Taking My Reincarnation One Step at a Time: No One Told Me There Would be Monsters! Vol. 1 Review

Tags: Adventure, Fantasy, Comedy, Slice of Life, Isekai

Sub-Tags: OP, Strong Lead, Cute, Heartwarming, Dungeons, Family

Synopsis:

Even as a working adult, Sarasa Ichinokura suffers from an unshakable fatigue that’s plagued her since childhood. She goes to bed one night, exhausted from her office job, and encounters a goddess(?) who informs her that her perpetual lack of energy is actually due to a deficit of “mana.” Then, without any further explanation or time to process what’s happening to her, Sarasa is thrust into a fantasy world! She awakens in the body of a ten-year-old girl in a strange land filled with flying beasts and oversized wolves. She accordingly prepares for the worst, but a monster hunter named Nelly takes her in. The hitch is…now that Sarasa finally has the energy to do everything she wants to, being cooped up in a cabin is just no fun! She seeks to stand on her own in this scary new world—and that’s going to mean learning magic. It may be slow going, but Sarasa knows what to do—the best way to take her reincarnation is one step at a time! (Source: J-Novel Club)

The Invited Discovers a Harsh New World!

Sara’s First Steps in a New World

Sarasa was never meant for Earth. Constantly fatigued due to being born in a world with low mana, a Goddess whisks her away to a new world where mana levels are high and those with it can thrive.

Reincarnated in a body younger than that of her Earthly counterpart, it isn’t long before the story showcases the differences between Japan and the new world. A vivid visual spectacle reveals a cornucopia of new ferocious species unencumbered to live out the laws of natural selection. This is a shock to the system for Sara, and this harsh world will take some getting used to.

Luckily, Sara isn’t alone in this new world as her reincarnation point puts her in the path of someone who needs her, Nelly.

The relationship and interactions between Sara and Nelly are one of the best-selling points of the series. Primarily of a familial nature, the two work so well together because they each bring separate skills to help each other survive. Sara’s homemaking skills help to improve Nelly’s quality of life, whilst Nelly’s knowledge of the new world and how to use magic helps Sara to create an impervious barrier to ensure no monsters can kill her.

The Harsh Realities of a Dungeon City

However, it isn’t long before the harsh realities of the new world strike again, and Sara is left alone. With Nelly missing, Sara decides to make the long, dangerous journey to the nearest dungeon town of Roses.

As it turns out, survival of the fittest doesn’t just apply to the animal kingdom but is a pretty apt way to describe life in Roses. Those outsiders who wish to make Roses their home face heaps of saving, struggling and discrimination. An outsider’s only sense of hope comes from the adventurers guild, who’ll provide odd jobs for those in need.

On her citizenship journey, Sara meets Allen. Another outsider, they quickly form a friendship and help each other to scrimp and save. Through these two, the story sets good groundwork for world-building. Both young and impressionable, these characters and the readers can fully experience the harshness of the world around them, from the steep learning curve of defeating monsters to learning the reasons why the populous of Roses discriminates against those with high mana levels.

Aside from earning citizenship, Sara’s other mission in town is to discover information about the location of Nelly. Although she comes up bust, the final moments of the volume tease what she’s been up to and who she’s been with.

Overall, One Step at a Time’s opening volume sets the scene for the series, a heartwarming story in the midst of a harsh world. The main draw of the series comes from the cute moments between Nelly and Sara, their familial vibes bring a unique energy to the series.

Furthermore, the first volume finds solid footing for its world-building. Expanding on the perspectives of the world through the eyes of two characters in very different circumstances allows for a depth of information rarely found in fantasy, light novels.

Taking My Reincarnation One Step at a Time Vol. 1

My Rating: 8.5/10

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You can read the first volume of this series digitally on the J-Novel Club website.