Ascendance of a Bookworm Season 1 Review

In this Christian Ascendance of a Bookworm Season 1 review, I will discuss the anime from a Christian perspective; we will also include a detailed parent guide.

Synopsis of Ascendance of a Bookworm Season 1

Urano Motosu is a bookworm who wants to spend her life surrounded by books. After her unexpected death due to an avalanche of books, she reincarnates as Myne in a fantasy world. Her new family is poor, and there are no books to be found anywhere.

Determined to spend her life surrounded by books, Myne decides to make books instead.

But in a world without paper, how will she accomplish this?

Ascendance of a Bookworm Season 1 Review (Christian Perspective)

Ascendance of a Bookworm, also known as Honzuki no Gekokujou, is my absolute favorite anime and light novel series. It’s light, fluffy, and wholesome.

Ascendance of a Bookworm Season 1 is based on the franchise by Miya Kazuki and adapts the first part of the light novel series, which was originally a web novel.

It is one of the cleanest anime I have ever watched. However, it’s not for kids—when I say clean, I mean clean from a preteen/teen/adult perspective.

There are, of course, some content flags, especially within the world’s mythology, but it is wholesome, light, and one that, when I have kids, I would consider showing them as maybe preteens.

Ascendance of a Bookworm Season 1 English Dub Cast

The English dub cast of Ascendance of a Bookworm Season 1 stars Reba Buhr (Tower of god*, Violet Evergarden) as Myne.

Other voices include Jeannie Tirado (The Promised Neverland, Tower of god*) as Lutz, Xander Mobus (The Rising of the Shield Hero) as Benno, Armen Taylor as Ferdinand, and Lisa Reimold (Lycoris Recoil, The Rising of the Shield Hero) as Tuuli. They all do an exceptional job.

For a full list of the Ascendance of a Bookworm English dub cast, click here.

*I purposefully put “god” in lowercase to clarify between the title and the God of the Bible.

Isekai & Reincarnation in Ascendance of a Bookworm Season 1

Ascendance of a Bookworm is considered an isekai, a type of narrative in which a person from one world ends up in another—whether it’s through rebirth, death, or even just transportation. The isekai concept isn’t specific to Japan—many Western stories are technically isekai, including A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court by Mark Twain.

Urano Motosu was a Japanese girl before she died and was reincarnated as Myne, a girl in a fantasy world. Urano, therefore, is “isekied” by reincarnation and takes over Myne’s body—unintentionally. Ascendance of a Bookworm Season 1 doesn’t elaborate on who—or what—caused Myne to be reincarnated. Before she died as Urano, she did pray to “god” but, as of Season 1, it’s still unclear what exactly caused her reincarnation.

Reincarnation is not aligned with a Christian worldview; after we die, we either live eternally with God or are eternally separated from Him.

According to GotQuestions:

The concept of reincarnation, in any of its forms, is completely without foundation in the Bible. The truth is that we die once and then face judgment (Hebrews 9:27). The Bible never even remotely suggests that people have a second chance at life or that they can come back as different people or animals. Reincarnation has been a popular belief for thousands of years, but it has never been accepted by Christians or followers of Judaism because it is contradictory to Scripture. (source)

Because Christianity does not support the idea of reincarnation, it may make some Christians wary of isekais. Thankfully, although reincarnation is the way Urano becomes Myne, it’s not dwelled upon. It is a plot device that explains why Myne is so obsessed with books in a world where books are only for the rich. The vast majority of Season 1 follows her book-making journey.

So, is reincarnation enough to keep Christians away from Ascendance of a Bookworm? If you’re convicted about it, you can absolutely abstain. However, the story does not dwell on reincarnation.

Other examples of isekais I’ve reviewed are Didn’t I Say to Make My Abilities Average in the Next Life?!, (which also involves reincarnation) and Saving 80,000 Gold in Another World for my Retirement (which does not involve reincarnation).

Magic and Spirituality in Ascendance of a Bookworm Season 1

Ascendance of a Bookworm Season 1 establishes the groundwork for future seasons of the anime. Ehrenfest, the country that Myne lives in, is filled with magic, but the full scope of the world’s magic is not revealed in Season 1. However, the anime’s first season introduces a few different forms of magic:

1. *Spoiler* Magic Artifacts: These take out excess mana from your body, and it’s a way for people with the Devouring, like Myne, to survive.

2. *Spoiler* Mana: Mana is the magic power people have. Although we do not fully understand it yet based on Season 1, we do learn that the Devouring—the sickness Myne has—is caused by having too much mana. Usually, only nobles have mana, but occasionally a commoner will be born with it too. Usually they will die because in most cases they do not have access to the magical tools/artifacts that save you.

3. Contract Magic: A way that people protect their interests when making business deals. To use contract magic, people use special tools and even prick their finger to use a bit of blood to sign. There are also guild cards that help with business as well. These also take your blood and serve as a credit card.

Let’s also talk about the blood pricking for a minute. Out of everything in Ascendance of a Bookworm Season 1, this is one of the most uncomfortable things for me. I do not like the idea of using blood to sign anything, even contracts. The story does not frame it as occult; it’s just how the world works, and it’s how you give a signature. Thankfully, it only happens a few times in the season, and eventually *spoiler for the light novels* we learn that only commoners do this due to their lack of mana.

Magic isn’t going anywhere; it’s going to become more prevalent as time goes on. If you’re sensitive to fantasy magic or had an issue with the magic in Season 1, you might want to switch to a different anime.

Lutz: A Loyal Friend

Lutz is extremely loyal to Myne. He goes along with her frequent and often outrageous ideas and wants to help her achieve her goals.

I think this photo encompasses Lutz’s loyal and helpful spirit very well:

Lutz’s own goal in life—to travel outside of the city—is something that he will likely achieve because of his partnership with Myne. He does the physical labor since she is physically weak, monitors her health, and expresses that her survival is more important than his own. He’s always there to help her.

Ascendance of a Bookworm might not be directly a Christian story, but Lutz reminds me of Proverbs 18:24 (ESV) which mentions “a friend who sticks closer than a brother.” Lutz is like this. He stays loyal no matter what comes their way.

Their relationship is very sibling oriented, too. Although there are sometimes small hints of potential romance between them (like Lutz complimenting how Myne looks, or him blushing), their relationship in Season 1 is very wholesome and platonic.

Mistresses and Concubines in Ascendance of a Bookworm Season 1

One of the other off-putting parts about Ascendance of a Bookworm Season 1 for Christians is Frieda’s decision to become a noble’s concubine. She’s seven, which is a very, very young age to be thinking about this.

However, although I don’t think it’s a good idea for children to plan a life of concubinage, it’s important to realize a few key things.

1. The world is a fantasy world very disconnected from our own. The children are much more mature, and they have lots of responsibility from a young age. For example, Lutz—at age 5—is expected to go to the forest with the other children to collect firewood and other helpful things for his family. Tuuli, before her baptism (at the age of 7), also goes to the forest.
2. Frieda doesn’t feel like she has a better choice—and with how the world is run, she unfortunately doesn’t. She’s making a desperate attempt to survive, and she will actually die from her Devouring (a sickness that requires the magic tools of a noble to survive) without this agreement. From her perspective, she’d rather live on. Myne, however, despite having the same illness, believes that staying with her family is a better choice.
3. Frieda plans to become a concubine when she comes of age. Not before. She will be, in the eyes of their world, an adult when this happens.

None of this makes it “okay,” but it’s important to frame the story properly and come to an understanding of their worldview before jumping to conclusions. The story uses this to reveal the desperation that those with the Devouring feel.

Myne’s Creativity and Selfishness *Minor Spoilers*

Myne is extremely creative. Because she read a lot (and had a mother in Japan who loved to do random crafts) Myne has a lot of random skills and knowledge. In just Season 1, she introduces the world to Simple All-in-One Shampoo, also known as AIO Shampoo (or Rinsham in the books), hair ornaments, paru cakes, and starts on her bookmaking journey among other things, too.

These improvements are often for her own benefit (she makes shampoo because she feels dirty, and attempts to make books because she wants to), but sometimes her ideas are for the benefit of others. She makes Tuuli a hair ornament because she wants to, for example.

Her selfishness (something Beneath the Tangles also acknowledges in their light novel recommendations list) is one of her biggest vices, and she prioritizes books above everything, even family—at least at first. As she grows and matures, she starts to realize how special her family is, and even chooses them over books.

She’s still completely driven by books, but just in a single season, she’s realized how special relationships with others can be.

Myne: Hard Work

Myne works extremely hard towards her goal of making books. Lutz, her best friend, works even harder to make her dreams come true. Both are driven characters who strive to improve their lives.

Myne’s hard work was the topic of one of my devotionals in Finding God in Anime Volume 3. I was blessed to be a contributor, and if you want to read more, I highly recommend checking out the devotional.

Myne’s Deception

Another key issue to highlight is Myne’s deception. When she reincarnates as Myne, she gains Myne’s memories and body, but mentally she still remains Urano Motosu. She doesn’t willingly divulge her secret of coming from another world, and in some ways, it’s hard to blame her. Who would believe that she’s not Myne? How would her new world react to a claim like that?

*Spoiler* And, this causes strain between her and Lutz at first. Lutz asks Myne who she really is, and she eventually admits her secret to him. He chooses to accept her regardless, realizing that the majority of his memories of Myne are with Urano. Their friendship is restored after this.

However, it still brings up many moral questions. Should she have told her family about the change? From the perspective of what’s best for the story, I say no, but from a Biblical standpoint, I wonder if she should have been more upfront with people.

---

FAQs for Ascendance of a Bookworm Season 1

---

Conclusion: Ascendance of a Bookworm Season 1 Review

Overall, Ascendance of a Bookworm Season 1 is one of the cleanest fantasy anime I’ve seen, though Christian viewers should be aware of its reincarnation premise and fantasy magic elements, as well as the discussion of children becoming future concubines.

Always prescreen if you’re considering the show for your children—especially if they are under the age of 10. However, the anime is best for preteens, teens, and adults, but that doesn’t mean it’s right for everyone in that age group.

Always evaluate media through Scripture.

To read our Ascendance of a Bookworm Season 2 review, click here.

---

Ascendance of a Bookworm Season 1 Content Guide

Sexual Content and Nudity in Ascendance of a Bookworm Season 1

• Lutz and Myne hold hands, touch, etc. on multiple occasions; it’s not romantic or sexual at all—they are great friends who support one another.
• Normal displays of familial affection.
• Characters carry Myne at times due to her illness.
• Corinna has cleavage and a large bust. Most characters, however, dress extremely modestly.
• On a couple of occasions, the camera angle is low enough to show a person’s crotch. They are clothed, however. One example is when a character is clenching their fist, but it just so happens that it’s at the same level as their crotch.
• Myne’s baptism outfit shows her shoulders.
• Myne’s father grabs her to change her clothes; this makes her a bit uncomfortable because she doesn’t really know him (since she was reincarnated). It is not sexual at all.
• Myne’s family has a small house, and one bedroom due to poverty. They have two beds right next to one another and all sleep together.
• Five-year-old Myne is shown getting wiped down. She is shirtless, but her front is covered with a cloth.
• During the Season 1 credits, there is a brief image of a nude female figure. The character is depicted as a solid black silhouette rather than a realistic skin tone, but the outline clearly shows a bottom. It’s not explicit or in a sexual context. It most likely represents Myne (who is between the ages of five-seven in this season).
• Myne compliments Lutz and he blushes.
• Myne comments that a young boy has “Hots for my sister.”
• A young boy smells Tuuli’s hair and compliments its scent; she blushes. Then, Lutz sniffs Myne’s hair and compliments her looks. Myne turns red and it looks like she has a nosebleed.
• Mesopotamian characters shown in extra-cartoonish form; they are shirtless.
• On a couple of occasions (including, but not necessarily limited to Episodes 5, 8, and 11), Myne is shown without a shirt. However, it’s basically shoulder up/just below the shoulder up.
• Myne washes Lutz’s hair.
• Mr. Otto claims that he is “grooming” Myne to be his assistant “by teaching her how to read and write.” Though the phrasing is a bit odd, nothing sexual or problematic is meant by it.
• Benno touches Myne’s hair and also ruffles her hair (a bit roughly), checks her forehead, carries her, etc. Benno is a fatherly figure to Myne.
• In Episode 6, Myne helps Corinna, Otto’s beloved wife, wash her hair with her homemade shampoo. She shows Otto and she looks very nice and her breasts are very apparent. Otto quickly rushes Myne out.
• In Episode 10, children are shown shirtless while wiping down for cleanliness. Not detailed.
• In Episode 11, Myne is encouraged to “co[me] to an agreement with a noble” in order to survive her illness. This involves “work[ing] exclusively for them.” Frieda, Myne’s friend who is around her age, also suffers from the same illness, already has an agreement. She will, “after [her] coming of age ceremony” become his concubine/mistress. Myne decides not to do this.
• In Episode 11, two children take a bath. You can just see their chest.
• Myne learns that Mr. Benno is a bachelor and that his love died. Myne pats his head.
• Lutz blushes when he sees Myne.
• Lutz compliments Myne, allegedly having difficulty speaking because of how “cute” she is.
• When Lutz and Myne enter the cathedral for their baptism, onlookers comment about how “it’s like watching a little wedding.”
• Myne and Ferdinand touch hands, he puts his hand on her shoulder, and catches her. He also touches her head. Not romantic/sexual.

Language in Ascendance of a Bookworm Season 1

• “D*mn those lucky nobles”/”Too d*mn nice.”
• Been an absolute hell/What the hell was that/hell/The hell with that/What the hell/Have hell to pay/Probably catch a lot of hell from his parents.
• How the heck/what the heck about 3-4 times.
• Crap x2, Oh crap x3
• Darn x2
• Goodness/oh my goodness/thank Goodness x3
• Oh bother.
• Sucks.
• “This place stinks.”
• “You meanie.”
• Grumpuss.
• Foolish girl.
• “Stupid smelly overbearing old man.”
• “He’s such a pain.”
• “I swear.” x2
• Weird strangers.
• “Don’t rush into anything stupid.” / “Don’t do anything stupid.” and other mentions of stupid
• Stupid lucky nobles.
• “Cold despicable merchants.”
• Reckless young lass
• “Stingy old fart” and other versions of “old fart” used frequently in eps 9 and in eps 10-12 a bit less frequently.
• Idiot
• Just who the devil are you?
• Dumb fever.
• Treacherous hyenas.
• Good grief
• Moron.
• Thoughtless nitwit.
• Shut up x2
• Knaves.
• Insolent parents.
• Peasant scum
• Cutpurse.
• Rotten luck.
• Weirdos/weird
• Goofs

Violence and Gore in Ascendance of a Bookworm Season 1

• Characters kill a pig. A decent amount of blood is visible.
• Tuuli’s hands are red due to the cold.
• Myne (in an extra cartoonish form) beats up her dad (just a cutscene emphasizing her frustration; in reality she doesn’t actually hurt him).
• Characters use knives for foraging and slicing plants/wood.
• A character thinks someone is going to kill him (figuratively).
• Some children fight a plant with knives.
• A cutscene depicts a sword and discusses a “purge” of nobility.
• Characters flick people, ruffle heads a bit roughly, and do other things similar to this. This doesn’t permanently harm anyone and it’s more playful//frustration than anything.
•  In a scene, Myne’s father fights some priests. He kicks, hits and attacks.
• A character says “To the guillotine with you” and says something about a “dog’s death.”
• Myne chokes the High Priest (known as the High Bishop in the light novels). She goes a bit crazy with her mana, and has rainbow eyes. The priest turns purple. She nearly kills him; he foams at the mouth and passes out.
• Myne also hurts the Head Priest (known as the High Priest in the light novels) and causes him to bleed a bit.
•  A character bumps into Lutz’s mom. She gets mad and uses her basket as a weapon.
  

Frightening Scenes & Intensity in Ascendance of a Bookworm Season 1

• Myne is very sickly and faints (or falls) often, and sometimes she is on the verge of death. She is also often bedridden and gets frequent fevers. This might be intense for some viewers.
• Books shown falling; the implication is that they crush a person to death.
• Myne struggles to breathe; the moment when she is reincarnated as Myne may be intense for some viewers.
• Dead animals shown hanging in the market. Someone goes to chop an animal and Myne faints.
• Myne’s mother gets mad and yells.
• Myne gets extremely angry after her friends destroy her clay tablets. Her anger might be intense for some viewers.
• Myne nearly loses heart and almost gives in and disappears. (It’s basically suicidal ideation).
• A character says that another character might die soon.
• A character becomes a bit creepy as he talks about the Devouring (an illness).
• Myne dreams that everyone is going after her/grabbing her, and dreams about creepy hands.
• Characters fight a weird, dangerous plant. This could be intense for some viewers.
• Myne often thinks about how she could “just disappear” and let the fever take her.
• A character gets knocked back by an invisible barrier; they want to pass through it.
• Myne attacks people to protect her family. The way she acts is a bit creepy and off-putting; it’s not how she normally acts.
• Myne imagines a scary version of herself.
• Myne sometimes appears dead/as a corpse, etc.
  

Substances in Ascendance of a Bookworm Season 1

• Gunther drinks on multiple occasions.
• A drink in a wine glass is used for going through someone’s mind.
• Wine steamed chicken mentioned.
• Myne’s dad shown drinking alone while in an emotional state.
• Gunther visits a tavern with Otto.

Spiritual Concerns in Ascendance of a Bookworm Season 1

• Urano Motosu dies and is reincarnated as Myne, a sickly five year old in a fantasy world. She has her own memories as well as Myne’s.
• The world is polytheistic, and there is a religion (that’s not Christian) with rituals and customs.
• Magic items used on multiple occasions. Examples include a grail for mana and a device that allows one to experience someone’s thoughts.
• Characters have mana (magic). *Spoiler* Only the nobility is supposed to have it, but occasionally a commoner does, too. Excess mana makes one very sick and needs to be taken out via a magic item, or else characters may die. Myne has this illness, known as the Devouring, but she doesn’t know fully what it is throughout most of the season.
• Urano prays and says “Oh God,” and prays that her “next life” is “filled with all kinds of books.”
• The fantasy world has a religion. At the age of 7, children are baptized by visiting a cathedral, getting their citizenship, and hearing a religious story and “praying” to their gods.
• Books and paper shown with halos and wings. They fly away.
• Mention of lucky/luck/fate on multiple occasions.
• A character feels like she’s “been cursed.”
• Mention of muse.
• Myne’s mother, Effa (also known as Eva) tells a story about stars who loved coming down to earth.
•  Corinna, a renowned seamstress, is Tuuli’s idol.
• Contract magic appears, and in order to use it, the parties involved have to prick their fingers for some blood to sign with. The contract, after it’s signed, disappears.
• Cartoon Myne shown with a wand.
• Mana (magic) used.
• A magic item is used to get inside The Merchant’s Guild.
• Finger pricking for registering a magic item (guild card).
• A character says “Don’t lose the drive in your heart.”
• Myne tells the Devouring (her illness) to stay away. She mentally stuffs it in a box and shuts the lid on it.
•  If someone were to break contract magic, they could lose their lives.
• Myne convinces her and Lutz’s families to help them make hairpins by using “magic” and “casting a magic spell” on them by showing them money that they’d earn. It’s just a figure of speech.
• Myne is shown dressed as a witch.
•  “All hail Master Benno” said.
• Magic items are used to help those with the Devouring.
• Characters use spiritual language like saying “Goddess of sprouts” “Angelic messenger” as descriptors, “Blessed be….goddess of spring” as a Merchant’s greeting, calling a library a “god given paradise on earth,” saying “The gods decided this was my punishment for letting the high priest antagonize you,” “In the name of the gods,” etc.
• In order to get citizenship, your blood has to be taken (similar to how magic contracts or guild cards are done).
•  The ceremony in the cathedral for Myne’s baptism involves telling the children about the “gods who created the world” and showing the kids how to worship. It involves poses and saying “I offer prayers to the gods.” Myne finds the poses funny because they remind her of things from Japan.
•  Myne wants to join the church because there’s a library.
• The High Priest (known as High Bishop in the light novels) wants a donation from Myne in order to allow her to join the church.
• Myne prays and then collapses.
• Myne touches a magical artifact.
• Mana can affect the size of the harvest.
• *Spoiler* Myne learns that mana and Devouring are connected. Raging fever is excess mana.
• Benno encourages Myne to “Forge an unbreakable pact with Lutz.” This involves magic contracts.
• A character mentions a spell.

Other Potential Concerns in Ascendance of a Bookworm Season 1

• A character steps in horse poo.
• A character sounds like he’s getting sick.

Photo Credit: Screenshot from Crunchyroll Youtube. Under fair use for review/commentary/education/criticism. All rights retained by owners.