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| Title | Seirei Gensouki: Spirit Chronicles Volume 4 – Eternal You |
| Author | Yuri Kitayama |
| Publisher | JP: Hobby Japan EN: J-Novel Club |
| Original Release Dates | JP: June 1, 2016 EN: April 9, 2019 |
| Genre | Medieval Fantasy, Isekai, Tragedy, Light Novel |
I discuss plot points and details of storylines and character arcs which could be considered minor spoilers. Also, one spoiler which could be considered a major one, the one the cover also depicts, must unavoidably be discussed, though I shall do so while revealing as little as possible.
In three volumes of Seirei Gensouki: Spirit Chronicles, by author Yuri Kitayama, we readers have been introduced to a vivid story of survival, emotional turmoil, endurance, and self-discovery painted upon a fantastical backdrop of magic, hierarchies, and strives for power. We have watched the unfolding story of Amakawa Haruto, who is born again into a new world as his soul is merged with that of the orphan Rio. And over three volumes, we have experienced this new Rio’s exciting, dramatic journeys as he crosses kingdoms and countries, meets new people, and forges lifelong bonds, all the while facing inner struggles and enduring growing pains and those of the heart.
From glimpses of Haruto’s past life before his death to the instant of his merging with Rio, we have witnessed their two souls becoming one and the progression of this new life from that fateful moment. We have watched as the new, merged Rio leaves the slums, completes his academy days, and later befriends Latifa and the Spirit Folk. And after traversing the isolated Yagumo Region and learning more about his past in this fantasy world, we are now ready to see Rio, at last, return to the Strahl region.
Yet upon his return, a world-changing event begins. A prophecy predicted ages ago has begun; individuals from Haruto’s world have been summoned as heroes to this fantasy one. Almost immediately, these heroes become affiliated with the major factions of Strahl, and will play vital roles in their politics and power struggles to come. Such a tremendous event will undoubtedly upheave the current balance of noble society and will have long lasting ripples across the kingdoms and this world.
As for Rio, he soon becomes entangled with an unforeseen consequence of this prophetic summoning of heroes. It seems three innocent bystanders were caught up in the summoning along with their companion and intended target. With that fated hero nowhere to be seen, the three find themselves alone and helpless. Soon after, they have an unfortunate encounter with slavers. Before long, Rio happens to cross paths with these slavers, who foolishly threaten him, and when hearing a call for help in Japanese, his once-native tongue, he swiftly intervenes and releases the three from their brief capture. It is soon thereafter Rio discovers that one of these individuals, beyond possibility, beyond belief, is Ayase Miharu. The very Miharu that was once Haruto’s closest friend, first and only love, and who had mysteriously disappeared shortly after starting their first year of high school. How, in all possibilities and potentialities, is Miharu, Haruto’s Miharu, standing before this version of Haruto now? And what destiny awaits her and her two companions who now must work past all tumult and begin new lives in this magical world?
Spirit Chronicles Volume 4 – Eternal You offers quite the story. Intrigue and mystery abound as this volume introduces another isekai instance, though this is a summoning rather than a rebirth into another world. Also, this summoning was predicted, observable, and immediately influential, and so poised to change many aspects of the regional political and militaristic landscapes. Despite all of that, this volume’s main storyline is mostly a microcosmic focus on Rio and his three new companions. Similar to Volume 3, in which there is a distinct focus on the orphan Rio half of the new Rio; his history, family, and relationships; Volume 4 focuses on the Haruto half. A past life full of memories, feelings, and relationships come to the forefront of Rio’s mind and his Haruto half is not making it easy for him to acclimate, process, nor reconcile. It sets up for a wonderful inner journey, as he figures out how to best take care of and prepare the three newcomers to life in a new world.
Regarding the three newcomers, we are privy to a wealth of character development as high schooler Miharu, along with middle schooler Aki and her elementary school stepbrother Masato, must now adjust to this foreign world. As Rio is the only one who speaks and understands Japanese, he begins teaching the three the common languages, and prepares them for the transition from modern day Japan to a world where magic, slavery, and medieval rules are the norm, including a harsher take on survival of the fittest. And during this time, we see the range of emotions experienced by the trio, from stress and fear, to resolve and determination for the chance of reuniting with their other summoned friends.
Overall, the story is mostly pleasant and enjoyable, if a bit predictable in the latter half, while the character development is impressive. Introducing three new characters and providing strong background and personalities is quite the task, yet author Kitayama again displays remarkable skill in doing so. Although the three do possess shades of archetypal personality traits, these traits are added to and expanded on in meaningful ways. This is mostly through their reasoning over their situation, coming to terms with it, and what goals they wish to set for themselves. As for Rio, the Haruto half of his character is also further expanded upon, as we are first reminded of why Haruto’s personality was the way it was up until now. And, presently seeing him work through old feelings and new circumstances provide praiseworthy immersion, though, I am detecting hints that his inner turmoil will be resolved and set aside quicker than I’d like. I feel there is much potential here, but I fear a resolution will be swift and lacking, so I do hope I am wrong. Regardless, what we’re offered in Volume 4 all makes for an intriguing chapter full of memories and rekindling feelings, as well as deep background and new growth. Lastly, I very much appreciate the way in which author Kitayama has the story and characters lend themselves to set a tone or inkling that this volume is the cusp of major events to come. It’s a wonderful setup for a hopeful return and continuation of those overarching storylines that we’ve seen in development since the first volume.
The achievements of Spirit Chronicles Volume 4 – Eternal You are many, mostly through a satisfactory story enhanced by notable character introduction, development, and poignancy of their emotions and feelings for one another. However, this volume is made tougher to grade due to a few standout narrative decisions. On one hand, you have the interactions between Rio and Miharu; a familiarity full of vivid feelings, as a bond between the two is slowly formed anew. We are provided wonderful moments of solid storytelling, reminiscence, and the building, or rebuilding, of a long ago relationship. On the other hand, because this storyline and its characters demand so much attention, most everyone and everything else from the previous volumes is, again, sidelined. A major complaint of mine with Volume 3, author Kitayama has chosen to marginalize too many of the storylines and characters introduced previously for a second consecutive volume. Although I can reason out and understand the decision, as there are limits to who and what receives attention in a single volume, I think adding to an already full cast and story have made things even more crowded. I understand that not every character will be crucial to the plot, and many are needed to fill story or narrative gaps. My present fear, though, is that Aki and Masato, who are already treated as side characters to Miharu, will soon receive the same treatment as so many of the other side characters – as in, we won’t hear from them for such long stretches of time that they challenge irrelevancy.
Another issue I have with Volume 4 regards the execution of what should be a significant character moment, one in which Rio shares his thought process about how he will treat relationships beyond friendship. Rio essentially makes the hard lined decision to not, at least for now, pursue any kind of romantic relationship. My issue is that I feel this needed to be expounded upon, since it’s a major decision for him going forward. The reasons, while sound, are also simplistic and come off as blunt. They lack emotions, even though the reasons themselves are fueled by emotions. Not to mention, it’s all wrapped up in a paragraph or two. It’s such a core moment for the character, yet the delivery fails to impact. Furthermore, the decision clashes with the unignorable sense of a harem eventually forming, as discussions about Rio and romance are terribly plentiful. Whether this is meant as a pause to the discussion, a red herring, or an actual resolution, the scene ultimately falls flat, leaving me with a feeling that nothing has actually been decided on at all.
A final criticism of mine relates to the speech styles of the new characters, in that they all sound, or read, far too similarly. This is due to their dialogue having been written with near identical syntax and diction, including slang, abbreviations, and such. Understandably, characters that come from similar backgrounds may sound the same; however, it’s to such an extent that it becomes difficult at times to tell who is speaking. Also the overly similar speech makes certain moments of dialogue between characters awkward and unnatural. If I were to speculate, perhaps this is a translation issue, in which the translator or editors failed to re-introduce the differences in word choices or structure. Elements like nuance and implication can be easily lost in translation, and so I do expect an effort to be made to retain them. Or, perhaps this is a misstep by author Kitayawa, failing to have each person speak in their own way. Sure, you can argue that similar characters, those who live in the same community or environment, and who share similar experiences may naturally share speech patterns. However, the extent to which this occurs is both too much of a stretch and, as a result, awkward to read. At its worst, it resulted in my loss of immersion on some occasions. Having said this, these and the issues I discuss above were thankfully not enough to stop me from having an enjoyable read overall.
Spirit Chronicles Volume 4 – Eternal You is a tough one to grade. Its strengths are praiseworthy, which include a wonderful reunion and palpable feelings between Rio and Miharu, and a pivotal plot moment, the summoning of heroes, which will hopefully bring new energy and conflicts to the storylines to come. Also, this volume offers some of the best character development seen in the series thus far. Unfortunately, its issues cannot be easily ignored. These include the neglect of previous characters and storylines, the way in which Rio makes his big decision concerning romance, the questionable decision to add even more characters, and the narrative missteps. None can be easily dismissed, and so in its entirety, I rate Volume 4 a 3.5 stars, though I will say that it only just misses a 4 star rating. This volume is an easy recommendation to those who have found enough to enjoy in this series, as well as those who, like myself, may have found themselves questioning whether or not to continue reading after the previous volume. Simply put, Spirit Chronicles Volume 4 – Eternal You has more than plenty to like, and I am hoping that the tones I’ve picked up throughout the read, those beckoning of major conflicts, reunions, and excitement foreshadowed, do indeed come to fruition in Volume 5.
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English translation of Spirit Chronicles Volume 4 – Eternal You and all volumes of Seirei Gensouki: Spirit Chronicles by J-Novel Club. Digital versions of Spirit Chronicles Volume 4, and all volumes, made available through affiliate shops like Amazon.
