Synopsis

The Kingdom of Clays faces a dire crisis: an assassination attempt has just been made on its own Princess Lynneburg, and its neighboring countries eye the aftermath like starving vultures, plotting the Kingdom’s downfall. The ensuing conflict will shape the face of the continent for centuries to come…but Noor doesn’t have a clue about any of that! Having freshly arrived at the royal capital after over a decade of rigorous, isolated training at his mountain home, he’s dead set on achieving his childhood dream of becoming an adventurer, even if the only skills he possesses are useless ones. Sure, he can [Parry] thousands of swords in the span of a single breath, but everybody knows you need more than that if you want to be an adventurer! Our hero’s road to making his dream come true will be long(?) and arduous(?)—but if there’s one thing Noor’s not afraid of, it’s some good ol’ fashioned hard work! (Source: J-Novel Club)

A Study in the Art of Deflection!

Having flown under my radar for seven volumes, it’s high time that I give I Parry Everything a go, especially now that it’s got an anime adaptation announced.

The story follows the adventures of Noor, the son of a farmer, who wishes for nothing more than to become an adventurer. After his parents die tragically young, Noor has little choice but to make his wish a reality and sets out into the big, wide world. The first action he takes is to reach an adventuring guild. Still ignorant of the ways of the world, his trip here showcases to him the harsh realities of becoming an adventurer. To become an adventurer, you need more than willpower alone; you need skill and talent, something Noor quickly discovers he has none of.

While this set-up in a light novel fantasy world isn’t anything new, this series’ introduction has quite a few things going in its favour. Noor’s first experience of the world beyond his farm is handled well. Getting the information he needs from a guild employee means that we get a nice detailed overview of the world, which helps with story engagement.

Ultimately, Noor isn’t put off by the setback caused by his lack of talent, deciding instead to train, shaping himself into the story’s namesake and becoming a lean, mean-parrying machine, not that he realises it. Armed with only minor skills and a whole bunch of training, Noor returns to the adventurer’s guild and sets off a chain of misunderstandings longer than the eye can see. Through his training, Noor has become one of the strongest fighters in the world, a fact that the protagonist is unaware of even as he parries through Minotaurs, Dragons, and a host of powerful conspirators.

As a trope of the light novel genre, the one where the protagonist insists they are weak despite being obviously strong can be controversial. Sustained ignorance has a tendency to grate; however, I Parry Everything’s balancing act comes across as rather charming. Noor helps a lot in this regard, as his ignorance is often overpowered by his sense of justice and his views, which are unencumbered by societal conformity.

Moreover, the rest of the cast in this series act nicely to counterbalance Moor’s unreliable narration. Regardless of whether they have hang-ups or quirks of their own, they each show Noor for the powerful fighter he is and often remark on how impossible his feats of skill are. These perspectives are also a welcome change of pace. Princess Lynneburg’s view on Noor is particularly entertaining, as their first meeting together invites its own separate misunderstanding as she comes to believe that Noor’s views on power levels are gospel.

Overall, I Parry Everything’s first outing makes for a promising start. Despite the use of a controversial trope, the author’s detailed world-building and vivid characters make for a charming approach to the genre that ultimately wins out.

I Give I Parry Everything Volume 1: 8/10