Hello!
I am back to review an almost slice-of-life action-fantasy title. It’s incredibly fun, the sort of storytelling you’d expect in an animation suitable for youngsters as well as adults. It may not be the pick if you’re searching for gore (although I did hear the action eventually picks up), but the art is definitely eye-catching.
I’ll be reviewing up to Episode 20 of Lout of Count's Family(or more widely known as Trash of the Count’s Family) with no spoilers beyond that point.
You can find the title on Tappy Toons.
Premise: 3.5 out of 5
What’s the catch, the hooker, and what makes this stand out?
If you’re looking for a lighthearted read that has an almost television-like formula, I would recommend Lout of Count's Family by Yu Ryeo Han, PING, PAN4.
Kim Rok Soo, an orphan in modern-day Korea, wakes up as Cale Henituse, a minor character in a novel he was reading about Choi Han, a powerful swordsman seeking revenge for the death of his loved ones. Our hero takes his transformation in stride. Although Cale is widely disliked and seen as “trash” due to his drinking habits, Cale is rich and Kim Rok Soo is not, so he gladly jumps into character. (From this point onwards, I will address Kim Rok Soo as “Cale” to avoid confusion, since he exists as Cale in the present plot of Lout of Count's Family.)
Cale becomes determined to live a peaceful life. Aware of the near-future events that might jeopardize this goal, he works quickly, devising action items he must change in the novel to secure the life he wants.
The beginning of the manhwa felt long, but not boring, since there are so many plot points and characters the creators try to push through. If anything, it felt slightly overwhelming, as Cale did not give himself time to settle before jumping into a new life mission.
World-building: 3.5 out of 5
What is the world like? The rules?
With an entire city under his family’s jurisdiction, Cale is certain he can avoid trouble if he lives life quietly and allows his younger brother to take over as the head of the family.
The world is set up as a fantasy universe, following the standard of a royal kingdom. In the beginning episodes Cale meets the townsfolk before preparing for a large adventure to save a dragon on his way to the capital city—such plot twists make it easy to imagine this universe as a family franchise from Disney or Dreamworks.
All in all, the world is fairly simple to grasp, but sprinkles of elements allude to explorations of magic and creatures that I have not gotten to yet. Though that does make the world feel a bit slow in the beginning, I do plan to keep reading.
Plot: 4 out of 5
Where does the story go?
Cale Henituse immediately attracts the attention of people near him. His family had previously walked on eggshells around him due to his destructive nature; after his regression (a.k.a. Kim Rok Soo in Cale’s body), they are thrown off by his newfound kindness and generosity.
When Choi Han and Cale Henituse meet, it’s through a purposeful act of kindness that Cale strategically carries out to stay on Choi’s good side. In the novel, Choi Han beat him up, an altercation that Cale really wants to avoid. Cale extends hospitality to Choi Han and then tries to set him up with one of his butlers and the butler’s son (who come from a family of assassins) so that the three of them could form an entourage and, he hopes, leave him alone. Unfortunately for him, Choi Han is very interested in staying by Cale’s side, something that did not happen in the original novel.
Cale learns that Choi Han becoming an ally could work in his favor, and it eventually makes things easier for him when he sets off to save a dragon.
Lout of Count's Family is very easy to become hooked on, and something (a.k.a. the reddit threads and spoilers I saw) tells me there’s still a lot more of the world and the plot to unravel—especially since the story that Cale thought he knew is quickly deviating from its original plot.
Characters: 3.5 out of 5
Since Cale has a different personality now, we get to see the gulf between how he used to behave and how he is now through the reactions of the people around him. But I do wish the authors explored Kim Rok Soo’s person more before they integrated so quickly. It is quite common in isekais for the main character to not question the events of regression, creating unexplored complexities as a result.
It’s almost comical to see his butlers and his family shamelessly show shock when Cale does not throw a fit over the smallest things. Even though he was a minor antagonist in his story, he is a fitting main protagonist for our story. He is handsome and smart, and there’s quite a few people around who admire him. Cale is a little on the oblivious side as well. Since the authors highly emphasized that Kim Rok Soo was an orphan with no family or friends, it’s understandable that the new Cale is lacking a few social cues.
As for his admirers…
I spent more of my time admiring them because they’re just so cute!
Meet the cutest cats, who are actually children with shapeshifting abilities that fit themselves to Cale’s side after he feeds them once. They add lighthearted humor to the group—no one can deny those cute faces anything.
And then you have Choi Han—who was first introduce to us as Cale’s number one enemy and worst threat—who acts very puppy-like. The tension and anticipation between them does not last long, and Choi Han also falls easily into Cale Henituse’s team after their first meeting. Turns out, Choi Han just needed to be shown some kindness and empathy. Choi Han proves himself loyal to Cale, while lacking the same amount of social cues.
Their group dynamic is setting up for an amusing development—I can’t help but wonder how they’ll handle life-or-death situations.
Art: 4 out of 5
In almost every comment praising Lout of Count's Family, the art is mentioned. Rightfully so: the art is phenomenal, a very satisfying blend of smooth and vibrant. With each panel as you scroll, the artwork feels more and more sleek, and incredibly fitting for the story and the characters
Both the characters and the creatures are well designed. Choi Han fits into the mold of a typical male lead in manhwa with his black hair, but Cale, a vibrant redhead, provides the perfect contrast to that. Perhaps, this is a purposeful decision from the authors to place emphasis that Cale was originally only a minor character?
As handsome as Cale is, I will say his expressions (so far, up to chapter 20) have felt quite limiting. It’s almost as if the artist is too afraid to ruin his handsome image by adding some variety to his facial features. Still, one could argue that Cale’s expressions of indifference only makes it more enjoyable when he does show true excitement.
Conclusion: 3.7 out of 5
Before starting this review, I was curious enough to scroll on Reddit and Twitter for opinions of Lout of Count's Family. I am anticipating for a lot in the next few episodes, but it seems like this is a highly praised manhwa in the community.
I would recommend reading up to Episode 20 before deciding if you should continue or not; a lot of the loyal readers are insisting that it does, in fact, get much better as you go on. Although the beginning feels like it’s missing action and heavy suspense, the story development and the side characters fill in that spot to keep you interested. I am intrigued to see what will happen next.
I think your opinion would be very different if you read the novel instead- The webcomic doesn't cover a lot of a 700+ novel chapters, so of course worldbuilding isn't explained at this point, and about the face of Cale: the novel describes him as "too handsome to be a side character" and often states that he barely shows emotion other than frown and sometimes smile like he's going to commit fraud--- Anyways I'm happy that you gave it a shoutout! <3
I originally found this novel before the webcomic and agree that the novel is very good. I have not read much of the comic, but I feel like I'll like it regardless because of how much I enjoy the novel! I was so very happy when I got the email with your review! I always like seeing others enjoying things I also enjoy!