Some background: Honzuki no Gekokujou is a web novel originally published in Japanese online for free. It was completed in 2017, but the Japanese light novel releases are ongoing, and the English official light novel translations are even further behind.
Being aware of this, know that I cannot comment on the specific prose, imagery, etc. of the light novels, and this review deals primarily with themes, characters, and story arcs.
**THIS REVIEW WILL CONTAIN VERY MINOR SPOILERS (VAGUE&PREDICTABLE PLOT POINTS) FOR THE ENTIRE COMPLETED WEBNOVEL**
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Seeing as the number is right there to the top-right, there is no point in putting it off: I think this series is a 6/10 ("fine"). I would not call it "good" (7) but it is better than "mediocre" (5). In case we have a different understanding of what a 6 is: I liked and enjoyed this series, and it kept me engaged for (most) of its 677 chapters (phew). It was undoubtedly fun, but ultimately forgettable; its characters were loveable, but its ideas were generic. I would not recommend it to a friend unless that friend had a strong interest in isekai, a lot of time to kill, or perhaps just low expectations.
A brief synopsis: Honzuki is an isekai fantasy that focuses on the technological and economic use of 21st century knowledge in a "medieval" world... for its first arc or so. While Myne never stops having "absurd common sense" or bringing her strange ideas to fruition, the story gradually veers from the process of creating and spreading books, instead becoming an admittedly generic, magical-fantasy character drama.
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The series's great strength is in its thoroughness. Unlike many isekai where the protagonist can achieve their goals mostly with their knowledge of the modern world, Honzuki throws obstacle after obstacle in front of even the simplest challenges. It realistically notices that a normal person is not, in fact, familiar with most of the engineering advances that make modern life possible, and creating even a single luxury we enjoy today takes years upon years of hard work by many people. This break from tradition (if it should be called one), makes the series appear as a rather refreshing take on the genre and potentially an interesting comment on the nature of technology and progress.
Perhaps its other strongest appeal is that the series begins as fairly class-conscious. It rejects the fantasy of Myne reincarnating as a princess or noble, in favor of her being a simple commoner. From this perspective, she can view the worlds inequality from the bottom up and begin to challenge it... kind of.
Myne's outrage at the inequality of the world; the narrative's willingness to challenge the existing hierarchy; and the series's thoroughness and attention to detail, slowly disappear as the story goes on.
The slow-but-steady technological development of Myne's printing presses and other inventions takes a back seat beginning at the second arc, as the story slowly shifts towards a more dramatic fantasy about her political rise. She continues to invent things, but as she gains more resources and manpower she need only provide ideas and wait. When she begins studying magic, she again has an opportunity to apply her knowledge, but the story is the same. The impact of her achievements 'on-screen' is limited almost entirely to a) bargaining pieces b) pretty or tasty luxuries and c) making the people around her more capable, because books and study sessions. It is by no means lazy - the the world is still quite a bit more thought through than is normal for the genre - but it is a major step down from the razor sharp detail of the first arc. If you are interested in seeing her revolutionize an antiquated economic system or turn over society with major innovations, you'll be disappointed, as she does nothing of the sort.
Similarly, the class consciousness the series displays early on is never capitalized on. Myne helps her family, orphans, and really anyone she comes into contact with, but she is unwilling to challenge the fundamental imbalances of power that caused those people to need her help. She retains her morality from this world, and is called "soft" by those around her, but she is not revolutionary. Rather than question the pseudo-feudal system in which the commoners rely entirely on nobles for their continued survival, Myne becomes a part of that system, and the narrative characterizes the societal problems she encounters as caused by "bad eggs," who conveniently belong exclusively to the opposing factions. **EXPECT NO INTERESTING SOCIAL COMMENTARY FROM HONZUKI.** Sadly.
So we know what was sacrificed, but what was gained? Well, the series slowly morphs into a character drama. Myne continues to be cute, her family is still precious, she meets new people, forms new relationships, and overcomes new hardships. Through these struggles she grows into an adult and gets married, and the story ends with her, her partner, and her family around the dinner table "happily ever after". In short, the drama is nothing special, but most readers will have no trouble becoming quite attached to Honzuki's *very* likeable cast, and moved by its emotional moments.
The other major element that keeps the story afloat is the magic and the politics. Myne learns to use magic and begins the long process of repairing her sick body, and as she does so she attracts the attention of more and more baddies. She navigates noble society while growing her power and occasionally fighting, whether it's for competition, gathering materials, or defending herself. These hijinks are reasonably exciting, but primarily serve to a) motivate the characters and fuel drama or b) drive a central magical mystery. The mystery is rather hit and miss, with some questions established early on and burning bright throughout, and other revelations simply dropped out of nowhere on the reader's head.
One more thing that bears mentioning is that due to Myne's overall character arc, she becomes much stronger as the series goes on. The narrative is generally not lax in making sure that she continually has hurdles commensurate to her advantages, but when it comes to magic, the scales are kind of blown off the chart. She is one of the most powerful magic users in the world for no (thematic) reason, and a fair amount of the drama and tension after the third arc is her trying to stay low profile: her clumsy nature means that her absolutely ridiculous innate power is quite hard to conceal.
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So what can one expect?
Don't expect: commentary on inequality, truly interesting economic or technological innovation
Do expect: Magic, drama, politics, romance, a loveable cast, and an OP MC
The series was disappointing, but still fun. I personally think it's too long to really be worth it for most, but if it seems like you'd like it, go for it. Just be prepared to wait a while for the translations, because dang it is LOOONG.
