The Return of the 8th Class Mage Review

This week’s review is about another isekai with an overpowering main character set in a medieval fantasy world.

If the titles are starting to blur together a bit, welcome to the world of webcomics—it’s almost inevitable to mix up action fantasy titles given the repeated uses of tropes.

You can read The Return of the 8th Class Mage on Tapas, along with several other titles that attack very similar premises.

Premise: 2.5 out of 5

What’s the catch, the hooker, and what makes this stand out?

Sir Ian is an 8th class mage, the highest level a mage can be, who has devoted his life and magic to Emperor Ragnor, an old friend turned royal. Alas, no good deed goes unpunished: Sir Ian learns he isn’t completely unstoppable when the emperor, fearing the mage’s power, kills him. 

Swearing vengeance, Sir Ian musters one last spell to turn back time before the poison reaches his heart. He goes back a little too far and finds himself returned to his youth. Using his knowledge of the future to his advantage, Ian grows his magical strength quickly and acquires many allies despite his current age. He is determined to reclaim his level as an 8th class mage, almost as determined as he is to get revenge on Ragnor.

The regression and the overpowered main character trope have been done many times, so much so that the differences in these stories easily become convoluted if you frequently binge action-fantasy webcomics. This means that a title like The Return of the 8th Class Mage has to compete with a ton of other isekais—some of them of higher caliber. 

Plot: 2.5 out of 5

The Return of the 8th Class Mage will likely appeal to readers who place a lot of value on quick-moving plot. But it wouldn’t be my choice to recommend to a first-time reader of the genre. The manhwa progresses very quickly—a little too quickly—and offers no explanation on the magic or the world before jumping into the plot. Although the setting and royal set-up are easy to grasp (typical to any medieval setting, as I explain below), the pacing of the story feels almost… off?

A lot happens, and as a result, it feels as if nothing exciting happens. 

Sir Ian regresses, immediately catches the eye of the royal family with his power, and is suddenly well-respected and titled the “Noble Mage of the Empire,” all by the fourth episode. The first few episodes are so condensed and jam-packed that it’s hard for readers to truly be invested in what’s going to happen next. And if you’re not invested, you’re not likely to be moved. 

Playing devil’s advocate, I will say the reading pace often affects how you perceive the pacing. I read the first 10 episodes or so in one setting, but I can imagine that following this series weekly might create higher investment due to its full chapters every week. If you followed the 8th Class Mage weekly, I would love to hear your own experience with it. 

World-building: 2.5 out of 5

What is the world like? The rules?

The Great Continent is a pretty much by-the-book copy of a medieval fantasy world. You have the typical empires that get into squabbles over strength and magic, and within that, the royal families inevitably roping in nobles and peasants alike to wars over land and power... In his previous life, Ian was loyal to his native Greenriver empire, but this time around it remains to be seen who—or even if— he will choose to devote his life and magic to anyone. He was used as a tool of the Continental war, killing thousands to maintain power for Ragnor, and we know how that worked out for our hero. I can see why post-regression Ian might be a little hesitant to trust people (I know I would be).

The royal-families-and-empire dynamic is glossed over in the first ten chapters, but the power struggle of different nations is a easily grasped concept—especially in action-fantasy webcomics that use political turmoil as the background for a character to gain strength. The battle over land and power is nothing new, in Western comics and in manhwa. And, you know, in the history of humans.

Perhaps The Return of the 8th Class Mage will deepen its politic dimension as the story progresses, but there is nothing outstanding about the universe as of yet.  

Characters: 2 out of 5

After he turns back time, Ian is 12 again. He makes almost no effort to act his age.

He’s incredibly stoic and cold, not bothering to hide these adult qualities. It’s one-dimensional how quickly Ian adjusts to the regression, blinded by his mission to reclaim his title. His lack of emotions makes him slightly awkward, creating stilted chapters and forcing the reader to focus on the plot, since rooting for the character is difficult. Regression and reincarnation have the potential to open up further exploration of morality and humanity, something that the 8th Class Mage doesn’t do with Ian. 

Ian experiences a brief moment of humility when he gets his mother back in his life. Emphasis on brief. After he makes a point of stating that one of his missions is to protect her against the cruelty of the empire, she is quickly cast aside, becoming just another character to solidify Ian’s personality as he moves quickly to advance in rank and builds alliances with people he deems worthy and capable. He befriends a young boy named Douglas, who he quickly recognizes as a renowned alchemist in the future, and makes an ally out of a prince he had disregarded in his past life. 

Although understandable, the constant calculation of Ian’s strategic choices grows tiring. It’s too early to tell if his new friends and peers will improve his life this time around (they are given incredibly little screentime in the first episodes), but I do hope for his sake, and the reader’s, that they add some personality to the story.

Art: 2.5 out of 5

Another constant in the 8th Class Mage is the art style. Although it is pleasing to the eye, there is nothing outstanding about it.

The panel framing is also kept consistent, the images fit into one rectangular box after another. Even though the story moves quickly, the panel and episode set-up slow it down; my eyes got pretty tired with the lack of variety. The flow doesn’t really flow, since there are barely any differences between a regular panel and a dynamic panel, something that webcomic artists usually swap up in style, effect, or framing to emphasize hard-hitting action 

The movements of the characters themselves also feel stiff at times, since the artist seems to rely more on character expressions than the way their bodies move. The combination of lackluster framing and stiff characters subtract from the emotion that high-tension moments usually evoke, making the story feel plainer. (I did give a little sneak ahead and I can tell that the art and paneling has evolved, but again, if you read as many webcomics as I do, this won’t satisfy your standards.)

Final Thoughts: 2.4 out of 5

If you’re looking for an isekai set in a medieval fantasy world that focuses on an overpowering main character hellbent on revenge, there are better titles out there.

If you’re looking for a mindless read with quick story pacing, The Return of the 8th Class Mage is an…effective read on the train home.

Like always, I love to hear readers’ thoughts, especially if you have a different view. Give this a read, and let me know what you thought below!