The Savior's Book Café in Another World

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Came in expecting something special after seeing the 9.02 rating. This is not that. It's a perfectly functional comfy bit of wishfullfilment of the shoujo variety. However, the world building borders on non-existent, the characters so far are rather flat and basic, and the plot can be most charitably described as simple. The art is probably its strongest point, and even that is not particularly exceptional. If a comfy shoujo romance with an isekai spin and a more mature character cast and tone is all you want then this series has got you covered, but I do not understand how it got that high of a rating. I get that it's not for me but still, I can't imagine a perspective where I would call this "great" or a "masterpiece".
 
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@ConstantErasing just think about it for a second, and compare it to other isekai shoujo romance, no even just isekai mangas in general. yeah there's your answer

not trying to be aggressive, i'm just glad that this manga isn't trying to be new but is just a comfy shoujo isekai. I like that. i'm bored of those isekais with over the top and OP yet stupid protags
 
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@Ace435 That's what confuses me though, I am comparing it to other isekai mangas and I still don't get it. Like, I have not read all that many isekai shoujo romances, but I can still think of at least one off the top of my head that's better than this, though admittedly has a much different feel to it. Best I could think of for it is that it is probably the best comfy isekai shoujo slow life romance I've read, but that's not saying much cause that category only has an N of 2. In the greater context of "isekai in general" there are numerous series that are just overall better (though also even more numerous series that are much worse). Like its not bad but it really isn't exceptional.

Trying to look at it from the perspective of "how well does it achieve its goal of comfy isekai shoujo romance slow life" and perhaps even modifying that with "that you can turn your brain off to and just enjoy".........idk I still can't see it reaching as high as a 9. Even if the plot, tone, and pacing hit just right for you, which I could see, there's still the complete lack of world building and largely flat characters. And looking at the word given for each rating on mangadex's rating system, I just can't see this as better than "good" or maybe "very good" if its hitting all the right notes for you.

And this is not to say that it's bad or that you shouldn't read it, I think it does the slow life better than most "slow life" isekais (which trust me, I'm as sick to death as you are of your typical isekai protagonist, plot, and pacing, and I think most supposed slow life isekais are the biggest culprits of this), and while I'm rarely a fan of shoujo romances I think this one does a pretty good job of at least having a somewhat likeable couple with actual relationship progress in a reasonably adult relationship without bogging it down with pointless and stupid drama (at least so far). If comfy isekai shoujo romance is what you want out of this then it absolutely delivers. I just can't see it deserving even close to a 9, not when compared to other similarly rated series on this site. I totally understand sometimes a series just does it for you and you give it a 10 for that alone, and I acknowledge that most people seemingly aren't as critical as I am and are more inclined to give high scores, especially to series without aggressively glaring flaws like this. It's just that every other series I can think of that I've found on this site with a 9 or above rating felt all around better done than this.

Honestly I have nothing against this series, I just had high expectations for it from the rating and the number of 10s it got, and felt pretty let down by what I got. Like I said, I think its good, it just is not exceptional, even in the super underachieving isekai genre.
 
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@ConstantErasing well understandable, And i guess i do agree that i wouldn't rate this higher than an 7 or 8. but i thought it was better than most of the other stupidly generic isekai stories with a gimmick.
 
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awww nerd x nerd 💖 a good read (but probably need a long time for it to finish sigh here we go waiting)
 
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It has good art, mature leads, and most importantly- no dumb romantic drama. It's pretty different from other isekais that I've read and I love it. I would willingly read every chapter of them growing old together even if all they do everyday is just reading and discussing books. Honestly I would prefer that to some unnecessary drama that authors sometimes add for the sake of spicing things up.
 
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@Damsel-kun Can do, I love sharing series I enjoy. Went through my completed and reading lists looking for Isekais that I would personally call better than this. Tried to separate personal taste from the equation as best I could, but probably didn't succeed, and regardless in the end what you enjoy always comes down to personal taste. Still, all of these are series I would at the very least be willing to defend my position on to some degree. Also restricted it to only series with the isekai tag, skipping series that aren't technically isekais even if they have a similar vibe, as well as series that currently don't have enough content to judge even if they are promising, and series that got axed even if the stuff up to that point was good (with one exception). Also just gonna clarify that when I say "this series" I'm referring to Savior's Book Cafe (realized as i was writing that might be confusing). Anyways....

*Tensei Shitara Slime Datta Ken - As much as I eventually grew to low key hate slime tensei for betraying my expectations (reading the WN at least) the manga is at the current high point of the series, which I like enough to give it the rec.
* Kumo Desu ga, Nani ka? - My personal favorite isekai once it reaches the turning point 200 chapters into the WN. The manga is not there yet, probably won't be for a while, but even before that it's still pretty good.
* Kimi wa Shinenai Hai Kaburi no Majo - Still in its infancy but has enough content to judge off of I would argue (though of course a series can always go downhill without warning). Radically different tone than this series though lol
* Isekai Meikyuu de Harem wo - I'm serious. If you can get past the fact it's smutty harem wish-fulfillment (nothing inherently wrong with that either, I mean hell this is pretty blatant wish-fulfillment too) then it's actually pretty well done. Even if don't care for the smut, the bandit hideout infiltration chapter alone I think makes it worth a look.
*Mushoku Tensei ~Isekai Ittara Honki Dasu~ - It's overrated and I can't stand the main character and haven't picked it up in 3 years. Still would admit it has its moments of brilliance though.
*The Villainess Will Crush Her Destruction End Through Modern Firepower - The art is what makes it IMO, and that's largely personal taste. Rest isn't bad though. Still arguably the weakest entry on this list atm.
*Isekai Maou to Shoukan Shoujo no Dorei Majutsu - It's unrepentantly trashy but honestly that's part of its charm and if you give it a chance it winds up having a lot going for it. Genuine tension, stakes, solid characters that actually get some development, interesting and well realized world, and maybe one of the top 5 isekai plot lines i've found. At the very least top 10.
*The Dungeon Master - I forgot this existed until a new chapter came out 9 days ago, that's how long it had been since it got updated. Good series, but chapters 2-50 are on not on mangadex.
*Isekai Ojisan - A satirical series that is somehow funny as hell while still doing a better job at just being a good story than the stuff its satirizing.
*Kenja no Deshi wo Nanoru Kenja - Not too much to say about this one, solid worldbuilding, nice bit of intrigue, characters can be a bit flat, but all around pretty good.
*The Wrong Way to Use Healing Magic - Interesting premise, good characters, some subtle intrigue, and tone strikes a good balance of comedic and serious. It does a lot of things right and not a lot wrong.
*Saikyou Juzoku Tensei: Cheat Majutsushi no Slow Life - Probably one of the weaker entries here, but I like it and think it does a good job giving a laid back vibe while still having stuff happen and providing just enough tension to keep things interesting.
*What Do I Do?! I Have Transmigrated Into the Weakest Little Monster - A chinese series, which all but guarantees it's going to be a at least a bit odd, but honestly once you get into it it's pretty good.
*A Simple Task of Providing Support from the Shadows to Defeat the Demon Lord - Way too low rated. Unique premise, interesting and well crafted world, smartly written, strong characters, great plot. Yes the hero is annoying, but that is the point, it's a characteristic being utilized by the plot, and will almost certainly be addressed with gradual character development.
*Tensei Shitara Dragon no Tamago Datta - Ibara no Dragon Road - One of my favorite isekai. I love the tone, the pacing, the world, the characters, everything. I just wish the pace of new chapters coming out wasn't so fucking glacial.
*Isekai Tensei Soudouki - I hesitated on putting this one in the list. The premise is fairly unique, the plot is interesting, and the tone is pretty well done. It definitely has its moments. Characters are pretty hit or miss though and it feels a bit too much like any other generic isekai sometimes. Really comes down to if its strengths overcome its weakness for you.
*Jui-san no Oshigoto in Isekai - Unique premise, interesting world, strong plot, decent characters. Not great, but I still think it better done than this series.
*I Want to Become the Hero's Bride ( ̄∇ ̄)ゞ - The one exception to no axed series simply because it's one of rather few shoujo isekais I actually like. A (mostly) nice mix of light wacky comedic antics from the MC contrasted against the seriousness of the rest of the cast and the situations. It is almost solely carried by that, but the characters are fairly well done too.
*Risou no Himo Seikatsu - A fairly unique take on isekai that derives its strength almost solely from the strength of its premise (though the rest isn't bad). Still, forcing a basic bitch everyman type protagonist to navigate court politics and diplomacy in a world he doesn't understand is inherently interesting. Still probably one of the weaker entries on this list, if you ask me.
*Saihate no Paladin - My second favorite isekai, it's just really well done with very few weak moments. An easy 9 right now and honestly has only been getting better.
*Tensei Shitara Ken Deshita - The best iteration of a standard isekai you are likely to find. Still dumb with plenty of familiar tropes, but manages to do everything well enough to still be a good series. If you are just totally done with dumb tropey isekai though this is probably one to give a miss.
*Jishou Akuyaku Reijou na Konyakusha no Kansatsu Kiroku - My favorite shoujo isekai, even with how weak I think the middle section is(at least the middle going off the current chapter count). Manages to find a good mix of comedic and serious that I am particularly fond of. Plot and characters are fairly strong too.
*Yasei no Last Boss ga Arawareta! - I'd put this at about the level of Kenja no Deshi wo Nanoru Kenja.
*Honzuki no Gekokujou ~Shisho ni Naru Tame ni wa Shudan wo Erandeiraremasen~ Dai 1-bu - If this had the shoujo tag I feel like it kind of deserves it would be my favorite shoujo isekai. All around strong series with little to complain about.
*Wanwan Monogatari ~Kanemochi no Inu n shite to wa Itta ga, Fenrir ni shiro to wa Itte nee!~ - I don't know if this deserves to be on this list, I just think it's cute and and funny.
*Isekai Omotenashi Gohan - The better version of this series if you ask me. Isekai shoujo slow life romance featuring an adult woman and some background plot, but with stronger characters and world building. The manga ended long before the LN though, I believe, so it's a bit incomplete.
 
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Was there just a chapter uploaded and then deleted in this? My follows page had a new chapter listed for this, but when I wanted to read it 5 minutes later, it was gone
 
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She asks to have the strongest protection magic and requests for a function that allows her to summon any item as long as she googles for it. I can say she is smart.
 
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Feb 17, 2018
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This manga is okay but there is ONE pet peeve that I hate.

Honestly the only thing that ruins this manga is how awefully one-dimensional the antagonist is 😅. I would have enjoyed the fluff part and the main couple romance way more if either: 1. it was not challenged at all in any way, and stays 100% fluff; 2. There was an ACTUAL challenge and drawbacks and full of angst, not some villian who is obviously "evil" and "stupid" comparing to how "kind and smart" the MC is. The villian feels cheap and unnecessary that only acts as a convenient plot device. I found she was written so lazily 😖

Still, it is onle one pet peeve I have against this cute manga, I just thought it could have been better without it. Hope I will be proven wrong with future chapters!
 
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The new scan person did a really good job, they said they’d be checking comments so just wanted to give praise and encouragement
 
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Hey, the new translation was very clear and made sense. Thank you. I found the font was a little difficult to read, like I just caught myself rereading some bubbles. Nothing serious otherwise. Again Thanks.
 

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