I’m a Noble on the Brink of Ruin, So I Might as Well Try Mastering Magic: Vol 1 (pre-release, unfinished)
If there was a Mary Sue contest, not only would the protagonist of this light novel win, all the other contestants would turn out to be attractive women who would then join his harem and magically become even more attractive. This novel follows a reverse of murphy’s law. Anything that can go right will do so in the most beneficial way possible. What conflict exists only hurts the side characters responsible and then benefits the MC.
It started out as low stakes fun, then became annoying, now I’m curious to see how much more ridiculously lucky the MC can get. 3/5
I Don’t want to Be the Dragon Duke’s Maid! Serving My Ex-Fiancé from My Past Life: Vol 1
It was enjoyable enough. Somewhat tropey, reincarnated female protagonist has special powers and must overcome a dark plot from her past life to complete a love story. The draconic sexual dimorphism induced gender inequality subplot seemed interesting but felt underused. The confrontation at the end was underwhelming. 3/5
The 100th Time’s the Charm: She Was Executed 99 Times, So How Did She Unlock “Super Love” Mode
Vol 1: This was actually a lot better than I expected from the title. A somewhat tropey, execution triggered, time loop story. The special ability gimmick she unlocked after death 99 made it work for me. 3/5
Vol 2: The first half was fine, a modest twist on the usual school arc. But the second half ruined the whole series for me. Unwarranted physical abuse and forced marriage plots can work if the story does the legwork to set the stage and make them palatable. This story did not. 1/5
Enough with This Slow Life! I Was Reincarnated as a High Elf and Now I’m Bored: Vol 1
I read Vol 1 and now I’m bored. Nothing wrong with the story, and the writing is above average (especially compared to the others in this comment.) It is a low stakes, slice of life, travel story, and so the plot moves/restarts before anyone other than the MC can really develop as a character, and the MC isn’t very interesting… (Seems like that might get better in Vol 2.) 3/5 (but I could see it as 4/5 if the story picks up from here.)
and so the plot moves/restarts before anyone other than the MC can really develop as a character,
The series does something I don’t see often by creating character attachment to side characters through the MC instead of the side characters themself. I think Frieren was a clear inspiration for this series. Although Frieren does it a lot better. I think that’s because Frieren is a loveable dork and seeing her miss a passed-away character makes the reader feel it as well, while the MC in this series is rather bland and most of the time the same gimmick does not hit for him. But since I haven’t read any other LN that works in that way I find it refreshing enough to keep reading and when the gimmick hits, it hits good.
I’m a Noble on the Brink of Ruin, So I Might as Well Try Mastering Magic: Vol 1 (pre-release, unfinished)
If there was a Mary Sue contest, not only would the protagonist of this light novel win, all the other contestants would turn out to be attractive women who would then join his harem and magically become even more attractive. This novel follows a reverse of murphy’s law. Anything that can go right will do so in the most beneficial way possible. What conflict exists only hurts the side characters responsible and then benefits the MC.
It started out as low stakes fun, then became annoying, now I’m curious to see how much more ridiculously lucky the MC can get. 3/5
I Don’t want to Be the Dragon Duke’s Maid! Serving My Ex-Fiancé from My Past Life: Vol 1
It was enjoyable enough. Somewhat tropey, reincarnated female protagonist has special powers and must overcome a dark plot from her past life to complete a love story. The draconic sexual dimorphism induced gender inequality subplot seemed interesting but felt underused. The confrontation at the end was underwhelming. 3/5
The 100th Time’s the Charm: She Was Executed 99 Times, So How Did She Unlock “Super Love” Mode
Vol 1: This was actually a lot better than I expected from the title. A somewhat tropey, execution triggered, time loop story. The special ability gimmick she unlocked after death 99 made it work for me. 3/5
Vol 2: The first half was fine, a modest twist on the usual school arc. But the second half ruined the whole series for me. Unwarranted physical abuse and forced marriage plots can work if the story does the legwork to set the stage and make them palatable. This story did not. 1/5
Enough with This Slow Life! I Was Reincarnated as a High Elf and Now I’m Bored: Vol 1
I read Vol 1 and now I’m bored. Nothing wrong with the story, and the writing is above average (especially compared to the others in this comment.) It is a low stakes, slice of life, travel story, and so the plot moves/restarts before anyone other than the MC can really develop as a character, and the MC isn’t very interesting… (Seems like that might get better in Vol 2.) 3/5 (but I could see it as 4/5 if the story picks up from here.)
The series does something I don’t see often by creating character attachment to side characters through the MC instead of the side characters themself. I think Frieren was a clear inspiration for this series. Although Frieren does it a lot better. I think that’s because Frieren is a loveable dork and seeing her miss a passed-away character makes the reader feel it as well, while the MC in this series is rather bland and most of the time the same gimmick does not hit for him. But since I haven’t read any other LN that works in that way I find it refreshing enough to keep reading and when the gimmick hits, it hits good.