If I haven’t already made it clear with the last few titles and the amount of times I’ve mentioned it, I’m an avid reader of isekai webcomics. Lucky for me, it’s a popular trope within the action-fantasy webcomic world so there’s an endless selection to choose from.
This week’s title brings forward that same trope with a hint of something new: our main character regresses—twice—and he finds himself in modern-day Korea (again) after his second death.
We are reviewing up to Episode 16 with a few spoilers.
Premise: 3.5 out of 5
What’s the catch, the hooker, and what makes this stand out?
If you like both modern-day and medieval settings, you might enjoy the Descent of the Demon Master on Tapas.
After a car accident ruined his first life in modern-day Korea, Kang Jinho was reborn in medieval China, where he excelled in martial arts. He still had his memories of his past life but ultimately pushed them aside on his journey to power, earning the name “Crimson Emperor.” Unfortunately, a lesson he had to learn in this life is that great power and influence breeds fear. His old allies sent him to his death before his demonic influence could grow any wider. In his last moments, the Crimson Emperor found himself wishing for a normal life. The main story begins when Kang Jinho once again wakes up in his first life in Korea, months before the car accident that would take his parents and little sister away from him.
I will be reviewing the first arc of the story up to Episode 16, but I will say that this span does not fully capture the plot and the world of the Descent of the Demonic Master; for the sake of a full review, I will be alluding to a few spoilers in later chapters.
Plot: 4 out of 5
As the Crimson Emperor, Jinho had countless enemies face off against him in life or death battles. As a teenager in modern-day Korea, he finds that high school is more or less the same as the battlefield.
Dying and being reborn twice is an experience I cannot imagine anyone ever wishing for, but both of Kang Jinho’s lives have been so unfulfilling that he celebrates after being reborn into his first one again. He laments only having around twenty years in each lifetime, so facing the world again as a teenager feels like a blessing. It does not take long for Jinho to disregard the notion of living a “normal” life after encountering cruelty in the real world. Nepotism reigns strong in Korea, and for his family to live peacefully, Jihno needs power.
The first sixteen episodes revolve around Jinho relearning how society works, balancing the fine line between standing up against bullying and committing manslaughter against an enemy. Its high school sequence is similar to that of other webcomics, where the main character has to develop social standing and a solid group of friends to survive the cutthroat world of academics. You would think the second round of high school would be easier for a Demon Master, but unfortunately, it is not. There are more slice-of-life and wholesome moments than I was expecting. Well… until Jinho learns how to be cruel in the modern world, using his demon powers to inflict major psychological damage over physical damage, and causing irreversible trauma among his enemies.
World-building: 3.5 out of 5
What is the world like? The rules?
With the main story set in contemporary Korea, the Descent of the Demonic Master does not build any complex settings or systems that could mentally strain the reader. There are many references to medieval China given our hero’s previous life, but Jinho’s recounting of his past is very personal; no knowledge of history required.
Things still feel slightly magical since Kang Jinho didn’t lose any of his powers or martial arts skills, but in the modern world come modern problems. The story touches on nepotism and capitalism in the first arc—both creating Jinho’s rude awakening into the harsh reality of the modern world. Readers may not be able to relate to Jinho when he desires to spread his demonic influence, but they can relate when Jinho yearns for money to care for his family. When he later gains the partnership of an important and wealthy business figure who sponsors him and his family, we all breathe a collective sigh of relief. Financial security is a more realistic fantasy for readers than the acquisition of magic and power.
By the end of the sixteenth episode, Jinho has corporate backing and is no longer concerned for the status of his family. But the unraveling of real martial arts in modern-day Korea makes him realize that there may be another world in the shadows.
Characters: 3.5 out of 5
Kang Jinho leans towards becoming the stoic and cold main character who is too cool to be your average teenager, but moments of silliness steer him away from that. His humor is appealing—as is his incredibly obliviousness to “obvious” things.
When Jinho learns that he can use his chi to cure illnesses, he sets off to bribe one of the richest and most powerful men in corporate Korea. Chairman Hwang, a billionaire who is currently bedridden with an eagerness to live and save his company, is prepared to make an unfavorable deal with the devil. But Jinho only asks for $100.
His threatening aura as the Crimson Emperor proves incredibly useful during business negotiations; not so much Jinho the Teenager, who ultimately squanders this advantage.
Still, it works in his favor when Chairman Hwang donates a very generous to Jinho’s family and assigns a secretary to Jinho’s aid. Secretary Gyumin Jo turns out to be very efficient at his job, observing Jinho and reporting back to Chairman Hwang, all while getting caught up in Jinho’s silly adventures.
The real antagonists have yet to be introduced, but the tensions rise when Jinho learns that he is not the only regressor to come back through time.
Art: 3.5 out of 5
The overall art style of the Descent of the Demonic Master is aesthetic and crisp, with clean lines and smooth coloring that makes it easy to binge read.
Jinho’s character design makes him a bit more recognizable and memorable compared to the legion of black-haired protagonists out there. Many webcomics are careful to maintain the handsome integrity of their main character, but this artist does not shy away from using meme-like and comical reactions to heighten its effect on the readers.
Overall, the art is done in a neat and familiar webcomic style, but there is nothing outstanding about it. There are even panels where the inaccurate anatomy proportions are a little hard to ignore and may be distracting enough to draw the reader’s attention away from the actual plot. The dynamic sequences hold the same issue. On top of inaccuracy, there are strokes of stiffness that make the action battles feel less exciting.
Final Thoughts: 3.6 out of 5
I have read countless amounts of isekai and regression stories, but I don’t see myself stopping anytime soon. In fact, I’m on route to writing countless reviews about these isekai and regression stories.
The Descent of the Demon Master is one of several titles I can see myself reading further into, so much so that I’m comfortable recommending it. You won’t find a fantasy world heavy with threat and suspense with this story, but its slice-of-life moments make for an overall enjoyable read.
Let me know if you shared the same sentiments about the Descent of the Demon Master and Kang Jinho! Did you find him funny, or was he just awkward?
He feels definitely more awkward to me. But the overall tone is funny. It makes sense at the end of the day, like your MC, that he hasn't built up a lot of social skills. So while he is strong, he gets a lot of EMOTIONAL DAMAGE.