By Mitsuru Inoue and Suzuno. Released in Japan as “Isekai Teni Shite Kyoushi ni Natta ga, Majo to Osorerarete Iru Ken” by Earth Star Luna. Released in North America by J-Novel Club. Translated by Gierrlon Dunn.

I talked in my last book about how this book has an agenda when it comes to teaching, but I’m not entirely convinced that the agenda is “show people there’s a better way”. I don’t think anything that Aoi does in this book is something that can really be replicated in the real world, it works because Aoi is effectively omnipotent. Hell, even her non-magical way of thinking is suspect: at one point, she seems to seriously think that the best way to get shut-ins out of their rooms is to remove the door. Aoi is the best reason to read this book, but she’s a deadpan, a ditz, and OP, a very dangerous combination. What it leads to is a lot of stuff happening that will seemingly change the world, only because she’s the narrator the bulk of the book, the impression given is “and then I did this thing anyone could do if they were taught correctly”. She’s feared here.

I’ll have to leave it to experts as to whether the cover images have zettai ryoukai or if Aoi’s stockings make it ineligible, but the artist is certainly dedicated to showing off her hips and legs. In any case, the start of the book finishes off the Culture Festival, after a brief crisis – no one’s going to see the kids as the dwarves have taken over and are doing a sword demonstration. Aoi straightens that out, and then both the student’s lightning magic and her own fireworks go well. However, she then discovers that there’s a student who’s been a shut-in since she got there. He’s Solare, and he’s the grandson of the headmaster, but bullying and the crappy responses to dealing with bullying have made him not want to trust anyone. So it’s time for a world tour in which Aoi meets up with the bullies and makes them see what real power looks like.

This isn’t the first series to take on Japanese (yes, they’re elves, but look, it’s an obvious metaphor) bullying in schools. We see, but find it hard to sympathize with, Glen’s balancing act, as he tries to help his grandson while also trying to avoid starting a huge political war by just expelling everyone who participated in the bullying. We also see that a lot of the time the attitude of the bully is also held in their parent, making things even harder. Aoi’s solution for her own experience, alas, is one I’ve seen a great deal in anime, manga, and light novels – if you’re being bullied, the solution is to get stronger. It’s on you, not the bullies. I hate this solution, but there’s a reason it’s still a very popular one – it rocks the least boats. As for the rest of the book, it was pretty fun.

That said, this series is definitely not essential. If you’ve been reading it, you can keep doing so.