By the Grace of the Gods by Roy

 

           By the Grace of the Gods, or Kami-tachi ni Hirowareta Otoko, is a manga by Roy and illustrated by Ririnra. It began serialization in September 2015 and started to gain popularity. In October 2020, an anime adaptation was released and the first season finished in December 2020. A second season has just been announced. 

SUMMARY

           This light-hearted isekai story centers around a corporate slave named Ryoma Takebayashi. Ryoma was constantly overworked in a company that created games for the public. Eventually, his body could not handle his unhealthy lifestyle and he died from a brain hemorrhage after his head fell off his pillow when he was sleeping at work. Ryoma wakes up in a white void and then meets with the gods. They make a deal with him saying that if they use him to open a temporary channel to take unused magic from Earth to fuel Sailfall (their world), he can reincarnate over in Sailfall and live a free and unrestricted life. He gladly accepts the deal and reincarnates. He immediately decides to do everything to live freely in this new world. He lives his new life befriending all types of people and monsters. He tames and researches amorphous monsters called slimes and gains a new family with a family of nobles. He also becomes an adventurer and gradually improves the city he lives in. However, even though he has attained great power and achieved many great things, he still strives to live a free and peaceful life.

REVIEW

           I really liked this story. It was light-hearted and enjoyable. One thing I particularly liked was that it was not like most isekai manga. In most isekai manga, the main character immediately becomes the strongest in the world or a noble in a high position. Although I liked those stories, it eventually became easily predictable and less enjoyable. Ryoma, on the other hand, does not become overpowered or part of the nobility. He just gains enough power for him to live comfortably and his noble family does not even adopt him. At first, I expected this twist on the isekai genre would turn out mediocre at best, but it blew away all my expectations. The story was surprisingly wholesome and even the anime adaptation was pretty good. I felt like Ryoma and his new family were all extremely well written. I also liked how the author also repeatedly brought up Ryoma's life's purpose and this purpose affecting his decisions throughout the manga. The two things I did not like was how there was no real main antagonist, and that the story was a bit slow. But overall, I really liked this manga and could not stop reading. 

           By the Grace of the Gods has ended in Japan with 7 volumes serialized, however, it is still being translated in English. So far only up to Volume 2 has been translated. If you are interested in this series, be assured the story is completely PG and plenty enjoyable. I give this manga a nine out of ten and recommend it to all ages. To those who are interested in reading this manga, I hope you enjoy it!

-Max