Light Novels

Discuss manga, especially but not limited to pre-2000 titles, and related sub-topics
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runesaint
Posts: 173
Joined: Mon Oct 10, 2016 2:47 pm
Anime Fan Since: 1985

Light Novels

Post by runesaint »

I thought that I would mention that I spent some time over the last few weeks to read volumes #1-7 of 'How a Realist Hero Rebuilt the Kingdom' by Dojyomaru.
It takes the idea of a person from our 'real' world being sent to a fantasy world to help save it, but deviates almost immediately. Instead of leading troops into combat, casting spells, or being a great warrior, the main character starts by... dealing with a food crisis? Then continues to develop a sanitation system, improve the roads and transportation, expand the economy, and introduce education and entertainment to the masses? Now, while it is obvious that the main character will end up with a harem (each book having him and a different female on the cover is too obvious to be considered foreshadowing), I enjoy reading the story for all the asides to the reader, where he makes connections either to Japanese history, Machiavelli's The Prince, the germ theory of disease and the like. Presuming that the reader is not an expert in civil engineering, history, and the like it educates the reader even while reforming the civilization that he is in. I also appreciate that certain story threads are introduced in the first book that will seem dropped, only to come back in future books. As mentioned, I read this book before, but as I recently purchased up to the current book (7), I thought it best to re-read from the beginning rather than trying to work out exactly where I left off.In completing 'How a Realist Hero Rebuilt the Kingdom' Volume 3, I have caught up to where I had read before and am now in new territory. Where the second volume dealt with a (short) war, this one deals with consequences. The (provisional) king, as main character, needs to deal with resolving issues from the previous books. He is forced to deal with traitors that have honor, negotiations with an empire, as well as a host of other issues. As with before, he frequently makes asides to the reader – in this volume referring to particular chapters of Machiavelli's 'The Prince', and how recalling acts in our history gave him ideas on how to deal with particular situations. One aspect that I particularly like is that it reminds us of unanswered questions from the first book. The specific details of what lead to the story beginning that didn't make sense at the time are not just glossed over, but are kept as an aside. I also greatly appreciate that making decisions continues to weigh on the main character. Even when he knows it is the right thing to do, while a King may have to order people's executions, he is also a person who was a student just a year ago. The weight of his decisions continues to leave a mark on him.
I enjoy that I have quickly caught up to where I read a few years ago, and regret that I now have to wait for him to write new books and for them to get translated
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