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The Magic in this Other World is Too Far Behind! #1
The Magic in this Other World is Too Far Behind!, Volume 1
Suimei and two of his best friends find themselves mysteriously summoned to another world. There’s a cute princess, magic galore, a Demon Lord that needs to be defeated, and a world that needs to be saved—the works! Too bad Suimei isn’t interested. His friends are all too ready to play the parts of heroes, but Suimei just wants to get home. He has an advantage as a magician... but he’s in for a rude awakening when he finds out what actually passes for magic in these parts.
216 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 24, 2014
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
May 14, 2018
Another semi-self-aware isekai novel that's way more fun than it ought to be, largely because the protagonist is not the guy summoned to be the hero and he wants exactly nothing to do with this demon-killing crap.
April 27, 2018
Suimei is walking home with his friends when all three of them are unexpectedly summoned to another world. As they suspected, this world is looking for a hero to defeat the Demon Lord who is bent on annihilating humanity---but Suimei wants nothing to do with it. Luckily, it's Reiji who was the chosen hero, so even though it disappoints everyone, Suimei can try to sit this one out. But Suimei's knowledge of modern magic is incredibly advanced in this new world, and his ambition to lead a quiet life is quickly overturned . . .
Although I liked some pieces, the overall execution left me uncertain if I want to continue the series.
I can't stand Felmenia. She whiplashes from mature and competent to flustered and childish, and although I get the general direction the author was going, the personality shifts feel too extreme. And more than once the story tanks into fetishization, like having her trip over her own clothes just to land her in a pin-up pose that the male character can gawk at. Or the stupid, stupid arguments between the girls about whose breasts are bigger. (It always makes me want to ask, do you know any real girls? I realize this is fantasy, but it's really tiring and insulting to watch girls behave like brainless twits.)
I actually don't mind so much the fact that Suimei's confrontation with Felmenia broke her. That was a fun fight, especially with the layers of magic, and I enjoy seeing her arrogance brought down to size. The whole genius-gifted-kid who could do no wrong because she was so talented getting humiliated was amusing, especially because the narrative is careful to show how the fight is working from both perspectives. She's in this to show him up, but he's used to people trying to kill him and is expecting her to at least attempt the same. But that kind of humiliation is based on her personality flaws, and isn't so much intended to be exploitative.
The conversations about what happens in light novels when people are summoned to another world at the beginning is also a bit too meta for my tastes. There was some amusement at the beginning but eventually I wanted them to stop comparing the situation they were in to the books they had read and just get on with it.
The biggest plus about the book is, as might be expected, the magic. Suimei is a magician of modern Japan---a real magician, but a secret one. And his use of magic reflects various magical traditions from across the globe, from numerology to the technical details of how to create a golem and more. He's familiar with the "elements" that Felmenia mentions, although not in the same form. His passion for understanding the how and why and not---as he pointedly accuses her---making a bigger boom has given him a wide range of skills. And those skills play out like video game spells, which makes them fun and flashy, in addition to the interesting technical underpinnings he spells out.
I also liked that the book bucks tradition a bit by having Suimei sort of caught up in this "hero summoning" by accident, as it's actually his best friend who receives the prophesied blessings and sets out to confront the Demon Lord. Suimei is himself too horrified by the thought of going one against a million to even bother helping, except to try to make a path for all of them to get home. Given the situation overall, I'd be shocked if he isn't eventually pulled into the confrontation anyway (against his will), but he's certainly not going out looking for trouble.
All in all this is a very mixed bag. The harem elements take up enough of the plot to be a significant distraction, and it cheapens most of the female characters. The magical elements are much better, but I'm not certain I like those enough to get past the rest. I rate this book Neutral.
See my reviews and more at https://offtheshelfreviews.wordpress....
Although I liked some pieces, the overall execution left me uncertain if I want to continue the series.
I can't stand Felmenia. She whiplashes from mature and competent to flustered and childish, and although I get the general direction the author was going, the personality shifts feel too extreme. And more than once the story tanks into fetishization, like having her trip over her own clothes just to land her in a pin-up pose that the male character can gawk at. Or the stupid, stupid arguments between the girls about whose breasts are bigger. (It always makes me want to ask, do you know any real girls? I realize this is fantasy, but it's really tiring and insulting to watch girls behave like brainless twits.)
I actually don't mind so much the fact that Suimei's confrontation with Felmenia broke her. That was a fun fight, especially with the layers of magic, and I enjoy seeing her arrogance brought down to size. The whole genius-gifted-kid who could do no wrong because she was so talented getting humiliated was amusing, especially because the narrative is careful to show how the fight is working from both perspectives. She's in this to show him up, but he's used to people trying to kill him and is expecting her to at least attempt the same. But that kind of humiliation is based on her personality flaws, and isn't so much intended to be exploitative.
The conversations about what happens in light novels when people are summoned to another world at the beginning is also a bit too meta for my tastes. There was some amusement at the beginning but eventually I wanted them to stop comparing the situation they were in to the books they had read and just get on with it.
The biggest plus about the book is, as might be expected, the magic. Suimei is a magician of modern Japan---a real magician, but a secret one. And his use of magic reflects various magical traditions from across the globe, from numerology to the technical details of how to create a golem and more. He's familiar with the "elements" that Felmenia mentions, although not in the same form. His passion for understanding the how and why and not---as he pointedly accuses her---making a bigger boom has given him a wide range of skills. And those skills play out like video game spells, which makes them fun and flashy, in addition to the interesting technical underpinnings he spells out.
I also liked that the book bucks tradition a bit by having Suimei sort of caught up in this "hero summoning" by accident, as it's actually his best friend who receives the prophesied blessings and sets out to confront the Demon Lord. Suimei is himself too horrified by the thought of going one against a million to even bother helping, except to try to make a path for all of them to get home. Given the situation overall, I'd be shocked if he isn't eventually pulled into the confrontation anyway (against his will), but he's certainly not going out looking for trouble.
All in all this is a very mixed bag. The harem elements take up enough of the plot to be a significant distraction, and it cheapens most of the female characters. The magical elements are much better, but I'm not certain I like those enough to get past the rest. I rate this book Neutral.
See my reviews and more at https://offtheshelfreviews.wordpress....
November 9, 2019
Dreadful. This story represents everything bad about web novels. The dialogue is stilted, unrealistic, and often trite; there are large passages of tautological text; and the exposition is thick enough to choke an inter-dimensional beast that came through a portal that didn’t contain it because the magic triangles were pointing the wrong way and other reasons that I will take a few moments to explain while it towers over us patiently.
Sometimes, flaws like that in a story can be overlooked because the characters are so appealing, but the main character, Suimei, is a foul mouthed, whiny, arrogant jerk. I suppose that’s part of his charm, but I found it extremely off-putting. I had a problem with his personality changes from moment to moment, depending on what he was wearing. It seemed more psycho than cagey. This story does play with light novel tropes because the main character isn’t the “hero”, but it isn’t enough to escape them because he is still an overpowered god amongst amoebas. I imagine he is beginning his long running arc of redemption, but he’s so distasteful as a person, I have little interest in tagging along. Another element that troubled me was the love interest, Felmenia. She had personality shifts as well depending on whether the author wanted her to be assertive or passive, scene by scene. She’s also in love with the MC because he’s kind, powerful…and he humiliated her cruelly and painfully. Yep. You go, girl. He’s a keeper.
I started to read the next volume to see if the series improved, but lost interest quickly. Unless somebody can convince me otherwise, this series is going to be a hard pass for me.
Sometimes, flaws like that in a story can be overlooked because the characters are so appealing, but the main character, Suimei, is a foul mouthed, whiny, arrogant jerk. I suppose that’s part of his charm, but I found it extremely off-putting. I had a problem with his personality changes from moment to moment, depending on what he was wearing. It seemed more psycho than cagey. This story does play with light novel tropes because the main character isn’t the “hero”, but it isn’t enough to escape them because he is still an overpowered god amongst amoebas. I imagine he is beginning his long running arc of redemption, but he’s so distasteful as a person, I have little interest in tagging along. Another element that troubled me was the love interest, Felmenia. She had personality shifts as well depending on whether the author wanted her to be assertive or passive, scene by scene. She’s also in love with the MC because he’s kind, powerful…and he humiliated her cruelly and painfully. Yep. You go, girl. He’s a keeper.
I started to read the next volume to see if the series improved, but lost interest quickly. Unless somebody can convince me otherwise, this series is going to be a hard pass for me.
September 26, 2018
An Isekai that has an intriguing setup, but maybe might not hold up in the long-term. This is the story of Suimei, a seemingly normal kid from the real world summoned along with two of his friends to a world of magic. The twist: Suimei is secretly a mage in his world, studying with and defeating magicians there behind the scenes, unbeknownst to his friends. Now in this world, he's going to discover just how vastly advanced his knowledge of magic is and craft a way to get home to finish his magical thesis.
One of the cool aspects of this story is Suimei's reaction to the summons. While his friends, Reiji and Mizuki, both acquiesce to the king's demand for help to defeat the demon Lord, Suimei is having none of that. He realizes how suicidal it would be to throw himself into a battle, even with his skills, that has him facing a few million strong force of demons. On top of this, when he learns he can't go back home because the mages there don't have a way to do it, he grows angry enough to cuss the king out. It's just a breath of fresh air to see a character who wears some emotions on his sleeve, and isn't afraid to shout some obscenities at ridiculousness.
The other major character in this plot is Felmania, the court mage. She's the one responsible for the summoning. She and Suimei have an interesting relationship throughout the book, and she's definitely a character worth paying attention to. Overall, I enjoyed a lot of the scenes between her and Suimei and how their relationship evolved. But I'm worried how slow they may take that relationship going forward now that it has gotten to the level it is at. Feel like they'll introduce other girls to be part of a harem, like Reiji has, which would be kind of a waste I think vs developing her and his potential ship. The only thing that gives me hope is Suimei roots on Mizuki to compete against Tia, so at least for him, there can be a victor in love, but we'll see if they still go the polygamous route.
One aspect that is obviously going to be touched on is whether going back home should be the goal for Suimei. In his mind, he has unfinished business in the real world. But it's clear that potentially he'll have to leave people he loves behind when he does so, whether it be the heroes or love interests. Conversely, those characters have to decide which home to go to, and which they feel more safety and comfort in. For mages, the world they come from isn't exactly an easy place to live, and if they deal with the demon threat, the Kingdom they're in now could very well be the most peaceful place.
Otherwise, I don't know how they'll string out Suimei's quest. He just needs knowledge, he's not exactly trying to get in battles. I mean, maybe they'll split the plot between him and Reiji, and we'll see multiple perspectives? Suimei having magic he can just pull out of his hat is kind of ridiculous too. The battles in this one are just too flashy, like Final Fantasy summon level flashy, not like other more strategic battles in LN (potentially because he's just so OP that there's no need for counters, just mostly offense). I feel like the writer has almost too much free reign to make him not only OP, but able to get out of any scenario. It would maybe be nice to see his fear of quantity beats quality play out at some point on a smaller scale; maybe not death, but incapacitation. And seeing some other characters learn abilities from him may be interesting as well.
One of the cool aspects of this story is Suimei's reaction to the summons. While his friends, Reiji and Mizuki, both acquiesce to the king's demand for help to defeat the demon Lord, Suimei is having none of that. He realizes how suicidal it would be to throw himself into a battle, even with his skills, that has him facing a few million strong force of demons. On top of this, when he learns he can't go back home because the mages there don't have a way to do it, he grows angry enough to cuss the king out. It's just a breath of fresh air to see a character who wears some emotions on his sleeve, and isn't afraid to shout some obscenities at ridiculousness.
The other major character in this plot is Felmania, the court mage. She's the one responsible for the summoning. She and Suimei have an interesting relationship throughout the book, and she's definitely a character worth paying attention to. Overall, I enjoyed a lot of the scenes between her and Suimei and how their relationship evolved. But I'm worried how slow they may take that relationship going forward now that it has gotten to the level it is at. Feel like they'll introduce other girls to be part of a harem, like Reiji has, which would be kind of a waste I think vs developing her and his potential ship. The only thing that gives me hope is Suimei roots on Mizuki to compete against Tia, so at least for him, there can be a victor in love, but we'll see if they still go the polygamous route.
One aspect that is obviously going to be touched on is whether going back home should be the goal for Suimei. In his mind, he has unfinished business in the real world. But it's clear that potentially he'll have to leave people he loves behind when he does so, whether it be the heroes or love interests. Conversely, those characters have to decide which home to go to, and which they feel more safety and comfort in. For mages, the world they come from isn't exactly an easy place to live, and if they deal with the demon threat, the Kingdom they're in now could very well be the most peaceful place.
Otherwise, I don't know how they'll string out Suimei's quest. He just needs knowledge, he's not exactly trying to get in battles. I mean, maybe they'll split the plot between him and Reiji, and we'll see multiple perspectives? Suimei having magic he can just pull out of his hat is kind of ridiculous too. The battles in this one are just too flashy, like Final Fantasy summon level flashy, not like other more strategic battles in LN (potentially because he's just so OP that there's no need for counters, just mostly offense). I feel like the writer has almost too much free reign to make him not only OP, but able to get out of any scenario. It would maybe be nice to see his fear of quantity beats quality play out at some point on a smaller scale; maybe not death, but incapacitation. And seeing some other characters learn abilities from him may be interesting as well.
May 15, 2019
As the genre implies, this light novel is a relatively quick read but I did enjoy it. Manga and light novels are pretty thick with the whole "person gets summoned to another world" kind of plots, but this one was more unique in that the main character we follow is a friend of the summoned hero, not the hero himself. And while he has some mad skills, he flat out refuses to accomany the hero on his quest. But that doesn't stop other encounters from happening - and while he saves the day, he still doesn't want anyone to know who he really is.
The beginning was a lot of buildup, so prepare. But in the end we got a good fight (or rather "display" as "fight" makes it seem like there was ever a chance for the other guy). The main character is supremely overpowered in his new surroundings, as well as a bit conceited, so if you are not a fan of that, be warned.
The writing was fine, it is a translation so some things seem repetitive. The magic system is complex almost to the point of not being able to understand it, but I don't mind that. Magic should be a little complicated, methinks. And the few drawings and artwork scattered throughout are well drawn and gives the story some more depth.
Overall, a fun story that I plan on continuing.
The beginning was a lot of buildup, so prepare. But in the end we got a good fight (or rather "display" as "fight" makes it seem like there was ever a chance for the other guy). The main character is supremely overpowered in his new surroundings, as well as a bit conceited, so if you are not a fan of that, be warned.
The writing was fine, it is a translation so some things seem repetitive. The magic system is complex almost to the point of not being able to understand it, but I don't mind that. Magic should be a little complicated, methinks. And the few drawings and artwork scattered throughout are well drawn and gives the story some more depth.
Overall, a fun story that I plan on continuing.
February 2, 2021
Its a relatively unique take on the Isekai genre and it loved to call out all of its own tropes, and I usually love that. But this time around it just seemed.. derivative and a little uninspired.
I appreciated the nerdy obsession in the main character, but there were too many fantasy buzzwords and not enough worldbuilding on what was actually going on for anything about the story to feel meaningful. And the main character not being a hero loses its charm a bit when they are still the protagonist and much, much stronger than the hero in this genre.
Overall a pretty meh entry onto my light novel shelf.
I appreciated the nerdy obsession in the main character, but there were too many fantasy buzzwords and not enough worldbuilding on what was actually going on for anything about the story to feel meaningful. And the main character not being a hero loses its charm a bit when they are still the protagonist and much, much stronger than the hero in this genre.
Overall a pretty meh entry onto my light novel shelf.
April 23, 2020
The devil is in the details, and this thing is full of em'.
If you like Isekai Magical Fantasy then you'll most likely want to pick this up. The MC is NOT the hero, he is powerful but it's because of his own efforts and you can see that the author really researched a lot about magic/occult and did not just slap a transmutation circle on someone's forehead and called it quits.
This is like a delicious but generic BLT sandwich, it's generic, but it's good and it's high quality bacon, lettuce, tomato and even bread.
If you like Isekai Magical Fantasy then you'll most likely want to pick this up. The MC is NOT the hero, he is powerful but it's because of his own efforts and you can see that the author really researched a lot about magic/occult and did not just slap a transmutation circle on someone's forehead and called it quits.
This is like a delicious but generic BLT sandwich, it's generic, but it's good and it's high quality bacon, lettuce, tomato and even bread.
March 25, 2018
J Novel publication. A fun read, where a high school student accidentally brought along with his best friends by a hero summoning spell to a new world turns out to be a secret magic user - and one of the strongest wizards on the planet. But, can he get back to Earth though? He keeps meeting interesting girls. Most importantly, he's not interested in stepping up to be a self sacrificing hero, but has his own goals. I like a story that doesn't follow standard narrative tropes. Well written, wry and in places, rather thoughtful.
June 17, 2020
It's the worst light-novel I have read so far. Yeah, a bit strong to say this, but...
This story has a lot of interesting things in its premise, but they all were crushed by characters. They were so... changing. Their personality constantly changed just to suit the story. And the worst is MC. He is a total jerk. So much so author spends pages after every his action trying to explain "yeah, he acted like a jerk, but he is not, he actually meant well "
This story has a lot of interesting things in its premise, but they all were crushed by characters. They were so... changing. Their personality constantly changed just to suit the story. And the worst is MC. He is a total jerk. So much so author spends pages after every his action trying to explain "yeah, he acted like a jerk, but he is not, he actually meant well "
June 16, 2020
Good concept, inconsistent characters
I like a dumb isekai about as much as anyone, but this one was too inconsistent within itself. The MC felt kind of bipolar which made him a moving target for trying to identify with him. The villain was also cookie cutter and certain events were far too convenient even for an isekai trash read.
I like a dumb isekai about as much as anyone, but this one was too inconsistent within itself. The MC felt kind of bipolar which made him a moving target for trying to identify with him. The villain was also cookie cutter and certain events were far too convenient even for an isekai trash read.
June 2, 2023
Tome qui est pas mal car, on en apprends pas mal sur l'univers et sur les personnages principaux, j'attends de voir comment l'évolution des personnages va être décrite et voir les différentes relations qui vont se créer avec d'autres personnages et également les relations entre les personnages principaux.
October 29, 2018
An excellent light novel. The author gives us the perspective of the hero's friend, rather than the hero. My only complaint is that some highly-competent characters become clumsy and incompetent when they interact with the protagonist. Many readers will undoubtedly love this aspect though.
January 7, 2020
It's... passable if you like/are tolerant enough for most cliches of fantasy isekai genres. Nothing to write home about, somehow enjoyable read that doesn't try to do anything interesting on it's own. I don't regret reading it, but don't plan to buy and read further volumes.
March 5, 2021
Not bad could be better
The story was not bad but I struggled with reading it I don't know what it was I think it may been dry at times but I just had a struggle reading through this. Other than that the has potential to be really good
The story was not bad but I struggled with reading it I don't know what it was I think it may been dry at times but I just had a struggle reading through this. Other than that the has potential to be really good
October 20, 2021
The characters are very shallow and underdeveloped in this one. There is a somewhat interesting angle on the protagonist and his alternate Earth origins. I think I picked up the first four volumes, but after the first, my expectations are low.
December 11, 2022
not bad
True, I mean it lol. But the description text (flavor) is too much. I really, and no one really, needs 3 pages on flavor text. It is like how they teach you to write in grade school. But in reality flavor can be so much better with less.
True, I mean it lol. But the description text (flavor) is too much. I really, and no one really, needs 3 pages on flavor text. It is like how they teach you to write in grade school. But in reality flavor can be so much better with less.
March 19, 2018
New J-Novel Club acquisition.
April 27, 2018
Good story.
A good story for a start, a nice twist on a recurrent plot but good enough to keep reading till the end. Looking forward for the second book in this serie.
A good story for a start, a nice twist on a recurrent plot but good enough to keep reading till the end. Looking forward for the second book in this serie.
May 19, 2018
Good read
It starts off slowly but picks up towards the end. Characters are likable and funny but some of the plot you can see coming from a mile away
It starts off slowly but picks up towards the end. Characters are likable and funny but some of the plot you can see coming from a mile away
June 17, 2018
A fun relaxing read, it's funny and cute and worth it if you aren't expecting a literary masterpiece. Then again I could say that about a lot of light novels. Overall enjoyable tho
3.4
3.4
September 19, 2018
Enjoyable! What happens when the summoned hero brings 2 friends along, and one of them just wants to go home...
October 21, 2018
Great story
This is the start of a great story. I started reading it as a fan translated thing and definitely going to buy the whole series.
This is the start of a great story. I started reading it as a fan translated thing and definitely going to buy the whole series.
April 12, 2019
Decent read. Nothing amazing. Worth a read if your bored.
April 24, 2019
I picked this up on a whim and boy am i glad I did! This book takes everything ones come to know about Isekai and turns it on its head!
June 18, 2019
It's ok.well worth reading
It's ok the writing does not stand out but it's entertaining enough and not as overpriced as other light novels so it's well worth reading
It's ok the writing does not stand out but it's entertaining enough and not as overpriced as other light novels so it's well worth reading
January 6, 2021
Overall a good story but it starts slow and fairly weak. The main character comes off as a bit of a d-bag for a good bit of this volume.
February 24, 2021
I got this novel cause I read the translation one first, forgot who was translator, before it got licensed to compare it and not bad.
February 3, 2022
This is an amazing story With very little of the negatives plaguing 85% of light novels. It sadly kinda just ends but the journey is worth it.
March 7, 2022
5/10
pretty fun action scenes at least
pretty fun action scenes at least
August 21, 2024
DNF @ 13% / Page 40 out of 285.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews