Slow Life In Another World (I Wish!) (Volume 1) – No Such Things as a Fantasy Free Lunch!
Itsuki Shimomiya worked himself to death. Luckily, a goddess told him that he would continue his life in another world and she would let him select some skills to aid him. Itsuki was determined that this life would easier!
Slow Life In Another World (I Wish!) (Volume 1) – No Such Things as a Fantasy Free Lunch!
What happened?
Itsuki picked three skills based on how they could enable him to live a relaxed and carefree life. He didn’t want to fight monsters or demon lords, so he steered clear of any combat skills. He settled on [Pocket Change], an ability that allowed him to summon an amount of cash once a day based on his level. His money problems were over. He also selected [Alchemy] and [Farming]. With his selections complete, the goddess sent Itsuki to the first town. However, when he arrived there, he was not at the town, and soon found himself running from a giant caterpillar…
Luckily for Itsuki, he was saved by Hiyato Hayakawa, another Drifter from Japan. As they travelled to the first town, Itsuki marvelled at Hiyato’s party (ahem, harem) and wondered if that was what life would be like in this new world. Hiyato suggested the Itsuki should go to the Alchemist’s Guild since he didn’t want to fight, and even wrote him a letter of recommendation. When Itsuki arrived, the Guild Master, Reinrich who instantly accepted him into the guild based on Hiyato’s recommendation. As soon as that was done, she taught Itsuki how to make potions. He needed to learn the basics before he could successfully use his skill.
He managed to make several potions, all of low quality, but they were good enough to sell to the Adventurer’s Guild. Reinrich had other things to do so she sent Itsuki in alone. However, some of the guild members decided that he was from the Pharmacist’s Guild and destroyed his potions. Then, they picked a fight with Itsuki. Just as things were getting heated, Reinrich entered and the mood changed. She was furious at the way they treated Itsuki and demanded compensation for their loses. Aina, an adventurer who had already sworn to take responsibility, offered to sell herself into slavery to save the Adventurer’s Guild. Itsuki wanted no part of it, but Reinrich was determined to be compensated.
What did you think?
Well, this series dived headfirst into a whole range of Isekai tropes. We’ve got the exhausted, overworked office worker. There’s a goddess who grants him some skills before sending him to another world. He doesn’t arrive in the right place. There’s a crazy guild master, who I’m quite certain is just determined to mess with Itsuki, and is doing a remarkable job of things. The initial surprise for me was Hayato pining over Itsuki. I’m not sure if that’s a romantic thing or whether Hayato is getting nostalgic for home. I’m sure more will be revealed as the story progresses.
My main criticism of the story so far was how easily Aina and Solte sold themselves into slavery. Clearly Reinrich is not someone to be trifled with, but this all moved way too quickly. I feel like we should have at least met them a little more and the decision shouldn’t have been quite so simple. It all left me feeling a bit weird. Not to mention the idea that Itsuki has now reluctantly acquired two slaves. Yes, it does seem like Aina actually likes Itsuki, but I don’t think that factored into her haste decision, and Solte did it to keep an eye on Itsuki and because Aina alone wasn’t worth enough to cover the exorbitant amount of money that Reinrich demanded.
At the moment, I can’t say that I’ve instantly fallen in love with this series, but I enjoyed it enough to keep reading. I’m hoping things get more developed as that there might be some other motive behind Aina’s decision. Mostly, I’m just curious to see why everyone is terrified of Reinrich. What is she capable of? Also, I can’t say I liked Itsuki too much either. His decisions about which skills to get seemed ridiculous. He knew that the amount of money he got was based on his level, and he must have assumed he started at a low level, so I’m not sure what he was expecting. Again, things need to develop more. Hopefully, things will improve.
Series Information
| English Title | Slow Life In Another World (I Wish!) |
| Japanese Title | Isekai de Slow Life wo (Ganbou) |
| Genres | Adventure, Fantasy, Harem, Isekai |
Manga
| Author | Shige | |
| Artist | Nagayori | |
| Volumes | Ongoing | Chapters |
| 1 | No Such Things as a Fantasy Free Lunch! | 1-6 |
