Spoiler Alert!

“When are you going to shape up and find yourself a job?”

*sigh*

“We’re making do right now, but what’ll happen when we pass on?”

You say, “Alright, already! I get it!”

“You keep saying that, but nothing comes out of it!”

“Aargh! I’ve lost my appetite now! Excuse me!”

You storm out of the dining room.

*sigh*

This doesn’t usually happen so early in the day…

*RING* *RING*

That’s the doorbell. You turn on the door intercom.

“Alright, I’ll be out in a moment.”

Huh. Maybe it’s another prize from a contest you won.

You open the front door and walk up to the deliveryman at the gate.

He gives you a startled stare. You also glance at a couple of women down the street staring at you as well.

Considering you’re the kind of person no one would expect to see at home in the middle of a weekday, it’s not really surprising.

You take the parcel and go back inside the house.

Your mother calls out, “Did you buy something suspicious?”

“No!”

You go up to your room and open the parcel.

Village of Fate? Is this some sort of game?

There’s a booklet inside as well. Might as well read it.

Congratulations, Yoshio! You have been chosen to participate in the alpha test of our latest game, which utilizes the latest in A.I. technology to replicate human behavior in its characters! As the game’s player, you bestow prophecies and miracles to villagers as the God who controls fate. Once per day, you can give an instruction to the villagers to guide the development of their village!

A town-building game?

Be sure to play this game while connected online. If all the villagers in this game die, you may not play this game again. Progress in the game will be automatically recorded on a single save file and can only be reloaded from this file.

There’s no way to save games yourself? That’s kind of harsh…

Please do not share any details about this game to anyone, even online. Failure to uphold this agreement will result in the immediate confiscation of this game. Further specifics about the game can be learned as you play.

Sounds a bit suspicious. You should use your older PC to play it.

…

Alright, the game download is finished.

Let’s start it up…

WHOA!

You’ve never seen such high-definition graphics before! The wagon, the horses and the driver all look so…real!

Are those goblins on warthogs chasing the wagon?

They each move to one side of the wagon and soon reach its front.

The driver fends off one goblin with his sword but the other is poised to strike the horses.

No!!

W-What’s that light?!

As it dims, you see the goblins turn and race away from the wagon.

Phew!

The driver looks into the wagon and several people come out of it.

Looks like this is where the game begins…

What should you do now?

• 

• 

This Village Sim NPC Could Only Be Human (村づくりゲームのNPCが生身の人間としか思えない, Murazukuri Game no NPC ga Namami no Ningen to Shika Omoe Nai) is a light novel series and manga written by Hirukuma (昼熊).

After graduating from university, the young Yoshio was repeatedly rejected at countless job interviews while his younger sister and his friends soon got jobs, with some of them even starting their own families. Over the next ten years, he grew more disappointed and he gradually settled into the life of an unemployed NEET (“Not in Education, Employment or Training”) still living at his parents’ home.

One day, Yoshio receives a parcel with a game CD titled “Village of Fate” and a booklet inside. When he starts up the game, it opens to a scene where a wagon racing through a forest is being chased by two goblins mounted on boars. Just as the goblins catch up, they are terrified by the sudden appearance of a bright light and retreat. The wagon’s five occupants, Gams, Chem, Rodis, Layla and Carol, all believe this event to be an act of salvation from their God of Fate. Yoshio types a message on his computer commanding them to build a settlement in the forest and it appears in Chem’s bible like a holy proclamation!

• 

• 

As the game’s God of Fate, Yoshio watches over the villagers and occasionally performs miracles to protect them, such as enabling a fortuitous event, such as a passing healer, or creating a familiar in the game to allow for direct intervention. In witnessing the characters’ struggles in the game and trying to help them in any way he can, Yoshio looks inward and gradually faces his own weaknesses. He instinctively changes his lifestyle as he works up the courage to earn money in order to perform greater miracles in “Village of Fate” by both selling his possessions and getting part-time jobs. In the game, the villagers periodically send offerings of food and other items that somehow make their way to Yoshio’s home! Best of all, Yoshio gradually rebuilds his relationships with his family.

What trials await the God of Fate and the village?

Main Characters

Yoshio (良夫), a 30-year old part-timer and the God of Fate. Anxious and moody, he hides his angst with escapism and a mask of apathy. When he was in high school, Yoshio was stabbed by a stalker who had been eyeing his sister. The trauma from that horrible moment haunts him to this day. Through acting as a god over a village, Yoshio learns how to act more responsibly and improves his own life step by step. Curiously, he does dumbbell training every day.

Gams, a 26-year old warrior and Chem’s older brother. Brave, responsible and somewhat strict, he acts as the leader and protector of the villagers. When Gams was a teenager, he took his sister away from their abusive, alcoholic father and raised her himself in another town. Before the events of the game, he fought to defend said town as it was ravaged by a horde of monsters, but he eventually had to flee with his sister and Rodis’ family. In addition to fighting, Gams is skilled in hunting and tracking, making him the villagers’ primary source of meat.

Chem, a 19-year old novice priestess of the God of Fate and Gams’ younger sister. Gentle, pious and selfless, she is the villagers’ pillar of spiritual support. Having been raised by her brother, Chem is very protective of Gams and will discourage other women, including children, from getting close to him. She can use basic healing magic but is unskilled in fighting. Yoshio’s proclamations as the God of Fate appear in Chem’s bible whenever he writes them, making her his most direct link to influencing events within the game.

Rodis, a 33-year old former general store owner. Diligent, nervous and thoughtful, he is the most knowledgeable villager. Having once managed a store, Rodis is experienced in anticipating common problems such as the need for food and proper shelter and the preparation of lumber for construction. He handles the task of managing supplies for the villagers, as well as helping with various tasks.

Layla, a 30-year old housewife. Calm and confident, she is more outgoing than her husband Rodis. Layla handles most of the cleaning and cooking for the villagers and forages for food in the forest along with Chem and Carol.

Carol, the 7-year old daughter of Rodis and Layla. Cheerful, curious and energetic, she is relatively mature for her age. Carol enjoys helping her parents and the others however she can. She has a childish crush on Gams and enjoys teasing Chem over this sometimes.

Personal Thoughts

One of the most poignant yet hopeful isekai stories I’ve read so far! Traumatized in his youth, Yoshio took easy paths in life such as attending a mediocre university and using escapism to distract himself from his angst and disappointments. However, these choices proved costly in the long run because he didn’t have a way to support himself and his situation tried the patience of his family. In watching true-to-life villagers of a game soldier on despite their fears, Yoshio is inspired with courage and gradually takes on responsibilities to improve his life and theirs. Is this just a game or does this village really exist elsewhere?

NEETs often face criticism by both media and society in general as lazy and reluctant to work, but it’s more complicated than that. Nowadays, it’s common for most people to spend almost as much as they earn on essential living expenses and even high-end workers such as accountants, doctors and managers can’t save much money. Employment uncertainty, rising rents and several consecutive global economic recessions have made simple independent living a challenge in itself. Many people have also chosen to remain unmarried and childless to relieve themselves of further burdens. In the end, NEETs have some reasons to be afraid of the world around them.

But nothing will happen if we do nothing. Yes, the world is a harsh place, but we can find good things in it too. There will be disappointments and hardships, but we can find it within ourselves to face them. In taking responsibilities, we can find fulfillment in easing the difficulties of our families and working with others towards a goal. This can involve learning useful skills, doing jobs to earn money and reducing expenses. In doing this, we can survive and build our lives into something we can be happy with.

Moral

The world is harsh place and we all have fears, but we must face them with courage and humility.

Spoiler Alert!

The other day at the pig farm was…unpleasant.

You can’t blame the farm manager for being angry, but if the culling didn’t happen, then the swine fever would have spread to other farms and the wholesale markets.

In a daze, you fill out the swine fever report at the office.

You feel a hand on your shoulder.

“It’s not your fault. You shouldn’t blame yourself just because you were in charge.”

Oh, it’s your sempai.

“No, I’m fine. I’m tougher than I look. What matters is ensuring that people are alright after I consider the options available. Textbooks and diagnoses can’t cover everything! Anyway, I have to go back to the pig farm now and continue my observations.”

***

Aaa-chooo!

You’ve just finished loading up the medicines and equipment, so you get behind the driver’s wheel and start the van.

*sigh*

People just don’t understand how many you’ve killed and how many you’ve saved. If only you could save more…

The tunnel’s up ahead…

Hmm? Was it always this dark?

You’ve been driving for some time but you still don’t see any light ahead.

You stop the van, get out and sound the van’s horn.

Nothing.

Should you try walking?

Wh-wh-HOOOOAAAA?!?

What happened to the floor!?

You fall for what seems like hours until you somehow land…somewhere on your feet.

Hrgghkkph!

Your stomach catches up with you and spills its contents.

Highness…?

What’s he talking ab…out?

The man continues to speak as your thoughts trail.

Where…?

Hmm? Did the man just speak Japanese?

“…you understand Japanese. I am Yuris Rawle Maguire, Crown Prince and Acting Prime Minister of my country, the Austra Kingdom. May I ask your name?”

“I…it’s Shingo…Kazami.”

“I’ll get to point, Master Shingo Kazami. Would you lend us your strength for the sake of this country?”

…what?

• 

• 

A Veterinarian in Another World (獣医さんのお仕事 in 異世界, Jūi-san no Oshigoto in Isekai) is a light novel series and manga written by Choco Aozora (蒼空 チョコ, Aozora Choco).

While driving to a farm, the young veterinarian Shingo Kazami is suddenly transported to another world where a prince asks him, an exalted one, for his help in saving the Austra Kingdom from the ills afflicting the kingdom such as diseases and starvation. Despite his reservations, Shingo accepts the request on the condition that he is able to return to Earth at the earliest opportunity. A priestess of the local Hadoria Church, Chloe, is assigned to educate the vet about the ways of her world and protect him from its dangers. He is also assigned two bodyguards, Liz and Nora.

When investigating the growing number of mysterious deaths among the gryphons of the Austra Kingdom’s army, Shingo concluded that the deaths are likely due to poisoning and traces the source to oleander, a plant used to feed the furball rabbits raised as food sources for the gryphons. To solve the problem, he proposes reorganizing the rabbit pastures to keep them free of oleander if they are to be used as gryphon food.

Later, Shingo is sent to the city of Hydra to investigate an epidemic of ghoul fever, a terrible disease that gradually turns victims into ravenous, violent undead. The vet discovers germs in a captured ghoul’s body similar to those that cause rabies. Afterwards, Shingo injects ghoul fever germs into a cow with leukemia, using the cow’s excess white blood cells to gradually create a vaccine for the fever. In the caverns beneath Hydra, Shingo and the others discover a one-headed hydra in hibernation, the source of the fever. The team manages to kill the hydra in a fierce battle, but Nora is killed by one of the creature’s poisonous magic blasts. Shingo is splattered with the hydra’s blood, so he places himself in quarantine for two weeks.

During his quarantine, Shingo realizes that he is only serving the Austra Kingdom’s national interests while its citizens are generally neglected. Feeling guilty over Nora’s death and wanting to use his skills to improve the world for everyone, the vet decides to earn money to commence his own venture by performing missions and selling his own chemicals.

After he is released, Shingo and his team join a hunt for fire rats in the town of Murament. Because fire rats can explode at will, Shingo adds a blood anticoagulant to the grain the rats eat so that they bleed to death instead. Knowing that there was a reason why the fire rats left their natural habitat to attack a town, the vet follows their trail to a mountain basin where a young Earth dragon has taken up residence. With some difficulty and to the amazement of his friends, Shingo befriends the dragon, whom he names Tama.

Meanwhile, word has spread to the neighboring kingdoms about the appearance of an exalted one and some of them will stop at nothing to enlist his services for their exclusive use.

Main Characters

Shingo Kazami (風見 心悟, Kazami Shingo), a 26-year old civil veterinarian and an “exalted one”. Although compassionate and level-headed, he is not naïve and is unafraid of being somewhat ruthless if the end goal is to save more lives. Shingo is very passionate about improving medicine, sanitation and health awareness in his new world, but he knows that this undertaking will be challenging. For this reason, he is willing to deal with those more selfish than him since these people have access to resources that he himself would need. As a vet, Shingo is very knowledgeable about medicines and animal behavior, allowing him to work out why sick animals behave the way they do and using that knowledge to devise innovative solutions with a minimum of fuss. He can also produce modern-day chemicals needed for his work such as disinfectants and painkillers. Because he is an exalted one from another world, Shingo has a limited immunity to the fantasy world’s Laws (magic) and the fantasy world’s beasts are more friendly to him. He has also taken up archery to support his friends in battle.

Liz Vert Sarvy, a 16-year old wolf-beastkin slave knight captain and a bodyguard to the exalted one. Cynical, laid-back and reserved, she has a rather apathetic attitude towards her own life due to living at the beck and call of others for many years. When off-duty, Liz enjoys sleeping and poking fun at others. While working as Shingo’s bodyguard, she gradually learns to relax herself and freely express her feelings. As a slave knight, she was magically bound to Doni, Lord of Hydra, until she was purchased by Shingo himself, who prefers to treat her as a friend. Liz is a highly skilled swordswoman and carries her own longsword Hotarumaru, which has a silver magic stone in its pommel. Her Law is Earth, giving her the ability to manipulate stones and soil for various effects such as creating missiles and walls. Like many of her race, Liz has excellent senses of hearing and smell.

Chloe Lizst Welch, a 15-year old priestess of the Hadoria Church and the chosen protector of the exalted one. Cheerful, kind, patient, well-educated and somewhat naïve, she is completely devoted to protecting her charge. Although well-meaning, Chloe’s faith in the exalted one borders on blind fanaticism at times and her idealism occasionally conflicts with Shingo’s more pragmatic decisions. Hoping to get the veterinarian to stay in her world, Chloe has tried several times to start a romantic relationship with him. As the exalted one’s protector, she wears ornate white robes denoting her honored position and is knowledgeable in the literary and military arts of her world, which she teaches to Shingo as much as possible. When she fights, Chloe uses metal gauntlets studded with blue dragon scales. Her Law is Light, so she can use magic to heal, strengthen and protect others.

Gura and Guri, a baby furball rabbit and a baby gryphon respectively who accompany Shingo on his travels.

Personal Thoughts

Modern-day concepts of animal biology such as germs, vaccines, infections and behavior are exemplified and explained in this story. While a veterinarian’s job is to provide health care for animals, this story shows how the consequences of health and sanitation can be far-reaching for animals and people alike.  Not giving animals proper care could lead to an overall reduction of meat and fish and a higher risk of communicable diseases. Sometimes vets have the unpleasant job of recommending a culling in order to save more lives overall, both animal and human. Since human sentience is generally self-centered, we often tend to forget that there’s life beyond our own species and many of us place value only on human life. Animals play an important part of our lives whether we see it or not, from the food we eat to the pets we befriend.

The fact is that we depend more on the Earth’s ecosystem than we might realize. We actually all live in a very specific environment where we must have certain kinds of nutrition, breathable air, temperature ranges and social interactions. Everything on Earth, from animals and plants to minerals and water, is part of a relatively delicate ecosystem that must be maintained to sustain everything in it. Veterinarians play a small but important part in maintaining this balance by caring for animals and using their knowledge to improve our livelihoods. Animals have things in common with us, such as families, emotions and the need to eat, so who can say if we don’t all belong to a common ancestor in the distant past? In any case, we certainly aren’t the only entities on this world!

Moral

Many creatures, including us, live on this world and depend on each other in more ways than we realize.

Spoiler Alert!

The wave of nausea in your stomach disappears as the bright light around you fades.

Unnh…

Hmm?

Where are you?

Who are these people?

“What’s going on here? Some sort of trick?”

“I was on my way to a job interview…”

“My smartphone doesn’t work!”

Suddenly, a cheery, high-pitched voice calls out above the crowd murmurs.

“WELCOME TO THE DUNGEON!”

Who said…that?

A rabbit?! A doll?

A man in a suit pushes you aside as he approaches the rabbit.

“Hey! I don’t care who or what you are, but I’m not interested in this game! I’m on my way to an important job interview!”

“I’m trying to tell you something important, so please don’t interrupt!”, says the rabbit. “Now the rules of the game are…”

The rabbit smiles but…there’s a grim look in its eyes.

“As I was saying, the rules of the game are quite simple. The first is…always be nice to the Guide.”

Huh?

What…just happened?

By the time you regain your senses, the suited man is lying on the ground in a pool of blood with his head rolling nearby.

“You see?! Ignore the rules and you die!”, the rabbit guffaws.

“A…AAAAAAH!!”

“He…he’s really dead!”

Your knees fail you as the crowd panics and tries to run.

“No, no, no, noooo!” the rabbit cheerfully calls out. “This place is daaangerous! As the Guide of Stage 1 of this Game, it’s my job to ensure that you all have your basic equipment!”

A dagger appears out of nowhere in front of you.

You look around and see everyone holding a weapon of some sort, like those from a medieval fantasy-style RPG.

“Is…is this some newfangled VR technology? It feels real!”

You pick up the dagger…the weight and touch of metal do feel real!

The rabbit floats into the air.

“Alright now! Each of you now has a special Skill to help you along in the Game. You can check your Status Screen to see what it is. You can also access an Inventory to store any items you acquire during the Game. If you have further questions, please feel free to ask me, for I will watch over your journey.”

Is this really happening?

The rabbit throws its arms into air.

“Here we go! Let the Dungeon Game BEGIN!”

• 

• 

Dungeon Reset (던전 리셋, Deonjeon Lises) is a web novel and web comic written by Daul (다울).

After finding himself fighting for his life against waves of monsters, the young Daun Jeong one day accidentally falls into a pitfall trap and his companions are forced to leave him behind. Barely surviving impalement on the trap’s spikes, he is healed after his group defeat Stage 1’s boss monster, an Earth Golem. When the group moves onto Stage 2, the land of Stage 1 undergoes a “Reset” in preparation for more participants. Daun is later found by the Rabbit, who is dismayed by the young man’s survival. As a result of being considered dead by the Game’s system and being outside the Stage 1 area (within the pit) during a Reset, Daun is no longer bound by the rules of the Dungeon Game. Upset with this unforeseen event, Rabbit simply advises Daun to die. Undaunted, the young man vows to survive by any means necessary.

Unable to escape the pit by climbing, Daun instead digs underground with his hands. As a result, he gradually gains new Skills to manipulate dirt and is later able to build an underground home for himself. Eventually, Daun returns to the surface and learns to fight monsters using hit-and-run tactics, growing stronger and gradually improving his Skills.

Unable to cross the gate to Stage 2, Daun travels to the nearby Death Mountains. There, he discovers the shrine of Erthea, the Dragon of Life. The spirit of the shrine, Alpha, appoints Daun as the shrine’s overseer and grants him new Skills. Meanwhile, Rabbit is dismissed from its duties as a Dungeon Guide due to Daun’s survival and the growing number of participants surviving Stage 1. With nowhere else to go, it follows Daun into the Death Mountains and pledges its loyalty to him.

After discovering a cliff near Erthea’s shrine, Daun digs underground for two months in order to reach the fog-shrouded lands below. After killing a griffin and running into a horde of skeletons, Daun is reunited with some of his former companions from Stage 1. Teary-eyed, they tell Daun that he is now in Stage 4 of the Game and escort him to Gap Village, an encampment where participants rest between dungeon quests.

What new challenges await this unexpected survivor?

Main Characters

Daun Jeong (정다운, Jeong Daun), overseer of the Shrine of Erthea, the Dragon of Life, former Dungeon Game participant and a former junior architect. Clever, friendly, patient, diligent and hard-working, Daun is a competent cook and strategist. While mindful of his need to survive, he is also bold enough to take certain risks when needed such as using hit-and-run tactics to fight wolf packs and coordinating with his Earth Golems to fight against large monsters.

When he was first summoned to the Dungeon Game, his only Skill was Purification, which allowed him to purify food, disinfect wounds and cure poison. As a result of persistently digging underground for some time, Daun earned several dirt manipulation Skills such as Lumping Dirt (compressing dirt into blocks), Dirt Shaping and Construction. Using his architectural knowledge, Daun can use these Skills to build houses, furniture and even Earth Golems. He can also build observation towers that enable him to conjure a magical mini-map that can detect nearby creatures. As a result of killing 100 horned boars with a pitfall trap, he gained the Skill “Vigor of the Horned Boar”, an ability that multiplies its user’s strength several times for 10 seconds. After his appointment as overseer of Erthea’s shrine, Daun gained the Skills Install Gate, Install Trap and Reset (remaking anything into its original, unaltered state).

Rabbit, a sentient rabbit, Daun’s dubious ally and the former Guide of Stage 1 of the Dungeon Game. Whiny, sadistic and somewhat cowardly, the former Guide now acts as an advisor and helper to its former enemy, having retained its knowledge about the Game and many of its participants. As a Dungeon Guide, Rabbit’s official job was to introduce the rules of the Dungeon Game to participants and provide advice to them, but its secret duty was to ensure that as few people survived as possible. As a result of Daun’s survival and actions, Rabbit was eventually dismissed as a Guide by its displeased master, the Dragon of Death.

Alpha, the caretaker spirit of the Shrine of Erthea, the Dragon of Life, in the Death Mountains. Patient and helpful, yet somewhat delusional, it is extremely loyal to Erthea, whose skeleton resides in the temple’s main hall, and hopes to acquire enough life energy to resurrect him someday. As caretaker of the shrine, Alpha converts offerings to the shrine (i.e. food, magical weapons) into life energy that can be used to empower the Dragon Apostles, people marked by Erthea’s blessing. Alpha was the one who revealed to Daun that all partipants of the Dungeon Game carry an invisible mark of sacrifice to Erthea’s archenemy, the Dragon of Death. Apostles of Erthea appointed by Alpha, such as Daun, are no longer marked as sacrifices.

Seung-Woo Ryu (류승우, Ryu Seung-Woo), a Dungeon Game participant and a former taekwondo instructor. Charismatic, confident and kind, he quickly established himself as a natural-born leader among the other Game participants. Seung-Woo is a composed, skilled fighter and good at establishing rapports with his companions thanks to his experience as a martial arts instructor. He was on friendly terms with Daun, who looked up to him in turn. Seung-Woo was one of the few participants to reach Stage 4 of the Dungeon Game, where he eventually reunited with Daun.

Personal Thoughts

An inspiring example of how far the instinct to survive can take someone. Originally deemed as one of the least likely to survive by Rabbit and several of his own companions for the simple fact that he was a mediocre fighter, Daun Jeong instead relied on his wits, foresight and growing abilities to survive. By doing certain tasks such as digging, crafting and breaking stone countless times, his Skills grew in power and later expanded into higher-class Skills including the construction of Earth Golems. Daun also demonstrated innovative ways to use his abilities, such as rebuilding the pitfall trap he fell into as an animal trap for horned boars, saving himself the need to hunt for food. He also once used his Install Trap and Reset Skills on a boiling oil trap to create an infinite source of fresh sesame oil! Through persistence, learning quickly and understanding his limits, Daun prospered when no one expected him to!

• 

• 

The instinct to survive is something we all have and we would likely be surprised to discover what we could do when push comes to shove. Others may expect you to suffer based on their own beliefs, but these people cannot make the decision for you to survive and live life. That is your responsibility and your choice. We all have to go out into the world and learn how to survive in our own ways, whether it involves training, learning, fighting or earning money. We might even grow and prosper beyond our own expectations with some determination and luck! There are many people in the world who have no choice but to survive because the alternative would be death, more or less. Examples of such include office workers who work every day for a minimum wage or people who live in regions where survival is a daily challenge, such as Bekasi, Jakarta’s Trash Mountain. You’d be surprised with how resourceful we can become when our lives are at stake!

But one must remember that survival shouldn’t be a goal in itself. Sometimes, we must step back and remember why we live life. For the participants in the Dungeon Game, it’s about going home. For us, it could be about taking care of our families or achieving something big in life.

Moral

Living your own life is your choice and your responsibility. We all have the ability to survive.

Spoiler Alert!

“7,500 yen to open a door?! What a ripoff!”

“Please remember to bring your key with you next time, ma’am.”

You get into your company car and start driving back to the office.

*sigh*

Customers just don’t understand the difficulties you have to go through.

Delicate work. Immediate responses. Low pay. People who think the job is as easy as it looks.

You should talk to your manager about this later today. Maybe if you act a bit tough, he’ll even give you a small raise…

…

“There are plenty of people who can replace you!”

The manager’s words are still ringing in your head as you walk home.

Somehow, this seems to be the story of your life. Average grades at school, decent athletic abilities, unremarkable skills…

Nothing exceptional.

Do people only want talent?

Does no one want you in this world…?

Why are you here anyway?

Maybe…

Maybe…dying’s not so bad.

Hmm?

Where’s this light coming…from…

Is…this how your life ends?

Would your death even matter?

No, no, no, no, no…

…

…

Huh?

W-where’s the truck?

There’s no pain anywhere on your body!

It feels like you’re lying on a bed or something…

Wait, where is this?

“Mmm…”

Hmm? Is someone there?

“Gramps…?”

You turn and find your face-to-face with a girl. She’s…pretty…

“Are you…going senile agai…?”

Her eyes meet yours…and widen in shocked surprise.

“a…a…AAAAAAAAAHHH!!”

WHOA!

Within seconds, she leaps up, takes out a knife and points it at your face!

“Wh-who are you? A thief? A pervert?!”

“Uuh…?”

“STOP, Raelza!”

An old man’s voice?

You turn to the room’s doorway and see an old man with a white beard dressed in a brown robe and a pointed hat. Is that cosplay?

Not from this world?! What does that mean?

• 

• 

Handyman Saitou in Another World (便利屋斎藤さん、異世界に行く, Benriya Saitou san, Isekai ni Iku) is a web manga and manga written by Kazutomo Ichitomo (一智 和智, Ichitomo Kazutomo).

Griping over his thankless, low-paying job as a handyman, Saitou is utterly miserable over the idea of no one needing him. Lost in thought, he fails to notice an oncoming truck barreling towards him until it’s too late…and suddenly finds himself in another world.

Saitou immediately meets three adventurers and joins them in their expeditions in the Great Labyrinth, an underground dungeon complex filled with monsters and the occasional treasure. He quickly becomes an asset with the skills that he once thought worthless by picking locks, dismantling traps and repairing armor. He also befriends Mevena, a shop clerk, and Donbine, a dwarf metalworker, who are impressed with his skills. For the first time in his life, Saitou feels that he is truly making a difference.

One day, Saitou discovers a Roomba in the Labyrinth and follows it to a hidden door. With the aid of the wizard Morlock, the door is opened, leading to an unexplored area of the Labyrinth that would later be called “Saitou’s Tunnel”. Adventurers from all over the country once again gathered at the Labyrinth, attracted by promises of undiscovered riches and lore. Among these eclectic personalities are the chosen hero Cainz, the cynical priest Montiel Puitt, the elf brawler Flan’nil Nil Ar’nil and the dwarf sorcerer Gibengur.

Within Saitou’s Tunnel, the adventurers find a room with several mysterious items that Saitou recognizes as objects from his world. Here, they are ambushed by the assassin Kisurugi and his allies. After a grueling battle, the outmatched Kisurugi summons a multi-eyed devil to aid him. The creature proves to be nearly invincible to both weapons and magic, so Saitou proposes to have Morlock cast a particularly powerful spell that he found when perusing the old wizard’s spellbooks: a spell that stops time.

No longer living an uneventful life, Saitou continues to search for meaning.

Main Characters

Saitou (斎藤, Saitō), a Japanese handyman. Friendly yet insecure, he is eager to be as helpful to his new friends as he could. Saitou’s skill with locks is such that he was able to unlock the 108-lock door (guarded against magic!) preventing access to Donbine’s workshop. He also helps his team by carrying different weapons for Raelza, memorizing spell incantations for the forgetful Morlock and defending Lafan from attack. With this, Saitou is essentially the linchpin of his team, which is demonstrated when the others struggle without him after he caught a cold! Despite all this, he still doubts himself at times.

Raelza Morlock, a beautiful warrior and Morlock’s adopted daughter. A tomboy with a dry personality, she gradually warms up to Saitou over time and even becomes attracted to him but she denies it. Raelza is self-conscious about the scar on her right cheek, which was inflicted on her by a goblin when she started out as an adventurer. She is also frightened of eels and other long, slimy creatures. As the fighter of her team, Raelza usually uses a large broadsword and wears heavy armor, but she is skilled with many kinds of weapons. Since Morlock and Lafan are both magicians with no skill in combat, she often had to divide her attention between fighting monsters and protecting them. With Saitou’s aid, Raelza can now focus more attention on the monsters.

Morlock, an elderly, semi-retired wizard. Lewd and senile, he is a magician capable of casting powerful magic, but he now often forgets the incantations for such magic! For this reason, he relies on Saitou to remember the incantations for him to recite. Morlock enjoys gambling and flirting with any beautiful women he finds, be they human or otherwise. He also suffers from near-constant back pain, much to Lafan’s annoyance. According to his former apprentice, the dwarf sorcerer Gibengur, Morlock was once a legendary wizard from the far east, named Bergheim Chrome, who left 20 years ago to seek forbidden magic. “Morlock” was an alias he used in the past when flirting with women. Of course, Morlock himself doesn’t remember or admit this.

Lafanpan, a moonlight fairy. Playful yet acquisitive, she is a divine sorceress who asks for upfront payment for her healing magic unless the situation is life-threatening. Despite this, Lafan believes in fair exchange and doesn’t like charity, preferring people to pay for their own needs. She must regularly sacrifice gold to the full moon in order to keep herself from shrinking. Lafan likes to tease Raelza about her feelings towards Saitou and tries to encourage the warrior to be more honest with herself.

Personal Thoughts

This story is presented in a slice-of-life fashion, placing no importance on a particular plot. To me, what makes it relatable is the main character’s personal crisis of feeling worthless. It’s all too easy to think that a job is as easy as it looks because the one doing the job has the skills and experience to do said job smoothly. We also now live in a world where people actually have to compete for jobs, even internships! Because of this, employers often feel they can afford to be harsher to their staff or even replace those who so much as grumble under their breath. After all, who’d want to go job hunting at an uncertain time such as this?

It’s easy to find handymen, office workers, waiters, nurses and such who are desperate for almost any sort of job these days. It’s also not unusual to find university graduates doing jobs that underpay them. But this does not make them worthless. Far from it! These people have to put up with others’ selfishness every day in order to make a living. It’s something we take for granted easily when we’re the customer! These people all have the skills and patience to ensure that the world we live in continues to run smoothly.

The world runs on countless little tasks that keep our lives as free from trouble as possible. For example, the Internet is run on a near-infinite number of computer programs that all have to work in unison for the combined whole to run smoothly. Computer programmers and hardware producers all over the world have the unenviable task of repairing these programs constantly. While these people are easily missed, their services are what keep the Internet from shutting down in less than a day! Accountants have to work every day to ensure that up-to-date financial records are kept in order to prevent fraud and corruption in the companies they work for. Nurses have to keep constant vigil over patients in order to relieve the burden of doctors. The things we take for granted can easily disappear and we’d suffer for it.

Once we understand how our work contributes to making life easier for others, large or small, we achieve a sense of fulfillment that cannot be acquired in any other way. For example, if even just one person enjoys reading this blog post, I’d be happy!

Moral

Large or small, the jobs we do all help to keep the world running. Be proud.

Spoiler Alert!

*yawn*

You rub your eyes and see…a full moon?

You feel a slight chill.

Are you outside?

“Ah, you’re awake!”

Who said…?

You notice a tiny girl with green hair in a green dress floating in front of you.

A fairy?! Talking to you?!?

“AAAAAAHHH!!!”

“You can see me? Sorry for scaring you,” she says.

Maybe you’re still too tired? You could have sworn that you went to bed right after supper…

Maybe…ah, ha!

“Is this a dream?”

“No, it isn’t! Our goddess invited you to this world.”

Invited? This feels more like a kidnapping!

“C-could you take me back home?” you ask.

“My deepest apologies. World-crossing is a one-way trip. You can never go back to your world…ever.”

Your head feels like it’s spinning.

Is this…a…night…ma…re…?…

…

…

“…be fine?”

“Yes…tired…”

Who…?

You get up…from a fluffy, lavish-looking bed.

Sitting next to you are a middle-aged man and woman in clothes that remind you of European nobles. The fairy is floating next to them.

The woman suddenly hugs you!

“Thank goodness! I was afraid you wouldn’t wake up!”

Seriously, what is this?!

“Take it easy, Tasia,” says the man.

“Oh, right. Sorry about that.”

She lets go of you.

The man smiles at you and says, “I’m Gilford Hyde Claude and this is my wife, Anastasia.”

You might as well introduce yourself.

“My name is Risa Kurokawa. Please excuse me.”

“You should thank the spirit,” says Gil. “She was taking care of you all this time. The knights reported a lightning strike where you were and I was sent to investigate. That’s how I found you.”

“Thank you.”

“If you don’t have a home, you’re free to stay here. You should have something to eat too if you feel better.”

“Your clothes are being washed right now,” says Tasia. “I’ll get some clean clothes for you and you can come to the dining room after you’ve changed.”

…

You’ve walked around the house a bit. It all looks so splendid, like the mansion of an English noble!

At the dining room, Gil and Tasia greet you.

“That dress looks lovely on you!” says Tasia.

“Thanks!”

Is that rice porridge with milk? Not what you’d expect for a house like this…

You sit at the dining table.

“Please help yourself,” says Gil.

“Don’t mind if I do.”

…?

Eugh!

It’s…terrible! Is this what nobles eat?

• 

• 

I Opened a Café in Another World. (異世界でカフェを開店しました。, Isekai de Café o Kaiten Shimashita.) is a light novel series and manga written by Ringo Amasawa (甘沢 林檎, Amasawa Ringo).

Although the world under her protection is peaceful and flourishing, a certain goddess still longs for Earth’s modern-day cuisines, having visited our planet briefly in the past. She already tried to inspire the food culture development on her own world with little success. To solve this problem, she summons a resident of Earth, Risa Kurokawa, to her world. Although not a professional chef, Risa has unmatched passion and perseverance for cooking that would serve her well. The goddess then sends a nature spirit to watch over Risa.

Soon afterwards, Risa awakens and meets the nature spirit, who tells her that she is no longer on Earth and that she can never go back. After fainting from shock, she awakens to find herself at the mansion of the Claude noble family. There, Risa learns that she is now in the Kingdom of Feriformia, a land of plenty with technology powered by magic. While enjoying the Claude family’s hospitality, she notices that their food is surprisingly crude, such as tough bread, over-grilled fish drenched in oil and no sugar or yeast. A cooking hobbyist, Risa cooks a dinner for the Claudes and they enjoy it as though they’ve never eaten food before.

While wandering the city, Risa comes across a recently-vacated bar and gets the idea to start a café. With no children of their own, the Claudes formally adopt her as their daughter in order for her to be recognized as a legal resident of Feriformia. With the help of the Claude family’s connections, Risa is able to quickly purchase the bar and renovate it. Café Omusubi, named after the Japanese rice ball snack, is soon open for business.

Word of the café’s innovative, delicious food gradually spreads throughout the country. Risa’s reputation soon grows to the point where she is given the job to oversee the preparation of a banquet for the International Royal Conference, a summit meeting of monarchs and heads of state from many countries. After the banquet’s success, Risa receives an invitation several days later from the renowned Feriformia National General Magic Academy to help start up a new Cooking Department as an advisor and a teacher. She is even being considered as a potential future wife for the Crown Prince of Feriformia…

Main Characters

Risa Kurokawa-Claude, a.k.a. Risa Kurokawa (黒川 理沙, Kurokawa Risa), the 22 year-old manager of the Café Omusubi, adopted daughter of the Claude noble family and a former office worker. Dedicated, kind and strong-willed, she has a lifelong interest in cuisine culture. The youngest of four siblings, Risa learned everything about food preparation, such as making her own soy sauce, choosing seeds and raising chickens. Since opening her café, she has gradually revolutionized the food culture of Feriformia, setting a new professional standard for food preparation and gaining the interest of chefs from neighboring countries. Encouraged by her astounding success, Risa now has a dream to bring delicious, quality food to her new world.

Basil, a female nature spirit. Originally nameless, the friendly little spirit was named by Risa for her green hair and clothes. Spirits are usually visible only to powerful magicians such as Gilford, so her existence is known to very few people in the story. Being a nature spirit, Basil is familiar with all types of plants including edibles such as vegetables and wheat. She can also control plants and the wind to some extent.

Sieg Brown, an 18-year old staff member at the Café Omusubi and a former knight. Composed, meticulous and stoic, he was highly respected by his workmates and considered a possible future commander of the Feriformia knights. Until he accidentally met Risa and ate her homemade cookies, Sieg considered food to merely be a necessary source of nutrition. Discovering a newfound passion for food, he quit his job as a knight and applied for a job at the Café Omusubi. The same meticulousness that made Sieg an excellent soldier serves him well when he serves and prepares food. His handsome appearance also attracts many female customers. Although he respects Risa for her cooking skills, one couldn’t help but notice the concern on his face when he sees her with other men!

Helena Chester, 16-year old staff member at the Café Omusubi. Cheerful and somewhat naïve, she is the proud daughter of the Chesters, a family of bakers that have served the Feriformia royal family for generations. After the Chester bakery started to lose customers to Café Omusubi, Helena tried to vandalize the café but was caught. Instead of being punished, she was given a job at the café. Risa also reached an agreement with the Chesters to train them in her baking techniques to improve their bread and help provide it for her café.

Marquis Gilford Hyde Claude and Marchioness Anastasia Ashley-Claude, a pair of married nobles and Risa’s adopted parents. Dutiful and kind, these two love to dote on their new daughter and show her off to their friends, including the Feriformia royal family. Gilford is the head of Feriformia’s Ministry of Magic and his wife is the owner of the popular fashion brand, Cyril Mary. Anastasia is also the younger sister of the head of the Ashley Company, the largest trading company in Feriformia.

Personal Thoughts

The story is rather tame compared to many other isekai stories, being more focused on a kitchen and restaurant environment. Here, the main character brought new horizons to the food culture of a fantasy world with her modern-day cooking techniques. Not only do average citizens learn to appreciate good taste, but heads of state have a successful summit after enjoying Lisa’s cooking! People who thought there was nothing worthwhile to know about food, such as Sieg, take an interest in Risa’s unique food and techniques. This new, unknown horizon awakens their curiosity and allows them to relate better to others through a common interest. The stubborn chefs of Feriformia’s palace kitchen also learn that there’s room for improvement in their cooking!

Pleasant feelings through taste affects our lifestyle more than we think. When we enjoy food, we tend to cheer up and feel a little better about life. In fact, that’s one of the reasons why there are fat people in the world (note: be sure to eat and drink in moderation!). Food also brings people together because it’s something that everyone needs. Because of this, banquets and family meals are excellent opportunities for friends and family to be together.

More importantly, one must understand that there’s always something new to learn and appreciate. It’s easy to think that you know everything there is to know about a particular field of knowledge and dismiss new ideas for fear of appearing incompetent. Learning in itself is a quality that allows us to appreciate life in general and become better people in both skill and personality. The experience isn’t always pleasant, but it’s still experience that allows us to know better! In this story, by introducing new horizons for food culture, Risa opens new possibilities for her new world that others are encouraged to explore. It’s amazing how delicious food can make your life feel worthwhile!

Moral

There are always new horizons and possibilities out there. Try them out!