Review of Ascendance of a Bookworm Season 2
This portrayal is deeply frustrating. The character, Main, is less a "book lover" and more someone obsessed with shoujo manga and YouTube DIY trends. If you're looking for a genuinely intelligent, mature female lead with authentic literary depth, you won’t find it here. The story tries to frame her as a devoted reader, yet her idea of "literature" is adapting temple scriptures into shoujo manga (which she calls a "picture book"). Even in a magical isekai setting, she clings to shallow tropes instead of meaningful growth. Her "inventor" persona? Unconvincing. Why bother making paper manually when enchanted resources exist? And her time in the library? Wasted. Insteadof seeking cures, strategies, or ways to break a child’s contract, she just… finds more shoujo manga.
Worse, she devolves into a passive mascot—her agency stripped away by a knight-priest who makes every decision for her. The tonal whiplash is jarring, too: dark themes clash with Disney-esque fluff, leaving the narrative feeling disjointed and insincere.
Final Verdict: A squandered premise with little payoff.
Rating: 6/10
It might work as background entertainment if you're not looking for deep engagement, but I wouldn't prioritize watching it.