Creative Staff:
Story: MAKO
Character Design: Maro
Art: Yone
What They Say:
HOME / DIGITAL EBOOKS I Want to Be a Receptionist in This Magical World, Vol. 1 (manga) Author: MAKO Artist: Yone Artist: Maro Translated by: JAN CASH Letterer: Rachel Pierce Ever since she was little, Nunnally has always wanted to be one of the graceful, capable receptionists of the Hall. As only first-rate mages are hired for the position, she enrolls in the kingdom’s magic academy to hone her skills, where she feels out of place in a classroom of nobles—including a genuine prince. She decides that despite being a commoner, she’s going to be the top of her class…but for some reason, she just can’t beat the one person she’d most like to—the snobbish boy seated next to her, Alweiss Rockmann…!
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers):
Although I have read about some overachievers in fiction before, few are as notable as Nunnally. Living in a world of magic, dragons, and adventurers, Nunnally simply wants to be a receptionist in this magic world. Years ago she met a receptionist and was so taken aback by how cool she was that she decided right there and then that she wanted to be as cool as this receptionist. You would think that we would be getting a down-to-earth slice-of-life dramedy about a working-class woman in a fantasy world.
Strangely enough, this is when the series turns into Harry Potter (another book with an overachieving genius), as despite the duties of being a receptionist being fairly low-key, she still needs to go to a magical school and learn a bunch of spells and magic tricks (I guess you never know who’s going to pup up in the office these days). Oh, also, she has a rival who is doing better at her in class, running circles around her academically, and it turns out she has a crush on this guy. Exciting adventures await!
In Summary:
The only issue I have thus far with “I Want to Be a Receptionist in This Magical World” is that having to get a college degree in magic to be a receptionist seems like a REALLY weird requirement for a job that seems no more complicated than the job would require in the real world! That being said, the building blocks are here for a fun series going forward. Nunnally is a likable person and the guy she has a crush on has just enough sarcastic charm that we sense he’s hiding the fact that he’s secretly a decent guy. Time will tell if the world-building pays off, but everything is off to a great start.
Content Grade: B
Art Grade: B+
Packaging Grade: B
Text/Translation Grade: A
Age Rating: Teen
Released By: Yen Press
Release Date: July 18, 2023
MSRP: $13.00
This review was done with a review copy provided by the publisher. We are grateful for their continued support.
