I've been reincarnated into a world of monsters and dungeons...but that's nothing I can't handle! I've got a unique skill called Creation Magic, and the rule is that I can make anything I want as long as I've got enough mana. And don't worry―when there are rules, there are loopholes, and this little witch knows just the trick to expanding her mana pool a bit every day! And next up on my agenda is to make some stuff: a friend (golems are so handy), some tracks (they dropped me in the middle of a wasteland!), and, someday, a place where I can truly belong. But for now, let's make some magic!

Making Magic: The Sweet Life of a Witch Who Knows an Infinite MP Loophole is written by Aloha Zachou and illustrated by Tetubuta. English translation by Emily Hemphill. Published by J-Novel Club. (September 9, 2025).

Rebecca Silverman
Rating:

Making Magic, a relatively standard isekai story, really does try. It plays a bit with the fact that Chise, its protagonist, is going to live a much longer life than those around her, opening far in the future and concluding a bit further ahead than the present. Rather than having Chise remember everything from her previous life, she's basically an amnesiac, aware that she's been reincarnated, but not of any of the particulars that landed her in her new life. There's an effort to make the story stand out in a crowded field, but as you can probably guess, it's not entirely successful…or really successful at all. This is an isekai light novel for people who generally enjoy isekai light novels, full stop.

The story follows Chise (a name she eventually gives herself) as she embarks on a new life as a twelve-year-old witch in a fantasy world. Her skills are impressive to the point where she can make anything she needs and she's happy to just sort of bop around, helping others and living life on medium speed. It's not a slow life, because she really does have a fair amount of adventures, but the stakes are still remarkably low, because even without her constantly growing mana pool, she's nigh indestructible. This creates an awkward pacing and tone, where it's difficult to get truly invested because there isn't any real tension, even though it feels like there ought to be.

Chise is accompanied by a golem she created named Teto, who, after mysteriously upgrading thanks to Chise's magic, becomes an “earthnoid,” which seems to be an automaton constructed from clay who can pass for human. Author Aloha Zachou gets a little fixated on the fact that Teto is buxom while Chise is not, and the odd detail that Teto has hair on her head but no pubic hair feels so out of place that it stands out awkwardly. This sort of inability to judge what details are relevant to the plot pervades the entire volume, at times making it feel like a chore to read.

Making Magic isn't terrible, but it also isn't all that good. It's on the lower end of the isekai spectrum, and while I could see it improving further down the line – the potential is there in Chise and Teto's immortality – I'm also not keen to stick around and find out.

Erica Friedman
Rating:

I'm getting the hang of series about a reincarnated soul in which they manage to do things is more of the story than they things done and have named these tales “isekai procedurals.” In this isekai procedural, we are told the outcome in the prologue, so we don't have to stress at all that there may be any impediment to progress as our protagonist, referred to as “Lady Witch,” begins her evolution from a underpowered vagabond to a powerful adventurer using her skills, her tools and making friends, allies and, in a literal fashion, a companion. Because the cheat skill allows for perpetual growth, there is very little tension. Bad guys are human monsters or actual monsters, their defeat is more of a technical exercise than a conflict. People are, more often than not, friendly and helpful, the protagonist and her companion are friendly and helpful. Everyone benefits. The end.

I had a bet with myself whether the author was male or female, and initially it wasn't apparent, although my guess was male. After the companion came on to the scene (about which I am being cagey, because I don't want to spoil what was an interesting process,) I skewed towards male. But when Lady Witch bought a dress it became instantly obvious that this was a guy. I know nothing of fashion and haven't worn a dress since 1993 or so, but even I can describe the parts of a dress more convincingly that “the part under the chest.” It's not that important, as sexual harassment is tangential to the story, although present as potential threats and romance is no on the map at all in this volume. Affection is, however, and one sort of vaguely feels happy that Lady Witch and her companion have each other through what will be a long life.

I can understand the appeal of an isekai procedural, finally. It's relaxing to just enjoy someone making something without having to worry it'll be broken.