Isekai Houtei: Rebuttal Barrister

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I don't review manga much, if at all. But I feel like something like this could be very good, and while there are only 9 chapters as of now. I think someone finding this might want to see a longer review for a better understanding.

So, I found this manga in an odd way. I wanted to find out what "Houtei" meant in Mahjong and googled it, and upon discovering this and reading the synopsis I instantly started to read it.

To reiterate what the synopsis says, this is a story about a 29 year old loser who despite his best efforts has failed to become a ... lawyer several times. In a drunken fit, he stumbles into the road, gets his by a car and gets sent to another world, and soon gets himself in the middle of a court case where he has to defend someone being accused of hurting a nobleman.

The best way to really describe this would be if Phoenix Wright went to another world and had to defend clients there. It's got everything you could ask for if you're a fan of Ace Attorney. I even listen to the music from Ace Attorney when I read this because it fits so damn well.

Each chapter usually sets up the case in around 10-12 pages, and then has Shiba be somewhere in the picture to defend the person for the remainder. Cases range from generic murder, to petty theft and even trying to skip out on the bill at a restaurant. It can be quite a thrill to see the Shiba use all the law he has memorized to win cases, sometimes referring to them word to word, especially when it's used in creative ways.

The first case he takes on has him trying to defend a single half-elf against a nobleman. Since no one else will take the case, Shiba has to. With no experience in court, a stubborn defendant and an experienced prosecutor, and man is it a ride. I really enjoy reading it just because of the vibe it gives off, it's one person vs the whole court and he pulls through with everything against him.

Another interesting aspect about this manga is the world. Since the world is a magical medieval place with elves and noblemen who we don't understand, it's interesting for Shiba to deal with them on a daily basis. Using Japanese Law to turn the tables on a court case is very interesting.

This is a manga that is pretty special as there's nothing really else like it. I mean sure, you've got Ace Attorney but is there anything else? While it's still early days for this manga, I still think you should give it a read if you're unsure about it. It's 9 chapters long right now, so it's not like you're losing anything by reading it.

Overall, it's hard to really give a big impression of the manga. If you like Ace Attorney, give it a read. If you've never seen/played Ace Attorney but enjoy turnabouts and fantasy, give it a read. I also do recommend reading with the Ace Attorney soundtrack that you can quickly shift through, it give it a little more "Oomph".

It starts out like your typical isekai manga. 30 year old neet reborn in an fantasy world. Although instead of the fantasy world with magic and guilds, its one that is trying to get out of the stereotypical fantasy world setting by implementing Japanese law.

Story:
Combining law and fantasy world was actually a nice combo. Since originally in the world there was a plentiful discrimination against races or income classes. You get to watch how the mc battles the thoughts and beliefs of the fantasy world with the new law.

The story is generally broken down into cases, where each one (as of right now), ... is only 1-3 chapters long. But there is also main story that most isekai stories lack. Of course there are people in the world that do not like the new change, and thus opposes the mc. Exactly how hasn't been show much yet.

Characters:
MC: Typical inferior neet reborn
Female sidekick: Typical, oh thank you for saving my life! Let me serve you!
God: Typical loli


Art: Pretty Stereotypical, normal isekai art.

Enjoyment:
The enjoyment in this one is different compared to other isekai art. Instead it comes from the battles in the court (and with the antagonist), probably equivalent to something like the american tv show "suits".