So I now know that this type of thing isn't for me. I get why so many people love this type of manga but it went over my head and was a bit boring and repetitive.

The Girl, the Shovel, and the Evil Eye" Volume 1 is a captivating and enchanting introduction to a new fantasy manga series that immediately draws readers into its intriguing world. I feel that its quite a good start to a new installment to the series.

What is it about?
The story follows the adventures of our spirited protagonist, Aria, who is gifted with the unique ability to see and interact with supernatural entities. Aria's life takes a thrilling turn when she stumbles upon an ancient, cursed shovel and inadvertently releases an enigmatic and mischievous spirit, Elara. The dynamic between Aria and Elara forms the heart of the story, and their chemistry is both heartwarming and entertaining.

What I liked?
One of the most striking aspects of this volume is the beautifully detailed artwork. The character designs are expressive, and the world-building is rich with intricate backgrounds and magical creatures. The manga's visuals truly immerse the reader in the mystical realm that Aria and Elara navigate, enhancing the overall reading experience.

The pacing is well-balanced, providing enough exposition to establish the characters and their world without overwhelming the reader. The plot is shrouded in mystery, with hints at a deeper, overarching narrative that leaves readers eager to uncover the secrets lurking within this fantastical realm.

Overall, I feel that the story was not a bad debut. Paired with endearing characters, stunning artwork, and a perfect balance of mystery and humor. It's a must-read for manga enthusiasts and fans of the fantasy genre. Would def check out the next volume!

Personal Ratings : 3.5🌟

Summary:

Tsuguto Sumihara is one of those people you would label nice but maybe a pushover. Unfortunately, Tsuguto's demeanor directly resulted in his death, as he unwillingly gave up his bus seat, only for the following crash to kill him (and only him).

That should have been the end, but instead, Tsuguto woke up in a new world. It appears to be a mining camp buried beneath a tower of sorts. At least in this world, he was quick to make a friend – he will need all the help he can get!

Review:

The Girl, the Shovel, and the Evil Eye, Vol. 1 begins like many other Isekai/reincarnation stories – with a sad background followed almost immediately by death. That bit really shouldn't be much of a surprise to anyone, though it did a good job of quickly setting the tone.

It also made the new world stand out in stark contrast, as it has nothing in common with Tsuguto's old world. While it isn't a video game world, it does have those vibes. If that's something you enjoy, you should check this one out!

This series is perfect if you're looking for an interesting but casual fantasy read. Oh! I should also mention that the story picks up the farther you get, so I bet the next volume will be even more interesting.

Highlights:
Isekai
Fantasy world
Team-up

Trigger Warnings:
Character Death

An interesting if cliched concept. Sucked into an alternate universe following a fatal bus crash, Tsuguto finds himself in a medeival style mining town powered by the magical crystals discovered in the mines. With only adventurers to protect these minors from the monsters lurking in the caves, it can be a dangerous occupation. Things only get worse for Tsuguto when he angers one of these adventurers, only narrowly escaping with the help of Lourie, a non-human girl enslaved in this world. Together, they agree to embark upon a quest, to increase their levels in the mine dungeon and become stringer!

This manga was ok, very generic concept but entertaining enough. I can definitely see that this has the potential to be a great tale, but a very slow start.

I did not expect this at first but Im not complaining, I absolutely love it and would enjoy to see volume 2 if there are any. I like the characters and the world they were interesting. the drawings are amazing! i would definitely recommend this.

Its an isekai adventure manga with game concept. We have a male character who gets transported into a game like setting as he got killed in an accident. He who always get pushed around and was considered weak, decided to make his life better in this new world he entered. He met with a little girl who had sheep horns, known as sheep human that helps him throughout the game. They formed a bond, a relationship where they worked as partners to increase their game xp and as they fought monsters, there is an increase in energy and rank. I found the first volume entertaining and cute. Really like both of the characters presented here as i root for both of them to succeed. The foundation of the adventure are laid but still more need to be explored. So far, really liking the pace of the story.

Such a good first volume. Good found family trope between this adolescence and the girl and magical powers like in a videogame. Such a cool beginning <3

This manga isn't exactly what I expected and that's a good thing.
I attempted to read this story a few times, after the first initial chapter, I found the theme off-putting. How casual death and cruelty to others was.

That said, once the story starts and our character Tsuguto enters the new plain the situation of higher ground and fairness, in most respects, changes.

The bond of friendship we see between Tsuguto and Loulier really drives the story, as well as background characters that interact with them.

The cliffhanger at the end of this volume is BRUTAL.
Definenaty need more.

**Thank you to Kodansha Comics and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. **

I don't usually go for isekais (at least not in manga) but once in a while... why not. I wasn't expecting much from The Girl, The Shover, and the Evil Eye because I've never heard about it before. But you know what? It was a pleasant and quick read. Nothing too complicated either.

Tsuguto Sumihara ends up just like any other isekai protagonist - he dies and gets transported to another world. Simple, right? He has pretty much nothing on him, so the only way to survive is to earn some money. On his way he meets a ram-horned girl, Loulier, who she ends up befriending. And here their adventure begins.

The art is simple and clean and cutesy at times (especially with Loulier). The mining set up reminded me a lil bit of Meikyuu Black Company, but with a little twist... I am not sure wheter I'll continune with the series or not but first volume was interesting enough to keep me entertained.

I'm a fan of the stories where the main characters end up in an alternate world, and this was no exception.

This is a fun fantasy story that also has a really good message about discrimination and friendship. The story is very wholesome, but the characters do face some challenges that many of your readers will connect with. I highly recommend this for both teen and adult graphic novel collections!

This isekai manga follows Tsugoto, a man who died from being too nice and wakes up in a new, video-game like world. Trying to navigate the mining camp he finds himself in and the new rules of this life, he meets Loulier, a little girl with ram horns who has a knack for finding the best mining spots. After discovering his hidden power, he teams up with her to try and level up and leave his weakness behind.

I was delightfully surprised by some aspects of this book, and less so by others. Average fans of isekais will most likely enjoy this, but there aren't a ton of "wow" aspects that set this apart from the normal narrative.

Hmph, I can’t believe I have to wait and see what’s going to happen. I really want to know now!!! I absolutely loved this one!! Loulier is just so adorable and I liked Tsuguto as a main character too. He kind of steps up into being a protector and hero.

The world is like a video game and I just got a huge kick out of the plot. Leveling up and becoming stronger was super entertaining. Throwing in Loulier was simply icing on the cake. She makes a wonderful little sister character.

I recommend this to manga and graphic novel lovers who are also into video games. But watch out, you’ll want to know what happens next immediately after finishing this one!! I’m dying to read the next one now!!!

Thanks so much to NetGalley, Kodansha, and Chouchouhasshi for the opportunity to read this for my honest and unbiased opinion!!!

Will be posted on my blog and Amazon shortly.

I was delightfully surprised. I was expecting something ecchi but I'm happy to say it stayed away from anything gross. The story is interesting and it gives me dothack or Sword Art Online vibes but with more of a LitRPG flare. There's the promise of a lot of action and an interesting story and I'd love to keep up with this to find out where it eventually goes.

Thank you to NetGalley * Kodansha for this

Loulier is very cute with her horns and appearance. Everything about her is so cute and she is a shortie ugh!!! Tsuguto & Loulier looks like big brother and little sister. Well this is another kind of isekai manga. I've read plenty of isekai before and never get bored of them. Bonus point for this manga, it has Loulier the cutie and indeed a nice girl too. I also love Tsuguto, the vibes he gave was the calm and dangerous vibe. He may look calm but HE IS DANGEROUS! Adding one fictional character to simp right away! I also love the settings of the manga.

'The Girl, the Shovel, and the Evil Eye' by Chouchouhasshi with illustrations by Kayatamaru is a manga which depicts the afterlife as a type of roleplaying adventure.

When Tsuguto Sumihara dies in a bus accident, he wakes up in a mine where desperate miners try to find odd gems. He finds an ally in a young sheep-girl with a shovel and learns he is tagless, or has no stats. Before long, he is trying to find gems to survive and fighting monsters to try and level up.

I liked this strange story of dying and waking up as a D&D character. The main characters are fun as is the art.

I received a review copy of this manga from Kodansha Comics and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this manga.

There are three different categories you could place an isekai series. The first place is the unique pile, where series like KonoSuba and Saga of Tanya the Evil reside. Then there is the generic-yet-interesting category, where you’ll find series like Overlord or How NOT to Summon a Demon Lord. Lastly, there’s the uninspired one, where the dull and tedious series trudge towards a wasteful death. That’s where The Girl, the Shovel, and the Evil Eye unfortunately finds itself.

Its story starts out on a somewhat interesting path, as the protagonist Tsuguto dies on a bus rather than being run over by one. As he dies, a punk kid records him bleeding and making fun of him. The final moments of his life enrage Tsuguto, swearing that he’ll get revenge on the guy for laughing at his death. That’s when he wakes up in a cave, unharmed and feeling quite all right.

Tsuguto roams around and finds that he’s no longer in Japan, his surroundings being more medieval European than anything else. While working the mines, he befriends a sheep girl named Loulier, who shows him the ways of the job. After some bonding, Loulier convinces Tsuguto to join the adventurer’s guild and take some missions to earn better coin. There, he learns about his HP, MP, and even a special power: “The Accursed Evil Eye.”

One of the biggest problems with The Girl, the Shovel, and the Evil Eye is its overall presentation. Nothing about this series shouts out some sort of wow factor that makes it stand out from the rest of the isekai pack. Tsuguto’s real world death is the only moment that felt interesting enough to gain my attention. But once he’s in the new world, the entire narrative comes to a screeching halt!

It’s a shame, because at the very least the art style looks nice. While not standout-ish, illustrator Kayatamura does a great job showcasing the beauty and the grime of this new world. The character design of Loulier, crafted by artist Chibi, is also very cute, fitting well with her personality. Even the action sequence involving goblins looked pretty good, as it showcases their threat with great stride.

Alas, its writer Chouchouhasshi just can’t pen a good-enough protagonist to shoulder the narrative. Reading through Tsuguto’s day-in-the-life routines caused my eyes to become heavy, to the point where my iPad fell from my grasp and I found myself sleeping sitting up for two hours. Having to soldier through the rest of the volume felt more like a chore than an escape to a fantasy world. The volume ends on a cliffhanger, but the sheer boredom I felt reading through it left me with zero interest to see what happens next!

The Girl, the Shovel, and the Evil Eye is very run-of-the-mill. On top of that, its uninspired dialogue and same-as-they-ever-were characters amplifies the story’s blandness. There is a barrel-full of isekai series out there that do things light years better than this series. If you are suffering from insomnia, then reading the first volume of The Girl, the Shovel, and the Evil Eye will no doubt cure it!

Thank you Netgalley and Kodansha Comics for the opportunity to read and review this.

This is a very cute and sweet story! Our main character and hero Tsugoto meets a tragic end and finds himself in a fantasy-like world, where he meets Loulier, a little girl, with whom he forms an alliance in order to level up and survive in this new world.

I like the art style and the storyline, and definitely looking forward to the next volume!

OMG! I just finished it and the end... the END! I need book 2 in my hands right now !!

I've been obsessed with Isekai webcomic, mangas and anime for a while now, so when I saw The Girl, the Shovel and the Evil Eye on Netgalley, I knew I had to request it. We follow a teenager named Tsugoto who spent his life licking the boots of other people to live a life without trouble. When a bus accident leads him to his death, he awakens in another world where he meets a Loulier, a little girl, with whom he forms an alliance in order to level up and survive in that world.

I loved that volume, the drawings are very smooth and pleasant to the eye. Loulier is so cute, her design is lovely and her personality is adorable. Tsugoto is the stereotype of the male protagonist in this kind of story. He reminds me a bit of Naofumi from the rising of the shield hero (whom I'm in love with).
The story is interesting even if a bit basic, but the end of the volume promise an awesome book 2! I nearly screamed when I saw the last image followed by "to be continued in volume 2".

In the end, I think I would give this first volume 3.75 or 4 stars. I loved it but it wasn't all that original (so far).

So I had no clue what I was getting myself into when picking up this book and it started interestingly enough but for some reason when digging, mana, and the whole fantasy world came into play my interests dropped. For some reason fantasy books aren't my thing but I wanted to see this book through though and once I got into it again I couldn't put it down. I liked getting to know Tsuguto and Loulier. Loulier was a eager character but was a slave so couldn't get far but with the help of Tsuguto who knows what could happen? Also with how this book ended I now need the next book immediately because I need to know what's going to happen.