Everyone can learn something … when given the right motivation.
Creative Staff:
Original Story: Miku
Illustrations By: Kazuomi Minatogawa
Character Design: Ren Kuwashima
Translation: Noboru Akimoto
Lettering: Arbash Mughal
What They Say:
As Yuuya surveys the Weald, a mysterious cave suddenly opens up before him. Within the cavern, he finds the body of a legendary sage and a book containing their last words – many of which are addressed to him? The dead sage bestows their mana pathways to Yuuya, granting him the previously unattainable ability to utilize magic! Between these newfound skills and an encounter with a mysterious girl, can Yuuya navigate the increasingly dangerous world while still making time for his classes at Ousei Academy?
Content (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers):
As Yuuya and Night continue their exploration of the Weald, they suddenly come across a mysterious cave hidden in the cliffside, but as they descend the oddly carved steps into the cavern floor and Tenjou wonders if this system is natural, both are tense in anticipation of any beasts in the area, but that anxiety is broken as the bold pup suddenly dashes off farther into the unexplored depths. Following his intrepid companion, this unsure human comes to a stop where the young fenrir waits before a disheveled skeleton, tatters of cloth clinging to bare bones, and yet as Yuuya remains hesitant as to if this might be a monster, Night is curiously pawing on a book at their feet, but as his master opens and reads the first page, he is shocked to realize the bony remains belong to the same person who welcomed him to this world – the mysterious Sage. It is then when he begins to comprehend the insightful yet painful truth behind his patron’s existence, Tenjou realizing the reality as to why this powerful man chose to live in such a dangerous place, the mournful ancestor understanding how unknown knowledge and power can lead to isolation out of fear, with the capable person now reading his journal possibly facing the same misery if he remains secluded in the Weald, and yet the talented writer offers a solution to prevent such tragedy, finding people who he can trust.
As these discerning thoughts take root within Yuuya’s uncertain mind, the haunting words of the Sage continue to encourage him with the same warmth as his grandfather, but as this sad tale nears its end, the mysterious man asks an odd question of the reader, to write upon this page the one thing he wishes to know, Tenjou not hesitating to respond with his fondest wish to learn magic. Once this desire is known, the book begins to glow in response, and yet as insightful words fill each page and ghostly information tempts what may lie ahead, this secluded man sadly informs the reader he cannot embrace this forbidden knowledge without the necessary mana pathways which all inhabitants of this world have, and since Tenjou is not of this land, he is unable to unlock the secrets which lies within its pages. But before Yuuya can mourn this lost opportunity, the perceptive narrative reveals one last surprise, the Sage realizing his own magical potential will be lost to the world once he passes, and so as one final gift, he wishes to pass them onto the current reader, thus allowing his precious treasure not to vanish into oblivion but live on in someone duly suitable, and once its new wielder can live a life he can be proud of, the Sage can finally pass on without regrets.
In Summary:
As readers delight at the expressive depictions and enticing illustrations from mangaka Minatogawa-sensei, it is odd how the hurried adaptation of Miku-sensei’s light novel continues into the visual translation, and while some fans may only know of the manga, those engrossed readers who have yielded themselves to both variations of the property may not realize some parts of the story have been skipped over or enhanced to entice the audience further into this particular interpretation. Although it may not be noteworthy for some minor details, it is the introduction of Luna from which we see the most significant change from the source material, most striking being the overt sexualization of this forthright character, someone who we might forget is a teenager since she is an experienced assassin, just as are a majority of the people within the narrative, and since Yuuya is just starting high school, which in Japan would be at age fifteen, so we can assume all his peers at Ousei Academy and in the other world would also be about the same age.
Once we take into account these conclusive facts, it makes one wonder how this volume can still be considered worthy of a Teen rating, for while Luna’s initial showing may be nondescript thanks to her fully engulfing cloak and ominous mask as the Headhunter to hide identity and gender, this impressive disguise is not remain intact once she pierces Weald, and it upon entry of this dangerous area by which Minatogawa-sensei makes the most drastic change to the original story. Although it is intriguing how the manga shows Luna initially entering the area in order to train, there is no mention of her needing a bath afterward in the light novel, with Miku-sensei allowing her and Tenjou to meet when she is cornered by Goblin Elites wearing tattered clothes, and yet this odd artist decides it is perversely more entertaining to show an altered imagining of events. Instead of the outlined meeting, in this adaptation an experienced girl takes the time to have a bath, even as readers recall the numerous reiterations implying the dangerous reputation of the Weald, thus leaving her vulnerable to an inevitable ambush by monsters, and while we may accept some reasonable changes in order to speed up the progress of the story, it is obvious the mangaka made this change in order to openly arouse the audience. Thus what unfolds is a bathing scene of an underage girl exposing herself in a monster-infested forest, and while we may be relieved by classic Japanese censorship of clever hair and limb placement, what remains is a naked girl forced to defend herself while clothed in only a cape, thus allowing a seductive reveal once she fails of unconscious body covered by the aforementioned cloak and conveniently placed sound effect text, thereby significantly altering the innocence of the first meeting between Yuuya and Luna.
While Minatogawa-sensei’s hasty translation of I Got a Cheat Skill in Another World and Became Unrivaled in the Real World, Too may provide the excitement we crave, at the same time, these enticing illustrations are sometimes too dynamic in their presentation, with dramatized scenes overly complicating the action and forcing the reader to pause their enjoyment in order to decipher what is happening on the page, thus interrupting the spontaneity of this intriguing interpretation. However, while the audience may be entertained by this visual enthusiasm, what truly grabs our attention is the introduction of Luna, a confused girl unable to leave the darkness behind, and yet while the title may be about a vulnerable boy trying to discover himself, ultimately this volume is all about presenting an underage girl in an unseemly light, with our hero’s adventures becoming tender bookends to the perverse show of a damsel in distress at the core. Hopefully, once all of the introductions are over, readers will be able to return to the emotional development at the heart of this story, but for the moment, we will have to cope with the exposure of tender skin between awkward teens, unable to express themselves in a meaningful way, even as the steam and temperature rise, making all want to look away before they do something embarrassing.
Content Grade: B
Art Grade: A-
Packaging Grade: A-
Text/Translation Grade: A-
Age Rating: Teen
Released By: Yen Press
Release Date: December 12, 2023
MSRP: $13.00
