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[07] Second chances in modern society
[07] Second chances in modern society
There are so many amazing works that feature regressed MCs that are going through a second chance in management, corporate ladders, sports, cooking, etc. Definitely stronger list than the second chance in fantasy. Wanted to make a list that specifically targets this genre.
First, some of the best that aren't on NU:
1. Trailer tr*sh - wonderful depiction of a second chance high school life with strongly developed characters
2. Metaworld chronicles - only barely qualifies because it's really a fantasy world, but it's an alternate modern day Earth, with great detail and development of cultures and places and set in a modern society, if magic based
3. Let me make you a star - [have not yet read] but has good ratings, comment if you've had a chance to read it!
In addition, there are a number of great drama/TV shows (JP, CN and KR) of second chances that I highly recommend if you like this genre. I've added them in a comment below the list.
If you enjoy second chances, you can also try my other lists on:
- Second chances in fantasy (https://www.novelupdates.com/viewlist/10749/)
- Time loops (includes movies and webnovels not on NU - https://www.novelupdates.com/viewlist/10681/)
First, some of the best that aren't on NU:
1. Trailer tr*sh - wonderful depiction of a second chance high school life with strongly developed characters
2. Metaworld chronicles - only barely qualifies because it's really a fantasy world, but it's an alternate modern day Earth, with great detail and development of cultures and places and set in a modern society, if magic based
3. Let me make you a star - [have not yet read] but has good ratings, comment if you've had a chance to read it!
In addition, there are a number of great drama/TV shows (JP, CN and KR) of second chances that I highly recommend if you like this genre. I've added them in a comment below the list.
If you enjoy second chances, you can also try my other lists on:
- Second chances in fantasy (https://www.novelupdates.com/viewlist/10749/)
- Time loops (includes movies and webnovels not on NU - https://www.novelupdates.com/viewlist/10681/)
113 Followers
Created: May 30th, 2020, Updated: Jun 18th, 2022
Created May 30th, 2020
Updated Jun 18th, 2022
193 Chapters Every 120.7 Day(s) 7809 Readers 104 Reviews 08-25-2019
Technically this might not fit the genre, since it's not a regression, but the MC rather has dreams of the future. It's totally the same... more>>
125 Chapters Every 5.5 Day(s) 2851 Readers 10 Reviews 04-14-2024
No regression here, so it technically wouldn't count... but it's similar in spirit, premised on the MC having a cinderella type 'magical makeover', except this time to his brains to get insights on chemical nature of things he looks at and basically stuff chemistry PHD papers in his head. ... more>>
93 Chapters Every 77.5 Day(s) 10494 Readers 99 Reviews 05-10-2021
Along with Reborn as my love rival's wife, this is the best romantic plotline on this list. Otherwise, it's all chef battles and food! Another... more>>
85 Chapters Every 15.3 Day(s) 2209 Readers 15 Reviews 09-10-2023
I can't believe this was dropped by the translation group that started it!! I imagine it was very hard to translate, considering all the technical... more>>
104 Chapters Every 86.1 Day(s) 4150 Readers 46 Reviews 12-30-2020
A twist on the back to school and romance elements by focusing on music, specifically opera. I highly recommend finding all the songs on youtube... more>>
699 Chapters Every 91.1 Day(s) 3740 Readers 40 Reviews 08-04-2020
Still, Wait For Me is heavier than many of the other series on this list. It focuses all throughout on the regrets of the MC's first life and his tender but conflicted romances. As a romance, on this list, only God of Cooking can compare.... more>>
98 Chapters Every 129.6 Day(s) 11963 Readers 218 Reviews 03-17-2019
One of the best gender benders out there with a funny and cute romance between this regressor and a guy he had conflicts with. I don't usually like comedies because they come off as too slapstick and get boring after a few chapters, but this one's a rare well written comedy, fun right through to the end.... more>>
#8Poten
0 Chapters Every 109.6 Day(s) 900 Readers 6 Reviews N/A
This is not a second chance novel....... Though it does have some small time related scenes as well.... more>>
112 Chapters Every 33.4 Day(s) 2413 Readers 9 Reviews 03-12-2023
The pair for Youngest Son of Sunyang. A guy wrongfully accused of mu*dering a celebrity dies just after being released from prison to wake up as the third son of a member of the Samsung - cough, they call it 'Gogwang' multinational.... more>>
21 Chapters Every 97.8 Day(s) 3803 Readers 84 Reviews 04-26-2020
Warning: A few commenters have warned that it has a terrible ending and falls off later on... So far it's been great, so I'm keeping it near the top of this list, but note the warnings and don't expect a great ending...... more>>
#11God of Music
346 Chapters Every 43.4 Day(s) 7188 Readers 48 Reviews 06-01-2022
Like top management, this focuses on the manager of a girl group. It's focus is fairly different though, with this one being less good on the drama and romance, but better on its exploration of music (Top management was more interested in acting anyway). ... more>>
20 Chapters Every 58.3 Day(s) 3137 Readers 58 Reviews 03-15-2022
Meteoric rise of an actor who has lived 999 previous reincarnations... It's amusing and takes advantage of much of the same cheap tricks of top management, god of music or other similar titles. However, it is weaker than those titles, less depth of character, absolutely no set-backs and about half-way through the filming of Red Enemy (~chapter 100ish), there's a drop off in pacing and immersion in the scenes.... more>>
1401 Chapters Every 63.1 Day(s) 3839 Readers 58 Reviews 09-30-2021
I can understand the poor rating... it does get slow and episodic in certain points, and the MC cheats on his sweetheart and rarely has setbacks... And that's before even mentioning the Chinese nationalist views, his great disdain for foreign capitalists and Japanese and the great worship of the leaders of the nation.... more>>
66 Chapters Every 118.4 Day(s) 1699 Readers 13 Reviews 08-20-2019
As you can tell from the title, this is all about tennis! In addition to regressing, he also gets a game system that is used to highlight different types of tennis swings and, in a sense, highlight how good the other characters are that can play without this kind of cheat..... more>>
69 Chapters Every 135.1 Day(s) 2502 Readers 18 Reviews 11-12-2020
Set in modern day society but with fantasy elements. Quite enjoyed the family interactions in this series and mysterious diviner/fengshui mysticism
39 Chapters Every 134.7 Day(s) 3225 Readers 80 Reviews 10-14-2018
It seems like modern setting second chance novels always come in pairs. Like big life, this one's about an author. A one hit wonder who rises to fame, he now goes back to his glory days after a life being down and out. ... more>>
322 Chapters Every 0.9 Day(s) 3714 Readers 29 Reviews 04-20-2024
Underrated in my opinion.... It has a lot of the charm of the money obsessed korean MC as most of the above, and it gets into business and travel. ... more>>
78 Chapters Every 234.1 Day(s) 6135 Readers 141 Reviews 01-19-2018
In this one, the MC regresses in a sense, by reincarnating into a younger look-alike in a future time period. It's for all intents and purposes the same as the rest of the novels in this genre though. Somewhat chaotic plot, jumping from music to games to military service to dog sports... but the author has a page turning writing style that keeps you wanting more.... more>>
196 Chapters Every 22 Day(s) 2738 Readers 5 Reviews 02-22-2024
Another decent novel in the genre. It's a bit less immersive than most of the others on this list, influenced more by anime culture... but overall it's still decent and has a good setting and pacing. It will also appeal to anyone looking for a bit more ecchi/moe type romance.... more>>
39 Chapters Every 123 Day(s) 813 Readers 12 Reviews 04-08-2019
Another one not strictly speaking part of the genre, the MC is a stock trader who gets tomorrow's news on their news feed (and after getting lots of money, later has to stop WW3).... more>>
#22God of Money
0 Chapters Every 1949 Day(s) 866 Readers 20 Reviews N/A
Bitcoin trading... makes this series feel even more relevant today than when it was written.... more>>
#23Ace of Ace
0 Chapters Every 2805 Day(s) 756 Readers 5 Reviews N/A
If you liked God of Tennis, or prefer baseball, then this is another one to try out. It isn't as good as God of Tennis... more>>
117 Chapters Every 0.5 Day(s) 1254 Readers 17 Reviews 07-22-2018
This is a surprisingly good read for the dismal rating it gets! I'm still at chapter 623, so perhaps it gets worse, but the characters are actually pretty fun, and consistent and there's a pretty strong romantic plot with an interesting romantic interest.... more>>
69 Chapters Every 127.1 Day(s) 3573 Readers 55 Reviews 02-14-2019
I honestly can't remember if it was this one or the Immortal Becomes a Stay-at-home Dad After Return right below that I enjoyed before. Lots... more>>
Comments (19)
@animefan4004 ouch... you're making me not want to catch up on the chapters...
I'm looking at the chapters though, we're 100 chapters into a 1027 chapter series, so can I at least hope it will be good for the first 500 chapters? Or does it fall off earlier?
1. Boku dake ga inai machi / Erased (JP - haven't actually seen the drama, but anime/manga are very good)
2. Again!! (JP - the manga is perhaps better than the drama, but I enjoyed both - my love of this series might be somewhat biased, considering I was the translator of the manga once upon a time...)
3. 49 (JP)
4. Re:life (JP - apparently there's a drama, but I have not seen it. The manga was great though.)
5. Someday or one day (ZH)
6. 35 sai no koukousei (JP)
7. Dream again (JP - another one that I think was underrated, and a bit vintage now seeing as it's from 2007, but was pretty good comedy regressor with some baseball and family elements)
8. Proposal daisakusen (JP)
9. 18 again (US - 1988) - this takes vintage to a whole new level. It's worth watching though. Love the granddad's character and how he's set up. Technically not a regression since he takes over the body of his grandson. A lot more personality than most of the other series. The comedy is cheesy though, which detracts a lot...
10. The family man (2000) - not really exact, since he doesn't get younger, just gets an alternate life where he took different choices in the past. But it's highly similar in feel. ... and it's hilarious seeing Nicolas Cage in this role. He somehow pulls it off pretty decently, for once...
11. 17 again (US)
12. 18 again (KR) - this was pretty good, but like many KR dramas, it suffered from a lot of drawn out and repeated melodramatic scenes.
22. Marry him, if you dare (KR)
23. Ore ga doutei o sutetara shinu ken ni tsuite (manga, not drama, but was pretty enjoyable from a high school romance getting girls perspective...)
24. Samurai gourmet (JP) - One of my favourites. Put it here at the end since it's not really not strictly part of this genre, but it's similar, since it's an old man who has flashes of living as a younger samurai - read this for foodgasms though
25. Nine (korean - haven't watched it)
26. 20 again (KR)
If you don't mind r18 novels there is a site called storiesonline with a genre called doover, which is basically a treasure trove if you like this genre.
Do they have any you'd recommend in particular?
@tallrice My favorite is hindsight 20/20 but most people on the site would probably recommend Magestic -> Doing it all Over -> A Fresh Start in that order.
If I were you, I would just check the stories in the link below and check synopsis + reviews for something that interests you.https://storiesonline.net/stories/bytag/dooverOh! I never heard of that one before. Thanks for the recommendation!
I'll add it to the list as one I haven't read and I'll give it a try as soon as I can.
@Valven Thanks so much!
You mean Still, Wait For Me? It's good? I hadn't actually had it anywhere near the top of my to read list, mainly because of the 3.9 rating (not that that seems to mean anything considering I like other novels on this list with 3.3 and 3.7 ratings) but if you vouch for it, I am now intrigued. Will definitely read it soon!
@tallrice
warning, the rating is low because it gets crappy after he gets the girl... it's like he loses all his business sense and the story drags on
@123abdi @Valven Reading Still Wait for Me - thanks for nudging me, it's really enjoyable so far. It has a subtle comedy in it which I really enjoy, and lots of references to small butterfly effects, which is great too. He also acts mature for a returnee. I am dreading when he gets the girl...... but I'll enjoy it while I can!