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Didn't I Say to Make My Abilities Average in the Next Life?! Light Novel #1
Didn't I Say To Make My Abilities Average In The Next Life?! Light Novel Vol. 1
The Adventure of a Lifetime...or Two!When gifted student Kurihara Misato dies right after her high school graduation, she meets God and has a peculiar to make her abilities average in the next life. But few things--especially wishes--ever go quite as planned. As she navigates her new life as a ten-year-old girl in a magic-filled world, she realizes God has a unique definition of average!
329 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 14, 2016
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 71 reviews
September 7, 2020
In Japan, Kurihara Misato was a prodigy, good at everything she tried...except making friends. Although she was never bullied, she could never seem to get close to anyone. Then, when she was 18, she was killed saving a child from being hit by a car. After her death, she appeared before a young man who called himself "God," who wished to thank her for saving the child by having her reborn in a new world with whatever abilities she desired. Misato's wish surprises him: she wants her abilities to be average.
And so she is reborn as Adele von Ascham, daughter of Viscount Ascham, her station in life exactly halfway between the lowest and highest possible. It seems that God misunderstood her request to be "average." His definition of "average" with respect to her magical and physical abilities turns out to be similarly skewed. This puts Adele in a bit of a bind. How is she supposed to come across as average if she's actually ridiculously powerful? This particular volume covers her new life from age 10 to 12, beginning at Eckland Academy, a school for lesser nobles and talented commoners, and continuing on to her work as a newbie hunter (basically, an adventurer).
The heroine goes by three names throughout this book: Misato (her life in Japan, which we see very little of), Adele (her life at Eckland), and Mile (when she becomes a hunter). I plan to mostly refer to her as Adele to keep this review from becoming too confusing. And yes, this is one of those very rare light novels that's actually written in the third person. Yay!
I've seen reviews that complain that Adele is a Mary Sue, and considering the premise, I'm not sure what else they expected. I mean, that's the entire point of this series. God misinterpreted Adele's request, and as a result she was reborn ridiculously overpowered. Similarly to Touya, the hero of In Another World With My Smartphone, there was almost nothing she couldn't do. However, unlike Touya, she actually had a goal in life, and her powers interfered with that goal.
Or so she thought. I really hope that, at some point, Adele realizes that what she actually wants is friends and that the ones she's managed to find so far won't necessarily turn away from her once they realize just how overpowered she is.
I was torn on the way FUNA handled the book's friendship aspects. On the one hand, I liked that there was so much deliberate focus on female friendship. Adele acquired groups of close friends at both Eckland and the Hunters' Prep School, and her method of bonding with them tended to involve teaching them useful magical skills based on her secret knowledge of how the world's "magic" really worked. It was nice. On the other hand, the various friendships felt oddly superficial (possibly because the characters weren't all that well-developed?), and I hated how often breast size and undergarments came up. Breast size literally played a part in the start of one of Adele's friendships (the girl made friends with her because Adele's flat chest made her chest look less flat by comparison). Just...no.
My favorite things about this book were the humor (Adele was truly terrible at pretending to be average, and the results were usually entertaining) and the way Adele politely but unflinchingly put rude people in their place. The classmate who assumed she'd be his girlfriend just because he said he liked her, the guy who shouted questions at her like she owed him answers, the other classmate who repeatedly challenged her to fights because his pride was hurt by the fact that she was better than him. It was fun watching her deal with all of them.
Unfortunately, this had a lot of the same problems that many other light novel series have, and although I plan on reading the next volume, I suspect I'm going to burn out on this series fairly quickly. Most of the characters aren't that interesting, and although the premise resulted in some fun moments in this first volume, it won't be able to carry a whole series. Also, the writing was a bit dry and had a tendency to dwell on details that weren't important to the story and didn't add much to the setting. In fact, after the initial infodumping about how this world worked, there wasn't much real world-building at all - other than occasional interjections from the nanomachines, this world looked and acted like most other generic isekai fantasy worlds. FUNA could potentially do some interesting things with this world, which was created by God as sort of an experiment and then abandoned, but my overall experience with light novels tells me that I probably shouldn't hold my breath.
Extras:
Three full-color illustrations, two of which are double page spreads, black-and-white illustrations throughout, a couple extra sketches at the end, an afterword by the author, and three bonus stories. The first bonus story is all about Adele's underwear woes. In the second bonus story, Adele attempts to invent natto, which resulted in me realizing that this is one of the few light novels where the main character doesn't introduce some sort of food, game, item, etc. from their old world to people in their new world. In the third story, one of Adele's classmates declares that he's going to make her his woman. Adele is not nearly as happy about this as he'd expected her to be.
(Original review posted on A Library Girl's Familiar Diversions.)
And so she is reborn as Adele von Ascham, daughter of Viscount Ascham, her station in life exactly halfway between the lowest and highest possible. It seems that God misunderstood her request to be "average." His definition of "average" with respect to her magical and physical abilities turns out to be similarly skewed. This puts Adele in a bit of a bind. How is she supposed to come across as average if she's actually ridiculously powerful? This particular volume covers her new life from age 10 to 12, beginning at Eckland Academy, a school for lesser nobles and talented commoners, and continuing on to her work as a newbie hunter (basically, an adventurer).
The heroine goes by three names throughout this book: Misato (her life in Japan, which we see very little of), Adele (her life at Eckland), and Mile (when she becomes a hunter). I plan to mostly refer to her as Adele to keep this review from becoming too confusing. And yes, this is one of those very rare light novels that's actually written in the third person. Yay!
I've seen reviews that complain that Adele is a Mary Sue, and considering the premise, I'm not sure what else they expected. I mean, that's the entire point of this series. God misinterpreted Adele's request, and as a result she was reborn ridiculously overpowered. Similarly to Touya, the hero of In Another World With My Smartphone, there was almost nothing she couldn't do. However, unlike Touya, she actually had a goal in life, and her powers interfered with that goal.
Or so she thought. I really hope that, at some point, Adele realizes that what she actually wants is friends and that the ones she's managed to find so far won't necessarily turn away from her once they realize just how overpowered she is.
I was torn on the way FUNA handled the book's friendship aspects. On the one hand, I liked that there was so much deliberate focus on female friendship. Adele acquired groups of close friends at both Eckland and the Hunters' Prep School, and her method of bonding with them tended to involve teaching them useful magical skills based on her secret knowledge of how the world's "magic" really worked. It was nice. On the other hand, the various friendships felt oddly superficial (possibly because the characters weren't all that well-developed?), and I hated how often breast size and undergarments came up. Breast size literally played a part in the start of one of Adele's friendships (the girl made friends with her because Adele's flat chest made her chest look less flat by comparison). Just...no.
My favorite things about this book were the humor (Adele was truly terrible at pretending to be average, and the results were usually entertaining) and the way Adele politely but unflinchingly put rude people in their place. The classmate who assumed she'd be his girlfriend just because he said he liked her, the guy who shouted questions at her like she owed him answers, the other classmate who repeatedly challenged her to fights because his pride was hurt by the fact that she was better than him. It was fun watching her deal with all of them.
Unfortunately, this had a lot of the same problems that many other light novel series have, and although I plan on reading the next volume, I suspect I'm going to burn out on this series fairly quickly. Most of the characters aren't that interesting, and although the premise resulted in some fun moments in this first volume, it won't be able to carry a whole series. Also, the writing was a bit dry and had a tendency to dwell on details that weren't important to the story and didn't add much to the setting. In fact, after the initial infodumping about how this world worked, there wasn't much real world-building at all - other than occasional interjections from the nanomachines, this world looked and acted like most other generic isekai fantasy worlds. FUNA could potentially do some interesting things with this world, which was created by God as sort of an experiment and then abandoned, but my overall experience with light novels tells me that I probably shouldn't hold my breath.
Extras:
Three full-color illustrations, two of which are double page spreads, black-and-white illustrations throughout, a couple extra sketches at the end, an afterword by the author, and three bonus stories. The first bonus story is all about Adele's underwear woes. In the second bonus story, Adele attempts to invent natto, which resulted in me realizing that this is one of the few light novels where the main character doesn't introduce some sort of food, game, item, etc. from their old world to people in their new world. In the third story, one of Adele's classmates declares that he's going to make her his woman. Adele is not nearly as happy about this as he'd expected her to be.
(Original review posted on A Library Girl's Familiar Diversions.)
February 3, 2018
Couldnt put it down.
It was truly well written. It was warm hearted and just a true joy to read. My smile never left me the entire time.
It was truly well written. It was warm hearted and just a true joy to read. My smile never left me the entire time.
February 14, 2018
I am very much enjoying the rush of light novels about reincarnation that are coming out in the USA.
I found this character fun: though a bit too clueless to be believed.
There were some times where I was just left like....umm no.
But the worldbuilding is sound, the lead is likeable, there is enough going on to keep me interested.
So, I guess I can't wait till summer when I can read the next book.
I found this character fun: though a bit too clueless to be believed.
There were some times where I was just left like....umm no.
But the worldbuilding is sound, the lead is likeable, there is enough going on to keep me interested.
So, I guess I can't wait till summer when I can read the next book.
August 30, 2018
This is a charming Light Novel. The author took a popular trope - character from our world is reincarnated into (or otherwise whisked away to) a sword-and-sorcery world - and had fun with it.
The protagonist was exceptional in first life, and didn't much enjoy the experience. When she was offered a reincarnation, she specifically asked to be made average. 'Average' is ambiguous (the book actually contains a digression about the difference between 'mean', 'median', and 'mode') - and Adele's benefactor has interpreted 'average' disingenuously to mean mid-range. (E.g., if the richest person has a billion dollars and the poorest has nothing, then half a billion dollars is 'average'.)
Adele's abilities (strength, speed, magic, etc.) are average - which is to say halfway between those of a mushroom and those of an elder dragon. She is also ten years old, and somewhat clueless socially. (Her memories from a previous life do not have much effect.) So she is forever attempting to portray herself as average - and forever flubbing it.
The protagonist was exceptional in first life, and didn't much enjoy the experience. When she was offered a reincarnation, she specifically asked to be made average. 'Average' is ambiguous (the book actually contains a digression about the difference between 'mean', 'median', and 'mode') - and Adele's benefactor has interpreted 'average' disingenuously to mean mid-range. (E.g., if the richest person has a billion dollars and the poorest has nothing, then half a billion dollars is 'average'.)
Adele's abilities (strength, speed, magic, etc.) are average - which is to say halfway between those of a mushroom and those of an elder dragon. She is also ten years old, and somewhat clueless socially. (Her memories from a previous life do not have much effect.) So she is forever attempting to portray herself as average - and forever flubbing it.
September 23, 2018
A good comedy about an overpowered little girl who didn't want to be viewed as such.
I've first read it in Shōsetsuka ni Narō (Let's Become A Novelist) as one of the web novels posted. With the many things I was reading along with it, there were times when I confused the story with novels having similar vibe like Kenshi Mahou 9999 but I'm happy to say that in time, it did leave its unique mark.
It's a lighthearted series about Adele / Mile who only sought to live a normal life - having been a genius before her sudden death – only to always end up in the spotlight.
Reading the novel was not stressful at all, some minor characters get their own flash backs and the scenes are funny too. Nonetheless, the book didn't lack in action – despite it looking like a slice-of-life LN.
Seven Seas' translations wasn't too far from the Japanese version and I think they did a really great job localizing the book. I think the book quality was really A+!
I've first read it in Shōsetsuka ni Narō (Let's Become A Novelist) as one of the web novels posted. With the many things I was reading along with it, there were times when I confused the story with novels having similar vibe like Kenshi Mahou 9999 but I'm happy to say that in time, it did leave its unique mark.
It's a lighthearted series about Adele / Mile who only sought to live a normal life - having been a genius before her sudden death – only to always end up in the spotlight.
Reading the novel was not stressful at all, some minor characters get their own flash backs and the scenes are funny too. Nonetheless, the book didn't lack in action – despite it looking like a slice-of-life LN.
Seven Seas' translations wasn't too far from the Japanese version and I think they did a really great job localizing the book. I think the book quality was really A+!
February 1, 2019
An "average story of an average, everyday girl", this is rather un-serious book about the life of our heroine, who is basically a Mary Sue in all but her own mind. Her attempts to appear as a common, average girl keeps falling flat and basically forms the entire concept of the series and most of its humour.
What makes this a decent read is multiple POV's the author uses to convey the ridiculousness of our heroine's tragically doomed attempts at 'normalcy', which helps to make the absurdness stand out better.
That said, whether due to the original author's style or the translation team's choice, the prose here is really unwieldy and dry at many points, so this is definitely not a book that would really impress.
Nevertheless, it does somehow end up being a fun read, purely on the basis of the situational absurdity and comedy, so I ended up liking it anyways.
What makes this a decent read is multiple POV's the author uses to convey the ridiculousness of our heroine's tragically doomed attempts at 'normalcy', which helps to make the absurdness stand out better.
That said, whether due to the original author's style or the translation team's choice, the prose here is really unwieldy and dry at many points, so this is definitely not a book that would really impress.
Nevertheless, it does somehow end up being a fun read, purely on the basis of the situational absurdity and comedy, so I ended up liking it anyways.
May 11, 2025
This was SO MUCH Fun!!!
Unexpectedly too, mind - I thought I would like it, but not this much!
I first came across this series a few years ago when I watched the anime. It was pretty mid (average, even - hehe) and while I liked it I wasn’t super high on it. It’s been long enough that I don’t remember a whole lot about what happens, which was kind of nice so I was surprised with the way some things played out. Though, I have the feeling they changed/cut out a fair amount because there was a lot here that I Do Not remember being in the show.
Regardless, I picked up this volume more or less on a whim - and I am So Glad I did!!! I had Such a fun time!! I was giggling, kicking my feet… very much my kind of book!! It’s giving “Kuma Kuma Kuma Bear” in the BEST way! And also unique enough on its own! Even better - there’s like 20 books in the series!! I’ve been looking for another long series to sink my teeth into… hehe I’m so glad!!
Some minor gripes - they all seem very concerned with their chest sizes, especially Mile/Adele who is like 12… but that does seem to be part & parcel with these type of books so whatever I guess. I also wasn’t initially sold on Adele/Mile being so young (she’s 10-12 in this book) given the type of story we’re telling, but the world building has me believing it. Same with all these really young children having to think of marriage prospects… would have preferred them to maybe be 1-2 years old at least? But again, something I can overlook.
Regardless, I had a super fun time and am excited to read more.
Unexpectedly too, mind - I thought I would like it, but not this much!
I first came across this series a few years ago when I watched the anime. It was pretty mid (average, even - hehe) and while I liked it I wasn’t super high on it. It’s been long enough that I don’t remember a whole lot about what happens, which was kind of nice so I was surprised with the way some things played out. Though, I have the feeling they changed/cut out a fair amount because there was a lot here that I Do Not remember being in the show.
Regardless, I picked up this volume more or less on a whim - and I am So Glad I did!!! I had Such a fun time!! I was giggling, kicking my feet… very much my kind of book!! It’s giving “Kuma Kuma Kuma Bear” in the BEST way! And also unique enough on its own! Even better - there’s like 20 books in the series!! I’ve been looking for another long series to sink my teeth into… hehe I’m so glad!!
Some minor gripes - they all seem very concerned with their chest sizes, especially Mile/Adele who is like 12… but that does seem to be part & parcel with these type of books so whatever I guess. I also wasn’t initially sold on Adele/Mile being so young (she’s 10-12 in this book) given the type of story we’re telling, but the world building has me believing it. Same with all these really young children having to think of marriage prospects… would have preferred them to maybe be 1-2 years old at least? But again, something I can overlook.
Regardless, I had a super fun time and am excited to read more.
February 23, 2018
Pages missing
Just barely got into the book, and several pages are blank - not there at all. I want my money back!
Just barely got into the book, and several pages are blank - not there at all. I want my money back!
February 11, 2019
This story details the life of Misato... Excuse me, Adele... Excuse me again, Mile, the college student, middle schooler, and hunter professional. Got all that? No. Well, let's dive into this review anyways.
So it's an Isekai, a travel to another world story, god granting a young woman a second chance at an "average" life in a new land. Memory retention is a thing in this tale, though more for the sake of her having knowledge about elements and physics that she'll need in the magical world to conjure up a spell utilizing them. It's a very sort of passively important memory retention, though she does remember the details of her life fully, they just don't factor in much to the plot (besides her desire for friends and to live a more normal life in this world).
A lot of the story is comedy. Lots of setup + punchline stuff; lots of characters making judgments that turn out to be rash (like assuming Adele is snacking on a bone because it's in her drawer; saying someone is a generous king before the deliver the ultimate shrewd comment afterwards about using people). A lot of grins at the cuteness, and some almost rolling on my sides moments, so I'd say it passed muster on the comedy front. There are some recurring types of jokes, but nothing that felt super gag-character esque (besides the "normal" gag with Adele, and maybe Reina's character, but even she defeats her tough stereotype with bonds of friendship).
The cast is rather packed. As I hinted in the opening, this story kind of has four spheres: reality (which hasn't factored in much), her Noble home life (count and sister who treat her like an afterthought; dead mother and grandfather), school life (first friends; school troubles), and hunter life (Hunter school, party). Within these, there are many friends, adversaries, and instructors. The standouts were definitely Marcella, Reina, and Pauline. There are male characters as well, some who are very positive and helpful and named characters (some who seem like they may be vying for the main character's attention when she's of marrying age too), so this isn't an "all the guy characters are just window-dressing" kind of series. They're all involved in the story. Some of the instructors don't get much, if any play, particularly the ones late in the story at the Adventurer / Hunter school; they all get names, but I think only the principal gets lines. And it's not like we'll be revisiting the school as a student, that is wrapped up after this volume, so I don't know why they got names (there's other characters with actual personality that don't get names, like iirc the mage that quakes in his boots at Reina, and the boy that tries to come on too strong with Adele / Mile).
For just a slight bit of negativity here, I didn't love the amount of inessential detail we get in this volume. Some of it's fine, like giving reasons for why she's able to create certain magics. Other stuff was less essential waste of time stuff like the week / day / month calendar system operating on 6s, or the bell system in one of the towns she goes to having each ring detailed and explained for seemingly no reason. You can say that's worldbuilding, but you kind of hope they have reasons to give you that more mundane info. I guess we'll see, but for this volume, some detail wasn't necessary.
Like a lot of early web novel based stories, this one is very much an intro story, though it moves well enough that you don't feel like you haven't seen enough to figure out if you'll like it. Still, the fact that we abandon friends and make new friends, it kind of gives you a bit of anxiety about where our little miss will end up. Will she become a noble who sits on a throne? Will she toil away as an adventurer? Will she find that meager "normalcy" that she desires in a world that is anything but normal?
So it's an Isekai, a travel to another world story, god granting a young woman a second chance at an "average" life in a new land. Memory retention is a thing in this tale, though more for the sake of her having knowledge about elements and physics that she'll need in the magical world to conjure up a spell utilizing them. It's a very sort of passively important memory retention, though she does remember the details of her life fully, they just don't factor in much to the plot (besides her desire for friends and to live a more normal life in this world).
A lot of the story is comedy. Lots of setup + punchline stuff; lots of characters making judgments that turn out to be rash (like assuming Adele is snacking on a bone because it's in her drawer; saying someone is a generous king before the deliver the ultimate shrewd comment afterwards about using people). A lot of grins at the cuteness, and some almost rolling on my sides moments, so I'd say it passed muster on the comedy front. There are some recurring types of jokes, but nothing that felt super gag-character esque (besides the "normal" gag with Adele, and maybe Reina's character, but even she defeats her tough stereotype with bonds of friendship).
The cast is rather packed. As I hinted in the opening, this story kind of has four spheres: reality (which hasn't factored in much), her Noble home life (count and sister who treat her like an afterthought; dead mother and grandfather), school life (first friends; school troubles), and hunter life (Hunter school, party). Within these, there are many friends, adversaries, and instructors. The standouts were definitely Marcella, Reina, and Pauline. There are male characters as well, some who are very positive and helpful and named characters (some who seem like they may be vying for the main character's attention when she's of marrying age too), so this isn't an "all the guy characters are just window-dressing" kind of series. They're all involved in the story. Some of the instructors don't get much, if any play, particularly the ones late in the story at the Adventurer / Hunter school; they all get names, but I think only the principal gets lines. And it's not like we'll be revisiting the school as a student, that is wrapped up after this volume, so I don't know why they got names (there's other characters with actual personality that don't get names, like iirc the mage that quakes in his boots at Reina, and the boy that tries to come on too strong with Adele / Mile).
For just a slight bit of negativity here, I didn't love the amount of inessential detail we get in this volume. Some of it's fine, like giving reasons for why she's able to create certain magics. Other stuff was less essential waste of time stuff like the week / day / month calendar system operating on 6s, or the bell system in one of the towns she goes to having each ring detailed and explained for seemingly no reason. You can say that's worldbuilding, but you kind of hope they have reasons to give you that more mundane info. I guess we'll see, but for this volume, some detail wasn't necessary.
Like a lot of early web novel based stories, this one is very much an intro story, though it moves well enough that you don't feel like you haven't seen enough to figure out if you'll like it. Still, the fact that we abandon friends and make new friends, it kind of gives you a bit of anxiety about where our little miss will end up. Will she become a noble who sits on a throne? Will she toil away as an adventurer? Will she find that meager "normalcy" that she desires in a world that is anything but normal?
May 21, 2018
1.5 stars (for the 55-60% of the book I read)
DNFing this. I was trying to come back to this, but it's not happening. The writing is way too dry and the author has a major problem with telling instead of showing. Not to mention the many paragraphs describing trivial details as if they were essential to the plot. Nothing was interwoven seamlessly; it felt as if the story just kept starting and stopping every few paragraphs.
I wanted to like this. It seemed to have a promising beginning, and it's not like I was going into it thinking it'd be the next War and Peace or something. After all, it is just a LN. But, in the end, I was still pretty let down.
The best thing this novel did was introduce me to the manga, which is going much better. I'm still going to give other LNs a shot, but this was definitely not for me.
DNFing this. I was trying to come back to this, but it's not happening. The writing is way too dry and the author has a major problem with telling instead of showing. Not to mention the many paragraphs describing trivial details as if they were essential to the plot. Nothing was interwoven seamlessly; it felt as if the story just kept starting and stopping every few paragraphs.
I wanted to like this. It seemed to have a promising beginning, and it's not like I was going into it thinking it'd be the next War and Peace or something. After all, it is just a LN. But, in the end, I was still pretty let down.
The best thing this novel did was introduce me to the manga, which is going much better. I'm still going to give other LNs a shot, but this was definitely not for me.
February 24, 2018
I never heard of this before and bought it on a whim. I'm glad I did. This was a very good LN and I look forward to getting the next one.
August 27, 2021
Well, this was an interesting read. Not because of the plot, characters, etc, but because I like the anime and this was an object lesson in adaptations not staying faithful to the original.
This is not to say that I disliked the novel, or that reading the story changed my opinion of the anime. I like both. However, this volume is covered (IIRC) in the second and third anime episodes, plus part of it is told in a backstory flashback episode later in the series. For reasons I may never fully understand, the anime decided to reframe the Hunter Prep arc through the lens of a stereotypical, fairly naff lolicon plot. It's one of those anime plotlines you choose to ignore while enjoying the humorous bits and fights. That plotline is not in the original novel, which is better for it. On the other hand, there are a few details handled much better in the anime, and I do understand the reason for the entirely original first episode: it gives some action and a hint of what Mile is capable of up-front instead of a lot of what is basically exposition.
Also missing (and not missed) is Nano, the floating ratoid. He's just a disembodied voice. Sadly (and understandably) the many cultural references which work best as visual gags are missing too. It's safe to say that the production team on the anime used the novel as a rough guideline rather than a script. The characters remain largely the same (though Pauline is a bit better in the anime; she gets hot angry in the novel rather than scary/cool angry). Mavis seems a little bit less like an adorable puppy (though not much less). Oh, yeah, while Mile is concerned that her bust isn't developing as fast as she thinks it should, she doesn't destroy most of the nearby real estate if you mention her flat chest. The author here was noticeably less cliche-prone that the script writer for the anime.
While this isn't the most original or best light novel (or anime) out there, it is consistently funny and, as things progress, the worldbuilding and intrigue levels show signs of being interesting. At least, I think they do. Considering how the plot was changed in the adaptation, I'm going to carry on reading the series just to see what else is different.
This is not to say that I disliked the novel, or that reading the story changed my opinion of the anime. I like both. However, this volume is covered (IIRC) in the second and third anime episodes, plus part of it is told in a backstory flashback episode later in the series. For reasons I may never fully understand, the anime decided to reframe the Hunter Prep arc through the lens of a stereotypical, fairly naff lolicon plot. It's one of those anime plotlines you choose to ignore while enjoying the humorous bits and fights. That plotline is not in the original novel, which is better for it. On the other hand, there are a few details handled much better in the anime, and I do understand the reason for the entirely original first episode: it gives some action and a hint of what Mile is capable of up-front instead of a lot of what is basically exposition.
Also missing (and not missed) is Nano, the floating ratoid. He's just a disembodied voice. Sadly (and understandably) the many cultural references which work best as visual gags are missing too. It's safe to say that the production team on the anime used the novel as a rough guideline rather than a script. The characters remain largely the same (though Pauline is a bit better in the anime; she gets hot angry in the novel rather than scary/cool angry). Mavis seems a little bit less like an adorable puppy (though not much less). Oh, yeah, while Mile is concerned that her bust isn't developing as fast as she thinks it should, she doesn't destroy most of the nearby real estate if you mention her flat chest. The author here was noticeably less cliche-prone that the script writer for the anime.
While this isn't the most original or best light novel (or anime) out there, it is consistently funny and, as things progress, the worldbuilding and intrigue levels show signs of being interesting. At least, I think they do. Considering how the plot was changed in the adaptation, I'm going to carry on reading the series just to see what else is different.
July 17, 2021
First volume of an Isekai story, but some simple differences that make this a fun, cute read.
It starts out the same as many stories like it - our protagonist dies in a rather heroically manner and gets the chance to be reborn into a new world. Our protagonist was an 18 year old genius in Japan, and now is reborn in a world of swords and magic. Because of her genius status in Japan, and which led her to lead a lonely life with no friends, she asks the god who is giving her a new life to make her abilities average in the new world so she can make friends and lead a "normal" life. But she gets a little more than she bargained for when the god takes the word "average" quite literally.
As I mentioned there are some differences than other Isekai stories. For one, we have a heroine in this story and not a hero. Nothing against male protagonists but it is nice to see a female as the main protagonist in this genre. Another difference is there are no romantic interests!! Wow! The main character starts our story as 10 years old, and most of the story is when she is 12. So I appreciated the lack of romance, although it is not for lack of boys trying to get close. The focus here is more on friendships made and our main character's strong desire to be "normal."
While the story was a cute easy read there were a few things that were difficult to reconcile with the story. The idea of nano machines helping this world realize magic was a weird explanation of magic, and felt like simply an instrument for our protagonist to stand out and learn about things in the beginning of the book. We get a lot of them in the beginning, then pretty much nothing. It was also a little grating at times to deal with the main character's desire for normalcy, her naivete at certain situations that one should know even I'd they are not good with people. These couple of grievances did not keep me from enjoying the story, and will probably continue with the series.
It starts out the same as many stories like it - our protagonist dies in a rather heroically manner and gets the chance to be reborn into a new world. Our protagonist was an 18 year old genius in Japan, and now is reborn in a world of swords and magic. Because of her genius status in Japan, and which led her to lead a lonely life with no friends, she asks the god who is giving her a new life to make her abilities average in the new world so she can make friends and lead a "normal" life. But she gets a little more than she bargained for when the god takes the word "average" quite literally.
As I mentioned there are some differences than other Isekai stories. For one, we have a heroine in this story and not a hero. Nothing against male protagonists but it is nice to see a female as the main protagonist in this genre. Another difference is there are no romantic interests!! Wow! The main character starts our story as 10 years old, and most of the story is when she is 12. So I appreciated the lack of romance, although it is not for lack of boys trying to get close. The focus here is more on friendships made and our main character's strong desire to be "normal."
While the story was a cute easy read there were a few things that were difficult to reconcile with the story. The idea of nano machines helping this world realize magic was a weird explanation of magic, and felt like simply an instrument for our protagonist to stand out and learn about things in the beginning of the book. We get a lot of them in the beginning, then pretty much nothing. It was also a little grating at times to deal with the main character's desire for normalcy, her naivete at certain situations that one should know even I'd they are not good with people. These couple of grievances did not keep me from enjoying the story, and will probably continue with the series.
September 4, 2018
This book was an interesting read in that it tried to subvert a few tropes of the Isekai genre, yet these changes did very little to change the standard formula.
In most Isekai, the main protagonist is a young man. In this case, however, it's a young girl. There's no harem in sight (Although a crush or two does pop up throughout) and instead of being completely overpowered and not realising it, Adele/Mile tries her best to hide her powers... Only to fail miserably every time.
While her struggle was somewhat amusing, the fact that she fails every single time made the entire thing pretty much pointless. She is also somewhat of a mary sue, not only the most powerful girl amongst all her peers but also being the victim of an abusive family and incredibly popular. It almost makes me wonder what the point of having her powers was since it always comes out in the end.
The plot is also rather strung-together and bare-bones. The abusive family is dealt with hastily and with no interaction on Adele's part. Half-way through, the entire plotline changes, with Adele changing her name to Mile and joining a completely different school. It feels like two different books were sandwiched together instead of one complete narrative. This also leaves us with very little time to get attached to each set of new characters. I wanted to know more about the orphan boy that was fighting to get food for the people of the slums.
This book feels like it wants to be something different but instead falls back on the tropes it's possibly trying to avoid. Despite this, the writing style is solid and the illustrations are very well done. It was a fun read, just not a very fulfilling one.
In most Isekai, the main protagonist is a young man. In this case, however, it's a young girl. There's no harem in sight (Although a crush or two does pop up throughout) and instead of being completely overpowered and not realising it, Adele/Mile tries her best to hide her powers... Only to fail miserably every time.
While her struggle was somewhat amusing, the fact that she fails every single time made the entire thing pretty much pointless. She is also somewhat of a mary sue, not only the most powerful girl amongst all her peers but also being the victim of an abusive family and incredibly popular. It almost makes me wonder what the point of having her powers was since it always comes out in the end.
The plot is also rather strung-together and bare-bones. The abusive family is dealt with hastily and with no interaction on Adele's part. Half-way through, the entire plotline changes, with Adele changing her name to Mile and joining a completely different school. It feels like two different books were sandwiched together instead of one complete narrative. This also leaves us with very little time to get attached to each set of new characters. I wanted to know more about the orphan boy that was fighting to get food for the people of the slums.
This book feels like it wants to be something different but instead falls back on the tropes it's possibly trying to avoid. Despite this, the writing style is solid and the illustrations are very well done. It was a fun read, just not a very fulfilling one.
May 1, 2019
This was a decent first book in a series. It left several storylines I am curious enough to want to follow into the next book, but also somewhat wrapped up the current arc, with the main character graduation from an academy. The side characters need a bit more expansion, but are amusing enough. The main character, Mile (prior to this named Adele, prior to that another name) is alright. She's somewhat amusing, ridiculously (as the premise suggests) overpowered, and hilariously trying to hide it. I look forward to seeing more antics from her and her hunter friends, as well as seeing more from the people we met in the first half of the novel, in the other kingdom. Interesting magic system. Cute cover. Seems decently set up for good adventures. Overall, I liked this book, and will continue onto book two of the series tomorrow. The main character is fairly likable, although the plot interests me a bit more, and the book is pretty funny. I especially enjoyed the exit exam at the end of the book - Anyway, the book grew stronger as it went on, and while it was not perfect, it was enjoyable and sets up somewhere interesting to read onto from here. 3.7 stars.
December 21, 2021
One Protagonist's Power Fantasy is Another's Nightmare
A Mary Sue dies saving a little girl and when rewarded with reincarnation requests of the God in charge that her new life be granted as average abilities as possible only to find herself even more extra special powerful than her past self.
I use the term Mary Sue not as a derogative but simply as acknowledgement of a fact. The Adele Formerly Known As Misato knows she's ridiculously overpowered and a lot of humor is derived from how her fervent attempts to be normal only serve to highlight just how abnormal she truly is in her new world.
Volume 1 basically has two parts to it. The first is Misato's life as Adele von Ascham attending Eckland Academy and after that goes awry the second is life as adventurer Mile attending Hunter's Prep. In both we are introduced to a trio of girls who become Adele/Mile closest friends as well as a boy whose fortune intersperses with hers. I found the cast of Eckland Academy a little more interesting than Hunter's Prep so I was a little sad to see it go though judging by the ending it won't be the last we see of them either.
Parts of the novel can be very info-dumpy often pausing the story to detail how magic and other parts of the world work. I mostly skimmed over these sections when they occured. Now that setup for the rest of the series has passed I hope such things will ease up in the following volumes.
A Mary Sue dies saving a little girl and when rewarded with reincarnation requests of the God in charge that her new life be granted as average abilities as possible only to find herself even more extra special powerful than her past self.
I use the term Mary Sue not as a derogative but simply as acknowledgement of a fact. The Adele Formerly Known As Misato knows she's ridiculously overpowered and a lot of humor is derived from how her fervent attempts to be normal only serve to highlight just how abnormal she truly is in her new world.
Volume 1 basically has two parts to it. The first is Misato's life as Adele von Ascham attending Eckland Academy and after that goes awry the second is life as adventurer Mile attending Hunter's Prep. In both we are introduced to a trio of girls who become Adele/Mile closest friends as well as a boy whose fortune intersperses with hers. I found the cast of Eckland Academy a little more interesting than Hunter's Prep so I was a little sad to see it go though judging by the ending it won't be the last we see of them either.
Parts of the novel can be very info-dumpy often pausing the story to detail how magic and other parts of the world work. I mostly skimmed over these sections when they occured. Now that setup for the rest of the series has passed I hope such things will ease up in the following volumes.
February 9, 2021
I picked up this book for two reads: 1) I've caught up with most of the 50(?) manwhas I'm currently reading and am in a reading slump so I don't feel like reading any of the books on my TBR and 2) the title game me the Golden-Haired Elementalist vibes.
Sadly, I was disappointed with this one.
- The world-building was generally lacking. I'd rather an info dump since at least I'd know the rules the character is bound by.
- The main character was comically oblivious about the world around her. If you want to blend in, the first step is not to stand out.
- The timeline was a little difficult to follow along with. There was a lot of back and forth. Not exactly backflashes since some of the backstory took full chapters but the transitions were lacking.
- MC seems like a Mary Sue-- which is a shame because her background could have lent itself for great development.
There's also some frames that were "male gaze-y" and just made me very uncomfortable since these characters are children!
The only things I liked were the art style and the the scientific explanation of magic.
I'm grateful I only requested this volume from my library because I'm definitely not continuing with it.
Sadly, I was disappointed with this one.
- The world-building was generally lacking. I'd rather an info dump since at least I'd know the rules the character is bound by.
- The main character was comically oblivious about the world around her. If you want to blend in, the first step is not to stand out.
- The timeline was a little difficult to follow along with. There was a lot of back and forth. Not exactly backflashes since some of the backstory took full chapters but the transitions were lacking.
- MC seems like a Mary Sue-- which is a shame because her background could have lent itself for great development.
There's also some frames that were "male gaze-y" and just made me very uncomfortable since these characters are children!
The only things I liked were the art style and the the scientific explanation of magic.
I'm grateful I only requested this volume from my library because I'm definitely not continuing with it.
May 7, 2021
An entertaining read about a teenager being reborn as an 'average' human in a world of magic (although the magic is the result of nanotech and supposedly does not break physics). Average though is based on a rather unique misinterpretation by a grateful being who cannot believe anybody would want to be a normal civilian. Really powerful, she still wants a normal life, which is not easy, especially since she lacks a point of reference, is a crappy liar and a good person at heart. Which results in an entertaining slice of life of the girls early teenage years in a harsh fantasy like world.
The story is told almost exclusively from the protagonist's point of view. She is overpowered, but hindered by her own wish for a normal life and failing miserably in obtaining it. I found it a fun quick read, but it might not be for everybody. After all, it is a light novel with its odd branch of humour, although I have seen worse. There is also no overarching plot or detailed setting, at least, not yet.
Still, I am looking forward to the next part....
The story is told almost exclusively from the protagonist's point of view. She is overpowered, but hindered by her own wish for a normal life and failing miserably in obtaining it. I found it a fun quick read, but it might not be for everybody. After all, it is a light novel with its odd branch of humour, although I have seen worse. There is also no overarching plot or detailed setting, at least, not yet.
Still, I am looking forward to the next part....
April 10, 2021
Dull, lifeless writing that tells the reader things happen rather than showing them ANYTHING at all. Also, when you describe action scenes with “klang klang klang klang” in italics, there’s something very wrong! I skimmed a lot and missed nothing of the book; there was nothing to miss!
P.S. the handling of the name change was absolutely stupid! Sure, an identity change calls for a different persona, but look; you can’t have the omniscient narrator employ the new name along with everybody else! It was almost as if the writer disregarded the lives the protagonist had experienced up to that point and made her a new person, with new friends and no knowledge of past ones, which was not the case. This was not a clean slate memory wipe or whatever. Better to have just kept Misato or Adele when it was the narrator’s voice, while the new characters she met would refer to her as Mile/Miley.
P.S. the handling of the name change was absolutely stupid! Sure, an identity change calls for a different persona, but look; you can’t have the omniscient narrator employ the new name along with everybody else! It was almost as if the writer disregarded the lives the protagonist had experienced up to that point and made her a new person, with new friends and no knowledge of past ones, which was not the case. This was not a clean slate memory wipe or whatever. Better to have just kept Misato or Adele when it was the narrator’s voice, while the new characters she met would refer to her as Mile/Miley.
July 1, 2021
I'm not steeped in this genre, even so, I can tell this story borrows a lot from other sources. The vibe is very similar to the "Ascendance of a Bookworm" series, although I think I prefer Funa's book so far.
The beginning was rocky. Characters are barely sketched out. Even Adele has almost no inner voice. Despite that, there's something here. She's sweet and naive, and as overpowered as any wish-fulfillment dream could get, and yet... none of her abilities directly help to achieve her goal of living a simple life with lots of close friends. I suppose this has the effect of leveling the challenges she faces and keeps things interesting.
It's so fun to watch someone with major hidden strengths navigate life. I'm hooked.
Note: The book finishes abruptly and with no warning. This is a series opener, not a complete story.
The beginning was rocky. Characters are barely sketched out. Even Adele has almost no inner voice. Despite that, there's something here. She's sweet and naive, and as overpowered as any wish-fulfillment dream could get, and yet... none of her abilities directly help to achieve her goal of living a simple life with lots of close friends. I suppose this has the effect of leveling the challenges she faces and keeps things interesting.
It's so fun to watch someone with major hidden strengths navigate life. I'm hooked.
Note: The book finishes abruptly and with no warning. This is a series opener, not a complete story.
March 16, 2018
This should be more like a 3.5 for me.
Misato (aka Adele aka Mile) never made any friends in her previous life. When she is reincarnated into a new world, that is the main thing on her mind - despite her family hardships. He plea to the deity handling her transfer to just be average is taken literally in an odd direction.
She is perfectly average in strength. Perfectly in the middle. If you count the strongest being on the planet as an elder dragon and the weakest a child. So ... insanely strong by human standards. Same goes for her magic ability and the like.
It is an interesting take on an Isekai/Reincarnated/Transported to Another World genre with a female, socially awkward protagonist. I'm interested to see where this series goes.
Misato (aka Adele aka Mile) never made any friends in her previous life. When she is reincarnated into a new world, that is the main thing on her mind - despite her family hardships. He plea to the deity handling her transfer to just be average is taken literally in an odd direction.
She is perfectly average in strength. Perfectly in the middle. If you count the strongest being on the planet as an elder dragon and the weakest a child. So ... insanely strong by human standards. Same goes for her magic ability and the like.
It is an interesting take on an Isekai/Reincarnated/Transported to Another World genre with a female, socially awkward protagonist. I'm interested to see where this series goes.
September 4, 2018
I can agree with other reviewers that esp the beginning of the light novel was full of explainations. Some that felt over the top and others that should have been moved to the relevant section (we don't need to know details about the training Before the training, can wait until we get there).
However, I had fun. And that was why I picked it up this month.
The main charather is a girl with over the top abilities, for a human, that tries to hide. And since she has very Little social skill, she fails at this. Reads like a anime or manga scribt and I could clearly see the situations Before me, often the Classic facepalm.
Don't read this if you Think you will be irritated by overpowered characters in anime/manga.
However, I had fun. And that was why I picked it up this month.
The main charather is a girl with over the top abilities, for a human, that tries to hide. And since she has very Little social skill, she fails at this. Reads like a anime or manga scribt and I could clearly see the situations Before me, often the Classic facepalm.
Don't read this if you Think you will be irritated by overpowered characters in anime/manga.
January 27, 2019
Kurihara, still not an average girl after being reborn, tries to hide her gifts and make friends at an academy.
I was mostly confused by this volume. Nine-tenths of it is manga with a few pages of text at the end. I have a feeling that the parts that confused me were due to the stories having been a series of light novels in the past. It's like Kurihara is great, dies, is reborn, is great (even though she doesn't want to be) and then maybe starts her life again including going to two different Academies. There's too much of a disconnect between chapters one and two. I won't be continuing with this series.
I was mostly confused by this volume. Nine-tenths of it is manga with a few pages of text at the end. I have a feeling that the parts that confused me were due to the stories having been a series of light novels in the past. It's like Kurihara is great, dies, is reborn, is great (even though she doesn't want to be) and then maybe starts her life again including going to two different Academies. There's too much of a disconnect between chapters one and two. I won't be continuing with this series.
May 8, 2019
This is an Isekai story with a bit of a twist. The Protagonist is a girl. I know, shocking right 😂 but it doesn't stop there - she also above all else desires to have a quiet and average new life.
But fate and the author seem to have other plans.
This is a light novel and the first in a series. I hear an Anime is already in production and am looking forward to it. This book covers two story arcs and has a lot of plot packed in.
The writing did feel a little clunky at times (either because of translation issues or it being one of the authors first books) but I hope that this will improve as I delve into the rest of the series. I will definitely be picking the rest up at some point.
But fate and the author seem to have other plans.
This is a light novel and the first in a series. I hear an Anime is already in production and am looking forward to it. This book covers two story arcs and has a lot of plot packed in.
The writing did feel a little clunky at times (either because of translation issues or it being one of the authors first books) but I hope that this will improve as I delve into the rest of the series. I will definitely be picking the rest up at some point.
July 12, 2018
It's fluffy and cute. Not serious at all.
I enjoyed it because it didn't take itself seriously.
My favorite part was reading every time she learned what average meant to God in that world. My other favorite parts were some of the conversations with the nano bots.
It had a Cinderella beginning, which was unexpected. With a bit of Ella Enchanted mixed in at the second quarter where she's at the school and can't say anything.
I liked this book a lot and will continue reading the series.
I enjoyed it because it didn't take itself seriously.
My favorite part was reading every time she learned what average meant to God in that world. My other favorite parts were some of the conversations with the nano bots.
It had a Cinderella beginning, which was unexpected. With a bit of Ella Enchanted mixed in at the second quarter where she's at the school and can't say anything.
I liked this book a lot and will continue reading the series.
July 16, 2025
Dense Protagonist
So the book is amusing for two reasons. I like worlds of swords and sorcery for one. For two, the protagonist is a bit dim when it comes to soft skills and human relationships. It leads to several humorous misunderstandings, but at the same time, her insistence on being ordinary and average is a bit much. The book follows Adele von Ascham, a young girl reincarnated as a perfectly average being. However, due to her miscalculation, her power is average amongst all the beings in the world she inhabits. She changes her name to Mile, and a legend is born.
So the book is amusing for two reasons. I like worlds of swords and sorcery for one. For two, the protagonist is a bit dim when it comes to soft skills and human relationships. It leads to several humorous misunderstandings, but at the same time, her insistence on being ordinary and average is a bit much. The book follows Adele von Ascham, a young girl reincarnated as a perfectly average being. However, due to her miscalculation, her power is average amongst all the beings in the world she inhabits. She changes her name to Mile, and a legend is born.
May 14, 2018
Cute conceit, possibly some interesting stuff happening on the cosmic or geopolitical level, but the main character ignores all that stuff in favor of being precious. The "oh, I don't want any awesome powers, I just happen to have them" routine and the "somehow nobody in this world has thought to try this simple trick I just invented" routine wore through very quickly.
With great power comes great responsibility. Why isn't she working on world optimization?
With great power comes great responsibility. Why isn't she working on world optimization?
August 14, 2018
A different take on the Isekai trend that's been hitting everything in the anime and manga world. Whereas all the other ones seem intent on making their main character seem destined and willing to take over the world through their over-powered characteristics, this one the main character is trying so desperately to be normal, that it's refreshing. I liked it a lot, and I would only recommend this book if I knew the person was a fan of the Isekai trend.
January 28, 2020
DISTMMAAITNL (there's gotta be a better way to abbreviate that) is a pretty fun exploration into the world of someone who has power, but doesn't want it. I don't know if it's a reflection on it's reading level in Japanese or simply a product of the translation, but it's a very easy read that had me wishing for more complex language. Still, it's story had me interested so I enjoyed this book very much.
June 27, 2019
Menina morre e Deus oferece a reencarnação em outro lugar que tem magia usando nano maquinas.
Unico pedido foi que ela fosse normal, ja que na outra vida ela se destacou muito e nunca teve amigos.
Detalhe é que na media foi em relação ao máximo total ou seja força entre uma formiga e dragão, etc.
Uma historia que tenta muito não ser sobre escola mas é sempre sobre escola.
Unico pedido foi que ela fosse normal, ja que na outra vida ela se destacou muito e nunca teve amigos.
Detalhe é que na media foi em relação ao máximo total ou seja força entre uma formiga e dragão, etc.
Uma historia que tenta muito não ser sobre escola mas é sempre sobre escola.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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