If you’re looking to dive into a medieval-fantasy world filled with magic in order to while away the hours, Record of Grancrest War will more than fulfill your desires. I just wish the story had some oomph to it. Maybe it’ll get there, but as of now it has yet to hit me hook, line, and sinker, even though it hits all the marks you’d expect from a story in this genre.
The main cast is well fleshed out and I really appreciate their strong personalities despite their stereotypical roles. Siluca Meletes has got some serious skills as a mage and is poised to be a very strong female lead, add in Irvine who’s a highly skilled fighter living in disgrace, and the trio is completed by Theo, the standard naïve newcomer destined to become the next sympathetic ruler of the land.
Theo also serves as the reader’s gateway for learning more about the rules of this magical fantasy world though there’s nothing too much out of the ordinary in the plot so far. The three have met, teamed up, and started purging the surrounding lands of their less-than-kind overseers…which has only drawn the attention from other, more competent, lords. It’ll be an uphill battle for our heroes, but what else would you expect from the original creator of Record of Lodoss Wars, Ryo Mizuno?
Right now, I’d say the main intrigue belongs to the magical Crests which each member of the nobility bears as a symbol of their place in society. I can only speculate that these Crests are going to play a greater role in the plot. A powerful demon made an appearance at the very beginning of the story, but since then the Crests have just been a means for humans to gain power. Theo’s Crest, however, is uncommon because he didn’t inherit it like other lords and I’m sure he’s got to have some sort of spectacular backstory behind it…I hope.
Overall I feel like I’m being a bit hard on Record of Grancrest War. This first volume is dedicated to world building, and with the introduction of a new character right at the end, it’s still building potential. So even though the story has been pretty stereotypical, I’m still game to find out if Ryo Mizuno can distinguish his latest work from its other fantasy story brethren.
Record of Grancrest War Manga Volume 1
Did someone call for a badass mage to stop petty nobles from squabbling and face the real threat—unbridled Chaos? In a world where the noble elite are supposed to fend off the threat of terrifying Chaos but instead engage in pointless petty squabbles, young mage Siluca Meletes dreams of bringing justice to the land. She finds an ally in Theo, a young knight with a bright future. But as Theo soon finds out, despite her righteous goal of world peace, her methods are more than a little unorthodox!
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