Reviews for The Faraway Paladin

I read three chapters of this manga, shut down my computer, and called my Mother to say hello for the first time in too long. If you're as lucky as me, you'll do the same. It is good when a piece of fiction that's rooted in the fictional concept of rebirth acknowledges the importance of "family" in the development of character. This is rare in Manga. Oda once said something along the lines of "Good parents don't let their kids grow up to become pirates" and can you really say that's inaccurate? I can't.The sense of childlike wonder in the romance of adventure is synonymous with the

concept of premature independence. Link's a child who's probably too young to be

saving Hyrule, and Miyamoto was probably too young to be exploring the

countryside on foot collecting bugs, which inspired The Legend of Zelda in the

first place.

Immaturity and naivete are necessary to healthfully consume young-adult fiction;

at least it is as you begin to grow older.

Consequently, I'm not sure if the growing popularity of Isekai says something

about the maturity of aging fans of Japanese media, or if it says something

about the desires and fantasies that these fans hold dear to themselves.

I expected just another one.

Another light novel adaptation with okay art.

Another protagonist who's tired of it here on this plague infested planet, lucky

enough to escape to a fantasy world with a unique and privileged set of

challenges granted to him by a benevolent, fiction-crafting God.

Then we met William. Saw William. The art is beautiful.

He introduces us to his family. They're the only plot in sight.

"It's hardly a Manga at all" I thought to myself.

"There's no substance except for the Mistborn-esque magical rule explanation."

I'm bored already.

Then there's a simple secret. Everything is simple. It's so juvenile.

Then... a church. Religion? Non-trivial acknowledgement of the ethics underlying

reincarnation?

Chapter 2. This is what I was expecting. I've read four dozen Isekai that start

this way, and I hate them all. I hate the protagonist... Wait, the protagonist

also hates the protagonist.

"Maybe this is another one of my punishments..."

His mother takes him outside, a baby no more than a few weeks old.

The scenery is beautiful and overwhelming.

"After living in such a hopeless vague manner...

I had though that waking up in this world was my punishment for not being filial

and retribution for looking down on life.

However, this is by no means a punishment.

This is forgiveness.

The thing that I had carelessly thrown away was granted back to me by someone."

Here's where you know it's a different kind of Manga.

William is, for lack of a better word, blessed. He's dutifully being raised by

a capable, knowledgeable, and passionate family. They forgive his faults,

nurture his curiosity, and, barring the occasional uncharacteristic hostility,

are kind to him.

There's really, honestly, nothing in the slightest wrong here. There's no plot

and you don't understand why you're okay with that.

You're told by the parents that there's a "lot going on" and you believe them.

You're certain that whatever it is, everything will be okay.

Will is living this Manga with the exact same vision that I have while reading

it. An adult "inhabiting" the life of a younger person and trying to make the

most of it.

To me, as I read through the lovely, comfortable, and masterfully crafted

atmosphere woven for me by the first few chapters, I found it asking me

questions.

I forget these questions.

As we age we attempt to comprehend the emotional states of our parents.

First they protect us, and as we age we come to better understand them.

I don't know how old I was when I first realized "Oh, my parents are mortal and

have flaws and weaknesses just like me" but I think it was however old William

is in Chapter 3.

The plot has been there all along. You still can't put your finger on what the

plot is yet, but you finally realize it's there.

You're not reading this any more to solve a mystery.

You're reading this because, just like Will, you want to understand what Wills

parents are saying, doing, and feeling.

The narrative continues. It focuses on Will. His teachings from his Father and

Mother grow more involved, and the teachings from his uncle grow increasingly

unreasonable and hostile.

You don't know why. It doesn't matter.

I've beaten this bush enough. I recall my question.

... What the hell is wrong with you? Yes, you. How can you consume this genre?

How fucking dare you think that you'd be okay after being forced to leave behind

everyone who's ever loved you?

How fucking dare you so easily accept fiction reliant on your identification

with self loathing, self hating, regressive, and distraction obsessed main

characters?

Saihate no Paladin understands these questions.

They form the cornerstone of the first arc of this Manga.

When you're young, it never once occurs to you that the people who raised you

won't be with you forever.

The time comes when Will is at his weakest. He's old enough to learn what his

family is and what his existence means. His existence is born of a malevolent

scheme that exploits the fundamental goodness of his family, and they may be

killed for having raised him.

The restraint I show by keeping this review free of spoilers is causing me

genuine anguish and suffering.

I found myself incapacitated by a piece of fiction I was reading.

Under the weight of having learned the harm that he did by merely existing, he

utters aloud the words "... It's all my fault."... And the way that his parents

repair his emotional well-being is just... Peerless. Un-Improvable. World-view

altering.

I've frozen at this impasse in the review for four months now.

Eleven thousand words and I can't find a single combination of them that

satisfies me.

Every time Will cries in this Manga, I do too.

This is no mere sympathy, but empathy.

You can't relive life, and you can't truly reread this.

I've tried. It injures me every time I do. Every time I reread this, the feeling

of childlike wonder I felt never returns. The realization Will lacks until

adulthood, that the lives of those he loves are fleeting, haunts me and prevents

me from suspending disbelief. How can I suspend disbelief? This isn't fiction

anymore.

This is a beacon of what fiction is capable of.

Will is tormented by his memory for failing to express his love when he

could. In whatever feeble way this is, I will make that mistake no longer.

Read this in any form you can. I can say the Light Novel is just as astounding

as the Manga, and neither is better than the other. The correct answer is to

read both, and then tell me what you thought of it.

Sadly underapprieciated on this site. This manga is very similar to others that deal with fantasy/magic and mortality - Fumetsu no Anata e and Sousou no Frieren for example. Charecters are nice, but the reader will only see the parts of them that are relevant to the story. Its not a bad thing and you can get a sense of what they are like in other situations. The characters seems alive, with their own reasons and desires. Even those who are close to William don't stop showing this. Events will change a charecters personality in a scene, something that others might consider to be "acting outof charecters" lmao.

The story is wonderful, there is a definite ebb and flow. Chapters end, there is a sense that stuff happened and things will still happen at all points throughout. There isn't a larger grand narrative that William must follow. His past shapes his future but he deals with stuff as they come, its unpredictable for the most part.

Art is nice, there is a little bit of improvement with the newer chapters but overall its enjoyable and the charecter designs certainly stick out as unique and interesting. Fight scenes are also done alright. Nothing detracts from the other aspects of the story.

Its an immensly enjoyable story, the charecters and the journey are all very fun to follow.

The story shifts with William, him growign and changing will lead to actual change - new chapters in his story that are different from the past ones. For his reincarnation actual memories are limited - he feels a sense of loss and regret strongly and feeling guilty for how he treated his family in the past. That is the extent of that, his relative maturity from a young age though doesn't mean that he isn't a kid. He simply tackles things earnestly as a result and tries to understand others so that those feelings won't be repeated. Despite what one might think from others 'tropes' are limited (there is nothing wrong with tropes as long as they don't make for a bad story)

Honestly this manga hits me deeper than any other manga , usually the tittle of rebirth is like you've gained some power and become OP immediately but this manga is different. This hit me hard that i've cried for a whole 30 minutes while reading the "Parting" and "Departing" chapter , tbh this is the first manga i've been cried for and i never cried watching anime and reading some any manga but this is different This manga is a MASTERPIECE , its the real SLICE OF LIFE genre that having some deep good shit to know like how life's work Any other Anime / Manga its probablylike cried over some romance , betrayal or any of it but this is NOWHERE NEAR that.

Im not gonna spoil anything but i just recommend this manga and the light novel.

「Saihate no Paladin」is an amazingly good and refreshing read. The premise is very promising - A priest of a goddess who is all but forgotten coming from a faraway land to save the world. So far the delivery has not disappointed and exceeds my expectations. The storytelling is done extremely well and at a good pace. It's so interesting that I am willing to read each page slowly while eagerly awaiting the next one. The earlier chapters that go over William's early life with Mary, Blood, and Gus gave me the emotional chills and hooked me in to become emotionally invested. It is the perfect setup tomake the reader care for William's adventure.

The characters are developed well and their actions and personalities beautifully illustrate the state of the story's universe. It makes you think about the concepts of right and wrong, and also explores grey areas that reveal that actions and appearances may not be what they first appear. This isn't easy to do without being boring, and one of this story's strong suits is exploring this grey area while keeping the story exciting.

「Saihate no Paladin」is so good that I want you to stop reading this review right now and go pick up a copy and read it!

Saihate no paladin has become one of my favorite manga. I had read a lot of Isekai manga and found that most of manga has genres like ecchi and harem as it looks like they set trend to have ecchi and harem with isekai genre. It ruins the manga or anime though they have good story. I am disappointed whenever read a new isekai manga.But when l read Saihate no paladin, it eases my disappointment. It has unique story unlike other trashy isekai manga. It starts with a boy born from another world in undead city and raised by undead. That makes the storyunique. It's drawing is a little bad but it can be neglected with enjoyment. It has a lot of heart touching moments. I can probably say that this manga can satisfy people who doesn't like common isekai trash manga will like it.

Summary

Good point

-character development

-unique story

-

Bad point

-a little bad drawing

I'm not going to give an in-depth review of this manga. Just know that it's an action/adventure isekai unlike any I've read until now(which has been dozens). Isekais usually consist of the same generic story with the same bland characters and some extremely convenient op skill that allows the protagonist to glide through the story with no real challenge. This isn't that. At first, it's just a boy being raised by his family in a deserted area. While some would think that it starts off slow that isn't the case to me. No, it does not start off action-packed but starts off focusing on characterbuilding, and soon enough you will be really attached to the characters in a relatively short time. Right, when that happens the main plot will begin to reveal itself and that's when the action/adventure begins. If the author can improve his drawing (which isn't even bad really) and keep this level of consistent writing then I believe this can be a real memorable manga and for now is a hidden gem that I recommend.

Isekai: "usually referring to Japanese stories (anime, manga, light novels or web novels) which involve the main character being transported into another world via either reincarnation, summoning, or a god transmigrating them.

the setting is usually but not always, medieval fantasy with swords and magic."

It may start off something people might put the manga down immediately - but I promise you, this is easily one of the best manga I've read in the fantasy genre, thus far. For anyone that loves deep characters and a world that actually tries to capture the idea of fantasy, this manga is for you. Story: 9 The story definitely starts with something generic and slightly slow to something that feels unimaginably fast, a guy from another life; the typical isekai. It does introduce a character that is extremely strong early on that the protagonist defeats, but people drop the manga so quickly without realizing how importantit is to the overall story and development. The story is far from the generic isekai, not even close - this is an ocean if we compare typical isekai to a puddle.

The story is done amazingly due to how much the author understands the fantasy genre. He doesn't go the "game" route that most do, but instead creates and immerses himself into the concepts of this vast world, and has our protagonist learn and experience it all. Religion as an example is done exceptionally well in a fantasy setting that you can completely believe. I can't stop praising how well the author has thought out the world, but any more would be spoilers.

We also see how races are seen, and often some are an exception to the typical rules. They go in-depth even with each race's history, how it's been affected by the world surrounding and how they are. Nothing in this story is black-and-white, and as the story is slowly building into something amazing, you get to explore and learn so much about cultures that are pure fantasies. Much like the fantasy we've seen, each race also has their own unique quirks, strengths, and weaknesses. It's not shoved down your throat nor is it weirdly sexualized as a typical isekai would.

There is something that people might think is a problem that I need to bring up - magic. From what we understand, most of it is based on prayer, religion, and race. There is also physical strength. This is something we get to see, and I don't have any problems with it. The biggest glaring problem for me is the magic.

There is magic within the world, but I feel like it's underutilized, having mostly been told at the beginning and slowly forgotten. The magic could've definitely been more in-depth, especially the dangers they face. I would have wished to see more of that, but for now, I am very pleased with how they tackled religion in this fantasy world, in a way that gives the same feeling as magic, but without suddenly becoming overpowered. With the religion of this world, it's not exactly as simple as one is worse than the other, which I think makes it much more enjoyable.

As Saihate no Paladin progresses, it slows down for you to both immerse and explore more within the world. The story being slow is not a detriment to the overall plot, I can promise you that. This manga clearly understands how much the fantasy genre can hold and is constantly building up to something major. It doesn't bore you either, as you are continually learning more as I've said, but also the writing isn't incomprehensible or dumps too much exposition to the point where you don't understand. You get to learn the history of the world, the customs of different niche places and people, what has been affected throughout, and more.

Characters: 9.5

Just from the beginning, we're withheld for a sense of adventure the protagonist will go through. He starts off with only learning the customs and such from his caretaker, slowly building up to an emotional point of the story before he begins his travel. The protagonist knows that from his caretaker, he's learned to actually live another life again; learning newer values and such that befit to this new world he now lives in.

While our protagonist is definitely strong, he's not defined by it. Easily he gets affected by anything around him, but vice versa by influencing the world as well. Him being strong doesn't result in the right answers, nor does he create a dynamic of doing everything for others, nor does the protagonist have the influence to change the world and everyone's mind. He would still need to learn about the place's and people's cultures, as from his perspective as a character, they are not to be dismissed, making it so much more enjoyable for us as a reader that wants to know more, and how much of a person he becomes. This is not to say the writing of the character is bad because of these flaws but only enhances it.

Nevertheless, that is not to say there are no flaws in the writing of our protagonist. While he does bring other solutions that are not overpowering the enemies, we as a reader are never really nervous that the story would take the wrong turn due to our protagonist's massive strength and incredible thinking, making the ones he brings along feel like grunts at times. Luckily the writing had built up everything so it doesn't feel out of place, nor does it happen too much that it ruins other characters and their roles.

Also, him being an isekai character will probably put people off this manga. As someone that has read plenty of them and is the main reason why I stopped watching anime for years, this manga brings much more than most isekai combined.

But the protagonist isn't what defines the Saihate no Paladin. Sure, we do get a lot from him as he explores and becomes an amazing character, but the side characters are what truly help him become defined. They hold up by themselves as well as characters, having their own internalized problems that are caused by many things. The side characters are not to serve our protagonist, but their own values, opinions, and goals. They also get to shine a lot, as they are developed alongside our protagonist.

The dialogues I also love, they truly feel like another language with how some of them speak, and you can especially see how every character speaks differently than others; by their culture and/or personality. This brings me to the last chunk of the Characters review, which arguably is one of the best I've read.

I want to bring up the other characters as well. As mentioned, other races play an important role in this manga. They are all intertwined in some ways; either through history, religion, etc. What I find the characters in these different races so unique, is the impact of certain events. I won't go into spoilers, but I want to give examples to give you a better picture - the elves and dwarves.

For elves, we see these confident, often cocky races that are secluded in nature. And dwarves, in a similar fashion are the same in some aspects but are also prideful in combat. But after certain events and a few other characters, they are not the same. They feel like remnants of something horrible that befell, and no longer can they uphold this legacy they once had, nor are capable enough. The only thing that keeps them is togetherness and the will to survive.

What our protagonist does is what I can only describe as a hero. He's not perfect, they see him mentally break, and definitely not strong enough to face everything alone. He has his own will and heart, and we get to see how he affects other characters. But that's not all; our protagonist doesn't do all of the work. He can only help, but never carry the burden of people or their entire race.

What the author does to write these characters is to give them their own chances. Our protagonist isn't going to suddenly save the day, these people that have lived for years longer than him, need to decide to keep going or not. The author writes bravery in such beauty while also capturing the essence of a fantasy world, that I can only describe as masterful.

I was constantly on the edge of my seat, taking in this beautiful world the author has created, and deciding how our characters would interact.

My only problem against this manga for the character section is for a specific character that is brought along with our protagonist later on, in which as cool as he looks, we don't really get to know him. Hopefully, this changes later on, but otherwise, there is not one single character I dislike in this manga. Not just because of biases and playing favorites, but objectively they are all written amazingly.

Art: 8

The art starts off fine, is simple to understand, and shows the characters and world enough. It's not something incredibly stylized or distinct, either. But pretty early on the art gets better, becoming much more detailed. The equipment and background don't feel like an empty space; it's clear the artist cares about the story being interwoven with the art.

The angles and panels the artist brings make it easier not to bore you, the art especially later on becomes much less flat, as you see the depth of what surrounds them. The faces are also very distinct, befitting to their personalities just enough like how they move, how they express themselves; even the character's body language - it's all so very clear.

There are some difficulties understanding the action at times, but nothing that will leave you confused. Just that sometimes, you might need to take a longer moment for a panel.

Overall: 9

What I find the closest comparison from this manga, is to Lord of the Rings. The anime is a big disappointment, but do not miss out on this manga. The story is woven into the characters and into the art so incredibly well, especially when they interact with each other - you get immersed in the world as you continue reading.

I definitely recommend this manga to anyone interested in exploring an actual fantasy world, interested in history and religion that the author has created, along with

[Spoiler Warning] Why. What the hell happened. Imagine. Please hold on for a second and imagine this... Our writer was on the path to creating a masterpiece. Literally. This story was up there with the greats in terms of prose, atmosphere, tension mystery, and world-building. Please don't get me wrong, this wasn't perfect in EVERY way. For example, the characters where lacking. I would imagine this is one of the writers weaker points albeit they still weren't bad by any means, and one could be willing to forgive this aspect in light of what he/she had presented us with. More specifically, the Re-incarnation plot device really holds nomeaning at this point in the story. This plot point is brought up sparsely, with our MC having seemingly no attachments (Of course he was a loser from what we can gather, in his previous life and nobody loved him because PLOT) to his previous self. Its not like he uses his previous life's experiences or knowledge to do anything noteworthy either. Although this is a bit vague, as its mentioned multiple times that he "HAS HIS PAST MEMORIES" but at the same time can't remember them all at once.

Despite that, this story may remind some, of works such as Texhnolyze and more so Haibane Renmei in terms of environment. Having a small cast of characters in a somewhat solemn setting, with an INCREDIBLE amount of symbolism. The manga is overflowing with subltey and nothing is exactly given to the reader.

Full of mystique, what happened to the other humans? Why is out MC here? Why is everything so desolate and empty? Why does magic exist? Are gods ACTUALLY real, after all, magic exists? Who knows. THIS is what we want. Nothing handed to the reader letting us use our imagination to surmise and put ourselves on the edge of our seat waiting for what is coming next.

For example, the way in which gods were depicted was done masterfully and reminded me instantly to that of Haibane Renmei. When you have these beings known as gods, bringing them into your story in any way instantly ruins all tension build up previously and at the same time these beings GODS themselves. After all, they're gods....if you bring them into the story they no longer become gods and become "Muh extremely powerful otherworldly entity". The word "god" have a preconceived notation of "Not existing but existing at the same time". They should have no play directly in the hands of our characters, and the writer seemed to GET this. Seeing these imposing monuments that weathered by the sands of time inside the temple gave a sense of awe, and utilizing shading techniques increased the atmosphere and was incredibly well done. And then..... the writer goes ahead and does it.

Imagine for a second here, a world-class chef making you a steak in the likes that you have never tasted before. You have this steak before you, cooked to perfection. The chef bends down. Your eyes are watering with anticipation. He brandishes his hand above the steak and, with a quick flick of the wrist adds the final saltings to the top. The room goes silent. At that point, he stands behind you and whispers into your ear "Bon appetite motherfucker... I fucked your girlfriend". You can't control it any longer and burst into treats thankful that you were born into this world as a mere mortal.

This is literally the definition of Wills encounter with one of the first mysteries of this story being unravelled. Mary's self-immolation in the temple. [Chapter 3 Pg26-27]- There are no excess characters or cliché HOLY LIGHTS, NOTHING. It is simple, pure subtle perfection in what its trying to depict whilst at the same time not ruining the mystery of the gods or creating tension for the sake of tension. This is WHAT we came here to see.

Further on in the story, the writer does it yet again. With no cliché "VOICE FROM THE HEAVENS" or "GOD HAS DESCENDED TO BESTOW KIRITO WITH THE SPECHIAL SKILL" or "I FELL ASLEEP IN FRONT OF THE GOD STATUE AND HAD A HEAVENLY DREAM IN WHICH I SPOKE TO A GOD BUT CONVENIATELLY FORGOT ABOUT IT WHEN I WOKE UP" etc, and no, I can actually praise the author for not taking part in the last one, which was so incredibly close to happening in [chapter 6 Pg14]- when Will asks to visit the temple before undergoing Gus's teachings. YOU CAN LITERALLY SEE any shitty LN author licking his lips and twirling his moustache saying "HheHehehe its time to crank this story up to 11 GUYS!!!" when Will goes to touch the statue and similarly sits down in front. However, in none of these instances was any conveniently placed character called upon to advance the plot or tell the main character to do anything. And this is what we call GOOD WRITING. All plot advancements are made by our characters and the natural way the world flows.

All events are propelled by the ageing of Will and work towards the inevitable conclusion, this being his coming of age at 15. We see a change in the characters feelings and they realize that Will will no be with them for that much longer, and with Will himself. There is no need to go into this part, as anyone who has read the manga will be aware of how the atmosphere changes in between the characters.

And so we come upon chapter 6. The dual with Brad. Again, the writer knows not to go too overboard and the dual is quick and simple, with Will loss. Which again, is what we expected, but not what we expected. I'm sure some of the newcomer manga readers here expected Wills win, with Will whipping out his newly learned DUAL WIELD technique (Of course, practised in secret) where he splits his spear in two and starts dealing 950000 damage per 1-second COMPLETELY defeating Brad and then just fucks Mary on the spot.

But no Brad is still ahead of Will in terms of fighting capabilities and this is OK. It doesn't matter. This scene is not so much about the dual but about Will graduating and the emotions that come with this.......... or is should have been. Until Mary suddenly starts acting COMPLETELY out of character.

What the FUCK just happened.

Mary. Our girl MARY just literally completely changed character. Please don't get me wrong. I'm not saying Mary was some emotionless machine or anything. [Chapter 3 Pg12]- Depicts this. However, Will comments on this saying "It's rare to see this side of Mary". And its true for all we know. Mary is NEVER shown to be an overly emotional character. But WHAT THIS FUCK IS THIS: [Chapter 6 Pg36]-. Literally, though I was reading a different manga at this point. Why is Mary acting completely out of character? I had to take a break from reading for a few minutes I couldn't believe my eyes. I mean, surely I was just going insane from too much Trash CGCTSOL, that I had started to see characters start acting like complete tropes. But after returning, I was to face the reality that this was no delusion.

le-terally this is how it went:

~~

Finishes chapter 5, our writer heads out to the local isekaiya with his VN novelist nakamas.

Gets absolutely wasted on a few too many beers.

Proceeds to stands up and cry "OMAERA I BET YOU COULDN'T MAKE A LN BETTER THAN THIS".

The room goes queit and then SUDDENLY OUT OF NOWHERE, one of the nakamas present teleports behind our writer, unsheathes dual Kirito fanfic manuscripts whilst whispering in his ear "pssssh... nothin personnel kid.... just watch me"

This is the basic jist of events, after to which he says "FIRST WE GON CHANGE MARY WITH MORE "WITTY ANIME HUMOR" AND GIV OUR MC A SPESHIAL SWORD", and this is literally what happens as Brad then proceeds to whip the fucking sword of Azeroth out of his ass and present it to will out of nowhere. WHERE THE FUCK WAS THIS SWORD THE WHOLE TIME THEY WERE FIGHTING. Again, I will repeat, IT COMES OUT OF NOWHERE. No mention or foreshadowing of this ebin sword beforehand and Brad just casually mentions it's been in the cupboard for a while.

Please tell me why we want this? What happened to Will's spear that he actually ACHIEVED? We as the readers at least had an attachment to this fucking spear as its one of the first things Will manages to procure with his own strength. Making us feel as though we're with him on this journey. But I guess fuck actually working for your shit as this manga had been up until now.

And then chapter 7 rolls around and this manga dies.

.....

...

..

.

Imagine booking a reservation at that world-class restaurant you visited earlier, waiting months to FINALLY get your chance to taste that juicy steak again. You park in the parking lot, only to find for some strange reason that there are no other cars around. With a lingering feeling in the back of your mind, you make your way to the lobby entrance only to find out the lights are all off. At this point, unable to control this ever increasing bad feeling you rush up to the door, swinging it open. Your heart sinks as you look into the once was restaurant only to find an empty building with all fittings and furniture and decor ripped out. You drop to your needs and start sobbing as your realize its over. That once euphoric feeling will never be coming back again.

To make things worse you head to your local cafe the following morning to take your mind of the events of last night, only to find the Chef, that you once looked up to, with his arms around your girlfriend's shoulder. Your girlfriend says "It's over between us.." as they then proceed to turn around, laugh at you as they quickly avert they gaze and hurry out of the cafe.

tl;dr, what I am saying is: The bad was always there. But at least you had an awesome steak. Now you have nothing.

What am I reading? Where was the writer? Probably tied up in the corner of the room, rotting as he has been left for months, whilst our "NEW NEO-EDITOR" takes over the reins. Bent over his computer screen with eyes glazed over with a fierce determination to run this story into the ground.

The first thing our new writer does is have the characters all sit down in a fucking circle singing Kumbaya as they monologue about the entire plot and history of the world.

All that mystery and tension? Gone.

All plot points explained? Yep.

A visual medium literally reduced to nothing, as all we get is exposition all chapter.

We then get a long exposition (Of course every character taking turns to talk BECAUSE GOTTA GIVE ALL CHARACTERS EQUAL SCREEN TIME, in case the readers catch onto the OTP) about how the BIG BAD came up from hell and started everything (ALWAYS THE BIG BADS FAULT).

Who cares? Why is the MC not exploring the world and meeting other characters whilst unravelling this plot point himself? Why do we need all this information NOW? We are even introduced to FUCKING POWER LEVELS. Because WE, the readers were to retarded to know if an enemy is strong or not via visuals. And fuck any subtlety or adhering to the show don't tell mantra (Such as when Brad and Gus react to Will having defeated the Brasukus giving the readers an idea of what he faced).

And if this wasn't enough, WE GOTTA SHOW HOW SMART AND SUPERIOR OUR MC IS, buy having him turn into fucking sherlock holmes and unravel the killer's identity. [Chapter 7 Pg12]- You can see Will enumerating the clues, and to be honest I entirely expected the theme from Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors to start playing, whilst the words "SEEK A WAY OUT!" appeared on the next page.

Look, I understand Will is smart. When Gus asks Will why words have powers, Will happily explains the reason in detail, much to Gus's astonishment. This point is brought up multiple times in the manga, but never so obviously in our face like this. The writer is literally screaming at us at this point holding up cue cards that say "LOOK" "LOOK AT HOW INTELLIGENT WILL IS", with about as much subtlety as a brick to this face. Of course, of course.. Mary and Brad also need to comment on this and tell us, (Just in case we didn't get it by now) that will is a genius.

But guys, listen. This wasn't even the worst. It gets better (Worse?) from this point as an even BIGGER BAD descends from Heaven (What? Weren't these beings supposed to come from hell), who which Brad/Mary informs the reader that its a Gods "ECHO" (Vessel or similar). Of course, at least this time it was foreshadowed. Of course, this ruins what a "GOD" is, like mentioned earlier turns them into some sort of powerful diety instead. (The writer also casually mentions before this, that Wills new lightsabre is capable of cutting these ECHO's further running this plot point into the ground). I have no problems with a GOD being involved with Brad/Mary/Gus's transformation into the undead. What I DO have a problem with is how it's presented, with a comically "SUPER WIDE ANIME SMILE WITH LOTS OF TEETH" "LOOK AT HOW EVIL I AM" facial features, again all subtlety is lost and this is just turning into your average Isekai at this point.

And if you thought it couldn't get any worse at this point, the BIGGER BAD (GOD) shows up at the end of the chapter to add in unneeded forced plot tension and an obstacle to overcome.

It goes to shit from here, with contrivances and PLOT. Just may all read the manga to experience it for yourself, and perhaps when you go to write your own Iseakai in the future, you may utilize it as an example of what not to do.

Normally all these attributes are intrinsically common for shounen manga, and not worth the time spent chastising them, however the drop off in quality for this manga was remarkable in comparison to how good the previous chapters were thus the need to bring it up.

Why did the writer decide to fuck his shit up. I will never know.

I really like the story because it deals with themes that few other isekai stories do. Without going too much into spoilers, it's not exactly clear how or why the MC got isekai'd. One thing that is clear about the MC's past (he doesn't know much either) is that he was not a great person. However, for some reason he got blessed by a certain Goddess (there are others) and was reincarnated in another world where he grew up in a nice but strange family. There is a vague yet strong attachment which the MC has with his Goddess. It is not forced, and it isnot necessarily pretty, but from experiencing the story, it was easy for me to understand and feel why the MC felt the way he did and why he took on certain actions throughout the story. I really like the way the story explains why the MC is unusually powerful. He is physically, mentally, and emotionally (most of the time) strong for a good reason. The isekai portion of this story is not aggressively shown but neither is it forgotten. From what I can tell, everything that this story offers has a use and a value which makes me appreciate both the world and the characters of this manga.

The art is alright. It’s not amazing but it can be beautiful because it expresses the values this story has to offers.

I really like this isekai story because out of (literally) most isekai stories I have read or watched, this one is one of the best or THE best out of all of them. It's certainly refreshing to see an isekai which does not do every trope it could possibly use, or when it does have a trope it doesn't cheapen the vibe of the story.

The MC's relationship to his Goddess and the world around him made me really like the religion in this story. The way religion is presented in this manga is very cool.

Even if you believe or don't believe in something already, I think there is something that most people could appreciate here.

Faraway Paladin is an excellent departure from the norm for fantasy isekai stories. From believable characters and strong emotional beats, to solid worldbuilding, action, and magic systems. And to top it all off, Faraway Paladin features none of the squick that so commonly plagues similar isekai manga. While it's certainly not a perfect story, and there are always improvements to be had, Faraway Paladin is an enjoyable read to be sure. Story: 8 the plot is quite solid, and the author makes solid use of foreshadowing. The first several chapters have more of a mystery vibe to them, while it transfers to a more broad-in-scope story lateron. I think the best part is the worldbuilding and magic systems. While the naming conventions of the gods and cities could certainly use some work, Faraway Paladin manages to present one of the most non-gamey magic systems I've seen in a while, all while combining it with engaging lore about the world and its history.

Art: 7

Nothing especially impressive here, but it doesn't take away from the experience. When the artist wants to, there are some quite nice spreads.

Character: 7

Admittedly, the characters are somewhat two-dimensional. However, they all buck the tropes that similar characters in other stories are saddled with, resulting in a positive cast of characters.

Enjoyment: 8

I quite liked reading this, and would recommend it.

Overall: 8/10

It's really good, I refuse to deny that. Although I dropped it, I did give it a high rating because even if something isn't for me, I can still tell that it's very high quality. The reason I dropped it despite the quality is personal taste. When I read manga, the main purpose for me is to just lose myself in some other universe and enjoy some fights, good story, and silly jokes. This, unfortunately, did not meet those requirements, which is why I dropped it. I only dropped it because it simply wasn't what I was looking for. This manga has a really interesting andwell made story, complicated characters, all with their own way of thinking and doing things, the art was really nice to look at, and the actual storytelling itself was beautiful. I'm not sure how to explain it, but there were some parts where the art depicted the mood on a level that almost resonated with me.

If you're looking for some silly isekai like I was, look elsewhere. If you want to immerse yourself in a story and see a brand new world through the main character's eyes as he slowly changes who he is, then read this. I very highly recommend this manga if you want a seriously deep story. This is criminally underrated on this site, probably because most people were like me, and wanted something silly or fun.

Saihate no Paladin is a beautiful work of art, but I think it can only be properly enjoyed by a specific type of person, which I just don't happen to be. If you think you might be the type to enjoy it, it doesn't hurt to read a few chapters to find out. Give it a shot, maybe you'll be a little more mature than me.

Simply one of the best manga that exists. Beautiful art, unique characters that aren't simple cookie cutter tropes, fantastic world building, an awesome magic system, heart-wrenching emotional scenes, a large overarching storyline involving gods and the complexities between labeling things as good and evil, incredibly well designed monsters, no perv pandering. It genuinely doesn't get much better than this. If you like action/adventure I can't recommend this one enough. Personally I think this is one that everyone should read at least once, even if action or adventure aren't your cup of tea it's just such a well told story it hardly matters. Edit: I genuinely forgetthis story is an isekai despite that being a fairly major plot point because it does it so well, please don't think this is just another bland isekai harem trash pile because it's so much more!

Story: 9/10 Saihate no Paladin starts off pretty "slow" by showing the protagonist Will growing up being raised by his.... unusual 3 "parents", but it somehow it's not as boring as it sounds, since it sprinkles some mysteries and tasteful worldbuilding, just enough to leave you curious. Telling more would be spoilers but it's enough to say that the story is pretty consistent and interesting as it's never too predictable or contrived and I'd say is pretty well-paced. The only faults I can find with the plot is the whole isekai thing since it doesn't impact the story at all so far, it could've just beena fantasy manga and the story is not that unique by itself.

Art: 8/10

The art is fine, i guess ? It's definetly the low-point of this otherwise amazing manga, the art is pretty, but nothing special, not much to say there

Characters: 10/10

Will is a very rare case of a OP protagonist that's well-written and helps the story. Since the start of the manga is him being raised as a baby up until adulthood by 3 undead in an abandoned city while being trained by them (a warrior, a mage and a priestess) and specially when you learn about the past of these undead, it makes perfect sense that Will is really OP.

But since he was raised in an abandoned city with nothing but loving parents and training, he is naive about the outside world (not dumb) and makes his friendship with Meneldor (his ill-tempered elf sidekick) all the more enjoyable, the rest of the cast tends to be all great, but Will and Meneldor really "steal the show" at least so far.

Enjoyment: 10/10

I think I can't even really compare it to anything I've read before, it doesn't seem to have that special of a story, but at the same time, it tells it in a refreshing way and through great characters. It FEELS different to anything else in a way that very few manga can do, specially while "conforming" to high-fantasy tropes

Overall: 10/10

I can't recommend this enough to anyone that enjoys fantasy. It has a bit of everything you can wish for:

Good characters and character development;

Great worldbuilding that includes religions, geography, history and politics without ever feeling like boring exposition;

Emotional storybeats with really impactful themes;

This manga is right up my alley. Exploring what it means to be a hero, to be human. The Faraway Paladin is a diamond that, in my opinion, outshines Mushoku Tensei. I highly suggest to go read this manga first before reading this review, or any review. As of chapter 33, the story has some cliches but they are dealt with wonderfully. No struggle Will has gone through felt unrealistic or deus ex machina. Every character, even side ones, feel like you could see them as real people in front of you. They could exist somewhere on Earth and you could completely buy it. The worldbuilding is perfectly paced. I can't wait to see more of the world itself.

William is pretty much if Rudeus wasn't a neckbeard. He laments over his lack of willpower in his previous and current life, and gains courage from that (with his family). He doesn't journey to be a hero, he goes on adventures purely to help other people with the goodness in his heart.It's enjoyable because he has taken the teachings of his mom and dad and grandfather and applied it to his charity. Will is neither cold-hearted or naive, striking a perfectly balance (of course he still has his flaws, the biggest being inexperienced with the world around him).

All the characters, whether it's Melen or Bee or Tonio. The main cast all clearly have their own experiences which contrast to Will who has so far gone through a minor amount compared to them. As Tonio said best "Because we shall make up for all the aspects you're still lacking." It doesn't go with just Will. They main cast play against each other so well and so naturally you'd think they were childhood friends. They're able to highlight the effect Will has on bringing people together.

Simply a masterpiece, cried several times.

Story - Amazing. It makes sense and is beautifully thought through. It hits you right in the feels, and I felt a wave of nostalgia, gratefulness, and anticipation as I go through each episode. Yes, it is tear-jerking, but it is done beautifully so. Art - I deducted some points because I personally don't enjoy the style and the lack of color, but some might prefer it this way because it is quite similar to other Japanese mangas. IYKYK. Characters - Very human. I can understand their motives and I find even the bad guy interesting enough. Spoilers: My only issue is 'Gracefell', a god, who doesn'tseem very relatable. (she seemed too perfect) It's not a really big deal to the story, but imagine her acting with another motive. It would be so spicy.

Overall: Read it for the feels. Read it to grow your compassion. Read it so that you can be thankful for your life.

I'm just gonna a write a short review, the start of the manga is really good it has a good atmosphere and characters with good world building and a lot of intrigue but after you get into the manga it just slowly becomes less and less interesting I stopped reading after a certain point but i would recommend reading the beginning latest because it is actually really good but after that it becomes quite boring. I would say the world building and the atmosphere are the best parts of the manga and the family are great characters that you grow to love but as butin the later half of the manga it feels like all the intrigue and world building goes away. btw i put a random number of chapters that i read because i cant remember what chapter i ended on.

The Faraway Paladin is a true gem in the world of fantasy storytelling. With its intricately woven narrative and vibrant, detailed art and world building, it immerses readers in our protagonist's life in a captivating realm of magic, adventure, and self-discovery. The characters are skillfully developed, each with their unique arcs that add emotional depth to the overarching world and plot. The protagonist's journey feels both inspiring and refreshing, making it easy for readers to resonate with the story on a personal level. The balance between action, mystery, and heartfelt moments is masterfully maintained, keeping the narrative dynamic and engaging. Overall, The Faraway Paladin isa must-read for fans of fantasy manga, offering a rich and fulfilling experience that lingers in the imagination long after each chapter.

So this manga, from what I've read, seems to have immensely good world building. There's a clear history, the system of magic is quite a unique and very detailed system that follows clear rules. The way that society is structured around various gods is also very intriguing. However, I feel like the author is not making full use of this. The characters that we are introduced to at the start are somewhat bland. They seem to follow a lot of somewhat uninteresting character tropes, with some small dilemmas that aimed to give them more depth as a character, but only did so to a minimal extent. Onecharacter I had a particular problem with was the main character. From the start, we are introduced to his internal dilemma surrounding his self-worth and his belief that he could have done better. However, I feel like the author does not utilise this incredibly interesting characteristic to its full extent. Instead, the character just appears as a standard protagonist - morally good, very hard working, sometimes makes mistakes but ultimately lacks the unique characteristics that real people have. In the chapters that I have read, we've hardly even found out anything beyond a vague description of his past life and a silhouette of his past self, and I feel that this just shows that the author wasn't able to make full use of the reincarnation story to get the reader to feel anything towards the main character.

Finally, my biggest dislike towards this manga is the art. I am by no means saying that I can draw better than this author, because I definitely cannot. However, one thing that I have observed in this type of manga, a fantasy manga that takes place in a relatively standard fantasy world of magic and swords, is that the art plays an important world. No matter how you flesh out this genre's lore and worldbuilding, I feel that it only comes to life with outstanding art. However, the author, I feel, cuts a lot of corners in his art and does not fully utilize his skills to bring the world to life.

Firstly, the main character's proportions at the start don't feel like they belong to a child. He had the appearance of a teenager in terms of his build, despite being only a child at this point. This may not have a major impact on the world, but for me it was a relatively early sign of the dissonance between the story/world and the art.

Secondly, the backgrounds/scenery in the panels generally felt very lacking, plain or simply empty. Almost all of the panels have a completely white or black background, or a gradient background. I understand that this is common for manga as a whole, but the great fantasy manga, or manga that heavily emphasises on world building in general, has always had just a little bit more of an emphasis on the background art in the panels. This manga does not do that, and I feel like that inhibits the reader from being truly immersed in the world. We have this amazing worldbuilding and lore, but we simply cannot envision it because of the background art.

Overall, this manga has everything required to be a masterpiece. An interesting world, a setup for the character's dilemma and development, and a conflict. However, from what I've read so far, there is no indication that the author will make full use of these. The setup is there, but it hasn't been utilized. If these issues are addressed as the manga continues, this manga definitely has the potential to be a masterpiece though.

It comes a bit late in the series, but this manga has one of the most intense, most accurate depictions of an "evil dragon" in any piece of fantasy I've come across. The build up to this reveal and the ensuing battle is so good, it's well worth reading through the whole story just for that part alone. Thankfully, the rest of the story is also very good, and it does a superb job of building on itself over time. The manga does a good job of building up other characters besides the protagonist. Their actions and motivations are believable, and that makes the whole storyfeel all the more real. It's a bit unfortunate that such a thing even needs to be said, but it seems "un-real" characters with "un-real" motivations have become the norm these days across both anime and manga alike. None of that to be found here.

Up until the "evil dragon" arc I'd rate the work as a whole either an 8 or a 9 out of 10. But as of now, it's a solid 10 for me.

This manga is atrociously bad. The characters are bland, the exposition drones on, and the plot is the most generic of isekai nonsense. However, the biggest negative is the religious circlejerking. There are ways to write a good religious story - this is not one of them. The religious philosophy is bland, as if it's written by a freshman university philosophy student. The characters, especially the supposedly "evil" ones in relation to the protagonist, say cartoonish nonsense. The gods never truly earn the devotion that is given to them - they are simply granted such devotion because they are powerful. The followers are rewarded when theyact like good devoted pets, and they are severely punished for any disobedience. It's just bland and uninteresting. Isekai already has a problem with overpowered protagonists being dull and boring. Now imagine a story that is instead about the most generic side-character worshiping the already dull and boring Isekai protagonist. Sounds great, right? No. It's terrible.

The drama is SO unbelievably cheap. Situations will be added to the story solely for the sake of drama, even if it makes no logical sense. Characters will take actions and have feelings that are not founded upon anything except the author's need to make a situation more dramatic than it has any right to be. Problems that could've been entirely avoided with the use of just a single braincell are still walked into because - DRAMA. And then the characters gather around for another circlejerk of "feels" or whatever. It's so bad.

1/10 experience. Legit one of the worst manga I've read.