Katahane no Riku

Description

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Riku Barusak is a hard-working child. Despite possessing an innate superior physical strength and having withstood harsh training she fails to unlock her talent as a spiritualist. The failure results in her being thrown away by her family.

Abandoned, the only ones that extended a hand to her were the demons, the greatest enemies of the human race. Serving under them as a soldier she becomes a weapon of human slaughter, a fiend that should never have existed.

Associated Names
One entry per line
Barusak Chronicles ~ Riku the One-Winged and Rook the Silver
One-Winged Riku ~ I'm from a clan of demon hunters, but I found employment with the Demon King Army ~
片翼のリク  ~退魔師の一族だけど、魔王軍に就職しました~
Related Series
N/A
Recommendations
The Girl Who Ate a Death God (6)
Demon Noble Girl ~Story of a Careless Demon~ (3)
Tower of Karma (2)
Dokuhakihime to Hoshi no Ishi (2)
The Girl Who Bore the Flame Ring (2)
Nigoru Hitomi de Nani wo Negau (2)
Recommendation Lists
  1. Female mc third part
  2. JP FMC Novels
  3. Villainous Protagonists
  4. scattered
  5. Good stuff

Latest Release

Date Group Release
04/13/16 StarryDawn Translations c65
04/12/16 StarryDawn Translations c64
04/12/16 StarryDawn Translations c63
04/10/16 StarryDawn Translations c62
04/09/16 StarryDawn Translations c61
04/07/16 StarryDawn Translations c60
04/06/16 StarryDawn Translations c59
04/05/16 StarryDawn Translations c58
04/04/16 StarryDawn Translations c57
04/03/16 StarryDawn Translations c56
04/02/16 StarryDawn Translations c55
04/01/16 StarryDawn Translations c54
04/01/16 StarryDawn Translations c53
03/30/16 StarryDawn Translations c52
03/29/16 StarryDawn Translations c51
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56 Reviews sorted by


FamishedPants
FamishedPants rated it
June 13, 2016
Status: c100
Despite there being an oddly large amount of reviews that praise the female MC as being likeable, go into Katahane no Riku expecting the exact opposite. Riku is a character who starts out sympathetic, but becomes so sadistic and selfish that I honestly can't see why anybody likes her at all now. Worst part is, Rika doesn't really develop after about 10-15 chapters in. She's more of a villain than Rook, her older brother than left her to die because "she wasn't cute enough".

Actually, for me, Rook is the... more>> reason I kept reading this LN and why I enjoyed it.

Whereas Rika just kinda stagnates and doesn't become any better over the course of the story, Rook is quite the opposite.

At first, Rook seems to be the standard cold-hearted genius. He seems to have a brilliant mind and is well-respected by every human (and known by many demons) for his natural talent. But this is not actually the case.
Spoiler

You see, Rook was a person who was born on an Earth similar to ours and died in college, only to be resurrected as a protagonist to a galge game he had played. Because of this, Rook is privy to how events should turn out and essentially knows the future. Unfortunately for him, he made the mistake of discarding a heroine (Rika) and that came back to bite him in the ass, as she began to alter the world and changed its course.

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Rook has a very believable change of character over the course of the 86 chapters I've read. He starts as that sick and selfish individual that you are supposed to hate, and a good part of the entertainment of this LN is reading about his defeats and how he keeps losing things close to him. But that is not the only reason he is in this story. Rook eventually begins to grow from his suffering, from an unlikeable prick to what you would expect a protagonist to act like. He first blames others for his mistakes. A heroine was too weak, that it wasn't his fault. But then he starts realizing that he has only himself to blame. His mistakes become his own and nobody else's, and he fully intends to pay for them.

Spoiler

Even when given the chance to restart, to make things right with a wish, he decides that he couldn't possibly do that. That he needed to fix things on his own

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Said event rocketed him to my favorite character of the LN, and though that wasn't particularly hard because I absolutely loathe the other MC, it still should be considered something important. It proved that Rook was, without a doubt, capable of becoming a good person. Rook did not become an entirely different person, either. For example, he is still shown to be scared of dying. He was also quick to believe that
Spoiler

Rika had suddenly forgiven him for no reason

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, showing that he is still Rook, and nobody else. He genuinely wants good from the world, he was just immature at the beginning, treating this life like a game.

I expect great things from Rook, and I hope that in later chapters Rika will prove to have a similar change like Rook.

Spoiler

I could actually see a Rook and Rika ending, given how much effort they have put into him

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. That being said, I could also see this ending horribly, too, but there's no way to tell until it happens, so I eagerly await every release.

EDIT:

11/15/18 - Was recently reminded that this novel existed and figured I should update this review just in case anybody is curious.

The ending is disappointing and feels rushed. It seems that the author just kinda wanted to leave this series as fast as possible.

Spoiler

It should be noted that yeah, Riku never improves as a character past like chapter 15 or so like previously mentioned. Worst yet, her entire reason for being is... poor. She has this undying loyalty to Leivein but the man did NOT have enough screen time to really make me feel like it was warranted. While he did pick her off the streets, he pretty much just lets her do whatever, goes into a coma for a large part of the novel, and then wakes up and yells at her. Her response is to go out of her way to save his life instead of obeying his orders, and then he orders her to live and passes away anyways.

Also, the Shinigami was basically pointless. He has I think 2 things he ever contributes to the story, and one could easily be replaced. Riku's reason for surviving the fall early on could literally just be that she was lucky. As for the second one, a big part of showing how Rook had matured was in the fact he declined the Shinigami's offer. I feel like this was the most important thing the Shinigami contributed to the story, but because he's so pointless otherwise, replacing that scene with something else and removing the Shinigami altogether would've probably been better.

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There was potential here that was never realized, but if you can slog through Riku's battles, there's an okay novel here. <<less
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whosays25
whosays25 rated it
April 1, 2016
Status: --
A great story, indeed. Although I sometimes hate how the female MC is so loyal to her benefactor (to the extent that she can't perceive how she was being treated as a thing), the loyalty factor is something I really like. The MC is strong and wise. The author has done a good job of writing an anti-hero story where the MC is so likable, even though the overall plot is dark and very serious. All that I can say is this story is a gem.
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Miriallia
Miriallia rated it
May 15, 2017
Status: c100
This is a rare story.

A story about betrayal, and not redemption in the truest sense. What should have happened was disrupted by the presence of those whom should not have been there. Never have I read a transmigration to a game story go this route where those that transmigrated simply... more>>
Spoiler

cause destruction and downfall, instead of solving all the problems, and fixing everything and everyone lives more or less happily ever after.

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If anything It's a story that focuses on some of the darker aspects of humanity and in a sense, could be said to be a critique towards the way otaku's think. What should have been a paradise wasn't, but exactly that is what causes the journey to be so amazing. A badass MC pursuing her wishes earnestly and without hesitation, taking time to enjoy herself when she has the oppotunity, but when she can't she is as efficient as possible.

Spoiler

As the story goes on, whilst many comment that there isn't much in the form of character development, I can only disagree. Sinking further and further into insanity before finally being freed from the chains that bound her without her entire personality changing is a masterstroke of character building. Individuals don't simply change on a dime, nor over a short period of time. Those with conviction even more so.

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If you enjoy revenge novels and dislike the longevity of suffering that the MC tends to have to go through before finally getting revenge, then this is about the closest you might get to perfection in a way that feels authentic.

I can only wholeheartedly recommend it to those whom might be looking for something new.

Edit:

It is true as others have mentioned, the female lead here, Riku, doesnt grow much as a character, however, that doesn't mean she is a badly made character at all, in fact:

Spoiler

The fact that she doesn't have significant character development (in the sense that she doesnt magically become good nor does she break free from her fanatic devotion to Leivein) later in the story isn't at all a bad thing. She serves not only as a contrast to the male lead, but as someone who helps make it painfully clear that the world they are in is not a game anymore. She is a lens in which we learn of the other side and, within the first 15 chapters she finds what she wants, and fanatically clings to it. One might wonder if her contract to the shinigami also bound her to her state, for if one thing is certain, then its that at the end of the story, she still has a place she can feel at home.

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I really do like how Riku is, and it was with glee I saw her tear apart the insanity of certain characters actions. It made her seem like a voice of reason, which makes this a fun read for those that enjoy reading:

Spoiler

how the piece of sh*t male lead has his harem picked off one by one with him mentally being torn asunder and confused by his own ineptitude. Sure, he later comes to realize the of his ways and has the courage to not restart and "fix" everything. But by that point its too late. Its just so satisfying to see that in a world of war, hyprocritically spouting worlds of peace and preaching modern ideals leads to the ML and his harem being curbstomped.

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Abhieghail
Abhieghail rated it
September 29, 2017
Status: c100
First point: so what if people say Riku's character did not develop? It isn't important! Why? Because her character is designed to be a 'flat character', the one who stays with the same conviction until the very end! It is different from Rook's because Rook is designed to be a 'round character', the one who changes throughout the story! The author decided to have two main focus that are polar opposites of each other. In novels, there are different types of character and apparently the author chose to have the... more>> flat and round ones. (Urgghh. This is simple and basic character types I learned from my theater class)

Second point: The plot is not cliche! Well done! A great reversal from the usual reincarnation tropes. Riku is not op. There are times she's being subjected to difficult situations and gets help from others.

Third point: Realistic! Of course there is no f*ck*ng way things will happen like the way you thought it would be. (This is for Rook) because he did not treat his second life seriously he f*ck*d up. The ending too. It might look rushed because of how short the end after

Spoiler

levain died

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but it is the most realistic.

Spoiler

think of it. The most precious person for her told her to live on. She always put him above anything. As his last order, of course she would follow it to the very end. Can you imagine how his last words weigh to her?

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This novel brought me to a roller coaster of emotions. Kudos! <<less
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rdawv
rdawv rated it
March 20, 2016
Status: --
Review as of Ch.41.

I truly did not expect to find this gem. I got the gist of the story from the synopsis but once I understood the underlying concept, I was hooked.

This is a story about two main characters, a pair of sister and brother siblings in an influential family in a world where humans and demons are in constant war. But this isn’t your regular fantasy, as both siblings are actually reincarnators who found themselves reborn in a game setting; unaware of each other’s circumstances.

The main lead is... more>> the sister, Riku who had tremendous physical strength but zero spiritual potential. The younger brother Rook on the other hand had full memories of playing the game and thus became known as the genius of the family.

While Rook lived his life as if he was still playing the game using a harem route walkthrough, Riku was abandoned and left to die. Rescued by a shinigami spirit, she traded the soul of her previous life in exchange for survival, losing her memories of that life in the process. That is how she wound up joining the military of the demons, swearing allegiance to the charismatic captain of the unit (and having a crush on him). The two siblings, now separated and strangers to each other; now found themselves being at the forefront of their respective factions. Years passed and Riku’s destabilizing influence slowly unravels all of Rook’s preconceptions of a perfect harem game...

Making the entire scenario more intriguing are the fact that there those who are aware of and interested in “previous lives”. Not to mention the ambitious, prideful father of the siblings, the one who had personally threw Riku off to die is still up and about. Then there is Raku, the eldest sister who is trying to pull strings of her own.

The combat and warfare described are quite effective. A reader might think of Riku as a female Lu Bu with red hair from the video game Dynasty Warriors, cutting a swath of destruction with every swing of her halberd. Some of the battles made me wonder if the author had an interest in Chinese history as there are pieces that evoked my memories of it.

Battle description spoilers:

Spoiler

The battle where Riku unleashed a charge of pigs that were set on fire reminded me of Tian Dan’s Fire Bull Columns during the Warring States period, while her swift actions in suppressing an attempted plot of fire and confusion to open the gates reminded me of Zhang Liao of the Three Kingdoms.

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The writing and characterization is excellent. We get to read about Riku’s becoming dispassionate about her fellow human beings and her thirst for revenge, while we get to see how Rook had thought it was still all a game until suffering unexpected heavy losses. There is Riku’s crush on her demon superior, while Rook has apparently real (if initially superficial) feelings for his harem and has dreams of an ideal world.

Readers should persevere with the rough early chapters, the story improves very quickly once the setting is established. Almost every chapter is action-packed.

The translator is doing a good job, though would benefit from an editor to catch the minor mistakes here and there.

This is a very dark story, not shy with the gore and killing off named characters. I highly recommend this to fans of Overlord, and hopefully future chapters are able to meet my high expectations. <<less
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Johnmcclane2016
Johnmcclane2016 rated it
April 5, 2017
Status: v1c31
I don't like this novel

It started out promising but then the MC started becoming someone's lapdog, like the usual side characters that fall in love with the protagonist in harem novels.

Let me explain
... more>>
Spoiler

The main character Riku is a girl from one of the main demon killing families, like a lot of reincarnation stories do is that they place the soul of someone who died in the modern era and place it in an outcast/sickly from another world so this happens but riku decides to sell that soul to a shinigami (think deathnote) to find a place where she ''belongs'', naturally after her father decides to throw her off a cliff because she couldn't awaken the family's demon killing power.

So she washes ashore near a city and tries to find a job lady lady lada she gets chased she runs into a demon who saves her and asks her for her true name (which basically means that she becomes his s*ave) because he thinks that she could be useful.

then she becomes happy because now she has a place to stay and that's pretty much it for her character progression. Now she's just like one of those side characters in a harem that is willing to do whatever possible to serve the protagonist which is in this case a side character.

Another reason for hating this novel is because the author makes fun of the side characters that blindly and for no good reason fall in love with the MC trope but then the author thinks that it's a great idea to make the MC like that.

I think that this story had huge potential but the author just couldn't grasp it

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darkseven
darkseven
December 18, 2016
Status: c98
Pros:
* Strong female protagonist
* Not insanely lucky like other protagonists.
* Well written, well translated.
Cons:
* No character development. Essentially every character sticks to their initial motivations for the entirety of the plot. Though honestly I still rate this 5 stars because its short enough I don't feel like the lack of development overly harms the plot.
* Last two chapters are not translated at all and the translator has been away for months.
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Fantasy-Magician
Fantasy-Magician rated it
June 16, 2017
Status: c100
First of all... take FamishedPants' advice on starting to read this story with no expectation that Riku (The main character) is a good person or sympathetic in the long run. The main character is a broken person because she is abandoned cruelly by her family and the brother who could have helped her did not because she is 'not cute enough and weak' so even though her benefactor isn't a good person and not so caring to her she clung to the fact he 'needs' her.

Riku's character design is not... more>> meant to be sympathetic in the first place I think, but portraying a different take of reincarnation plot. Riku isn't using real world knowledge to improve anything and she has no cheat abilities either. She is however... a butterfly effect from careless action of Rook (The canon MC of the game world) where the world in the end is real and no game like he thinks. Ironically, it's this frivolous brother who get more character development than Riku.

The plot spiraled downwards as Riku without mercy killed 'heroines' one by one. Noted that she didn't seek them out for revenge but simply because they're her enemies. She is only vengeful to select few especially her father. She didn't forgive anyone, this characterization isn't sympathetic but realistic for a broken girl in her situation. Her benefactor doesn't value her so much but she is fine with it simply because she is loyal and not dumb. It's perhaps touch the nerve of some, but since the beginning of her relationship with said benefactor it's very clearly one sided and tragic.

Character wise, this series did an amazing job especially how the author dives into some typical portrayal in this love SIM games and how in 'reality' it's not acceptable such as demon princess who was easily swayed to fall in love with protagonist and abandoning her duty as a regent. Which is not okay at all to her people when her allegiance is swayed.

The plot however... too many death in a sense the protagonist Riku seems to be fated to kill all heroines siding with Rook. So it get predictable for a while. <<less
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Shiraori_
Shiraori_ rated it
August 14, 2017
Status: c100
Revenge plots can often be very hit or miss. They take hold of and use, sometimes cheaply and ineffectively, humans' very visceral emotion of wanting to do unto others what has been done to them, and more. While they can easily be done badly through lazy writing and a general lack of focus on developing characters with varying views on morality and motivations, they can also be done rather well, even without such complexity, by just having a solid foundation and relying on the strength of its main characters.

Vague, general... more>> spoilers on the main character (s). If you want to know what kind of characters they are ahead of time, feel free to read this part of the review.

Spoiler

Katahane no Riku focuses essentially on two protagonists, rather than a villain and a protagonist. Or perhaps, you could say that the positions are reversed in this scenario, to an extent. Riku, the titular character, having been discarded and putting herself through hell to get revenge on those who cast her away becomes essentially a psychopathic mu*derer who only ever had on her mind trying to appeal to her benefactor, who is blatantly throughout the story trying to use her. She kills without remorse and tortures the people who have wronged her. While Riku is the person who is seeking revenge, she also isn't someone you're supposed to entirely sympathize with. She's a robotic killing machine that doesn't really develop at all throughout the story. Apart from her obviously having the makings and personality of any villain, she's otherwise an intelligent, strong, driven individual that while often driven by rage, is capable of not flying into uncontrollable rage.

The only person who really goes through any character development is Rook, Riku's sister and the protagonist of the game the world is based on, whom also possesses memories of said game world. Basically, while he is the villain of Riku's story, he is the protagonist of every other game reincarnation Isekai story in existence. The difference however is that Rook doesn't solve everything magically with his knowledge of the game, and instead constantly ends up f*cking up the lives of everyone around him, suffering failure after failure. He goes through all the stages of grief. From denial, putting blame on others, to seeking revenge, and eventually, determination to fix his wrongs. He starts idealistic and even sticks to his ideals to the end, and suffers many hardships throughout the story. He has literally all the makings of any standard heroic tale, yet is not the main protagonist. Hence, why I said there are two main protagonists, or perhaps the situation is reversed, as Riku having killed everyone and taking everything Rook knows from him, is his story's villain.

In a way, Riku and Rook are polar opposites. Riku is someone who won't hesitate to kill anyone necessary, and she won't let anything resembling ideals cloud her judgment. She's always on her guard and has long since abandoned her naivety. On the other side of spectrum, you have Rook, who sticks to his ideals, hesitates to kill anyone, even his enemies that are trying to kill him, and is naive to an almost infuriating extent. Riku has strong enough discipline to not step out of line when provoked, most of the time, whereas Rook has no such disposition.

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Characters aside, let's talk about the general story, what to expect, and the pros and cons of it all.
    • Expect an emphasis on large scale war and tactics in skirmishes. While battles between individuals are indeed present, many of the major arcs and events are large scale wars lead by commanders.
    • Riku is indeed a very powerful soldier, one capable of fighting large groups of spiritualists without breaking a sweat, but she's not so overpowered that there is no tension whatsoever. While she can mow through hordes of enemies, since the majority of battles are large wars, she has a limit to her stamina just like anyone else and will eventually collapse or start getting weaker the longer she's in action. Characters will die rather unceremoniously throughout the story and also suffer permanent injuries. There is no convenient instant healing magic in this world. There is also never the feeling that Riku is so unmatched that she can defeat anyone. She can't.
    • While the story is indeed based on the game, there aren't any game elements to speak of at all. The only reason it being a game is relevant is it ties into Rook's story and he uses it as a reference for how he lives his life. Otherwise, this seems like a fantasy world and not literally just a game.
    • The tone of the story in general is very dark, though, at least to me, it never quite drifts into edgy territory. To me, just being grimdark and dealing with death and war doesn't make something "edgy, " things become edgy when it becomes unnecessarily, gratuitously gruesome to the point that it's excessive, unrealistic, or inadvertently hilarious. Katahane no Riku is a dark story with a lot of death and suffering, but it (to me) it never overextended. Some specific examples:

        • Spoiler

          Riku is someone that will readily torture someone brutally and laugh maniacally like a crazy person but it's already been established that she's f*cking insane and everyone in the army fears her accordingly. Some other stories like to act like the protagonist seeking revenge is some paragon of morality that's just doing the right thing, or even just someone who you as the audience is supposed to root for because "the enemy is just more awful than the protagonist is, so they had it coming, " and that to me just makes things really hammy and difficult to take seriously. Usually it's like that, but here, Riku is just an insane, mu*derous psychopath. The story and characters itself acknowledge it, and so //should// the readers.

          [collapse]
        • Spoiler

          Riku may be a mu*derous maniac that lost her sanity and humanity long ago, but she never does anything truly, completely edgy. She'll use her position and power to keep people in line and essentially rules those below her with fear, but she never kills allies or innocents unnecessarily, and at the end of the day, the actions she takes are her responsibility as a soldier in an army. A belief that she holds that will often be brought up by her is: "If you step on the battlefield, you should be prepared to die, " hence, she kills without hesitation. She isn't "evil for evil's sake."

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    • The demon and human side are constantly conducting espionage and spying on one another, to an extent that every time a new character comes in you can't really trust them. This creates a sort of constant feeling of tension, not knowing whether someone has been with a certain faction the entire time or if they joined at some point, or what have you. There's a lot of betrayal and foul play.
    • Morality is albeit incredibly black and white, yet it's not entirely hamfisted with its execution either.
And now, some cons:

    • As I've stated previously, the only one who really goes through any character development is Rook. Everyone else just kind of remains the same.
    • The discrimination between demons and humans is believable, considering humankind has basically been indoctrinated over centuries to do so, but at times it can be a bit excessive. People are so blinded by hatred for demons that it feels almost forced at times. This is the one thing that makes things get close to edgy territory.
    • To add to the above, since this is sort of on a similar note, literally everyone in this story is a shitty person to some varying degree. It's kind of ridiculous and gets close to breaking my suspension of disbelief with how shitty everyone in this entire story is. There is maybe one person that I thought was a consistently decent person, but even they have had little screentime and ended up wronging someone at some point.
    • Death flags for some characters are a bit too blatantly obvious almost every time. Sometimes death comes unexpectedly, but most of the times it's telegraphed pretty well.
    • I've mentioned prior that deaths come suddenly and unceremoniously oftentimes. While I think this approach can be good to an extent, I'd also consider it a con. Not everyone has to have an extravagant, long, heavily monologued death scene, but at the same time having someone's death just glossed over in a few sentences or paragraphs can be really annoying at times, even if that's usually because it's in the middle of a war so they can't stop to do something like that, but especially if it's someone who's had a lot of screentime or has been an important character until then, it's frustrating. The result is that while the tension of death of characters is omnipresent, the impact of most of these deaths tends to be a bit subdued.
    • The Shinigami character is awful and shouldn't be in the story.
Overall, I think this is a pretty well-written revenge story. I've read a lot of revenge stories but this is the first one I've actually genuinely enjoyed unironically. Usually I read stuff like this as guilty pleasures or to laugh at them, but I much enjoyed following this story to the very end. It perfectly skirted the line between just the right amount of edginess and too much. Two of the main characters are very good, the descriptions have the right amount of detail, the translation quality is above adequacy, and the pacing is solid. A very solid read all the way through. <<less
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Kumarae
Kumarae rated it
March 30, 2017
Status: c98
Just want to comment since I often see many leave message that some people don't like Riku because she become too villain or nonhero.

This storyline really good see powerful human female in demon army battle with human army. Its really show develop of strong female character.

Be honest, I'm so proud that author keep that way show Riku as villain because of she has experience go through to where she current at. I truly love this story because I finally see MC Female that give no sh*t and she... more>> know she is not hero at all.

If you expect to read MC female as hero after betrayed by her family and many more. Sorry its not fluffy hero kind. I'm sick of many author don't development villain kind female after she experience.

Plus... there are reason why she prefer that way.
Spoiler

She decided to follow person who save her life even he has plan for her in future. Plus she already lost respect to her people treat sh*t to their own people. So she decided to follow what she loyal to and so what if she become not hero in people eyes!

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darcknightgg
darcknightgg rated it
April 3, 2018
Status: Completed
The story was disappointing. It initially starts off with an interesting premise with the development of Riku as a character, but then the story just ends up not progressing anywhere interesting.

The story itself was alright, but the greatest issue was definitely Riku's development. After the initial few chapters, her character doesn't progress at all. Her character remains as stale and one dimensional throughout the entire story afterwards, and it honestly just frustrated me, especially near the end, that even given the conflicts she doesn't progress or develop in any meaningful... more>> way. Speaking of the end, the story just seems to fall apart in the last few chapters, with a very disappointing and anticlimactic ending (especially given the extremely long build up).

If you want to read a story about an evil MC who just slaughters everyone around them for the entirety of its length, then this story is for you. It's pretty well written, but don't expect any change in the MC's perspective or a decent ending. Katahane no Riku is good for what it presents itself as, but doesn't stand out as anything outstanding. <<less
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komatoast
komatoast rated it
December 23, 2017
Status: Completed
Ok So its a revenge story right and I see many people have qualms with the protagonist being more evil then the antagonist not realizing that's the least of this story's problems.

... more>>
Spoiler

So we have this shinigami character that takes away the protagonist past life soul in exchange for a wish causing her to completely forget about her past life after this point the shinigami does nothing of worth or value. Whats the point of her having a past life if she ends up forgetting and losing it they can remove the shinigami and the past life of the protagonist and nothing of value will be lost in fact the story will be better.

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The protagonist goals and actions are not what I have problems with in terms of her character but rather her character as a whole.

Spoiler

Riku only cares about one person her savor whom she shares like a couple sentences thought the story. I would have liked it if she befriended the wolf guy looking after her like a father or learn to befriend and trust others. I know she had a traumatic childhood but I've seen many tragic characters make friends and learn the world is not all bad. She doesn't grow as a person and is very one note. The only thing you learn about this character is that she's strong, a psychopath, and loves the afore mentioned guy. I root for the demon army mostly because they kinda remind me of the mages from dragon age and the humans are like Tempalrs but not her.

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Practically everyone motivation and character is just as flat as the protagonist and its a waste of potential. Particularly with the antagonists

Spoiler

So this was a gal game and the protagonist of the game is also a Japanese reincarnate. He tries to build a harem like in the game but it backfires badly when Riku kills all the harem members. Then when he realizes things are not going to go his way he looks for sources of blame. When he realizes its his fault all along he just develops this terrible guilt complex that comes off as more annoying then sympathetic. I kinda wish he turned on his father too I wish all the siblings did

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Spoiler

This novel lacks world building. I find it really hard to believe that the whole world is racist against each other I feel that the sides with the humans and demons that believe in coexistence is really underplayed that could be an interesting plot point

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All in all I judge this story to be a waste of potential giving up plot, character growth, personality and world building in favor of "badass" action with the Riku. Maybe giving 2 stars was a little harsh because maybe it could be good if you are looking to read about carnage and nothing else but if you are looking for that then just watch Die Hard. Riku take lessons from Schera from A Girl Who a Death God there's nothing wrong with fast fun violence in novels but you should also have something more. <<less
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Prochy
Prochy
December 31, 2016
Status: c98
Ah, Riku acts so cute all the time <3

Very nice read, could use a little more character developing but otherwise good (till chapter 90 or so it was great, 5*, ending wasnt my cup of tea)
... more>>
Spoiler

I really wished for one of these endings:
Success in life: Riku successfully revive Deamon Lord, became his second in command, Levein is dead...
Sad: Riku sacrifice herself to revive Demon Lord and become remembered as hero of demons.
That ending was probably the worst author could choose, even Riku dying and Rook becoming hero and king would be better.

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I love Rooks story line, the most satisfying story line of "reincarnated to game" I read so far.

Overall definetly worth reading (last 2 chapters not translated but google translate did great job :)) <<less
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Aoitenshi
Aoitenshi rated it
May 9, 2016
Status: --
A dark protagonist, totally not a hero, but an evil. Turn away if you want to retain your sanity. But otherwise, welcome to the dark side.

However, the lack of character development is starting to throw me off.
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Hate
Khader rated it
April 16, 2016
Status: --
Stories like this just makes me want to hate Typical Harem MC's thinking that they are 100 % correct. This story is like what happens when your typical harem member gets abandoned by the MC just because she is little to less cute which in turn turns out be the worst villain that you can ever face. SUCH PSYCHOPATH RIKU IS ALWAYS <3333333333333333333
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kawaii12345
kawaii12345 rated it
March 19, 2022
Status: Completed
For me, this one fell flat from the start. It's a revenge novel but it's a really bad revenge novel. The first thing any revenge novel has to do is make you feel the evil done to the MC, you need to hate the targets of the revenge and want to see them go down. This novel fails at that. Despite her father attempting to kill her and throwing her away, there is no sense of betrayal no great feeling of injustice. The evil is the evil of bureaucrat or... more>> small man who is just there going through the motions. It's very unsatisfying.

The other big point a revenge novel needs is for the reader to think the MC is in the right. I couldn't see that here. The MC had all the righteousness of someone climbing a tower and randomly sniping at passers by. Just not particularly satisfying.

Toss in the fact that all the Character development takes place off stage during a giant timeskip, and just about all the McGuffins and plot points seem to be pulled out of thin air without any particular connection to the world, creates a rather unenjoyable read.

Bottom line: Read something else tagged betrayal and revenge. <<less
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Queen Oceananas
Queen Oceananas rated it
April 19, 2016
Status: --
I honestly did not think I would find such a wonderful gem. It is interesting story where roles are reversed. To keep from spoiling I will say this; the MC was originally apart of her brothers harem. But things don’t go that way and she gets tossed out, saved (kinda), and becomes a BA bloodthirsty soldier with the country her family was at war with. It serious, halarious (no gags, just charaters relationships (especially her lazy babysiter)), gruesome, and oddly insane. The crazy MC is so likeable... more>> even when she is cutting off enemy heads. Halfway through you start wanting everyone to just die (except for her and her crew) and she kills them!It also has a small inkling of a relationship. I just love it.

Number 2 on my list.
Rateing: 20/5 <<less
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lapidibus
lapidibus rated it
March 25, 2016
Status: --
The only romance here is in violence, schadenfreude, and revenge. Riku acting true to her desires is immensely satisfying, especially when compared to the half-baked male reincarnator who tries to act like the hero he's not. Fair amount of cliffhangers and foreshadowing means I eagerly await each next chapter.
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Vagrant
Vagrant rated it
November 20, 2019
Status: c100
I don't know what to say. Many people praise this novel so I give it a try, but hell, the novel pisses me off. Riku is likeable? I mean, she is a pure psychopath with no goal and no character development. She has only 2 character traits: strong and crazy. Rook is the supposed antagonist in the story? He has a clear goal and work hard for that. His character development is reliable, which make me root for him. To me, an good MC which make a good novel must... more>> have a goal, a believeable personality and a strong determination to achive that goal, whether the MC is good or evil. While rook have almost all of that, riku have none. She is basically a tool, a dog that wagging her tail to her savior and do whatever he told to do.

The only thing that prevent rook from becoming a MC is his charisma. Not a way to charm woman, but a aura of a leading figure. His strengh is heavily nerf, despice being called as a thousand years genius. He rarely go to the front, act as a general, slaughtering enemies and act like a badass, which usually a must-have for every MC. Too bad, the MC in this novel is riku and a more competent antagonist make the novel hard to write, right?

In the beginning, the reason for rook not save riku is because she is not... cute? It is like, a shittiest reason for abandoning your blood-related sister. Only a typical despicable guy could do that, right? But then we come to know that his goal from the start is to save the world and play a route to make everyone happy (harem route you might say). So why leave your sister die when he don't have any trouble preventing it? Plot device then.

There are many ocassions when people suddently become s*upid and become nothing more than a doll doing whatever the plot want it to. You might say this is a game world, so people act like the game designs. But I come here to read a novel, not a game script, so bad writting then. <<less
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Biroulik
Biroulik rated it
October 12, 2018
Status: --
I really liked the story!

I don't know why there is a lot of hate towards one character ... more>>
Spoiler

The Shinigami

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, he is still a worthy opposite of his sister and balances the story well.

I have read from the other reviews that the story is bland. What is enjoyable is how the story advances due to people's egoism and the protagonists Riku and Rook's devotion to what they consider important:

  • Riku
    Spoiler

    is absolutely loyal to her savior Levian, even when she learns his reasons why he saved her. All her actions are to be his loyal right wing, going so far as killing the one he loves because he didn't see or understand that Charlotte's selfishness, weak self, spoiled attitude and quite frankly poor decision making skills was contradictory to his slogan that only the strong should rule. Although she rules by fear, she is well respected and not a tyrant, since she always wishes to seem proper and increasing his fame.

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  • Rook
    Spoiler

    strays from the right path from the beginning. Even if he takes time to admit it, he never flees from his responsibilities and does everything he can to finish the story properly. Sure, he wanted to have a harem, but when reality bites him, he still fights for what he believes, and fulfill his role to stop the apocalypse.

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<<less
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