I Was a Sword When I Reincarnated (WN) - Reviews

I genuinely enjoyed the novel, though the most glaring issue is the inconsistent translation quality. It often fluctuates between excellent and almost machine-like translations marred by grammatical errors as different translators take over. At times, you might encounter entirely different characters, skills, and dialogue because the next translator doesn't fully grasp how to render kanji names accurately.

In terms of the plot, it does get a bit repetitive and slow, especially with the prolonged fight scenes. The author does improve in writing these sequences over time, but there’s never a genuine sense of urgency or crisis within the novel. , it’s a well-written webnovel, but it could benefit from more world-building, better story pacing, and higher translation quality.

The outcome of me reading this was a little bit of happiness and a lot of rage.

The plot starts to die off because they begin to [cook ewww] like *Isekai Raising Children*. This makes the story rate a 2/5.

The characters are pretty enjoyable, especially the woman who had the title of [protector of children]. I really liked her.

The translation is top-notch, earning a 5/5. If there’s a Japanese term, the translator usually includes it at the bottom of the chapter.

The setting is that of another world, and don’t expect an easy one, okay?

All in all, I’d recommend this to a close friend if they asked me if there was an interesting story out there.

A story about a 12-year-old girl traveling to discover her future evolution and becoming sadistic. At first, it was really compelling when she started torturing someone, but at some point, the power dynamics became imbalanced (in terms of number status and skills).

One thing that puzzled me is when Fran had some money but only bought necessities for her master once and never did so again.

3/5

Mediocre. Read if you have free time.

Basically, a dimwitted otaku meets Truck-san (Car-san here), reincarnates as an overpowered (OP) sword, and lives his new life like a derp learning MMORPGs, wielded by an adorable save neko-girl.

The characters are... plain. You have the OP moronic main character (MC), the hyper-competent sidekick with a tragic backstory, a freakishly strong dragon or "spirit" girl. Along with the archetypal support crew (a kind-hearted merchant bro, a wise old dwarf blacksmith, a kindhearted receptionist, an intimidating but soft-hearted guild member, a smart glasses-wearing elf, etc.), and a host of generic villains to keep the action flowing (no primary antagonist as of chapter 53 other than possibly the divine swords, which are all "mysterious" and associated with massacres).

Truly a sad waste of a unique premise. They honestly should have never given the MC telekinetic powers right off the bat. Or at least kept it severely limited instead of having him almost immediately solve all the limitations of his three-minute flight/mana consumption. Currently, he's just a generic OP reincarnation novel protagonist who has to hide his true form.

**Spoiler**
Seriously, a better way of setting up the first ~15 chapters: MC reincarnates as a sword → Gets wielded by a goblin he really dislikes but has no other choice (because he’s literally a sword) and can’t do anything about since he’s getting exp/skills/stones → Goblin becomes the strongest in his den and ventures out due to overconfidence (or tricked by the MC into going out) → Goblin gets too cocky and is killed by another stronger creature (like a cannon turtle) → Gets knocked away by the blast and accidentally kills a floating creature, granting the floating skill → MC starts life as a slowly floating spell-casting intelligent sword → Start of the rest of the story.

Is this a parody of other Light Novels? Contains spoilers

Goblin Subjugation = Reversed situation of Re: Monster
Monster Lucky Summon from Goddess by Dungeon Master = Lazy Dungeon Master
Summoned "Demon" that terribly resembles Ogre-Rou = Re: Monster
Skill-Taker = Living in this world with cut and paste
Summoned Wolf = Storm Wolf from That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime
Named Urushi - Same wolf named then evolved = That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime
Wolf Hiding in Shadows = Same concept of Tempest Storm Wolf = That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime
The cat girl looks like the one from The Demon King and the Summoned Girl Slave Magic..

I'm personally entertained, but I can't shake the feeling that taking ideas from other Light Novels and even reversing the roles, along with some blatant copies, is just disappointing. The story is entertaining, but the copies are infuriating.

One of my favorite novels. It’s getting licensed, so I don’t expect any updates for the next few years, and it’s time to write a review.

What really sets this story apart is the presence of two protagonists—a sword and his adorable catgirl wielder. This dual protagonist setup effectively alleviates the common issue of the "protagonist does everything" syndrome found in many similar novels. The author also succeeds in avoiding repetitiveness; the adventures the main characters embark on are diverse, and the ways they resolve these challenges are equally varied. , I feel like I could probably enjoy it for another 200 chapters or more.

This novel isn’t really my cup of tea, but that’s only because of how the status system is set up. I’m a bit confused with all the skills. I know the main character (MC) is overpowered (OP), but I’m unsure if his opponents are equally matched since there’s no Character Level, just Skill Level.

The story itself is good and enjoyable. It feels like a slice of life, though I haven’t read very far yet, but I plan to in the next few days. We follow the MC through his evolution in another world. He quickly evolves into a super OP sword and is able to kill wyverns and giant slimes.

The plot is original; there aren’t many (if any) novels on this website that feature a sword as the MC. Sure, the MC will likely gain some skill that allows him to create a human body or something similar, but that’s not a problem since it can add a relevant dimension to the story (e.g., does the MC want to become human?).

I’ve seen plenty of transferred/reincarnated MCs with cheat skills, but this novel is a first for me. The author doesn’t rush the story; he maintains a quick pace, especially at the beginning. The MC’s attitude and OPness remind me of Satou from "Death March" or Mikami Satoru from "That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime." Both characters don’t know exactly how they were transported and possess the most powerful stats. They can absorb skills (Satou has a copy/paste ability that he demonstrates early in the novel) and have a mature personality.

The first six chapters weren’t edited, but the translation of Ensig’s writing is good and easy to understand without any major issues.

I do recommend this novel if you’re looking for a slice of life with an OP MC.

If you enjoy this type of novel and want to read more, I recommend "Death March" and "That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime."

Alright, this series has been really enjoyable for me, and I'm sad that there won't be any new chapters translated for quite some time. At least the author is getting the recognition they deserve.

First of all, I FINALLY found an isekai with no harem, no moronic/thick-headed/oblivious main character (MC) who is capable of enacting vengeance or at least has the will and priorities right as he fights to protect what he holds dear, instead of being all "It Is WrOnG tO kIlL aNoThEr HuMaN bEiNg" while their allies are at risk of dying or getting hurt.

As for how isekai stories go, this one has an average start, with the MC being weak at the beginning. However, he progresses quickly over the span of a week. You could argue that he becomes somewhat overpowered (OP) if you consider the nature of his skills, but it never reaches the point where stronger opponents or even opponents of the same strength become so easy to defeat that it removes the tension from the conflict. This story takes a more paternal approach, as the MC doesn't seek a love interest but rather focuses on protecting and teaching, which is a refreshing change.

It's also important to note that the MC has a way to create a body double like his old self (in human form), but this aspect is largely relegated to the background and never becomes the spotlight. I was honestly getting tired of reading about inhuman MCs that end up getting a human form just 10 chapters into the story.

, this story maintains a well-balanced mix of slice of life and action/adventure compared to other novels (I'm looking at you, *That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime*), and it is consistent in its quality. It even has a nicely developed universe and world-building to boot.

I'm really enjoying this story so far. The author has clearly put a lot of effort into keeping track of the characters, and it's impressive how no one gets forgotten when they revisit old cities. Similarly, plotlines haven't been dropped. It's almost as if the author has a well-thought-out plan.

The power dynamics are also handled quite well. After 600 chapters, you might expect the typical cycle of hero meets unbeatable boss, hero trains, hero beats boss, and then repeats to have worn out the story or the world. However, that hasn't happened. There's a consistent stream of moments where the author uses the surrounding characters and creatures to show that the world's power level hasn't risen with the main character, and I really appreciate that.

As of chapter 20, all I can say is that I am disappointed. So disappointed, in fact, that I decided to leave my first review on this website.

Premise (4.5/5):
The main reason for my disappointment was the premise raising my hopes. When have we ever seen a reincarnation in an inanimate object? This was so full of opportunities for entertaining and awesome developments... but they were wasted.

Plot (1/5):
Where do I even start? The first 10 chapters felt like reading the activity log of an MMO character: "MC defeated X. MC gains Y skill." Awesome. (I won’t even start on the author giving a stat page after every chapter—a tell-tale sign of a storyteller who has no clue how to convey progress in a meaningful way, so they 'statify' it.)

Then we have the pacing. The author’s priorities seem upside down—spending 10 chapters on a menial grind, then rushing all the character development in 2 chapters. It’s like he has no clue how to do meaningful character interaction, so he fills the novel with filler content.

The Characters (1/5):
Character development is almost nonexistent. Sometimes it even makes the characters flatter than they already are. For instance, one of the main cool aspects of the MC is being an inanimate object and how that hinders him in life. So what does the author do? He gives him telepathy and a way to create a body (clone) for himself.

Character interaction and dialogue are even worse. There has been zero meaningful dialogue in the first 20 chapters. The characters feel flat and emotionless. Their reactions to amazing events are almost laughable. For example, the MC and his wielder (a 12-year-old girl) save a peddler from goblins. Imagine a 12-year-old obliterating five goblins instantly, and the peddler's reaction is, "Cool, thanks."

, this novel might as well have been written by a middle-school student. From the start, it is very apparent that this is written for the author's enjoyment and not for the reader's.

An incredibly generic reincarnation story. Swap 'sword' with 'slime' or 'dragon,' and you wouldn’t notice any difference. You might assume that a sword as the main character and being wielded by a girl would be unique, but in practice, it’s no different from any other protagonist meeting a girl and having her join his party. There’s no creativity to be found here.

This web novel is a **shounen**/**slice of life** hybrid that follows the adventures of an incredibly lovable catgirl as she makes friends, takes down bad guys, and gradually explores the world. If you enjoy these genres, this web novel delivers exactly what you're looking for: a hardworking yet adorable catgirl adventuring in a fantasy world. As far as shounen/slice-of-life hybrids go, this one stands out as one of the best.

However, this web novel is **not**:
- An edge-of-your-seat thriller where the fate of the world hangs in the balance.
- A heart-wrenching tale of romance and drama where tears flow freely.
- A power-trip Isekai designed to indulge the fantasies of discontented individuals aged 13-35.
- A critical commentary on society, racism, power dynamics, or anything else.

Instead, it's a very satisfying shounen/slice-of-life story about a catgirl and her talking sword. Yes, her sword happens to be a reincarnated being and also serves as the narrator of the story. And while various villains do occasionally wreak havoc and bring entire nations to the brink of collapse, they are **not** the main focus. The star of the show is, without a doubt, the catgirl herself.

"Nh."