Reviews for High Elf with a Long Life

I start with this, since this will be the first thing most reader will notice anyway. This manga operates with really similar basic premise as Frieren. There is a almost immortal protag (Aesir), whose perception of time is completely different from that of mortals. However, this manga approach the same questions from a completly different angle. While Frieren is full of nostalgia, reminiscence and regret, this one is the exact opposite. It is forward-looking and life-affirming. Mostly due to the fact that the protag here is not as dum-dum as Frieren, and understands the meaning of mortality from the get go and he spends timeand get close to people whom he likes (unlike Frieren who is like: "Bye, we meet again in 50 years"). He is way more mature, despite his personality is way more lighthearted, friendly, careless and easygoing. I do not want to compare the two though (at least not more than I already did), but if you read both of them, you'll realize that they are really similar, but the message they try to convey is completly different.

Aesir is a damn well-written protag. He is full of childish curiousity, yet when it is needed he acts as mature as I would expect from someone who already lived more than a century. His childish curiousity doesn't stems from the fact that he doesn't understands the meaning of mortality though, but from the fact that he lived a secluded life in an near immortal community cut off from the world. Hence why his understanding of the world and the mortal society is limited. This is why his story feels like a real adventure of discoveries. His goal is nothing more than to learn, discover, experience, make friends and have fun.

The story itself is extremly fast paced (but don't expect high octane action). I'm only 24 chapters deep and like 70-80 years already have passed. However, it doesn't mean the story is rushed. Quite the opposite, from the MC's perspective a century really is nothing. Just to illustrate this, in the first chapter he kills wolf, and when he visit the "starter town" he decide to learn blacksmithing to make a knife out of it's tooth. His tought process is like: "Why not learn blacksmithing it only takes 10-15 years". Not to mention every arc touch some really deep topics, especially since he is not a loner, he makes friends in the process of his adventures. You can guess where this is going, right? Yes, exactly, he has to overcome losing friends and loved ones. The interesting message here is, what does it matter if it takes a decade or two to mourn? Nothing really, and you feel exactly the same. You just flip the page or read a few panels and a decade have passed, and the MC is more or less over it. People come and go throughout our lives, we need to learn to deal with it somehow, even if it painful for a while. So yes, The story can hit really hard right in the feels.

The most interesting question for me what occasionally appear in the manga is what can be a purpose of an immortal being? The answer here seems like, preserving the original goal and ideals of a tradtion or legends. He was there when it born, he even knew personally those who invented it, so he can pass the original ideals from generation to generation. Somewhat lonely, but noble goal. Connected to this, a really interesting aspect of this manga is when he occationally visits places where he did something in the past. His deeds already became legends of the local folklore. Sometimes these encounters are smile inducing, since the reality is way more mundane than the epic legend.

All in all, I could mumble a lot about this, since it is so damn good. Anyway, I highly recommend this to anyone who have read Frieren and liked it (in certain aspects I think this one is even better than Frieren, in others not so much), or just want to spend some time thinking about the time we spend on this mud planet. I'm pretty sure this will considered a masterpiece by some. As for me? It is almost there, but I'm not sure a story like this can become my favorite.

There are only 9 translated chapters available at the moment, but this one is extremely promising, and in places resembles freiren. It is slice of life, of sorts, and there's plenty of world building. It is rather calm, but at the same time it occasionally takes more somber tome, as the main character goes through the world and his actions leave an impact. I would say that this is more suitable for slightly older audience, as there are no harems to collect, no super powers, and while the main character is an odd being in the world, it is interesting to watch how his journey slowly unfoldsand how people and things around him change, over time.

I say it resembles freiren because the work occasionally touches on aspect of main character's species being different from humans, and thus having difference in perception of things, and that alternative perspective for me was fascinating.

Still, there's no danger looming over the world, no impending doom, just an oddball elf moving through the world looking for his interests.

I liked it and recommend it. It is unfortunate that only a few chapters are currently availbale.

7/10 story, 6/10 art, 6/10 character, 6/10 enjoyment, 6/10 overall.

I chose this manga after seeing it on the list of manga adapted in novelupdates without much expectations, but I found a hidden treasure. The story is good and besides, it's the first one I've read that really explores this question of the Elves/High Elves' lifespan being the main point of the story and not just a decorative information, since being able to live a long time is not a very used characteristic. in the creation of elves in the stories. I really liked how the story develops and the characters build their stories well and it's easy to get attached to them. It's a shame that thereare only 15 chapters translated into english. This is the kind of work I would read hundreds of them.

Those who enjoy frieren will LOVE this, its another take almost, another perspective from a different character who more or less knows what he is going to get into travelling and meeting people but does it anyways, wanting to live his life his way. The story is about Aesir, a modern person reincarnated into HIGH elf, a race known for their reclusiveness and basically not interacting with any other race, in their eyes their lives frolicking and playing with the woods and the forest is all they need and all they know. Him having a bit of his personality from when he was a human makeshim bored of that life, eventually leaving to explore the world, along the way, he will make friends, learn from others and come face to face with the consequences of being a high elf, one of the ancients and the race that lives longer than even elves.

Oh boy, i dont even know where to start, i say read the manga/ln and you will see, the story has the same themes of immortal elves experiencing the world whilst grappling with the problem of outliving everyone they meet like Frieren, but it TAKES THE BULLS BY THE HORNS, and makes it abundantly clear the perspective from which Aesir sees time and just how many people he will meet and lose. PEOPLE DIE and he must live on, continuing his journey.

Unlike Frieren, Aesir has no destination, all he wants is to travel, and yet even with all that happens on his journey, all the people he met/will meet/will lose he always keeps going, always keeping those close to him in his heart yet never letting their passing pull him down. It has world building, slice of life, and a bit of action, perhaps even less than frieren.

THIS IS A DAMN HIDDEN GEM, ESPECIALLY FOR FRIEREN ENJOYERS

A fantastically great peaceful read. The main character is likeable and easygoing, and his story is very interesting. The way he unravels the world and discovers it's customs, people and secrets are all light hearted and very well done. While this is not a serious series, with light comedy and and even lore to be uncovered far into the future, it does have serious moments where Aesir(MC) will reflect on what he must do, how he could have done it better and also on his general past. This series has points of reminiscence which will tug at your heartstrings. Overall, High Elf with a Long Lifeis a light hearted series following the adventures of Aesir as he ventures out from his home(elven forest) to discover the vast continets and the cultures, people, techniques and storys they have to offer. A fantastic journey and series, a must-read in my books.

If you love "Frieren: Beyond Journey's End" then you might love this manga. Both manga have few similarities, the main character of both series is elf that live longer than human and the relationsihp between them. The MC of this manga is a reincarnated person who was reborn as an elf. After living in the peaceful and stagnant elf world for 100 years, he decided to leave and roam the human world. From that adventure he met many people, taste many food, learn blacksmith from dwarves, and explore the continent. That is the story on the early chapter. I can't explain really well since i'msuck at writing a review but let me tell you, i cried few times reading this. Elves appearance didn't change for centuries while human life is very short, make the MC realize he should think more about the time he spend with other, and slowly one by one leaving him alone. Sorry for such a bad quality review, i hope you guys will try to read and give your opinion because i truly love this manga.

"Tensei Shite High Elf ni Narimashita ga, Slow Life wa 120-nen de Akimashita" is about an elf who sets out one day to explore the wide world. As an elf, he has years, if not centuries, to learn new techniques, but he also has to say goodbye to his friends and family in the process... why does that sound like Frieren ? I've never watched Frieren because I was always unsure whether the series was really for me. But Growing Tired of the Lazy High Elf Life After 120 Years reminds me very much of every description of Frieren, so I should check it out -I digress.

I've actually realised over the last few months that I'm a fan of travel manga. Exploring a new, fresh world has a certain charm that I can't even really explain. The manga keeps throwing short, often abrupt stories of characters that the protagonist meets and says goodbye to on his journey. Although the manga tends to keep these encounters short, the farewells often brought me very close to tears. So you can expect a bigger pile of exciting but not very fleshed out characters.

What you shouldn't expect is a story or other premise - my main reason for deducting stars from the manga. While I often laughed or was on the verge of tears, I never really warmed to the manga or the protagonist himself. Why should I keep reading when all the characters I liked are dead, when there's no goal to root for? The world is interesting and the protagonist's fascination with all the strange places is infectious, but as soon as you close the manga, it ends.

Apart from that, the manga offers 30 extremely long chapters, which is why at first glance it seems shorter than it is.

As the chapters go on, the story just flounders in a cycle of introducing new generations of people the protagonist grows to cherish, only for him to leave them behind and embark on yet another long journey, while time eventually erases the people he once cared about. But the journeys in which he abandons his loved ones feel completely unnecessary. High Elf with a Long Life has a similar vibe to Frieren, where we experience life through the eyes of a being who barely ages. Both series share a fundamental message, where elves live much longer than humans, and a century can feel like a momentto them. Yet, they try not to forget the people they've met, even though those people die before they know it. Given how painful it is to watch everyone you care about age and die, it would be reasonable to stop forming bonds altogether. But both manga go the opposite route: they emphasize the importance of cherishing those fleeting connections.

However, there's a critical difference. Frieren sticks with a main cast of characters and develops them over time. High Elf with a Long Life, on the other hand, does the exact opposite. The characters you meet in the first few chapters are gone before you even realize it. As the MC travels, the people he meets are left behind, and their fates are largely unknown. What we’re left with are their descendants. The MC stays with them for a few years before setting off again to reunite with yet another old companion. You can see where this leads—a repeating cycle where every time he finds someone from his past, it's only their descendants who remain.

Chapter 42 really drives this home when the MC says, "After time goes on, the meaning of being the first disciple will fade away." It’s a hard truth to swallow, but a realistic one. Watching the characters we cared about in the beginning die off is painful. The manga’s message is strong, tackling the emotional toll of an elf’s lifespan—but ironically, that same message makes the manga harder to enjoy over time.

The memories the MC cherishes start to feel less significant as his life stretches on endlessly. The issue lies in the pacing and structure: decades pass as the MC drifts from one place to another, often on errands or personal goals, only to return and find the people he knew long dead. You start to feel like these things could have been accomplished faster, but because the story is framed through an elf’s perception of time, that disconnect is intentional. Elves lose track of time—what feels like a moment to them is a lifetime to humans. But that creates a repetitive pattern: meet people, form bonds, leave, return, and find them gone.

I have to bring up Frieren here, since it serves as a perfect contrast and shows how to do this kind of story well.

Frieren also follows an elf who lives far longer than her companions. At the beginning, we see her mourn those she's lost and regret not spending more time with them. This sets the emotional tone and seamlessly transitions into a new journey with a new, consistent main cast. Throughout the story, Frieren stays with her companions, choosing not to make the same mistake again. We watch their lives unfold while she remains ageless, but emotionally present. It’s a brilliant way to explore the theme of time and memory.

In contrast, High Elf with a Long Life never lets the MC settle. He’s always moving on, never sticking with the people he claims to love. It feels counterintuitive. He values knowledge and exploration, and while that’s a solid foundation for a story, the manga also wants us to care about the people he meets along the way. That combination makes for a depressing cycle: every character you like eventually vanishes from the story, off-screen. The MC mourns their passing—but if he truly cared about them, why does he keep leaving them behind?

That contradiction is the heart of the issue. The author wants to show the pain of an immortal watching mortals fade, but also wants the MC to keep making the same choice that causes that pain. It just doesn’t make sense. If the message is to cherish the moments you have with others, then why doesn’t the MC stay with those he loves? And if that isn’t the message, why is he so consistently sad when they die? The author always tries to depict this lost relationships, so the message is unclear.

The longer I read, the sadder it becomes—not just because of the character deaths, but because of how the MC chooses to live. The story had potential, but it gradually loses focus. The message becomes more vague with each arc. The emotional impact dulls. What could’ve been a profound meditation on time and connection turns into a repetitive and contradictory tale of someone who doesn’t seem to learn from his losses.

A story where someone was reincarnated into a high elf (which can live for more than a thousand years) and decides to live carefreely. That's basically the whole plot of the series. Sub plots, or I guess you could call it that, is to meet new people and establish connections, to learn a myriad of things about the world and how it works, and establish connections. Emphasis on establish connections, e.g. meet new people. After reading chapter 3, that's what I can surmise from that point. There isn't much flavour when it comes to world building other than this place and that place. The names ofthe place is only of importance, generally speaking. And again, emphasis on meeting people. His connections are what expands the world, which is quite interesting. It's similar to Sousou no Frieren and Fumetsu No Anata E in which places doesn't hold much importance besides their names, but the people do. The story leans more like Fumetsu since its more linear and the connections are made on the spot, unlike Frieren where it connects both the past and the present through flashbacks, revisiting places (I forgot that term :v), and historical contexts.

The story moves a bit fast; moving in terms of months and years unlike most stories which progresses by the days or by a few days and weeks. At least the story still retains the importance of some characters through that time progression.

There are some major events that happen in the story which supposedly has a big impact on the whole environment, but it was just left out as if it wasn't important. Imagine a your school or workplace had a sudden change in the top brass. A new principal, chairman, or CEO suddenly stepped down from their position and you brush it off as if it didn't matter in the slightest but in reality, it will have a big effect on the environment. It lacks any, if at all, political aspects. I understand that the story is mainly a slow (even if it progresses by the months and years) slice of life story with no solid goal, but c'mon.

The MC, himself, is quite a mystery specifically his past life. All that is knowns is that he reincarnated, has knowledge from his previous life, and is a young adult when he was isekaid. No info on his death, age, sex, work, etc. But we can assume that he was a him who died at the age of 30. Regarding his current self as an MC, besides him being happy-go-lucky and labelled as an eccentric to the general populace, there's really no depth to his character. He's a flat character. Sure, he's cheery and gets serious but that doesn't add to his overall personality. In galges, it's like he's your typical friend A who gives advices and helps out from time to time.

One other thing that I've noticed is that, even if he reincarnated from contemporary Japan (probably), he doesn't use his 'knowledge' from his past life that often. I think it's good in a way that 1.) it's unlike other isekais where they use their 'knowledge' to the extreme and even shape the whole world like The Executioner and Her Way of Life, 7 Super High Schoolers something or other, and majority of isekais, 2.) it acts as an aid or complement to the story.

There are a few things that are questionable such as getting the top position with skill alone or, as per usual, Japan-themed things in a European-esque fantasy world, or claiming to have received something very important even if there is absolutely nothing to be gained. As for the top position, although it's a bit of a spoiler, they say you can become even king just by being super skilled in something (i.e. being a Dwarven King just by being the best blacksmith). That is something.... quite stupid in my honest opinion. Japan-themed trope, we all know. Kimonos, dojos, practice swings, Japanese names, dogezas (kowtow), all these besides the morality and ethics of contemporary Japan. Quite stereotypical and out-of-place. Lastly for gaining something, you ask someone to teach you a certain skill and the teacher leaves you alone without teaching you anything and leaves on a journey. The teacher returns after a few years but then the student says he needs to leave. Teacher apologises that he has not taught you anything (because it's true) but student says that he has learned a lot (of the skill) and even tells the teacher to spread his skill to future generations. I can't think of a simpler way of explaining it but it's quite BS.

All in all, the review became a rant one way or another. It might be just me since I tend to think of things in a more logical and rational way. If you just want to read for readings sake while looking for other stories to read, then this is manga is alright. If you want something that has more depth (in terms of world building, character depth, and plot/goal), then I suggest reading something else.

What starts out as "a silly elf's journey" becomes a genuinely interesting treatise on how our lives, actions and ideals impact one another, and how seemingly small interactions can have large consequences. Aesir is immortal, or as close to as you can get in this world. His story is measured in centuries, and each volume can blow through a decade or more of his life. But what of the people he meets, befriends, joins as family? Their lives are measured in decades alone, and this all has an impact on him just as he does on them. It's a fascinating exploration on the concept of an immortalbeing's concept of time. The several years Aesir takes learning a skill, or exploring a far off corner of the world has major ramifications for his shorter lived found family, and the writing of each scene of him returning to a place he once knew, only to find it changed is heartbreaking in a way that only older people can really understand.

There is a lot that could be said about this manga, and I lot I want to say about each ark. However it is best experienced for yourself, and the stellar writing and constant inner monologue of Aesir's thoughts grounds you in the reality of this world, and despite decades flying by in volume you feel connected to the events of the story.

[More info about my review style can be found on my profile] ▶Summary and recommendation: ----------------------------------------------------------------- There is nothing offensive about this isekai, but it has some glaring problems with pacing. It is a light power fantasy / wish fulfilment fantasy isekai that bears a lot of thematic similarities to [Frieren: Beyond journey's end]. Unlike Frieren which is not an isekai, this story is weighed down by its isekai subgenre. Combined with the pacing issues, this makes it hard for this manga live up to the theme so excellently tackled by the aforementioned Frieren manga. I have not read the light novel, but it is possible that it doesa better job at giving the story the pages it needs to tell its story.

I would only recommend this to fans of the genre who have a lot of patience for the tropes of the isekai genre.

▶Story: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

As previously mentioned, the pacing is the most glarring issue the manga has.

Character relationships develop so rapidly that supposed lifelong friendships don't feel earned. The passage of time and the loss of friends are not given the attention they deserve. Most conflicts are resolved within the same chapter they're introduced.

This includes the sensitive topic of slavery, which is "solved" in just one chapter!

Given the manga's core theme of "an unaging being witnessing the passing of loved ones," it's crucial for the story to allow readers time to connect with the characters and feel the weight of their losses. And it does not give the story enough time.

The manga is mostly written in past tense. Events often occur to the main character "in the past". Further distancing the reader from the story. The times when the story IS told from present tense, the characters, their dynamics, and their relationships become much more engaging.

The setting is that of a generic (albeit well realised) Tolkien-esque medieval fantasy world. It is however apparent that the author put some extra effort in some parts of the world building.

While it is an isekai, his past life never becomes relevant to the story. It is quite common for manga to shoehorn in an isekai introduction plot to attract readers who are a fan of isekai, and it seems that is what happened here.

▶Characters: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The protagonist is likely the most contentious part of the manga as he was written as a blank slate for readers to inhabit (as is common in Isekai). He was not written with a very distinct personality and have few notable features aside from being carefree and happy-go-lucky, so the rare times when he does display strong emotions, it can come across as out of character.

▶Artwork: ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The artwork is serviceable, and the backgrounds are sometimes quite well done.

On a positive note, despite the inclusion of nudity, the manga refrains from sexualizing the female cast as of the time of this writing (chapter 21).