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REVIEW: How a Realist Hero Rebuilt the Kingdom Novel 1


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Merxamers



Joined: 09 Dec 2013
Posts: 720
PostPosted: Wed Mar 22, 2017 9:29 am Reply with quote
I was a bit less positive on this series than the reviewer; there are some interesting ideas, and I enjoyed the way modern thinking was applied to a medieval setting. However, like the reviewer pointed out, the female characterization is just too lacking. Liscia is an interesting character, but she doesn't really get anything to do. Aisha is just a walking "She likes to EAT!!!" joke. And I don't want to feel my LN standards are too high for dreading a harem situation, which this is clearly building up to.

I'd give it a 6/10 (enjoyable enough with some flaws); i'll give it one more volume but i'm not hugely optimistic my complaints will be addressed any time soon.
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zztop



Joined: 28 Aug 2014
Posts: 645
PostPosted: Wed Mar 22, 2017 9:34 am Reply with quote
Quote:
Kazuya is well on his (unaware) way to building a harem, which, incidentally, is absolutely acceptable in this new world, as long as the one with multiple spouses can financially support them all. (Polyandry is as accepted as polygamy.) While this could be a wish-fulfillment issue later on in the series...


In Souma's case, royal polygamy does somewhat make sense, especially if any future relationships and marriages result in cementing alliances with different nations/factions that help strengthen the country.

For example, the 1st king and founder of the Saudi Arabian kingdom, Abdulaziz, had multiple contracted marriages with the daughters of other Arab clans to secure alliances with them during the founding and stabilizing of the Saudi state.
(22 counted wives, 45 sons, and many daughters - could Souma or any harem hero hope to beat that record.)
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John Thacker



Joined: 28 Oct 2013
Posts: 1006
PostPosted: Wed Mar 22, 2017 10:05 am Reply with quote
Quote:
This issue is compounded when Kazuya is informed that all women are always looking to lose weight at all times


In not only a medieval setting but a kingdom plagued by "food shortages?" Absolutely correct for the review to point out how bad that is. It's especially a shortcoming in a series that aims to be in the vein of Twain's A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court.
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Seif



Joined: 16 Nov 2004
Posts: 456
PostPosted: Wed Mar 22, 2017 10:11 am Reply with quote
Hmm. Kind of reminds me of Mamare Touno's work. I loved Log Horizon so maybe I should check this out. Hopefully it has the heart and empathy that Log Horizon has.
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Fronzel



Joined: 11 Sep 2003
Posts: 1906
PostPosted: Wed Mar 22, 2017 10:30 am Reply with quote
People rip off Outlaw Star? I didn't think it was that popular, especially after so many years.

Quote:
...an omnipotent narrator...

You mean omniscient.[/nitpick]
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Princess_Irene
ANN Reviewer


Joined: 16 Dec 2008
Posts: 2606
Location: The castle beyond the Goblin City
PostPosted: Wed Mar 22, 2017 10:33 am Reply with quote
Fronzel wrote:

Quote:
...an omnipotent narrator...

You mean omniscient.[/nitpick]


Laughing Embarassed Yes, yes, I do. An omnipotent narrator would make it rather a different sort of book...
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Tuor_of_Gondolin



Joined: 20 Apr 2009
Posts: 3524
Location: Bellevue, WA
PostPosted: Wed Mar 22, 2017 10:39 am Reply with quote
So... isekai + Spice and Wolf ( - Holo) = Realist Hero?
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samuelp
Industry Insider


Joined: 25 Nov 2007
Posts: 2231
Location: San Antonio, USA
PostPosted: Wed Mar 22, 2017 10:40 am Reply with quote
Princess_Irene wrote:

Laughing Embarassed Yes, yes, I do. An omnipotent narrator would make it rather a different sort of book...

I have an idea for a light novel where the main character realizes he's in a light novel and tries desperately to fight against the tropes applied to him, but the narrator won't let him get away from it.
Kind of like isekai + the stanley parable.

I'll write it in my free time Smile
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samuelp
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Joined: 25 Nov 2007
Posts: 2231
Location: San Antonio, USA
PostPosted: Wed Mar 22, 2017 10:48 am Reply with quote
Tuor_of_Gondolin wrote:
So... isekai + Spice and Wolf ( - Holo) = Realist Hero?

There's a wolf loli though.
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Merxamers



Joined: 09 Dec 2013
Posts: 720
PostPosted: Wed Mar 22, 2017 10:57 am Reply with quote
samuelp wrote:

I have an idea for a light novel where the main character realizes he's in a light novel and tries desperately to fight against the tropes applied to him, but the narrator won't let him get away from it.
Kind of like isekai + the stanley parable.

I'll write it in my free time Smile


The light novel series I Saved Too Many Girls And Caused the Apocalypse seems to be attempting something like that; though as of the first volume it's trying to have it's cake and eat it too (parody LN tropes but use them at the same time). That might be a series you would be interested in; at the very least, it could be a point of comparison for what you'd like your story to be Smile
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samuelp
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Joined: 25 Nov 2007
Posts: 2231
Location: San Antonio, USA
PostPosted: Wed Mar 22, 2017 11:01 am Reply with quote
Merxamers wrote:

The light novel series I Saved Too Many Girls And Caused the Apocalypse seems to be attempting something like that; though as of the first volume it's trying to have it's cake and eat it too (parody LN tropes but use them at the same time). That might be a series you would be interested in; at the very least, it could be a point of comparison for what you'd like your story to be Smile

I don't make a point of it but I'm the founder and owner of J-Novel Club. So yes I know about Little Apocalypse I licensed it Smile.

It's all of course my ultimate plan to use my site as a platform to advertise my own novels. Of course.
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exukvera



Joined: 11 Mar 2004
Posts: 8
PostPosted: Wed Mar 22, 2017 11:25 am Reply with quote
zztop wrote:
Quote:
Kazuya is well on his (unaware) way to building a harem, which, incidentally, is absolutely acceptable in this new world, as long as the one with multiple spouses can financially support them all. (Polyandry is as accepted as polygamy.) While this could be a wish-fulfillment issue later on in the series...


In Souma's case, royal polygamy does somewhat make sense, especially if any future relationships and marriages result in cementing alliances with different nations/factions that help strengthen the country.

For example, the 1st king and founder of the Saudi Arabian kingdom, Abdulaziz, had multiple contracted marriages with the daughters of other Arab clans to secure alliances with them during the founding and stabilizing of the Saudi state.
(22 counted wives, 45 sons, and many daughters - could Souma or any harem hero hope to beat that record.)


Negi Springfield had 31 students and arround half of them were infatuated with him. And he was just 10. He could surely beat that record had not destiny ruined his life as seen in the end of Negima and in UQ Holder.
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myskaros



Joined: 13 Jun 2011
Posts: 598
Location: J-Novel Club
PostPosted: Wed Mar 22, 2017 12:56 pm Reply with quote
Just a suggestion for LN reviews, is it possible include a quick blurb/sentence on release availability in the review or summary? I almost missed the "eBook 1" at the very bottom. For example, the anime episode reviews have a "XYZ is currently streaming on ABC site."
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maximilianjenus



Joined: 29 Apr 2013
Posts: 2862
PostPosted: Wed Mar 22, 2017 1:06 pm Reply with quote
Quote:
Have you ever wondered why more of those heroes and heroines summoned to other worlds don't put their knowledge of modern life to work?


they do, for some reason (besides the game savvy ones), we don't really get those legally translated in english, the closer we get is mushoku tensei, which has a ltoof subtext worth discussing as it is a big epic history of a 200 year time loop and a fight betwen 3 gods, that is only viewed as the setup for the life story of a single person.


samuelp wrote:

I have an idea for a light novel where the main character realizes he's in a light novel and tries desperately to fight against the tropes applied to him, but the narrator won't let him get away from it.
Kind of like isekai + the stanley parable.

I'll write it in my free time Smile


there is a cancelled manga that toyed with the idea in very tineresting ways, otaku loser guy gets a free wish, so he wishes to be inside a harem vn universe ; now suddenyl his little sister loves him (she correctly despised his loser neet self in the real world) and now he has a childhood friend that he did nto even knew before the wish, etc... but the interesting part is, he tries to NOT scape the situation by finishing any route, becuase he is scared of what will happen once that happens (will he return to the real world, will he die, will he restart the "game", will the harem shenanigans stop happenning ); and , becuase of his atitude of not finishing a route the game keeps on throwing new wlements at him.

sadly it did not get so far as, while the ideas were interesting the mangaka was not very skilled so it got cancelled.
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Blanchimont



Joined: 25 Feb 2012
Posts: 3444
Location: Finland
PostPosted: Wed Mar 22, 2017 1:30 pm Reply with quote
samuelp wrote:
Tuor_of_Gondolin wrote:
So... isekai + Spice and Wolf ( - Holo) = Realist Hero?

There's a wolf loli though.

There's one in the sequel to Spice & Wolf too... Smile
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