'In Isekai Metaller Volume 1, meet Alexi: a die-hard metalhead who, after getting electrocuted during his band’s farewell gig, wakes up in a world full of dragons, werewolves, and monsters that are just begging for a guitar solo. And no, the “shock” he gets entering this new world isn’t from the electrocution at his gig—it’s from realizing that, somehow, the afterlife isn’t quite as he imagined. Instead of a peaceful resting place, he’s been dropped into a land where metalheads would literally die for the chance to live in.
'With his trusty “Flying V” guitar, a level 999 power boost, and a heart full of rock ‘n’ roll, Alexi decides it’s time to crank the volume up to eleven and save this crazy new world. Dragons? Perfect for a shredding solo. Werewolves? Time to headbang into battle. This isn’t just any isekai—but one where the magic flows like electric riffs and every battle feels like a rock concert.
'Kasuga Ryo combines hilarious comedy, epic fantasy, and metal madness into a totally unique adventure. If you love high-energy action, laugh-out-loud moments, and a protagonist who’s just as ready to throw down with a dragon as he is to rock out on stage, Isekai Metaller Volume 1 is your new go-to read!'
The isekai genre, in which a character is reborn into another world, usually as some kind of super powered being or chosen one, has become a staple of manga, to the point where there's an isekai that can cover just about any kind of character or theme that you can imagine. The popularity of the genre also means that there's going to be an isekai out there that is absolutely going to suit your particular tastes, even the really wild ones. Isekai Metaller feels like the kind of book that comes along when a genre gets so big, when the market becomes so saturated, that it feels like the creator is throwing a wild card into the mix to stand out, and to have a bit of fun with things.
Isekai Metaller tells the story of Alexi, a heavy metal rocker who fell in love with the music genre as a child as a way of escaping from his worries and trauma, who dreams that one day he might be able to use heavy metal to unite the world and bring about world peace by showing people that heavy metal music is the ultimate uniting force. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem like many people share his views as we see him being harassed in the street by police simply because he stands out in his leather gear, and the other members of his band tell him they want to quit because they think it's time they move on from heavy metal now that they're getting older.
Frustrated that others can't see heavy metal the way he does, Alexi plays his heart out on stage on his own, a final gig to show his detractors how wrong they are. During his performance, Alexi is electrocuted and killed whilst on stage, and whilst this may be something he'd consider metal as hell, it does end his existence. Fortunately, it seems that death is not the end for Alexi, as he wakes up in another world, one filled with monsters, magic, and adventure.
Picked up by a band of mercenaries and adventurers, including the young mage Lizzy, and the beastman Tyro, who see something special in him. When Alexi discovers that his rebirth in this new world has granted him amazing powers (with a power level of 999!) he decides to use his magical guitar to solve the worlds problems by putting on a concert to convince the Demon King to calm down and stop using monsters to hurt people. Joined by Lizzy, Tyro, and the young thief Tuck, the motley crew of adventurers set out to find the Demon King, and save the land.
I'm not a big music person, I do listen to a wide variety as I've got something of an eclectic taste, but I'm not really into one particular genre or artist, and would likely struggle to name many artists I like if asked because I tend not to think about music much. As such, I was a little unsure what to expect with a manga so centred around one particular musical genre. Would I be able to understand all of the references? Would it make much sense? Luckily, Kasuga Ryo doesn't seem to rely on the reader having extensive knowledge in order to engage with the book, and whenever references are made they tend to be explained in the moment. It also helps that a lot of the named bands and artists will include very well known people such as Ozzy Osborne, Kiss, or Iron Maiden, so even someone who knows as little as me can get something out of it.
Isekai Metaller includes a number of tropes of the genre, with Alexi having a power level so much higher than everyone else, and setting out on a quest to save the world over returning home. The group he builds around him feel very archetypical too, with the magic user, warrior, and thief classes. Whilst the book refers to Alexi as a Metaller, he's more like a bard, or a wizard who uses a magic guitar rather than a staff or wand, so even he feels understandable even if the aesthetics are very different. For those who are coming to the book with little music knowledge but a love of the fantasy genre it'll feel very relatable; and the use of levels on characters and monsters gives it an RPG flavour that will appeal to the gamers too.
The plot is silly yet enjoyable, with a simple mission and characters with broad archetypes that feel like they can be fleshed out in later volumes to give us something a bit meatier if Ryo wanted to, or they could remain the rather simple versions we have here and still be enjoyable to read. Whilst the plot is fairly easy and fun it's the art where the book really stands out, with some amazing moments throughout. Once Alexi is in the fantasy world the book comes to life, and it's delightfully odd to see a leather clad heavy metal musician in a world with cartoonish monsters, magical witch girls, and talking animal people.
But this mismatch isn't jarring. If anything, it gives the book its own unique flavour that a pure fantasy manga might be missing. The weird seriousness of Alexi when combined with monsters that look like they're from a Saturday morning cartoon makes for a delightful combination, especially when we get full page splashes of Alexi unleashing some powerful attack by playing his guitar.
The first volume of Isekai Metaller does a great job at setting up the world, introducing us to our core group of protagonists, and even introduces a fun evil villain that feels like they're going to be a continuous threat for Alexi to deal with. It manages to pack a lot in without feeling bloated, and is never boring. It's a delightful mashup that I didn't know I wanted, and one that might get some readers listening to some new artists.
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