Kenshin no Succeed

Although this was by far a generic sword action harem, it was entertaining enough to keep me reading until the end. Story: 7 As generic as you can get. Main male lead is an underdog with a special trait/hidden ability/unique circumstance. Male lead enrolls in some academy/contest to reach/find a dream. Male lead encounters pretty girls who falls for his strength/character. Plot twist/conflict occurs and male lead has an epiphany of some sort, resolves the conflict, and then swears to work towards the future for a new dream. Similar premise and feel as Rakudai Kishi, Seirei Tsukai, Juuou Fafnir, Absolute Duo, etc. The story doesn't end conclusively, butdoes wrap up the arc. The romance element is existent, but not very impactful. Feels rather forced and random compared to similar works of the same genre. The fanservice cannot be more generic. Art: 8 As average as they come for a sword action harem, which is to say, not bad. The characters are distinct, the girls are pretty and detailed, but the costume design is generic. For a series focused on swords and swordsmanship, the design for the swords are pretty average and similar to one another. Tone and shading is used well to portray danger, climax, dread, etc. Character: 7 Token "childhood friend"/main heroine who's some sort of high-ranking member of society and strong in her own right, but weaker than the male lead. Token superior/mentor to male lead. Token shy glasses girl. Token amnesia maid/servant girl. Probably the only different thing about this series' characters compared to others is the male cast. The MC is quite blatant about his perverted tendencies. He's straightforward, also plays mind games well, and doesn't bother with a "holier than thou" or righteous attitude. He's not afraid to kill or hurt people just because he's the MC, and it's also not clear whether he's on the side of justice, which is a refreshing change. He's also pretty acknowledged by the world, even for a supposed underdog. The existence of a strong supporting male character, who isn't trying to chop the MC to pieces, is also very rare, and refreshing to see. Other than that, the only saving grace for the female cast is that the lead heroine is sensible enough to not beat the MC up just for breathing, and acts like a proper shy tsundere instead of a violent you-know-what. Enjoyment: 7 It was fun to read. The story goes into detail about the world, so it has a lot of potential. It also seems to be pretty consistent, also the plot armor is real. Don't expect closure with this series, but if you just want to see a badass MC chopping up people without being a wuss, this is a pretty good pick-up. Overall: 7 Would not reread though.