If you like characters who are extremely messed up in their heads, this is a series for you. If you are a reader who likes to see the MC suffer (through mindrape or brainwashing), this is also a series for you.
A series that is a gem among the isekai dungeon fantasy with a game-system genre, but has too little recognition. It's a rather refreshing work with traits that are uncommon within the same genre. This review may contain a bit spoiler, but nothing that should harm your reading experience.
The story is simple. A boy wakes up in isekai, but instead of being excited,
...
he just wants to go back. Because in the original world, he lives with his only family, his sick little sister who needs him. That's why he has to come back no matter what. His only clue is the miracle inside the deepest part of the dungeon on the 100th floor.
The goal of the story is clear. With how strong the MC (his cheat) and his companions are, it really looks like the road paved in front of him. But the world and everything around him don't allow that. He needs to face a lot of "trials" to go further and further. And when he overcomes it, he will arrive at the "truth" only to have his determination shaken.
At first, everything is going normal, just like any other isekai (maybe not, some isekai start with betrayal or whatever and then will go fine later). However, you will soon see that the focus of the story is not about dungeon diving and fighting monsters. It's not a simple story about adventuring while being happy with leveling up, gaining new skills and magics. The story will focus on "What will you sacrifice to reach your goal?"
It's a basic fantasy world, but the narrative makes it feel a bit grim. The MC is not like any other MCs who are already familiar with isekai. He knows fantasy and RPG well, but he can't just accept his situation. It's really written like someone who is stranded in a foreign country and separated from his own family.
The setting of the story is very good. The world, the magic system, the game mechanic, the dungeon, the governments and noble families, even the religion, everything tied up to the plot in an amazing way. There are a lot of mysteries that are packed and revealed fantasticly. The reason why he got to another world in the first place, what's inside the last floor of the labyrinth, and does his sister really exists. One answer will just lead to another question.
The writing is good. It's less description but tells more, and it has an unreliable narrator trope. Because it's 1st POV, each revelation feels like a punch in the gut to the reader as well. You only know what the MC knows. (When I read it, I have to stop for a few minutes to process what the hell just happened. But the MC doesn't have that luxury.)
All the side characters are charming, they are anything but bland. However, all of them have problems (in their heads). How to put it... They are pretty normal, but when they have their own "wish" or "resentment", they would literally do anything to get it. Of course, their desires often clash with MC's desires. The best part is that they all still have their own will and not just become yes man to the MC.
Another thing is that everyone in this novel, including the MC is a liar or hiding their true selves. Which is fine because it’s abnormal for people to be honest all the time. You can imagine all the characters are like a closed book. The cover is beautiful, but once it's opened, what's inside is something far different than you see.
Usually, heroine characters will say what they mean it, (unless Tsundere who only says the opposite). However, the women in this novel are more complicated than real women. And the men are even more complicated than that. For example, MC is someone who loves story-telling (RPG, movie, theater), but he can't be good with the same kind of people. He likes it, but because he likes it he can't be on good terms with it. (I kind of get it to be honest)
Is the MC OP? Yes, he is. He is basically the strongest "person" in the continent at the end of Volume 1.
So the story would be boring because he just has to clear the dungeon easily? Well, it's true that all the normal monsters in the dungeon are no match for him. But here's the catch, every 10th floor in the dungeon, there will be a Guardian.
These guardians are monsters with human intelligence who will give the "trial". Their power is comparable to the MC and is enough to destroy a country. They are actually heroes of the past from 1.000 years ago with a complicated background. There is a way to kill them without fighting them, which is to get rid of their "resentment" or fulfill their "wish". They are just dead people with regret.
The greater their resentment is, the more powerful they are, and vice versa. Their "wish" always sounds easy at first, but it's not. Since the beginning, it's become a wish because they can't fulfill it in their whole lives. It's a bit like Fate, there are a lot of characters from the past or legends. (But rather than 'look at how cool and powerful the people from the past are!', it's more like 'look at how messed up and traumatic the past is...')
Is there a cool villain? Yes, the best one. He is THE BEST MIND RAPIST. Because the story is written in 1st POV, unlike other stories that show the villains sitting in a dark room planning something stupid that will definitely fail. All the villains in this story have little screen time before the climax, and you don't even know what their plan is. Which makes the grand reveal of it so disgusting and awesome.
Is the magic system good? Yes, it is. At first, magic is just something like chanting and using MP. But then a lot of rules are added. Magic that exists before the system or MP has a rule on its own. When using it, there would be compensation to pay. (I love this kind of power system, it makes a cheat skill rather be called a curse). There are reasons why those things are in the past despite how powerful it is.
It's not something like, 'Ancient magic is great and modern magic is stupid'. It's powerful for sure, but still dangerous. It's fine if it's just destroying your body or reducing your lifespan, but the compensation is something akin to a drug. There are many more rules and such. But to discuss magic further would be a massive spoiler. The truth behind the magic is deeply connected to one of the core mysteries of the story. Same with the game-like system and skill.
What is the MC's personality? The MC is a moral and endearing character. He's neither an edgelord nor a pervert. He's responsible, careful, and honest (maybe, he lies only for good things). All in all, he's a decent person who aims to return to his world to be reunited with his little sister. He is truly someone who can be called an orthodox hero.
This is purely personal and subjective. I like the fact that the MC is smart but still not so sure his plan will work, or basically has common sense. Most of the smart and op MCs always smile like they are going to win before the fight. Kanami will have an absolutely perfect plan but still has hunch about other things. Which is actually coming true sometimes, because this is not a story where "everyone is stupid besides the MC". Also, it is just my taste to see an arrogant person lose it (not only the villain but especially the protagonist). That scene in Death Note where Light gets owned by L is perfect or in Code Geass when Lelouch loses some battles.
He is someone that can be called too kind. He will help others first even though he is the one who needs help the most. Before going to isekai, he is a high school student who has to support himself and his sick sister on his own. In isekai, he is a hero who helps a lot of people. While actually, it is just a pretense as to not be alone.
Going deeper into his character, he is actually someone who gives up easily and is spiritless. Someone who always trying to run away from reality, in a lot of ways. His mental state is a mess. He is worse than Shinji from Evangelion, because at least Shinji is not suicidal. You will think he is a naive and weak MC, but you are wrong. He is still far worse than that. He can't even be left alone. The only thing he is good at is fooling himself.
Kanami is just like a normal person, he doesn't want to look "pathetic" and "uncool". Like everyone, he loves the protagonist in the story who can solve any problems and save everyone. He himself knows how far he is from that. That's why, he just needs to pretend he is not. Fooling everyone around him, fooling himself, and even fooling the reader (me).
He acts to be a "hero" or an "ideal big brother" and uses that as an excuse to hide his weakness. It's the opposite of a trope when an MC does little things with a carefree attitude but everyone will treat it as something great and keep praising it. For Kanami, he is just winging it. But it's actually scary to see him from other characters' POV, he really looks like a perfect and dependable person.
He loves weak people because they will depend on him, and they will not leave him. He needs people, but he will never be vulnerable and ask someone for help at all. If you feel disappointed with him already, that's the reason why he did this in the first place. He hates his real self and doesn't want anyone to find out about it. That's why, as an actor, he always carries his acting anywhere, even to another world.
Simply put, he can do his best when someone relies on him. If you want an ideal family, an ideal partner, or even an ideal hero, Kanami will play that "role" like the good actor he is. To call him a pushover is an understatement, he can't even think for himself unless he's completely isolated from other people. (My favorite insult of him is "a womanizer who always deceives girls because he wants to show off")
That's why his weakness is his mental out of all things, if he doesn't have a purpose (his sister) then he will be really useless. And that's also why this story is so complicated. Basically, his whole motivation to come back from another world is to "help his sister", to "help a person who is close to him," and there are more and more people like that along the way.
“At the end of the day, for one reason or another, Sieg can’t abandon anyone. He may suffer, he may swing back and forth, he may make loads of mistakes, but in the end, he can’t forsake anyone he’s emotionally connected to. That’s just the sort of guy he is.” Quote the villain.
He is a smart and logical person, and above all, very kind. Other characters have described him as a cowardly, indecisive, and pitiful person. Which is true, but unfair given his situation. (He is cowardly and indecisive because he wants his plan to have a certain outcome. He is so desperate and pitiful because he wants to save everyone, which is hard even with his cheat power). The author describes him as Kuzu Yashashi. Personally, I think he is a really great human being.
Other characters who have kind of similar personalities to him are probably Shirogane from Kaguya Sama, Ryuji from Toradora, and Kaveh from Genshin Impact. Someone who is smart enough to know the logical decision, but still follows his emotions because he is too kind. A person who knows how others feel, but doesn't know how to respond to them in the best way possible.
(To be honest, it would be far better if Kanami is just asking for help and crying, rather than pretending to be an MC. But nooo, it's not cool he said, it's not like a hero he said. Who does he think he is, Kirito? Ayanokouji? Tatsuya? Seriously? This world is not like a Movie or RPG that you love so much. Yeah, in the end, he even gives results more than what the MC is supposed to. BUT HE IS SUFFERING SO MUCH DAMN. This guy should not be in any leading role. It's not like he is annoying. It just, watching someone doing self-harm is always uncomfortable.)
Is there a harem? Yes, there is. But the story follows the OTP. Also, the MC is not dense. He knows about other people's feelings and tries his best to answer them. He really has common sense, but he also has his own will or goal, and a person he likes. Also, the harem is really different from what you imagined. Personally, I like the fact that not like any other harem genre where everyone is somehow jealous of the MC. In this story the MC suffers because of the harem. I will not explain why.
This story takes "relationship" seriously, maybe too seriously. MC is someone who has a habit of romance and there is actually a reason for it. MC's father is someone who often brings women home and makes them cry. But there is no talk about divorce at all, because his mother is the same. Both of them are just villains and use people like tools. (They are not just bad_parent.jpg, they are cool. Imagine his father is like Lex Luthor and his mother is like Makima. Cool but still the worst scumbag)
Their husband and wife status is pure just for their own benefit, they don't care about what each other does for pleasure. Both of them think it's an ideal relationship. But MC thinks it's absolutely disgusting. Basically, being a harem protagonist is already in his blood, but he just wants a normal (ideal) relationship. There will be many cases like this happening in the story. About communication in relationships, lies, unfulfilled expectations, and different standards of happiness.
His backstory or childhood is also really interesting. I swear you can write a series about his own family without any isekai plot and it would still be as good. In short, his father is a famous actor and he has problems with his family before he lives alone with his sister. His whole motivation or "resentment" in the original world is not just about his sister. Unlike some isekai, this story focuses on the "real world" more than "another world".
One of the unique aspects is how much the characters try to understand each other (even though they always put up a front). The MC does not know everything about the true personalities of others, but he tries to understand them. As much as likes how the other characters trying to understand him.
And so for the side characters, they are not just saying "sasuga" or "as expected of" to the MC and thought everything about him is good. Some of them just eat up his "acting", and some of them even know the MC well enough, about his true personality, his strength, and his weakness. Even the villain of this story is actually the one who understands MC the most.
My favorite part is the quote from a knight who swore allegiance to the MC: "That's right. Because of his talent (cheat), you would think that he is walking down a path that seems ridiculously easy. But in reality, he faces a lot of hardships. And yet, despite all of that, he has such a kind-hearted nature. That's why I feel like someone decent should support him..." (I couldn't agree more.)
The fight scene? Amazing. Almost all the fights are between two people who know each other beforehand. So it becomes an epic fight with extra emotional feelings. It is just like watching two pros play with each other, but instead of focusing on the match. You are more interested in their history and their interaction.
It's not prolonged a fight where you know who's gonna win, like when the MC fights regular mobs or monsters. The villain or the opponent is always someone who can score a win against the MC. You really can't tell who's going to lose. Or maybe sometimes the victory doesn't feel like a victory at all.
Usually in the game-system story, it is just a matter of status or skills. But in this story, the status that is displayed will be useless. Strategy and scheme are really used often a lot. Some of them even have their status display blurred or destroyed, because "the system" is just a fragile man-made thing. Maybe, in other words, this story doesn't have a clear power level for characters. The fight always focuses more the on conflict's background.
This story has a lot of "between the lines". Something subtle that will click and be relevant to the plot later. It's different from foreshadowing which will lead to the plot twist. For something obvious, just pay attention to how different MC acts when he is alone compared to when is with other people.
Another thing is how the story uses different perspectives on things. Most "medieval accurate" stories are just about portraying what happened. They will use it as an excuse to put whatever disgusting things out of history. But this story shows why those things happen and why they stayed in the past. And the coolest thing is that it also shows everyone's perspective.
The outsider's or the MC's perspective of how messed up it is. The perspective of the strong and the weak, the perspective of the winner and the loser, the perspective of the PERPERATOR, and the perspective of the VICTIM. All beautifully packaged, and the best part is it is relatable as hell. Of course, there are still holes and such.
This novel is poetic. Tbh, I do not completely understand poetry because it consists of the serious compression of information in very few words. But the poetry in this story is more like a compression of what happened so far Like a summary, written in the most beautiful way possible. You also can see it just from the title chapter, some of them are so long and contain a lot of meaning. My favorite ones are:
"And Then, The Hero Arrives At The 10th Floor. The Monster Has Always Been Waiting For You"
"Proof That You And I Are Here"
"The One And Only Destined Person"
"The Dragon Soars Through The 80th Floor. Surely, Evil Will Be Defeated, And Your Tears Will Cease."
"One Day, The Monster Will Arrives At The 110th Floor. The Girl Has Never Forgotten About You."
Despite the premise of the plot, the series strays enough from isekai and game cliches to get good attention as a reader. Instead of facepalming with "not this again".
The MC says he will throw away his morals to buy a slave because his goal is to get back home no matter what. Thinking that this kind of practice is not unique to another world, and probably will be lost in time because of culture. So it's alright. But just a few minutes later, he was so disgusted and vowed to never set foot in a slave market again.
This is also the first story with a game system that actually tells the MC, "Leveling up is not the only way to grow" in an insulting way. There is also ‘numbers beyond one’s numbers’ thing,. Hard to describe, but essentially, the displayed status or "numbers" can't show everything about a person.
Most stories treat grinding and leveling up as character growth. In this story, there is a part when the MC is so overwhelmed by his problems that he just decides to grind to level up, thinking that if he gets stronger, he will find a solution somehow. So, like other MCs, he feels relieved and happy after leveling up. But it still does not solve anything at all. What he does is basically the same as when someone procrastinates their work by doing something else like cleaning and cooking.
(Rubbing salt into the wound, it's actually just his bad habit from childhood. That, whenever he has a problem or something happens that is out of his control. He would just try not to think about it and run away from reality by playing games. True gamer moment right there.)
This story does not shy away from telling you that isekai is also a real world that you live in. Even if you get cheat skills or whatever, if you never change yourself, it's all meaningless. You will be bound to repeat the same mistakes.
The best part of this story is the way it tricks you. This novel works by completely flipping the reader's perception and expectation of the plot 180 degrees upside down. Every major reveal in the story will tell you that what you've read so far is not what you believed, and all your understanding will be shattered as what lies beneath the surface is exposed to you. After you get far into the novel, you will always read it with the mindset that you will not be shocked anymore. Only to be betrayed by that feeling again. So that's why you can read it calmly or full of doubt, it doesn't matter.
The main reason why I read this novel is solely because of the cover books. Seriously, it's so beautiful. It's not only pretty, but it also has a hidden meaning. Looking at the volume cover again after reading the novel made you realize how messed up it actually is. My favorites are cover volumes 3, 9, and 15. Here's the link to the illustrator's Pixiv. https://www.pixiv.net/en/artworks/48948085 (don't read the description because it explains the hidden meaning behind it.)
The reason why I keep reading this in the beginning is because you can quickly feel that something is strange. It's mostly subtle in the beginning, but at a certain point, you can really feel more and more strange with some of the characters and the world in general. It feels dark. There's no other way to put it, I guess. There's this weird tingling feeling that something ominous is going happen and that the MC's somewhat peaceful days are numbered, and I think that's pretty obvious when you look at the cover art.
Then I will explain the negative parts of the story.
The dungeon exploration part is boring, yeah really. He is op. There is literally no tension in him fighting normal monsters.
The story is sad and depressing, there are many happy moments, but the MC consciousness can't accept that. For him, the real goal is to go home. So in every happy or hard moment, he has to remind himself of that in order to keep going.
There is a lot of brainwashing in this story. It's not just something like mind control magic, but far more disgusting than that. For example, [The purest form of "brainwashing", greater than any "magic", is what parents say to their children when they grow up]. It shows how that "words" are more powerful than any ultimate skill or whatever.
There are a lot of contradictions happened. Almost all the advice they said is just a boomerang that will hit themselves later. If it's written from their pov, they will literally do the opposite thing of what they think. (I know that contradiction is one trait that all humans share. Despite our best intentions, none of us can escape conflict in our feelings, beliefs, and desires.) It's good in story-telling, but just stupidly frustrating.
The worst and the best part are the story and all the characters are aware of it. They will call each other bullshit. They realize how much of a hypocrite they are, but will never acknowledge it. The amount of irony is too much to the point it's so hilarious. I feel like it is the only form of comedy in this story.
Normally, people are not that broken. I know that animanga media often exaggerate things, so it's not surprising. But most of the time, the story just takes the worst of the worst from people. That when people show their true colors and are honest with themselves, it can be very ugly. The characters in this story have been gaslighted to the highest degree possible. Worse is they do it to themselves.
It just doesn't make any sense. Like how something very simple is so hard to obtain, or when everything you do is always wrong. The example in real life is: You want to be happy so you are working to get money, but that pursuit of happiness just brings you to misery. It also shows how love and goodwill can be so disgusting, and so, so painful. If it's hard to understand, imagine something like overprotective parents, or when someone praises you for something but you genuinely know that it's not your real self.
It can be a bit gory and bloody sometimes. There is a character who bears the wounds of a thousand soldiers in war and has a high regeneration ability. That person's body has already lost skin, the flesh has been destroyed, then healed, but destroyed again, and then healed again. It keeps repeating over and over until the body literally becomes a fountain of blood. The worst part is that it's written from that person's pov. But tbh, the mental torture in this story is far more messed up than the physical one. As you can't describe pain, but you can describe the illogical situations they are in.
The author is insane. He once commented, "If someone ends with a smile and their 'wish' fulfilled, isn't that a good ending?" (no matter how messed up and brutal their ending is). Really want to disagree with that. Also, "Forcing your own standard of happiness is selfish," is a quote that comes out of nowhere. I honestly don't know what he wants to convey from this story. Sometimes it's so depressing but sometimes it's so wholesome.
The author is also someone who believes, "that people are hard to change". So it takes a very long time for the characters to finally stop making their self-destructive mistakes. It's not something like a murderer who has killed a lot of people is hard to stop killing people again. Or a pervert who does a lot of questionable things is difficult to stop doing those things again. Not something as "clearly wrong" as that. It's more like "hard to change your character" that makes you who you are.
For example imagine someone like Luffy from One Piece. He always sees the bright side of situations or anything that goes wrong and takes matters with a smile and a cheerful nature. Now because of his character, he screwed up and his friend got killed. So, he needs to take things more seriously and change his character. But it's his core character and it's hard to change. And then he ends up hating himself for that.
Or someone like Law, a smart and calculating man. He is patient and waits for his moment to strike. But now because of that his friend is dead. Now he thinks he has to be more brave and blunt to do things. But that's clashes with his nature, and that's hard to change. It is mostly the situation's fault, but it makes the characters question their own personalities. Thinking they are already reflected, but still making the same mistake. It's just really frustrating.
In this story, some of the characters are also very pessimistic.
A humble person will be called self-deprecating.
A confident person will be called arrogant.
A logical person will be called someone who lies to themselves (or their own feelings)
A smart and cautious person will be called cowardly and indecisive.
A kind person will be called a pushover
Seriously. Just love yourself!
All in all, "absurd" is the word to describe the whole scenario that happens in this novel. It is just like Sisyphus who repeatedly rolls a heavy rock up a hill only to have it roll down again as it nears the top. Sometimes it's even worse than that. Likes actually there is no peak at all and it is just an illusion, so they will let it roll down deliberately when they near the top because they don't want to know the truth.
I feel that this novel is not for entertainment, it's full of painful things. The readers who managed to pass the 100th floor are either a person with a lot of empathy who can resonate with despair and anguish, or a person who loves to see people suffering. I can't see it has a happy ending at all.
But I also think it's not that edgy. It's not just suffering for the sake of suffering, like there's some kind of hope. It's written in first pov, so it also feels like the story of someone finding their reason to live. You can clearly see their motivation and what they want, and what they will go through to obtain it. The portrayal is like a trial that you have to pass. And trial is supposed to be hard after all.
The biggest weakness of this novel is how slow it is before the conflict or turning point. It takes a long time to set the stage for the climax. Most readers will just drop it at volume 1 or 2. I really recommend reading up to volume 3. After that, you can really decide whether to keep reading or not.
Volume 1: Basically a prologue
Volume 2: Daily life in Isekai, getting new companions and becoming stronger. But there is something that feels amiss.
Volume 3: 💀
Volume 4: Change of setting and slow daily life. But something is clearly amiss.
Volume 5: Everything going wrong.
Volume 6: Epic showdown.
Volume 7: Another change of setting and slow daily life. Yet there is a new thing that amiss.
Volume 8: You can check the cover to see how wrong it is. https://www.pixiv.net/en/artworks/60094907
Until volume 2, there is no conflict going on, even I would say it's boring. But the true nature of this series is revealed in volume 3 of the novel. All the little things or plot holes in volume 2 start to make sense.
I suggest reading up to volume 3 before giving an opinion about this novel. Because it's still the prologue, really. There are 100 floors in the labyrinth, and Vol 3 still covers about the "true" trial of the 10th floor.
I think that's all I can say. This is more like me geeking out over this story than reviewing it.
There is no review for this novel yet, so I wanted to write one.
I am borrowing some lines from a thread about this novel or a review from another site. Credits and thanks to them for introducing me to this novel. I hope more people will find this novel as well.
This is my first review, and I'm sorry for my bad English because it's not my native language.
Have a great day. Thanks for reading so far.
After finishing the web novel, this is one of the best fantasy stories I've ever read. To call it the best Isekai is an understatement.
(I just write this as a follow-up as my previous review is not giving this justice.)
I think what makes it so different from most of the isekai is the themes. Two of the most prominent ones are [Don't run away from reality] and [For you who are unrewarded].
The MC, Kanami, is someone who is always running away from reality. Even up until he goes to Isekai, he still has the habit of running away. The story is about him facing reality and accepting himself, also fixing his past (mistakes) in his original world.
As the story progresses, his problems get bigger and bigger. To the point where he really wants to escape from reality by even killing himself. He also literally tried to do what other MCs do, reincarnate and regress in time. But after some struggles, Kanami finally acknowledges his situation and decides to confront it.
Unlike other people who go to another world and ignore their life in the original world.
Unlike other people who reincarnate and forget about all the problems of their original life.
Unlike other people who have transmigrated to another body and abandoned their original selves.
Unlike other people who regress or go back in time, erase their past, and treat it as something that doesn't exist.
Kanami doesn't run away from reality. Even though it's painful and disgusting, he still tries so hard to accept himself. Not only is he trying to better himself and swallow his trauma, but he is also trying to fix all the mistakes and things he did in the past. Even though it's already so broken.
(This is honestly why it is kind of hard to accept some of the isekai genres nowadays. I remember there was an Isekai where the MC was reincarnated and became a better person. Meanwhile, in his previous life, he was a NEET and his parents suffered because of him. But the story portrayed him as a victim and just simply praises him for being a better person now.)
(I mean seriously. If you are reborn with memories of your past life, then have a good family and environment, of course, you will have a better life, right? Or for example, you failed a class and have to repeat it. But instead of doing that. You regress or go back in time and take that class again, so now you are successful in that class. Isn't that basically erasing your own effort?)
It is just when you are making a mistake. You are not the only one that is broken and traumatized, the situation surrounding you too. Fixing yourself is not enough, you also need to fix your surroundings. Sure, it's harder to actually do it. and running away is easier.
But running away sometimes will just bring more problems or make it bigger. The only way to really escape from your problems in life is just death. Or you can go to Isekai, reincarnation, and regressing.
Kanami, instead of choosing those options. He chose the hard one. It's not cool and pretty or anything like that, it's just painful. Even when reading it, tbh I hope he just chose the easy options, like seriously screw everything. It's already at the point where "reset" is fine and understandable. But he still doesn't.
Why would he not take the easy option? The same reason you told people why suicide is bad.
Supposedly, if you are reincarnated or regressed in time, that means your original self will die. Of course, you will be happy (maybe). But what about all the people who care about you, or everything you have done up to that point? Will you ignore everything that surrounds you? Will you treat it as [something that never happens]? Do you not love yourself?
"I want to be forgiven by everyone. But I've "run away" too much, and now there's no one left to forgive me. I don't want anyone to be ashamed of me. But I've 'run away' too much, and now all that's left is nothing but shame." This is a quote from a certain person who literally runs away to another world, not the MC because that other world is called Earth. And it's probably one of the coolest quotes I ever read.
Basically, [Don't run away from reality, despite how messed up it is]. That's the theme of this story. Maybe that's why some people say this novel is grim and dark. But I don't think it is. The story is not just about telling you that reality sucks and insults you in the face. It's much more than that.
Another theme, [For you who is unrewarded] means, "Even though the reality is sad and painful. If you continue to do your best. You will get what you wish for."
Tbh it becomes more depressing than Oyasumi Punpun and Houseki no Kuni. Most of the characters in this story are about people who try their best and still get nothing. That's why they want to run away from reality, even go as far as suicide. However, they all still try hard enough anyway and eventually have their wishes come true.
It's not that deep. It's the same simple message in Saturday Morning Cartoon. Which is: "Don't give up or run away. Keep surviving and keep fighting. You will be rewarded." It's that kind of optimistic story.
The story is not about isekai as escapism from the real world, or a story to torture the MC in isekai. But a “trial” to make the MC stronger to solve his regret when he goes back to the real world.
This is the story that the ending is already decided ever since the first chapter. Just like Attack On TItan, the author already planned the plot and the whole message of the story. That's why, despite how messed up it is in the middle, I recommend reading it until the end. (well I dropped this a few times though)
This is roughly translated from the author's reply in the comment section in the last chapter, and I think it speaks a volume about this novel (source: https://novelcom.syosetu.com/impression/list/ncode/360053/no/515/):
[Happy ending.....!!!!!!!!!
I'm so glad. Thank you for your comment.
I was someone who had similar values and thought I was better off dead.
So (this may be a rude way of putting it, but since it's the last one, I'll be honest) I've always aimed to create a work that can give the power to survive and a final peace of mind to people (myself) who might have wanted to die.
Self-affirmation is important! It's best to have fun and happy, isn't it?
If you are embarrassed to say it, so am I! Let's keep the momentum going!
It's been great to communicate with so many readers in the feedback section and talk about so many things! ]
If you read the webnovel on Narou, please check the comment section. The author always replies to every comment and it's so wholesome.
So if you ask. This story has a happy ending, the best one possible. After finish reading it, I'm not feeling empty at all. It's all just pure good feeling.
Jun 4, 2023
If you like characters who are extremely messed up in their heads, this is a series for you. If you are a reader who likes to see the MC suffer (through mindrape or brainwashing), this is also a series for you.
A series that is a gem among the isekai dungeon fantasy with a game-system genre, but has too little recognition. It's a rather refreshing work with traits that are uncommon within the same genre. This review may contain a bit spoiler, but nothing that should harm your reading experience. The story is simple. A boy wakes up in isekai, but instead of being excited, ... |
