The idea of stories starting with a character being magically wooshed away into another world is not new. Many great stories have started with this trope. But the recent boom in these kind of stories in the manga medium, what I call "The Modern Isekai Boom", has left many people exhausted because of the tired, unoriginal and generic plot elements used in them.
In an onslaught of similar sounding stories, those that are indeed original and interesting enough to be recognized, always have a chance of standing out. Koushaku Reijou no Tashinami, known otherwise as Accomplishments of the Duke’s Daughter, is one such gem.
While it starts with the same old trope of dying and ending up in a game world, that too as the villain of the game, many elements in this particular manga are noticeably different from what one would expect. From her very first appearance, the protagonist, Iris, charms us with a sharp persona and a witty intellect – a combination born when her original self got mixed with her self from Japan – which is the makings of a strong lead character. From then on, we follow her as she is tasked to act as the Lord of her father’s fiefdom named Armelia, which is an enjoyable journey, even though it sounds like a rather uninteresting topic to deal with.
That said, there are some minor details in storytelling that certainly caught my attention. Throughout the story, moments of exposition tell us current and past events which help build a better foundation for the story to take place. However, they often stand out as noticeable moments which might draw the reader out from a flow while reading certain sections. It’s not the worst way of doing things, but it is avoidable in certain ways and kind of emphasizes that fact that this manga is indeed an adaptation of a novel and adapting a text heavy media to a visual media is surprisingly not an easy task. But a shortcoming like that can be easily ignored in wake of the well-constructed story that maintains a steady pace as it moves forward.
There are some noticeable shortcomings when it comes to writing the characters as well, especially the fact that the writers have made it abundantly clear which side is supposed to be the good side and which side is supposed to be despised by the readers. But there’s a certain charm to all of them which makes for interesting interactions and development, and since character interaction is the main means of progressing the story itself, it makes for an interesting story overall.
Despite the shortcomings, the story grips the readers’ attention quite well, leading us through and interesting and entertaining journey of personal growth, politics and reform throughout the fiefdom of Armelia and beyond, using knowledge of both worlds. The art-style suits the medium well and helps portray the fascinating story as it unfolds.
An isekai manga with a strong female lead, well written characters, a well-constructed story and a generic but decent art-style, Koushaku Reijou no Tashinami is one of those hidden gems that certainly stands out from the rest in its field. Will definitely recommend.
