Little Shion has a secret: he's the reincarnation of a man from another world who died longing for magic! Hoping that he might at last harness the power of magic in this new world, he finds that magic doesn't exist here either. But when Shion visits a lake with his sister, he witnesses a mysterious phenomenon that seems like the magic he yearns for! If magic does not exist, can he make it himself?

Magic Maker -How to Create Magic in Another World- is written by Kazuki Kaburagi and drawn by Tomozō Nishioka. English translation by Faye Cozy. Lettered by Cedric Macias. Published by Seven Seas (September 9, 2025). Rated T.

Lauren Orsini
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I should have heeded the warnings of my colleagues who reviewed Magic Maker -How to Create Magic in Another World- for the Winter 2025 anime preview guide. Because I got plenty of warning before this manga came out, in the form of the prepubescent incestuous love story that was its first episode. However, the isekai genre has so deeply saturated each anime season that I overlooked this pile of generic slop, and who could blame me? Thirty-something Japanese dude reborn as a child? Check. Smokin' hot sister who has feelings for him for no apparent reason? Check. A quasi-medieval setting with monsters? Check, check, check. We are circling the drain in terms of novel isekai scenarios, and this is a prime example.

This is your run-of-the-mill reincarnation fantasy with a subtly bleak premise: the magic-obsessed main character is reborn into a world where magic doesn't seem to exist. But when Shion, whose body is six years old but who retains memories of his life as a Japanese man, observes some fish getting freaky, he notices they release pops of mana as part of their mating ritual. So Shion decides that if magic doesn't exist, he's just going to have to invent it. Because somehow, nobody has ever noticed mana before Shion, his sister Marie, and the third corner of their underage love triangle, Rose. All three of these kids have a severe case of “children who don't act like children,” so it's no wonder nobody has realized Shion is no ordinary kid. Shion's mana control practice takes a backseat to his romance with his sister. Despite their parents' objections, and in light of Shion's discovery that they're not blood related (cowards!), the pair vow to never marry other people so they can always remain together. And since the fish mating ritual is such a major mana flashpoint, the only logical inference is that Shion needs to conduct a mating ritual with his sister. As you do.

Magic Maker -How to Create Magic in Another World- is like the average of all isekai plots: a pile of the genre's most common tropes duct-taped together. Hardcore isekai fans should have no problem believing that even in a world with goblins and fairies and mana, nobody has ever discovered magic before this reincarnated six year old Chosen One. But it's not promising that this unlikely premise is the only original concept to be found in this Frankenstein of tropes.

Jean-Karlo Lemus
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I've snarked plenty about isekai—but Magic Maker definitely caught my attention. We know the set-up: a 30-something nobody dies suddenly and finds himself reincarnated as a baby in another world. But there's a twist to poor Shion's story: magic doesn't exist in this world. And yet, Shion sees trout creating little balls of light. What follows is a genuinely fascinating story as a man in a child's body susses out the secrets of magic in a world where magic shouldn't exist.

Shion's journey in creating magic is helped by the effort it takes him. Where in other stories a protagonist would be throwing fireballs before their age hits the double-digits, it's all Shion can do to collect a glowing cluster of mana into his hand. It helps that the rest of the world around him feels fascinating. Shion and his trials aren't the center of the world. Shion's nobleman father is constantly going into town to help the locals--bonus points for his father hating the feudal system of serfdom. His sister Mari is given comparatively plenty to do for characters of her archetype in these sorts of stories, given her skill with a sword eclipses his own, and her efforts are foundational to many of Shion's magical breakthroughs. And there's plenty of drama, too; the volume ends on a cliffhanger where Shion and his family struggle to protect the local serfs from a single goblin—which, of course Mari can't handle on her own, she's just a kid. Also, I appreciate that the goblin is terrifying without resorting to so many of the typical racist design choices goblins tend to have.

A few of the typical isekai stand-bys are still here, notably Mari still does the “I want to marry my brother when I grow up!” routine. But Magic Maker nevertheless fascinates me with how rich the setting is and hints at plenty of promise. Add in some pretty stand-out art, and I feel comfortable in giving this one a recommendation. It's still an isekai novel, and I'm leery of all the potential narrative traps it could fall into because of it—but Magic Maker makes me want to believe in magic.

Kevin Cormack
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I suspect Mushoku Tensei may have ruined me. Whenever I see or read yet another isekai following a grown man reincarnated into a baby's body, I steel myself for creepy breastfeeding jokes and leery internal dialogue. Thankfully, Magic Maker has none of these things. While the setup is hardly original, the underlying premise is at least interesting. Protagonist Shion dies suddenly, thirty in our world, after discovering that remaining a virgin until the age of thirty does not grant you magical powers. This misconception does make him appear quite pathetic, but once in his new world, he becomes a lot more sympathetic.

Shion pines for a world of magic and wonder, and bides his time through infancy and toddlerhood before eagerly exploring the nature of his new world. When he discovers that there is no concept of “magic” in this world, despite the presence of fantasy creatures like fairies and goblins, he's initially depressed, before his loving elder sister shares with him something that inspires him with hope.

The relationship between Shion and his sister is the emotional center of the story. While he's quiet and studious, she's energetic and rambunctious, keen to become a strong swordfighter and protect her little brother. They're brought up in idyllic circumstances by loving parents in a large manor, protected from the monsters outside. Much of the first volume follows Shion's methodical investigation into the possibilities of magic in this world, and it's really quite compelling. It's only towards the end that the real drama begins, leaving the volume on a horribly cruel cliffhanger.

Artist Tomozō Nishioka's work is very attractive. While not as painstakingly detailed as something like Witch Hat Atelier, the kid characters are extremely cute without becoming annoying, and the adults are well-designed. Some nicely detailed background work helps to ground the fantasy setting, too.

This volume is very easy to devour, with a strong hook enticing readers to continue past its abrupt ending. While there's nothing particularly exceptional about the story, the steady plot development is compelling, with characters easy to care for. I'd happily read more of this.