I actually started reading this title last year, after finishing the third season of the show. I was a huge fan of the anima adaptation - and I would say that I still am. So it seemed like the logical next step to start reading the series while I waited for season four of the anime to be released. Unfortunately, the writing was not as enjoyable for me as the show was. Despite the show’s commitment to retaining the word b!tch to refer to Malty, it really tones down Naofumi’s seeming hatred for women. The way he talks about/describes women outside of his party was really annoying at best, making me put reading this on the back burner several times for quite a while - over a year. Recognizing that this is supposed to be the result of his trauma developed from the earliest events of the series, his thoughts were still really wild and grossly reminiscent of vengeful teen boys. For me, it’s a bit past time for his character development to move beyond this.
That being said, I really enjoyed Raphtalia’s ongoing development and seeing her become a bit more of her own character and not just another cute fan girl tailored for him. I honestly am not the biggest fan of most harem animes nd have been sorely frustrated and disappointed by some. I knew I was actually getting myself into that by picking up this series, but it seemed like there was one clear choice for our protagonist in the end and that it would be the slowest of slow burns. From my perspective that is still the most likely conclusion for the romantic subplot, but I’m also wary. So if that’s something that really disinterests you then you might consider how committed you are to finding out how this all ends. But as I started this long paragraph, I do see Raphtalia becoming a fully realized character on her own and wouldn’t be surprised if she does take over Naofumi’s role if he leaves her world without her at the end of the series - highly unlikely (!) - but it would make for a good ending.
The dialogue in this volume (and I assume the previous ones as well) really could use some work. There are only so many times characters can say, “I can’t let you forget about me!” The constant reuse of this one line for almost an entire chapter almost made me lose it. A diligent editor would help improve this series’s writing quality and make the story more enjoyable for more readers.
All of that said, I’m ridiculously invested in whether or not Naofumi receives a full character arc and how things will shake out between him and Raphtalia in the end. I’m committed to the bit now, but if the characters were at all less like able I would put this whole story behind me. Let’s see how the next one goes!