- #1
This novel is about a really depressing, gory game, and a transmigration of a guy into this game. The world is actually pretty great, with explicit details about the yokais, the history about how humans came to beat them, and how a world would work with only a few bloodlines of exorcists that can defeat them. This ends up showing one of the most crucial setting of the story, classism. People are divided into a few classes, and the top ones are families with the strongest bloodlines, as they become the strongest exorcists. However, they also have to go against equally strong monsters, that will deceive and constantly break people down mentally. This is probably why exorcists are also usually mentally unwell. At least, I have not seen any powerful exorcists in this novel that is not cold hearted.Then comes in our protagonist who is pretty unsuited to this world. He is relatively weak in power, yet has a heroic personality. This difference between his power and his personality leads him into many troubles since he gets himself into much trouble although he cannot afford to. However, this does make him popular with the girls, but these girls are mostly powerful exorcists, and powerful exorcists are mentally unstable, or the girls are powerful yokai, who are all monsters. Then, it would be no surprise that he obtains a harem of yanderes follow his heroic sacrifices.Now, onto my personal feelings about this novel. I don't really mind the harem, and the setting itself is fantastic. However, I can't seem to feel that there is any character progression. The protagonist is so weak, and the world is too strong that it is way too unbelievable that he hasn't died or gone insane, even with the protection of his heroines. Yet, it never feels like he has gotten stronger from those incidents. He has gotten power ups, and unique strengths sure, but he gets tortured mentally and physically all the time with little to no rest. Despite all of that, he will do anything to save other people. The heroines will always be crazy for him, lets him do as he wishes and won't help till the last moment despite all of them being way stronger. And they won't change unless the hero becomes strong enough, but that seems impossible the way this story is going. That is why this story feels like such a slog to go through to me, nothing will change unless the protagonist becomes strong, but everything is always stronger than him so nothing ever changes. The story will always be grim, the hero will always be weak, and the heroines will always be crazy.
