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

Really enjoying this :D

I'm not sure what people mean by the first 11 or 12 chapters being boring, because I found them engaging (I enjoy watching characters explore on their own and develop new skills or grow stronger). The chapters are also quite short, so it doesn’t feel like a long, tedious read. It would only be boring if nothing was leading up to something significant... but fortunately, that’s not the case. From around chapter 12 (I can't recall the exact chapter), Fran appears, and the story gains a clear direction. The character interactions are delightful, and the gradually expanding cast is fun to follow. Plot developments occur frequently enough to keep the story engaging, and both Fran and Sword Bro's personalities create some great chemistry.

Five stars up to chapter 48 :) I'll have to wait and see for the rest.

It's really enjoyable. The first chapter introduces the sword's appearance in the world, its monster-slaying capabilities, and explains its abilities, setting the stage for the rest of the volume. I appreciate this story because it avoids the clichéd harem or poorly executed romance, focusing instead on a heartwarming father-daughter relationship. Fran, a slave who discovers the sword and liberates herself, aims to achieve 'Evolution,' a first for her kind. The sword, referred to as "Teacher," wants to assist her and cares for her like a father. The narrative follows their journey as they meet new people, join a guild, battle monsters, explore cities, and hints at a larger plot that has yet to be revealed. , it’s a 10/10 for me.

A Shounen/Slice-of-Life hybrid focusing on the father-daughter relationship between a sword and its wielder. Surprisingly, despite its 1200 chapters, very little weird stuff happens.

I wholeheartedly recommend this series, but be aware that the translations can get quite rough between chapters 300-400 as the series is passed between multiple translators.

The first few dozen chapters are a bit rough, but once it gets going, it’s hard not to fall in love with this series.

I’d recommend watching the anime adaptation first, if you haven’t already. It only covers up to the first 60 chapters, though. The manga will get you into the mid-100s, adding plot details not present in the anime, including the early introduction and development of certain characters that don’t appear until much later in the novel. Thank you for reading.

The story is flat, lacking any real peaks or tension. Ninety-five percent of the opponents are weaklings who pose no real threat to the main character, and all problems are resolved through brute force.

It’s just another meandering, directionless slice-of-life story.

Honestly, the concept was enjoyable at first, but it becomes increasingly dull as the sword keeps getting more overpowered on its own. The reliance on the wielder also gradually fades away, causing the novel to lose its unique appeal.

This story isn't afraid of showing a scarred, abused, and hungry 12-year-old lopping off the arms of her enemies before nuking them with lightning.

That example should give you a good idea of the story's limits, which, compared to many in its genre, are virtually nonexistent.

That reason alone might warrant 3 stars, but I'll add another star because the story, despite being very journey-based with its fair share of tournament arcs, pays attention to detail and invests a lot in world-building. So, get your notepad out and start writing down the names of minor characters because there's a good chance you'll see them again in a very different context.

Furthermore, while I haven't done an in-depth analysis of the themes within this specific web novel, unlike many reincarnation stories, this one has very clear themes that are hard to describe without spoiling. It delves deeply into topics like how the main character, who is a sword, copes with not being a living being, and how his continuous growth in strength affects his mind. Another interesting theme is the intense racism caused by a cultural divide and the difficulty of changing it due to the resistance from those who don't want to alter their thinking.

One of my favorite aspects of the story that many other readers have overlooked, and for which I discount their reviews, is the characterization of the two main characters. This is best illustrated in a future chapter involving time travel, where you can see two very different versions of the main characters, driven by the sword being slightly more powerful in an alternate reality. Fran, the cat girl protagonist, is a lost child who has found healing through gaining a family and, over time, more friends and family. Because she has experienced loss and despair in the past, she is willing to sacrifice her blood, flesh, and body to protect what she has regained. In the alternate reality, however, the sword, which had been a trustworthy partner and essentially family to her, becomes just strong enough to become a divine sword, but in the process, it loses all its humanity. It becomes more like an AI, answering questions rather than offering opinions. In this alternate reality, this change breaks her, as she loses someone dear to her in a way that swinging a sword cannot fix.

I wouldn't call this a masterpiece, but unlike many other novels I've read before coming to this website, I can confidently say this wasn't a waste of time, and I quite enjoyed the experience.

I tried really hard to like this story after reading the first few chapters of the manga. The plot picks up when the main character (MC) meets Fran, a young catgirl whose parents died trying to achieve her dream of evolving. However, the story falls a bit flat because before the MC even met Fran, he had already killed and stolen the skills from one of the most dangerous and high-level monster-infested areas.

I really wish the story focused more on Fran, given that she’s a catgirl from a fantasy world, rather than another Japanese guy who died in a car accident. I want to learn more about this new fantasy world and its mechanics, not about the odd hang-ups of an otaku Japanese swordsman.

The idea of the sword being overpowered in stealing all the skills and transferring them to Fran feels a bit lazy. I wish the story was more creative with the skills and abilities, instead of relying on overly powerful and conveniently brute-forced mechanics. The skills and abilities seem to become increasingly unrealistic and contrived as the story progresses.

While I find the relationship between the sword and the girl to be quite cute, I hope it doesn’t veer into problematic territory.

My biggest issue with the story is that the tone is inconsistent. As others have mentioned, Fran can be kind and childlike at times, but also a merciless killer who is highly self-motivated. The MC is portrayed as a loner otaku who doesn’t trust anyone, except when he meets cute girls or the plot demands it. There’s a lot of wasted potential in this story for me.

This work is outstanding, and I highly recommend it. Her writing style is purely adventurous, akin to *One Piece*, where the main characters journey from island to island, facing significant challenges at each stop. *Ken Deshita* follows a similar pattern, with the two main characters traveling from city to city, encountering major challenges along the way, and the plot unfolding as their adventures progress.

Both the male protagonist (the sword) and the female protagonist (the user) are incredibly charismatic. The female protagonist is a character of few words, yet she manages to win you over with her varied personality—cute, merciless, responsible, childish, and more. As the story unfolds, you'll witness her growth and the many trials she faces. She drives the narrative forward, often acting as the true protagonist by interacting with the world and making crucial decisions. The male protagonist, being a sword, serves multiple roles: moral support, advisor, friend, father figure, and, of course, her weapon in battle.

The chemistry between the two is truly engaging. Given their unique circumstances, the male protagonist holds significant importance to the female protagonist. Their friendship and the parental-like bond they share are palpable. As the story progresses, it becomes increasingly captivating, to the point where I found myself rooting for the female protagonist as if she were my own daughter.

Regarding the battles, most are incredibly intense. Despite the male protagonist being a powerful sword and the female protagonist rapidly advancing in combat strength, almost every fight is filled with tension and excitement. Even though the main characters are strong, their adversaries are often equally or even stronger, ensuring that the fights remain challenging and suspenseful. You can be assured that the protagonists will face significant difficulties in 90% of their battles.

For those interested in the plot, think of *One Piece* again, where Luffy and his crew pursue a grand goal. Similarly, the female protagonist has a clear objective she aims to achieve, and they will pursue it relentlessly. Along the way, various subplots emerge, including the mysteries surrounding the male protagonist, the antagonists, and more. If you enjoy the *One Piece* style of storytelling and pure adventure, *Ken Deshita* is a perfect fit.

I believe that covers everything. The work is massive, and even after reading over 600 chapters, I don’t see it nearing its conclusion. For those who love a good adventure, a compelling story, and a well-constructed world where the author consistently ties back to previous elements, you can dive in without hesitation. It is one of the best works in the genre.

PS: For me, it’s the best (づ￣ 3￣) づ

This Web Novel seems to lack direction. Is it a slice of life, a fantasy, or a shounen? Maybe it’s trying to be all of the above?

The issue arises when the plot keeps getting sidetracked by slice of life elements, leading to a thin and dry storyline. The main character (MC) and Fran are being pursued by evil demons? No problem, let's spend 30 chapters on a cooking competition! It’s incredibly frustrating to skip through so much filler. Half the chapters are about MC and Fran eating curry. I understand the author likes curry, but it’s a bit excessive.

In a way, the story feels very artificial. It doesn’t make sense how the MC was killing Rank C demon beasts within the first 15 chapters, yet he and Fran struggle against them at chapter 200. Any and all antagonists they encounter can be resolved by power-leveling through high-rank mobs, an element that is never fully utilized. For instance, at chapter 200, they’re being chased by the Beast Lord or something. But apparently, the fact that he wants to kill them isn’t as important as waiting around for a martial arts tournament—a slice of life element that nobody cares about. Wouldn’t it make more sense to skip town and power-level to avoid certain death?

Although the story was a bit slow in the early chapters due to the focus on sword hunting skills, it picked up significantly when the protagonist met Fran. Currently, the pace has slowed down again after leaving the city and encountering the deceased character. Let's see how it develops from here.

This is an enjoyable read. Not the best out there, but certainly entertaining enough for me to write this review, despite my poor English (I hope you can forgive me for that).

The setting of this novel stands out quite a bit compared to other reincarnation/isekai stories I've read:

Firstly, the protagonist chooses to remain as a weapon rather than striving hard to obtain a humanoid form. While he does have a way to transform into a human, the author imposes significant drawbacks on this method, so the main character rarely uses it. As a result, he doesn't mindlessly build a harem.

The sub-genres are quite diverse; so far, we've had a power-leveling arc, a dungeon-crawling arc, a detective arc, and even a cooking competition arc. It's hardly ever boring with all these elements. However, sometimes the author jumps between sub-genres too abruptly, making some chapters feel disconnected from the main story.

The supporting characters are also well-defined. They don't just exist to make the main character look strong. I particularly enjoy the chapters from their points of view, though they are few and far between.

I especially liked the chapter from the chamberlain’s perspective.

While some minor characters feel overly forced into being evil, their foolish actions do add a bit of amusement as the main character deals with them.

Lastly, even if you think the main character and the heroine are overpowered, the author always manages to introduce even stronger adversaries that challenge them. These battles often require them to use clever tricks, and even then, they win by a narrow margin, in true shounen manga style. Personally, I prefer this to the main character effortlessly overpowering everything. It makes the power-leveling chapters feel more rewarding.

Points are given for the concept of the main character being an inanimate object. While not entirely original, it is certainly better than focusing on panties... Moving on. This approach effectively removes a significant number of overused tropes found in anime, manga, and even light novels. The most noticeable absence is the harem trope, and I am grateful for that. However, the author still includes a fair share of tropes, often acknowledging their use through the main character (as if this justifies their inclusion) and swiftly moving on to the next.

I must admit, I do enjoy some of these tropes, such as the 12-year-old cat person who is superpowered compared to her peers, causing everyone to gawk in shock. I find this scenario humorously entertaining and it never gets old. However, the frequent references to her being in the "strike zone" of some men (and women) is a trope I could do without. Despite the pervasive cultural differences, it’s refreshing that the main character (MC) is generally protective of her and other women, though this doesn’t entirely mitigate the creepy undertones that occasionally surface.

The story begins to falter, and this is where many readers might fundamentally disagree with me. It suffers from a significant identity crisis, unable to decide whether it wants to be an action fantasy or a chef battle narrative. The transitions between these genres can be jarring, disrupting the flow of whichever plot is currently unfolding. I suspect this is more a result of how these stories are typically structured rather than a deliberate choice by the author. Going into more detail would involve heavy spoilers, but suffice it to say that if you enjoy both action/fantasy and chef battles (like in *Shokugeki no Soma*), this blend will likely be a plus. For me, however, the chef battle elements tend to be boring. I get it—food is delicious. :P

Another issue is the occasional use of deus ex machina, which is common in high-magic fantasy settings. While this isn’t a major problem, it doesn’t earn any extra points for misuse and overuse. Thankfully, it’s not as prevalent as in other series I’ve read, where it becomes a recurring issue after 100+ chapters.

Lastly, the depth of the characters—or lack thereof—is a concern. At this stage, I expect more development, but the two main characters seem to have little more direction than "let’s get stronger." Fran wants to evolve, and Sensei vaguely aims to understand his situation, but these goals are often sidelined. It’s unclear what evolution entails—do they lose their tail and beast ears? Either I misunderstood something, or the translation was off on this point. Supporting characters, while numerous, often fade into the background and are only recalled when needed. Even then, they aren’t particularly deep, which makes the main characters’ shallowness more apparent.

Having read this far into my review, I feel compelled to thank you, or if you skipped to the end, I’ll congratulate you. My conclusion is that the story is uniquely enjoyable among the multitude of reincarnation narratives I’ve encountered. The two main characters are generally likable, albeit somewhat bloodthirsty and ruthless, and they tend to get angry on behalf of others rather than for themselves. The pacing is quick, which contributes to its appeal but also leads to issues with character development and direction, despite the significant progression in the story. Is it worth reading? Absolutely, especially if you dislike harem tropes and enjoy a mix of action, cooking, politics/intrigue, dungeon delving, and skill leveling.