Sep 1, 2021
So this manga, from what I've read, seems to have immensely good world building. There's a clear history, the system of magic is quite a unique and very detailed system that follows clear rules. The way that society is structured around various gods is also very intriguing. However, I feel like the author is not making full use of this.
The characters that we are introduced to at the start are somewhat bland. They seem to follow a lot of somewhat uninteresting character tropes, with some small dilemmas that aimed to give them more depth as a character, but only did so to a minimal extent.
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character I had a particular problem with was the main character. From the start, we are introduced to his internal dilemma surrounding his self-worth and his belief that he could have done better. However, I feel like the author does not utilise this incredibly interesting characteristic to its full extent. Instead, the character just appears as a standard protagonist - morally good, very hard working, sometimes makes mistakes but ultimately lacks the unique characteristics that real people have. In the chapters that I have read, we've hardly even found out anything beyond a vague description of his past life and a silhouette of his past self, and I feel that this just shows that the author wasn't able to make full use of the reincarnation story to get the reader to feel anything towards the main character.
Finally, my biggest dislike towards this manga is the art. I am by no means saying that I can draw better than this author, because I definitely cannot. However, one thing that I have observed in this type of manga, a fantasy manga that takes place in a relatively standard fantasy world of magic and swords, is that the art plays an important world. No matter how you flesh out this genre's lore and worldbuilding, I feel that it only comes to life with outstanding art. However, the author, I feel, cuts a lot of corners in his art and does not fully utilize his skills to bring the world to life.
Firstly, the main character's proportions at the start don't feel like they belong to a child. He had the appearance of a teenager in terms of his build, despite being only a child at this point. This may not have a major impact on the world, but for me it was a relatively early sign of the dissonance between the story/world and the art.
Secondly, the backgrounds/scenery in the panels generally felt very lacking, plain or simply empty. Almost all of the panels have a completely white or black background, or a gradient background. I understand that this is common for manga as a whole, but the great fantasy manga, or manga that heavily emphasises on world building in general, has always had just a little bit more of an emphasis on the background art in the panels. This manga does not do that, and I feel like that inhibits the reader from being truly immersed in the world. We have this amazing worldbuilding and lore, but we simply cannot envision it because of the background art.
Overall, this manga has everything required to be a masterpiece. An interesting world, a setup for the character's dilemma and development, and a conflict. However, from what I've read so far, there is no indication that the author will make full use of these. The setup is there, but it hasn't been utilized. If these issues are addressed as the manga continues, this manga definitely has the potential to be a masterpiece though.
Reviewer’s Rating: 5
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