Merry Month of Manga: MUSHOKU TENSEI: JOBLESS REINCARNATION

Isekai fantasy manga are all too often power fantasies for their readers, and sometimes those power fantasies can go in some obnoxious or dark directions.  A lot of manga adaptations try to fix them, but as shown in today's example it's not always successful.

 MUSHOKU TENSEI: JOBLESS REINCARNATION (Mushoku Tensei: Isekai Ittara Honki Dasu), based on the light novel series by Rifujin na Magonote with art by Yuka Fujikawa.  First published in 2014 and first published in North America in 2015.

PLOT:

Once he was a hopeless NEET.  Then he was hit by a truck in an attempt to save some teens, and all he can wish for is for a second chance.  He gets it when he is reborn as Rudeus Greyrat, the child of two adventurers with a precocious knack for magic.  Under the tutelage of his tutor Roxy and his friend Sylphie, his power grows stronger, but what will happen when he needs to leave home to keep learning?

Merry Month of Manga: LOUIE THE RUNE SOLDIER

 LOUIE THE RUNE SOLDIER (Maho Senshi Riui), based on the light novel series written by Ryou Mizuno and character designs by Mamoru Yokota, with art by Jun Sasameyuki.  First published in 1999 and first published in North America in 2004.

PLOT:

Louie is the foster son of the powerful mage Carwess, but he would rather drink and schmooze with women than devote himself to his magical studies.  His real dream is to become an adventurer, but that dream seems out of reach until a trio of ladies declares that he is the hero they need.  Can this hapless, brawling doofus transform himself into a true hero?

Merry Month of Manga: KONOSUBA: GOD'S BLESSING ON THIS WONDERFUL WORLD

It's a miracle! A modern isekai manga that neither bored nor infuriated me!

KONOSUBA: GOD'S BLESSING ON THIS WONDERFUL WORLD (Kono Subarashii Sekai ni Shukufuku o!), based on the light novel by Natsume Akatsuki and character designs by Kurone Mishima, with art by Masahito Watari.  First published in 2014 and first published in North America in 2016.

PLOT:

Kazuma Sato had the bad luck to get hit by a truck on one of the rare occasions he emerged from his room.  In the afterlife, the goddess Aqua offers to send him to a fantasy world straight out of his JRPG-addled dreams with any weapon he wishes.  He jokingly suggests that Aqua herself be his weapon.

Now Kazuma is saddled with nothing but the basic skills of an adventurer and a goddess who's good for nothing beyond the odd healing spell.  Together with a mage who can only cast an explosion spell and a knight who lives for humiliation and pain, they try to find the next big quest.

Merry Month of Manga: MOURYOU KIDEN: LEGEND OF THE NYMPH

Once again I found myself staring down another Tamayo Akiyama manga.  Could it possibly fare better than the likes of Zyword and Hyper Rune?

Spoilers: No, it doesn't.

MOURYOU KIDEN: LEGEND OF THE NYMPH (Moryou Kiden), by Tamayo Akiyama.  First published in 1994 and first published in North America in 2004.

PLOT:

In a distant realm, the sun goddess Mikage watches over her sister Reiki, goddess of darkness.  Long ago Mikage imprisoned Reiki to keep her from destroying the world and now Reiki wants nothing but revenge.  She sends forth her daughter Ayaka to destroy Mikage's stronghold, but Ayaka is distracted when she meets the handsome demon king Kai, who is also one of Mikage's sons.  The two are immediately smitten, but their whirlwind romance is torn apart when they learn of one another's true natures and Kai sacrifices himself to protect Ayaka.  Now Ayaka only years to bring Kai back, even if that means defying her mother, teaming up with some of Kai's siblings, and venturing into Hades itself to bring him back.

Merry Month of Manga: SLEEPY PRINCESS IN THE DEMON CASTLE

Finding a modern fantasy manga that has nothing to do with light novels is hard enough.  Finding one of those that's a comedy is rarer still.  But does its rarity translate into quality? 

SLEEPY PRINCESS IN THE DEMON CASTLE (Maojo de Oyasumi), by Kagiji Kumanomata.  First published in 2016 and first published in English in 2018.

PLOT:

Long ago in a kingdom far away, humanity and demon kind once lived in peace.  Then the demon king stole the human princess Syalis and trapped her in his castle.  As the kingdom frets and a hero journeys to save her, Syalis is mostly concerned about the quality of her sleep.  Her quest for the perfect night's rest causes her to create all sorts of chaos in the castle, and it threatens to undermine all their efforts.