Ascendance of a Bookworm reviewed

Ascendance of a Bookworm reviewed

Japanese light novel series can follow many themes. And when they become successful, manga and anime adaptations aren’t far behind. Ascendance of a Bookworm is a rather unique series for anyone interested in the isekai genre.

An overview of Ascendance of a Bookworm

Ascendance of a Bookworm (Honzuki no Gekokujō: Shisho ni Naru Tame ni wa Shudan o Erandeiraremasen) is the brainchild of Miya Kazuki.

Initially a web novel, the light novel follows Myne, formerly Urano, a Japanese woman who loves books and reincarnates in an alternate world as a child.

The light novel series has a lovely and diverse cast of supporting characters and antagonists. For example, Otto, her tutor, is oblivious to the fact that Myne has plenty of knowledge. That’s despite the fact that there aren’t that many books in Ehrenfest.

Lutz and Benno, Myne’s best friends, are also unique characters with interesting relationship dynamics. Although light novels are generally short and sometimes action-packed, Miya Kazuki spends plenty of time on character development.

Tuuli, Myne’s sister, wants to become a seamstress like Effa, their mother. But Myne’s mission to be a librarian in Ehrenfest causes the two to butt heads.

The author introduces many more characters across her 31 light novels, like Ferdinand, the High Priest of Ehrenfest, Frieda, a girl suffering from the “Devouring,” Gunther, Myne’s father and commoner soldier, and Delia, who secretly tries to convince Myne to be the priest’s concubine.

Myne makes her new life her own and doesn’t conform with the normal life in Ehrenfest. Despite the author’s detailed worldbuilding, Myne has different goals than most heroes.

She brings technological improvements and tries to build a printing press to make literature available for all book-lovers. Although this plot lacks action, the protagonist’s accomplishments in her next life are admirable.

Although Myne’s goals are selfish at first, the creation of the Royal Academy can serve the entire population of Ehrenfest.

Ascendance of a Bookworm manga and anime

This Japanese isekai light novel inspired, like many others before it, a manga and anime series.

Ascendance of a Bookworm: I’ll Do Anything to Become a Librarian Part 1 manga series

Urano Motosu was a Japanese student who loved to read books. But after she died crushed by books in an earthquake, she reincarnated in Myne.

Myne lives in another world. She’s a five-year-old peasant girl living a life very different than Urano. To make things worse, Myne’s world isn’t advanced and has a low literacy rate and a scarcity of books.

Because Myne is from a low-income family, she has to work hard to get her hands on books. More specifically, she has to make them herself.

The slice-of-life manga has a more leisurely pace to the action. Readers have plenty of time to go through the explanations of every DIY project Myne takes on, from making shampoo to candles to paper and books.

But Myne can come off as a bratty child. As Urano, the main character, enjoyed a sheltered life in the modern world. As Myne, she has to navigate a medieval society and a low social status while balancing her obsession with books.

Myne isn’t your typical manga heroine. Yet the series is rather faithful to the light novels in terms of characters, story development, and themes.

Ascendance of a Bookworm Seasons 1 – 3

The anime series ran for three seasons and featured 36 episodes, with the first season having a 2019 release date.

Unsurprisingly, the anime version has the same slow-burn pace as the light novels and manga series. Myne’s coming-of-age story follows her journey from an unknown and frail peasant to a force to be reckoned with in society.

The protagonist’s knowledge from her past life allows her to have many contributions across various disciplines. But once more, the adaptation remains true to the source material.

Myne isn’t like other isekai heroines. She doesn’t want to go on adventures and doesn’t use magic in the new world. Her goal is more mundane.

She wants to end the scarcity of books by making them herself. Her goal is to become a librarian and live a life somewhat similar to her previous life as Motosu Urano.

The detail-oriented storyline and focus on character development make the anime series somewhat unique. It can be a nice change of pace for fans looking for new material.

But the know-it-all protagonist isn’t the most likable character, especially when brought to life through animation and narration.

Users can find the Japanese and English dub version of the anime online on websites like Crunchyroll.

About the author

The first time Miya Kazuki wrote a book was in junior high school. But Kazuki stopped writing as a college student due to lacking time. After graduating, Kazuki married and had children. Yet it wasn’t until her kids started kindergarten that the novelist wrote her first book in the Ascendance of a Bookworm light novel series.

Kazuki published on Shosetsuka ni Naro, a user-generated publishing site, for the first time. Her success on the online platform earned her a contract with T.O. Books. That eventually made possible the Ascendance of a Bookworm manga and Ascendance of a Bookworm anime adaptations.

Between 2015 and 2017, Kazuki also contributed as an essayist in the Minna no Toshokan magazine. Her essays revolve around the many issues with libraries. And they show that Myna has something of the author in her.

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FAQ

Is Ascendance of a Bookworm still ongoing?

As of 2023, the light novel series isn’t over but nearing its conclusion. With Myne replaced by Rozemyne after the fourth volume, many fans believed the series might come to an end.

Is Ascendance of a Bookworm a good anime?

Without giving away any spoilers, the anime adaptation is as enjoyable as the light novels. And it can be more immersive than the source material.

In what order should I watch Ascendance of a Bookworm?

The correct order of the light novels is as follows:

  • Daughter of a Soldier volumes 1-3
  • Apprentice Shrine Maiden volumes 1-4
  • Adopted Daughter of an Archduke volumes 1-5
  • Founder of the Royal Academy’s So-Called Library Committee volumes 1-9
  • Avatar of a Goddess volumes 1-10
Cliff Weitzman

Cliff Weitzman

Cliff Weitzman is a dyslexia advocate and the CEO and founder of Speechify, the #1 text-to-speech app in the world, totaling over 100,000 5-star reviews and ranking first place in the App Store for the News & Magazines category. In 2017, Weitzman was named to the Forbes 30 under 30 list for his work making the internet more accessible to people with learning disabilities. Cliff Weitzman has been featured in EdSurge, Inc., PC Mag, Entrepreneur, Mashable, among other leading outlets.

Dyslexia & Accessibility Advocate, CEO/Founder of Speechify Dyslexia & Accessibility Advocate, CEO/Founder of Speechify

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