​”Few titles are more revered among horndogs—(ahem) connoisseurs of Japanese erotic video games—than Magical Explorer. One day, our smut-loving hero wakes up to find he has been reincarnated into the body of the game's dreamboat protagonist! Or rather, his hapless comic-relief best friend, Kousuke Takioto. But with his unparalleled knowledge of Magical Explorer and Kousuke's unorthodox abilities (a scarf that doubles as a fist?), our hero vows to turn the game's unluckiest loser into its mightiest heartthrob. In this world, nothing is out of reach when you've got the know-how!” (Yen Press)
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Known by the full title of “Magical Explorer Reborn as a Side Character in a Fantasy Dating Sim”, the light novel makes itself clear on the type of story it aims to tell, and not just through the verbose title. The opening chapter explains to the reader what exactly an ‘eroge' game is, as well as the common tropes of the genre – told with an awareness of how contrived all interactions are within the erotic dating sim. Subsequently, the book then proceeds to fall into all the common story twists you would expect, from falling into buxom babes squishy bits to accidentally catching them coming out of the shower. Juvenile? Certainly, yet “Magical Explorer” celebrates the silliness of the eroge format while simultaneously weaving a convincing fantasy narrative.
Fully embracing the persona of someone who celebrates erotic themed RPG's, the protagonist's constant reflections bring a self-aware comedic timing to the book that is wholly enjoyable. Bawdy ruminations come and go, but without the moral disconnect afforded by the fictional nature of a videogame, Takioto struggles to not just fall into the ‘pervy' thoughts he would normally welcome. Notably, when sequences that come up for him to progress the plot through initiating erotic cut-scenes, the character struggles with a mix of curiosity and guilt. That said, there is still enough of innocence to Takioto, even when he is talking about wanting to lick feet, that the awkward hero comes across as rather wholesome – treating the girls with admiration through his love of the game.
Not just an indulgence in fetishization of the body, “Magical Explorer” is a competently told fantasy tale with role playing elements (levels, dungeons, secret skills). The action, of which there is plenty, has an engaging flow to it where it is effortless to make sense of the chaotic scenes when taking on a dungeon or doing high level training. In addition, the author's descriptive work of food, locations and fashion really immerses you into the fantasy world. The major draw for most will be its indulgence in the steamy set-ups, yet there is equal emphasis on quality when it comes to action/fantasy.
The book comes with illustrations from Noboru Kannatuki, including a lewd mini poster, a few color panels and monochrome depictions of scenes in the novel. The art, offering fan service that will be appreciated by the majority, does little beyond titillating the reader and giving them a visual representation of the generous proportions Iris enjoys describing in detail – it is a nice addition as much as it is an unnecessary one.
The only failing of the first volume is the implied angle of Kousuke Takioto being a ‘side character', a premise which was intriguing in theory and a good way to lure in curious readers. However, it becomes clear that Kosuke is now the protagonist with his intro taking place before the game story he is familiar with even kicks off. In addition, he is able to push aside the annoying character traits that forced gamers in the real world to discard the player early in the game. The premise, if anything, is to play on the niche powers given to Kousuke, as the idea of the main character being limited in fighting style is not compatible with how RPGs work. This could change in subsequent volumes, but for now, the concept of being stuck in a ‘side character' role is sorely underdeveloped.
“Magical Explorer” really dives in deep to its silly premise, offering an abundance of humor complimented by exciting action and fantasy elements. It may be hard to take the book seriously at times, but with self-awareness and wit, the novel proves it is more than just an absurd premise begging to be approached only in jest. Ending on an intriguing cliffhanger, it is certainly worth sticking around to see how Iris is able to steer the zany love letter to erotic RPGs moving forward.
