The Other World's Books Depend on the Bean Counter

Pages: 178
Series: The Other World's Books Depend on the Bean Counter (manga) #4
Rating:

Synopsis:

So it’s been a bit, but an accountant guy somehow went down a portalhole and into a fantasy world. Once he got there, the first thing he asked for was a job. That’s how Kondou’s career in the Romany Kingdom’s Accounting Department began and part of the reason a stunning knight captain stumbled upon a bean counter in distress. Venturing to the depths of a dangerous forest on a quest to clear the miasma is the exact opposite of what Kondou’s knight in shining armor wants him to do. However, our intrepid bean counter is a man with a plan, so venture forth he does—much to the captain’s dismay. But turnabout is fair play, which is why Captain Aresh makes his own declaration on their way back…

I’m enjoying The Other World’s Books Depend on the Bean Counter in many ways, especially as in this volume we’re getting to see more of the world (and the Holy Maiden realises her situation a bit better, and thankfully seems to be a bit less of a brat/less inclined to angle for Aresh). Seiichirou is ridiculously competent, but that’s always fun — I can’t help but compare him a bit to Lizel, of A Gentle Noble’s Vacation Recommendation.

That said… this series has some problems, and they eclipse the good stuff so much I need to talk about them at more length right now.

I am still giving it three stars, but I want to heavily caveat that: there’s a lot of dubious consent and potential coercion here. I think we’re perhaps supposed to understand that Seiichirou has powerful allies and could get out of the situation if he really wanted to, and that in a way he’s using Aresh — but this isn’t always explicit enough. It seems like Aresh is perhaps taking advantage of Seiichirou’s need for protection to be intimate with him, and that’s a bit of a red flag, even if Aresh wasn’t being so controlling “for Seiichirou’s own good”.

I’m wondering if this is better or worse in the light novel, and will be finding out since I’ve ordered all three! But it’s worth knowing going in about the coercive control (however well-intentioned) and dubious consent, which is not really examined. There’s an extent to which I can roll with that (The Scum Villain’s Self-Saving System is calling) but I think one still has to look at it and admit that it’s problematic.

N.B. Since writing this review I read the light novels, and actually ended up posting those reviews first! You can read those reviews here. Tl;dr summary: I preferred the light novels and felt that the relationship was more explicitly mutual there.

Rating: 3/5 (“liked it”)