Tensei shite High Elf ni Narimashita ga, Slow Life wa 120-nen de Akimashita
High Elf with a Long Life

Edit

What would you like to edit?

SynopsisBackgroundAlternative TitlesPictureChapters/VolumesPublishing DatesRelationsTypeExternal Links  

I start with this, since this will be the first thing most reader will notice anyway. This manga operates with really similar basic premise as Frieren. There is a almost immortal protag (Aesir), whose perception of time is completely different from that of mortals. However, this manga approach the same questions from a completly different angle. While Frieren is full of nostalgia, reminiscence and regret, this one is the exact opposite. It is forward-looking and life-affirming. Mostly due to the fact that the protag here is not as dum-dum as Frieren, and understands the meaning of mortality from the get go and he spends time ... and get close to people whom he likes (unlike Frieren who is like: "Bye, we meet again in 50 years"). He is way more mature, despite his personality is way more lighthearted, friendly, careless and easygoing. I do not want to compare the two though (at least not more than I already did), but if you read both of them, you'll realize that they are really similar, but the message they try to convey is completly different.

Aesir is a damn well-written protag. He is full of childish curiousity, yet when it is needed he acts as mature as I would expect from someone who already lived more than a century. His childish curiousity doesn't stems from the fact that he doesn't understands the meaning of mortality though, but from the fact that he lived a secluded life in an near immortal community cut off from the world. Hence why his understanding of the world and the mortal society is limited. This is why his story feels like a real adventure of discoveries. His goal is nothing more than to learn, discover, experience, make friends and have fun.

The story itself is extremly fast paced (but don't expect high octane action). I'm only 24 chapters deep and like 70-80 years already have passed. However, it doesn't mean the story is rushed. Quite the opposite, from the MC's perspective a century really is nothing. Just to illustrate this, in the first chapter he kills wolf, and when he visit the "starter town" he decide to learn blacksmithing to make a knife out of it's tooth. His tought process is like: "Why not learn blacksmithing it only takes 10-15 years". Not to mention every arc touch some really deep topics, especially since he is not a loner, he makes friends in the process of his adventures. You can guess where this is going, right? Yes, exactly, he has to overcome losing friends and loved ones. The interesting message here is, what does it matter if it takes a decade or two to mourn? Nothing really, and you feel exactly the same. You just flip the page or read a few panels and a decade have passed, and the MC is more or less over it. People come and go throughout our lives, we need to learn to deal with it somehow, even if it painful for a while. So yes, The story can hit really hard right in the feels.

The most interesting question for me what occasionally appear in the manga is what can be a purpose of an immortal being? The answer here seems like, preserving the original goal and ideals of a tradtion or legends. He was there when it born, he even knew personally those who invented it, so he can pass the original ideals from generation to generation. Somewhat lonely, but noble goal. Connected to this, a really interesting aspect of this manga is when he occationally visits places where he did something in the past. His deeds already became legends of the local folklore. Sometimes these encounters are smile inducing, since the reality is way more mundane than the epic legend.

All in all, I could mumble a lot about this, since it is so damn good. Anyway, I highly recommend this to anyone who have read Frieren and liked it (in certain aspects I think this one is even better than Frieren, in others not so much), or just want to spend some time thinking about the time we spend on this mud planet. I'm pretty sure this will considered a masterpiece by some. As for me? It is almost there, but I'm not sure a story like this can become my favorite.

I chose this manga after seeing it on the list of manga adapted in novelupdates without much expectations, but I found a hidden treasure.

The story is good and besides, it's the first one I've read that really explores this question of the Elves/High Elves' lifespan being the main point of the story and not just a decorative information, since being able to live a long time is not a very used characteristic. in the creation of elves in the stories.

I really liked how the story develops and the characters build their stories well and it's easy to get attached to them.

It's a shame that there ... are only 15 chapters translated into english. This is the kind of work I would read hundreds of them.

There are only 9 translated chapters available at the moment, but this one is extremely promising, and in places resembles freiren.

It is slice of life, of sorts, and there's plenty of world building. It is rather calm, but at the same time it occasionally takes more somber tome, as the main character goes through the world and his actions leave an impact.

I would say that this is more suitable for slightly older audience, as there are no harems to collect, no super powers, and while the main character is an odd being in the world, it is interesting to watch how his journey slowly unfolds ... and how people and things around him change, over time.

I say it resembles freiren because the work occasionally touches on aspect of main character's species being different from humans, and thus having difference in perception of things, and that alternative perspective for me was fascinating.

Still, there's no danger looming over the world, no impending doom, just an oddball elf moving through the world looking for his interests.

I liked it and recommend it. It is unfortunate that only a few chapters are currently availbale.

7/10 story, 6/10 art, 6/10 character, 6/10 enjoyment, 6/10 overall.