인류 최종 결전의 막이 올랐다. 어마어마하게 쏟아진 신의 사도를 막아서는 것은 평범한 인간들. 모든 수단을 동원해 대항하나 차츰 패색은 짙어지고, 인류 멸망은 피할 수 없다고 생각하던 그때…… 『나락의 괴물』이 내린 가호가 그 미래를 허락하지 않았다. ─그리고 인류는 『한계』를 넘어선다. 한편, 신역 최심부에 도착한 『흔해빠진 연성사』 나구모 하지메는 드디어 『신』 에히트르주에와 마주한다. 극한의 분노와 전의를 가슴에 품고 『멸신』에 도전한다!! 모든 것은 사랑하는 흡혈 공주를 되찾고 고향으로 돌아가기 위하여.
Ryo Shirakome's Arifureta: From Commonplace to World's Strongest Vol. 13 marks the supposed culmination of a series that, for this reader, began with considerable promise but ultimately faltered into a repetitive and frustrating experience.
My initial foray into the Arifureta world, through its manga adaptation, was genuinely engaging. The unique premise, coupled with Hajime's cynical humor and brutal efficiency in battle, offered a refreshing take on the Isekai genre. However, as the light novel series progressed, particularly into its latter volumes, a growing disillusionment set in.
A central issue that became increasingly apparent is the stagnation of the protagonist, Hajime. While his initial cold and detached demeanor was understandable given his traumatic past, it felt as though he remained trapped in a perpetual state of emotional immaturity. His declared "awful life" seemed to be a constant justification for a cold shoulder, with moments of genuine affection only surfacing when convenient, and a frustrating disregard for the feelings of the girls in his party. This lack of significant emotional growth, especially in a series stretching to twelve volumes, became a significant detractor.
To borrow an analogy, if the initial volumes of Arifureta were a beautifully drawn and well-rounded horse, the final two volumes felt like that same horse sketch devolving into a crude drawing by a five-year-old. The narrative became a constant rehashing of the same elements: poorly developed minor characters, battles stretched into multiple chapters, and "cringe drama" that added little to the overarching plot or character development. The core relationships, while showing minor improvements, never truly matured beyond superficial interactions.
Ultimately, Arifureta: From Commonplace to World's Strongest Vol. 12 is a difficult recommendation. Unless you possess an insatiable appetite for prolonged action sequences and can overlook stagnant character development and repetitive plotlines, the investment of time may prove unrewarding. Despite my initial enthusiasm and continued investment in the story, I found myself wishing I hadn't pushed through to the end.
I never had hopes for a great finale for this series, but this last volume just condensed everything I didn't like about Arifureta into it! The battle on Tortus that barely mattered but stretched out as much as possible and tried to show even classmates without names just... for the heck of it? The long and honestly boring battle between Hajime and Ehitruje where Hajime has planned way too much ahead on a ridiculous level. The most annoying harem antics to date taking way too much time in the conclusion... but even with that, when finally Hajime reunites with his parents, we don't get to see how they react to meeting this harem. Truly disapointing. I'm just glad it's over (wait, I do have some of the Zero volumes to read... but not now.)
This volume is an exciting conclusion to the series, with the first half of the book featuring a thrilling battle filled with strategic maneuvers, counterattacks, and deceptions. Despite the intense action, the author manages to bring the story to a satisfying and well-paced close, with all the characters receiving proper closure. It's refreshing to see a series end on a high note, and the author did an excellent job with this final installment.
It would be nigh unto impossible to live up to expectations 100% because the series as a whole is that much fun and entertaining. That being said, it is a solid conclusion and I'm not unhappy with it. Even the second epilogue didn't bother me!
If you haven't started the series, pick up book 1 -- it's a lot of fun.
Love it. I really like how the protagonist evolved over time. One thing, I also Wanted more of the other relationships to be explored but maybe they are in the follow on work that he shared.
The 13th, and final, volume of the Arifureta light novel series did not disappoint. I found it to be an excellent and exciting conclusion to what has been a most enjoyable series.
Extremely fantastic series that I enjoyed a lot. I also enjoyed watching the anime first 2 seasons and hoping the third season will be out in English soon.