicated some space for character development.

▶Artwork: ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The general artstyle is quite run of the mill, but monster designs stand out as being inspired.
The combat scenes are atrocious and impossible to follow at times. Some fights are just consecutive pages of orange or red effects, broken up by pages of white. While the fights are meant to be spectacular, it is impossible to track as entire pages are are dedicated to flames, explosions, lightning, and other effects.

[More info about my review style can be found on my profile]

▶Summary and recommendation: -----------------------------------------------------------------
[The Fantasie of a Stepmother] is an Otome Isekai story focused on child rearing, and the theme of trying to live up to the expectations of your parents. I recommend it to fans of the genre, with the caveat that it is very slow.
So slow that I ended up dropping it at chapter 91.

▶Story: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The story is set in an alternate reality/history Holy Roman Empire sometime between the 1500 and 1700. It is refreshing how well researched the author is on the historical setting.

It follows a time regressed (She died and ... woke up years in the past with her memories of the future) lower class girl who has to take on the role of mother to 4 children of nobility. She is too young for the role and the story is about her and her allies trying to navigate a hostile political landscape. The story is far from shallow, but the author is quite up front about wanting the story to have a heartwarming tone. Which means that you might feel a lack of tension even during the more serious chapters.

▶Characters: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
All the main characters are more than two dimensional and are given the opportuniy to grow throughout the story. Their beliefs and problems are realistic and portrayed well. While not everyone is likeable, they are at least understandeable.

▶Romance: --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
As the Manhwa focuses on a child raising other children as their mother, it has little time for romance. This does change as the story progresses, but much of the romance will come off as problematic to our modern sensibilities. The Manhwa does not try to defend its problematic parts though, and does present them as wrong.

▶Artwork: ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
When the artist does their best, this manhwa has some of the best and most detailed artwork out of any comic I have read. For most of the comic however, the art is fairly good, and serves the story well during emotional and expressive scenes.