Tags: Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Harem, Tragedy, Shounen

Revenge, Revenge and Even More Revenge!

The second review of the week, this one’s a pure revenge fantasy with what is perhaps one of the longest light novel titles in history. And no, there’s no way in hell I’ll call it by its full name in this review!

Backstabbed follows Light, a seemingly weak human who’s viciously betrayed by his comrades and left for dead in the abyss. Through this betrayal, his Unlimited Gacha skill shows its full potential by summoning a level 9999 maid named Mei.

Figuring out his true powers, he builds an army for his revenge. Returning with them to the surface level, he sets about finding his former comrades, taking revenge and discovering the true reason behind their betrayal.

Many may turn their nose up at a typical revenge fantasy, however, this series deserves more than just a glance due to the numerous aspects that put it above your usual revenge power trip.

Firstly, for the most part, the revenge plans so far have been executed well, making sure to hit all the right notes of catharsis. The first volume contains two different revenge schemes, against the wolfman member of the tribe, Garou, and the serial killer elf Kyto. Each plot worked well alongside the target’s personality, especially against Kyto as Light breaks every part of this ‘supposed’ hero’s pride. It also fits well as a revenge act that someone whose formative years had been warped would come up with.

More interestingly, this series has some fantastic world-building and settings. Not long into the volume, the concept of the Master is introduced as the reason for the betrayal. Said to be a being that could destroy the world, it explains part of the reason why humans are looked down upon by the other races. Furthermore, the volume gives us some good insight into how other races treat the Master, with elves welcoming their blood into their species whilst others like the dark elves completely reject them.

This Master concept opens several avenues for future volumes, not only exploring how other species interact but also whether Light counts as one and whether multiple can exist at the same time.

The only negative I could level at the series is that the characters come over as one note. Few have complex characters or motives, and Gold’s character gives off “how someone imagines the British speak” vibes.

To conclude, Backstabbed finds itself above the average revenge series owed to its cathartic revenge schemes and ever-intriguing world-building. As we move towards the revenge plot against Sasha, I look forward to seeing what scheme the series will come up with next.