I first read this when I was in junior high. I stopped reading because I don't like waiting for an ongoing series to update. I'm now 25 and was bored from reading too many romance fantasy isekai stories. I've been thinking to myself that I should probably reread this and so I did.
I'm just surprised that it's not finished yet. And it felt so weird how these characters who used to be older than me are now way younger than me. I keep thinking that they're causing so much chaos but where are the adults!? It's actually a good thing that I didn't keep track because it's still no where near the finale. There are still so many secrets not yet divulged. Sometimes I wonder if all secrets were already planned back in 2008 or did the author make up some things as they went along? I mean minor characters who didn't have a role in the beginning start having major impacts in the story 10 years later. And then some secrets that you expected to have a large impact end up being anticlimactic.
I was scared that I wouldn't like it anymore because maybe my tastes have changed. But I liked it. I binged it for 3 days straight. Some of the things I liked about it are still there. One of which is how they don't make a big issue on reincarnating as the opposite gender. Minami (MC) is believable as both a female and a male. In other stories, you'd see the female turned male acting too effeminate (even for an average girl), and would constantly be rescued. Their femininity would be played as a joke. But not Minami. This felt like a better done version of NG Life and I liked NG Life when I read it back when I was a teenager. Some people may argue about why they care so much about their past life when they can't do anything about it. That's what I thought for NG Life but in this one, it's understandable because of the threat of magic and death. Multiple characters are sent to near-death experiences as magic is treated seriously like firearms. They're not just fun abilities people use but no one gets hurt.
Another thing that's great about it is how relevant all characters are. Even side characters have their own stories and POVs. Multiple characters have their own version of the truth and Minami will piece these together to uncover the secret to the war.
What I don't like about that is that it's too dialogue heavy. Characters are constantly talking about their version of events and what they think the implication is. I'd rather they just show us, the viewers, what happened through flashbacks, even if the flashback is a lie or intended to mislead.
Another thing I didn't like is the character design. The art is pretty no doubt they all look the same. I legit thought Minami confessed to someone else because they looked almost the same. I was confused why he was calling her Takao. So many times I have to rely on someone calling a character's by their name so I could recognize them. I especially have a hard time connecting a name to a face on the cover pictures/posters except for the main characters. Which is sad because the cover pictures are pretty.
After this are just ramblings and not relevant to the score I gave.
About the main romance, I have to agree with the other comment(s) that it feels forced. 109 chapters later, it still isn't shown how Minami even fell in love with Takao and vice versa. Minami just said he liked her the moment she was introduced to the story because she was straightforward and kind and then a few pages later, he confesses. In one POV, I liked this because it subverts our expectation on the "will-they won't they trope". There is no chase as characters have already established they're in love in the beginning. So we get to see how the memories of the past life will affect their relationship. But beyond some small doubts, they managed to remain true to their feelings. On the other hand, I disliked it because it felt forced. MC has 3 other potential love interests in his past life and I liked his story with those 3 better than Takao's. I also liked the girl (Kamioka) on the first chapter better too as she has more personality. Takao has nothing but devotion. And she hardly shows any emotion besides her "obsession" in protecting MC. And she doesn't even add much to the story. She's just always on the background.
It's already too late in the story to change the main couple, but I at least hope to get a satisfying resolution on Glen's love. Prince Eugene's was kinda unsatisfying and they only played it as a joke for Minami to be disgusted by.
And how come 100 chapters later, it still isn't explained why all the reincarnated people are in the same class? I was hoping a teacher or someone higher up is involved but so far the adults really have no role in the story. Are they just going to explain it away as the magic of the spirits?
Also, it's already been discussed a few times, but I hope we explore the difference between a noble's life and their new commoner's lives in more detail. This has a lot of potential because a lot of them had problems in relation to their families and their social ranks but now they're all commoners in Japan.
(-92)
(+599)
