The Return of the 8th Class Mage · review
Spoiler warning
This review may discuss plot details.
Finally, an actually wholesome regression manhwa that doesn't drag on forever? Yes, it actually exists. This manhwa had an ending that wasn't completely rushed or stagnated either. The whole story is basically a revenge plot about a powerful magician named Ian trying to get revenge on his killer after going back in time. While it seems that such a story would be depressing, there are many parts of it that are actually heartwarming. The story starts out with the general "cold overpowered main character that can beat everyone up" tropes. Thankfully, the entire story doesn't go this way, later it focuses on emotionalconnections between the characters rather than just Ian's overpowered magic abilities.
Characters: 8/10
The thing that sets this manhwa apart is that the side characters had a lot of development, especially the crown prince Hayden, Hailey, and the "villain" Ragnar. The emotional connection between Hailey and Ian is quite well developed throughout the story, and so is the ever growing desperation of Ragnar as he realizes the seemingly idiotic crown prince is beating him for his spot at the throne. The growing maturity of the crown prince, Hayden, is also well portrayed.
Art: 9/10
The art was great. Action panels were not rushed and felt fairly smooth. The art overall is quite colorful compared to most manhwas, the scenes are quite vibrant. The only complaint I would have is that Ragnar and Hayden seemed a bit too similar and I had trouble telling them apart besides their clothing. {Spoiler} In the end when Hayden is about to be crowned, I honestly thought it was Ragnar because he was wearing red.
Story: 7/10
The story was nice, but the first half was extremely average in comparison with other regression manhwas. The second half is where it really begun to shine, when we finally got to see Ian's interactions and connections with other characters in the story.
Overall, I would recommend reading this manhwa. It's actually not very long, and has a very wholesome ending that doesn't leave questions unanswered. It's quite satisfying to see Ian helping other characters grow and become better versions of themselves. Though if you're here because you want more of the Solo Leveling op mc action, you might be disappointed.