- #1
One note first: I would recommend the LN instead. It's only 2/3ish volumes behind the story as of current, and the translational quality of the WN has gone down noticeably since the previous translator dropped the projects to avoid DMCAs or C&Ds following the series' licensing by Seven Seas. Digital versions of the LN release 3 months before print, too.The current state of isekai is, frankly, a garbage fire. Everywhere you turn you bump into either a) a power trip fantasy with absolutely no tension with violence and edge for its own sake, b) an misogynistic oversexualizing fantasy featuring 1 male lead and multiple cardboard cutout women with 0-dimensional development, or c) both at once.In this hellfire landscape, TenKen is a beautiful breath of fresh air. It is not incredibly original, drawing heavily from standardized Japanified Tolkein tropes, and playing very much into the conventions of the modern isekai genre. However, the story uses the tropes in a respectable manner, and while omnipresent, they don't detract from the quality of the story itself.Speaking of which, the story itself is a fusion between slice-of-life and traditional shounen. Something slightly different it brings to the table is the protagonist design; while the eponymous sword is our perspective character, the actually active character responsible for driving the plot forward is the secondary protagonist, Fran, the girl who appears on the cover. That isn't to say that our point-of-view character is not compelling; he asserts at the end of vol. 1 that Spoiler
"I actually felt more alive in those five days than I ever had in my previous life... It'd only been five days, but I didn't even want to think of leaving Fran alone. If someone offered to send me back to earth, I would reject it.
[collapse] This particular scene illustrated in the manga is authentically well-crafted emotional storytelling, which is impressive coming from a genre as campy as light-novel isekai.The relationship between these two characters is very much paternal-filial, and in a good way. (Not like some of these incredibly creepy semi-pe*ophilic g*ooming stories. As a side note to authors, if you ever describe the relationship between two characters as father-daughter, you are disallowed from ever making it romantic.) One important point to note is that their relationship, despite being generationally divided, is very much equal. Our protagonist states early that Spoiler"I saved her from s*avery and she saved me from the magical forest."
[collapse] They aren't a lopsided duo where the man solves every problem, but actual partners.Primarily, though, this story is fun and enjoyable in a healthy way; it is simply a fun ride to watch two lovable protagonist stumble their way through a traditional fantasy world. You won't find melodrama or romance (which is good because the secondary protagonist is a 12-yr-old girl), and the overarching narrative is minimal at best. Crucially, there are no toxic polygamous relationships, as the male protagonist is an inanimate object with no s*x drive.Furthermore, despite being slice-of-life, there are real moments of tension. Though our duo grows at a tremendous rate, they are never the most powerful group in the world. One thing the story establishes very well is that there is always a bigger fish; after every victory, and every defeat, we meet another character even stronger. And there are defeats, too; this is important, because it demonstrates that despite being the protagonist, they can still lose. They have plot armour protecting their lives, like literally every story in existence, but they lose a lot, or at least don't quite win, compared to most genre isekai.All in all, I would highly recommend reading this; it is an infusion of fun into our dreary times.