Back to brugmansia's Profile brugmansia's Profile

In painfully brutal honesty, I do not love this manga. Why is it painful? Because Mushoku Tensei is my all-time favorite novel series.

The manga, on the other hand, reads like cliché, half-assed isekai garbage. They've taken the rich storytelling and character development of the source novel, and watered things down so much that I can hardly recognize this series.

The scenes that *should* have brought me to tears lack depth and emotional weight. The characters who *should* have breathed life to my soul are depicted as hollow caricatures. The landscapes, the storytelling, the suspenseful dramatic irony, all of it is lost in translation, and we are ... only left with the manga version of LaCroix.

If this is your first encounter with the Mushoku Tensei series, PLEASE stay away from this manga. Either read the source LN / WN, or watch the anime instead -- which does a much better job of depicting the nuance and emotional weight of the source ... and in some cases even *surpasses* the source!

A solid slice-of-life series that is all-around a calm and relaxing read. Don't expect too much from the story; we're only 25 chapters in, and Seo Kouji is known for taking an extremely long time in his exposition. So sit back and enjoy the wistful character interactions, the sumptuous fanservice, and the occasional heart-pounding glimpses of romance.

-- all of it is executed perfectly, as expected from a veteran mangaka who was once known as the king of shounen romance. I'm sticking with this series because:

1. The art is breathtaking, especially the characters. Seriously, look at the girls. The way Seo draws his girls is reminiscent ... of the classic Shoujo manga style: long, slender limbs (legs for days...), and large facial features brimming with emotion-- but with the right proportion of curves as expected of a shounen artist

2. The character development never gets old or too cliche. This is just the thing to read after a long day at school or work, to unwind and watch people have fun with the every day life of running a restaurant.

3. The Seo Kouji brand. This guarantees us a long and fulfilling storyline that'll last at least 1-2 hundred chapters of bliss. Seo Kouji's made such a huge name for himself with long-spanning works like Suzuka and Kimi no Iru Machi, and built such a reputation with publishers, there's no way this series will get prematurely cancelled. That means us readers will get *plenty* of shipping material for each of our favorite heroines ;) And I bet, after reading even just the first 5 chapters, you'll already have a favorite "waifu." Seo's character development/exposition is just that strong.

So sit back, relax, and enjoy. This series is what slice of life romance is all about

As someone who blindly dove into this manga because I saw a cute girl on the cover ... this work has completely torn apart and reconstructed my sensibilities, and made me reexamine the idea of attraction, and how gender identity plays a part in it

I was, in order: shocked, repulsed, and intrigued. You really start to wonder what it means for a man to be attracted to a woman. Are you ever really attracted to someone purely because of their biology or their sex? Or because of some more abstract notion like "femininity"?

More concretely: although I started this manga rooting for Yui to end ... up with Yo, and hoping for Kei to fade into the background as a mere plot device to drive forward the relationship I wanted to see ... my loyalties were swiftly reversed.

Without any spoilers, the interaction, and tension, between our three main characters is pretty fucked up. But you have to appreciate that each of the characters, much like real people, are all fucked up in their own special way: The toxic and hurtful aspects of our personalities are often coping mechanisms we've developed from a past trauma. In this manga we get to see the aftermath of everyone's traumas unfold before our eyes.

Through this lens, we'll come to appreciate how, despite Yui being the woman of Yo's dreams, and despite how much we as the audience may truly be rooting for her ... perhaps she is not the best for Yo. Moreover, we realize that she would only ruin Yo if they were to stay together. And, conversely, no matter how viscerally wrong it may feel to see Kei and Yo together, we gradually understand that Kei would not only be better for Yo's sanity, but also a better physical fit for Yo. But hey, the series is still just starting and anything could happen between the 3.

But honestly, this was not what I expected at all when I clicked on the cover. And now I've basically written an essay, and my head is wrestling with a deep moral dilemma ...

Look, I'll be completely honest here. The production quality of this anime isn't the best. In fact, at times it feels like I'm watching a rough draft of what *could* be one of the greatest anime I ever watch.

The premise is compelling, the characters (including the villains) are given strong background stories, and there are moments in the series where I genuinely almost shed a tear over a touching scene centered on a random side character I never expected to emotionally resonate with.

This has all the makings of a potentially fantastic series, but *damn*, the art and execution consistently ruin the experience.

The characters ... have ... stiff expressions during certain moving / dynamic scenes. The vignettes that show important character interactions and backstories ... have almost no flow at all, have poor scene transitions, and end just as abruptly as they begin -- without any opportunity for the audience to really let the emotions sink in.

Whoever's the director of this series is not doing their job. And it's a shame, because I see all the elements that make for the greatest of stories: dramatic irony; betrayal; noble hearts forced to commit evil deeds; villains acting upon pure intentions; a cast of varied personalities whose interactions are sometimes hilarious and sometimes touching; a pattering of romance; philosophical meditations on human nature, the list goes on....

It hurts me, because watching this series feels exactly like eating a delicious birthday cake out of a garbage can...

This is a modern coming of age story focused on 4 individuals who are trying (and struggling) to find direction in their lives. It's a story about relationships, the various circumstances in which they can take root, and the ways they blossom, pitifully, and beautifully.

While watching this anime, every other line of dialogue just seems to hit way too close to home, and there is enough character development by the end of every episode to make you feel like you've watched an entire season. This is one of the most grounded series I've watched-- no frills, no gimmicks, just silent, heavy realism.

Story: (10/10) The plot ... flows naturally like everyday life, without any apparent purpose. But it is in these normal interactions that these characters shine-- growing, and learning about themselves. It truly feels like a mirror into real life, the brooding thoughts, the huffs of anticipation, the silent insecurities ... they're all reminiscent of some of the most difficult thoughts we have from within the depths of love.

Characters: (10/10) Oh, but love is messy. People are messy. The reasons we give others and deceive ourselves with ... can at times make perfect sense, and still make no sense at all. The characters in this series are complex. They deceive themselves, and contradict themselves. They are inscrutable and yet ... painfully familiar.

Art: (8/10) You really need to focus on the backgrounds, which set up the perfect ambiance for every scene. The muted color palette, the camera angles, it's all exquisitely executed.

Sound: (10/10) Again, perfectly sets up the ambiance. This series is light on the music, and whatever music there is, is sparse-- to really make you focus on the dialogue between the characters, adding just the perfect amount of garnish to the emotions of the scene. In addition, there is incredibly realistic and well-engineered background noise that immerses you in the characters' surroundings: the mellow whistle of the winter breeze, the birds chirping in the distance, the incidental rustle of dry leaves. Ughhh it gives me shivers like I'm practically there, eavesdropping on these heartfelt conversations.

Enjoyment: (10/10) If you haven't realized by now, I *really* freaking enjoy this show, lol.

Overall: (10/10) tldr; Watch it. Give it just 1 episode, 2 max, and I assure you, you will be drawn in