Reviews

Dec 28, 2019
Bookworm is a perfect example of why preliminary reviews should not be allowed on this website and allowing them only lowers the credibility of MAL reviews.

I truly must apologise to this series for writing it off when I first started watching it. When I made my first review for this show, I gave it a 6/10 after 4 episodes and felt that there was little to no substance here. I could not have been more wrong. It wasn't the show that had issues, it was me. It was the fact I wasn't appreciating the little things that make good storytelling and instead of substance, I prioritised style. I'm more than happy to admit I was wrong and that Bookworm is one of the best anime I have ever seen.

Bookworm is an isekai, which may initially turn some people off, however, I promise you, it is not your typical isekai. There's no harems, battle scenes, crazy power scaling and OP Otaku self insert protags here. Instead, you have a middle aged Librarian being isekai'd into the body of a frail young girl who is stricken with an illness and who's only objective is to be able to read books again. A simple premise, but a difficult objective as books in this world are reserved for only the most elite of nobles and are very expensive. Well, if you can't buy books, why not make them?

Bookworm is extremely grounded and realistic in its storytelling, world building and even things like the magic system feel very real and down to Earth. What I truly appreciate about the series is that the emphasis is on the character development, interactions and economic repercussions of Maine's simple goal to start a bookshop. It's really the first isekai I've seen since Log Horizon to be truly unique in that regard. Instead of focusing on how to beat the demon lord of a planet or how to get home, or how to become the world's strongest to save it from annihilation, Bookworm focuses on the real world implications of waking up in another world in a different body. How would you interact with your family and the people around you? How would you go about truly making this new life your own?

If you're tired of the same old isekai after another with the same isekai starting town with the big white wall, you know the one I'm talking about, and want something genuinely fresh, unique and most importantly, cute as fuck, this is the series for you. You will not be disappointed. I've never seen Spice and Wolf, but from what I can gather, the themes and topics covered in the story are very similar to that, if that helps contextualise things for you. Bookworm gets a 10/10 and I can't wait to start reading it/for season 2.

TL;DR Starts slow, but if you want a fresh and original take on Isekai, watch this.
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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