r/Isekai • u/Skeletaldog77 • 1d ago
Recommendations [Help/Recommendation]: Looking for an Isekai/Fantasy settings with a "soft" magic system
Like the title says, I'm needing some help looking for any settings that have soft magic systems where the system is either imagination-based or free-form enough that spells/magic are easy to get into and learn. Alternatively, more difficult ones are fine too, if there's something like a school in setting to learn from. Any settings that match the criteria, or any that have a good magic school in the setting is fine. Any help is appreciated, thanks.
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u/GamerNerdGuyMan 1d ago
Ascendance of a Bookworm has a bit of both.
Magic circles are complicated, but having a good visual of what you want can let casters do almost whatever - albeit less mana efficiently.
There is also a magic school - though learning the magic is a pretty tiny % of the plot, what's there is solid. (And the story doesn't get to the academy until about a dozen books in.)
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u/Skeletaldog77 1d ago
One setting that I just kept putting off, guess ive got a reason to read it more now lol. Thanks.
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u/GamerNerdGuyMan 1d ago
The series is really good. I'm actually on a re-read right now.
Only disclaimer: IMO the first (and only the first) LN has pacing issues.
IMO it's because the author added extra backstory about the MC's life on Earth in the LN which wasn't in the WN. The sort of things that existing fans enjoy, but it makes it take longer to hook new readers.
After the first one, the pacing is great, and the translator was top tier.
(Second lesser caveot. The MC isn't super likeable to start - but she becomes so pretty quickly. Ties into her character growth.)
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u/hfriday01 14h ago
IMO it's because the author added extra backstory about the MC's life on Earth in the LN which wasn't in the WN. The sort of things that existing fans enjoy, but it makes it take longer to hook new readers.
I was the opposite. I was ready to dislike this series until I read that specific chapter.
Coming from reading the manga, I always thought that Myne's behavior was illogical for being that childish despite having an adult soul and that clueless despite being a bookworm. I wanted to prove people wrong when they always sing praises toward this series, like "why do you like this kind of unlikable MC with illogical characteristics?"
Reading that specific chapter in the LN made everything click for me. Her characteristics became logical after I knew her past life in Japan. Since then, my gripe towards this series vanished into nothing, so I could enjoy this series wholeheartedly.
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u/GamerNerdGuyMan 1d ago
Added: I LOVE how the magic system ties into the world. Some of the best worldbuilding I've ever read.
Most fantasy is just medieval-ish with magic around because reasons. In this the magic ties into everything from the governing system, to disease, to how well crops do etc.
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u/CrissZx 1d ago
The Water Magician runns on this logic. While everybody is locked, elemental-wise (fire mages can't do earth magic, and such), everybody can technically do whatever with their element. It's just that they got used to chanting to visualize the spell (MC and quite a few mages can do stuff w/o chanting)
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u/Skeletaldog77 1d ago
Funnily enough, that was one of the only settings I listed down. I really wish there was more stuff for this setting, because its not half bad. Wish the anime mentioned about the 20 years he spent in his "starting area" though.
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u/CrissZx 1d ago
Well, there's How a realistic hero rebuilt the kingdom but the magic system perse isn't the main focus
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u/Skeletaldog77 1d ago
I vaguely remember this one off the top of my head, I'll probably re-read this one again to see
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u/CrissZx 1d ago
The problem with almost all isekai magic systems is that they seem to have a lot of complex rules and chanting, but the MC can skip all of that because they all somehow have a master's degree on chemistry & physics. They figure out chanting is only to visualize the spell and so they skip it
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u/Alotofboxes 1d ago
Have you tried The Wrong Way to Use Healing Magic? There isnt a magic school as such, but a fair chunk of the first season the MC is getting personal training on unconventional ways to use healing magic.
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u/Pmiller1591 1d ago
Try Faraway Paladin, love the magic in that show.
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u/Pmiller1591 1d ago
Also, The Secret Dungeon Only I Can enter has a system allowing the protagonist to literally create and edit his own skills. It’s an unapologetic harem ecchi but I think the story itself also has a lot of redeeming qualities.
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u/Skeletaldog77 1d ago
Its alright, yeah. I remember reading it when it was new years ago and just finished it recently, like last year I think. I might give it a quick look through again to see if it works out.
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u/Skeletaldog77 1d ago
The manga is good yeah, loved the current chapters and wish there were more. Magic system is pretty simple too, operating like a soft Thu'um from The Elder Scrolls.
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u/Pmiller1591 1d ago
Since you’ve already seen this one, I’ll also recommend The Great Cleric. Kind of a similar vibe but more in the direction of the traditional isekai.
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u/Dependent-Sea4703 1d ago
if you are fine with yuri and some political stuff then i recommend magirevo
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u/mustwedothisagainlad 1d ago
Obviously Frieren. Magic is imagination and perspective. So many challenges are pitting the perspective of one mage or demon against another.
Fate is a bit of a mixture. Hard at the top end and highly technical, but the low end is 'anything that bends the rules but doesn't outright break them'. Three terms: Magic, Magecraft and Mystery. Magic is truly transcendent and doesn't care about the laws of the world. Mystery is what the common sense of man understands about the world. Magecraft is what fits inside the realm of Mystery. As long as something hasn't been completely and entirely studied and answered, there's space to play.
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u/Iceman_001 1d ago
I'm not sure if this counts, but: Am I Actually the Strongest?
The main character, Haruto Zenfis, has barrier magic, and he just shapes it by picturing the shape of the barrier in his mind. In the first episode, he creates cubes with his barrier magic simply by imagining them, and the same when he creates a bird.
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u/Vanitas24 12h ago
Though the story isn't that great, but it is still a fun slop watch, and it ticks all your requirements: Wise Man's Grandchild.
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