Time Stop Hero Volume 1 [Manga] Review - A Rather Convenient Power

5:00 PM December 2, 2021

Manga Review [Category]
Comedy Manga, Fantasy Manga, Superpower Manga, Sexy / Ecchi Manga, Parody Manga, [Genres]

A Rather Convenient Power

Mangaka : Yasunori Mitsunaga
Publisher : Seven Seas
Genre : Fantasy, Isekai / Another World
Published : October 5, 2021

Imagine finally being chosen as an emissary to another world. Such a cause, of course, doesn’t go unrewarded - the goddess grants you one power of your choosing. What will be your choice? There are probably a few good ones that popped in your mind; for the naughty-minded person, perhaps invisibility and the power to stop time are your top choices for rather obvious reasons. That’s the protagonist's power set in Time Stop Hero, though his origin story is far from what you might expect. Here’s our review for Time Stop Hero Vol. 1.

Contains Spoilers

Our Hottest Cosplay Ever!

Discussion Time

After making the mistake of posting a wrong picture online, Kuzuno Sekai predictably gets cancelled. With tens of thousands of netizens cussing him out and whatnot, he ultimately wishes to abandon his life. He gets transported to a new world with what seems like a console controller, as if his plea has been heard by some higher being. However, there’s a catch. He notices a countdown that only he can see, and he has no idea how to make it stop. Now, he must scramble, figure out his quest, and accomplish it before the countdown ends.

Why You Should Read Time Stop Hero Vol. 1

1. A Race Against Time?

We’re not going to sugarcoat it - Sekai’s power is really overpowered. The fact that he must use the controller to pause time is an obvious weakness, but it doesn’t seem like that will ever be exploited. Mixing a countdown and the ability to stop time is rather interesting, although it’s important to keep in mind that his countdown also stops every time he pauses time. This results in a seemingly paradoxical event: he has all the time he needs, while also having a very limited time. It may seem confusing at first, but it actually makes sense once you’ve read it.

2. A Horndog of a Protagonist

With such a convenient power, Sekai doesn’t miss a beat before using it to satisfy his worldly desires. He doesn’t use it for anything more than peeking—if we’re talking about inappropriate behavior—so the manga has a lot of fanservice, but not necessarily hentai scenes. Obviously, the series can still do without them, but it’s trying to cater to a target population. If you belong to that population, then you're probably going to enjoy this.

Our Hottest Cosplay Ever!

Why You Should Skip Time Stop Hero Vol. 1

1. Everything Feels Easy

Thanks to such a convenient power, Sekai can overcome almost every obstacle he faces. That doesn’t really mean he can defeat them with a snap of a finger like a certain purple alien, but he still manages to figure things out. Of course, that requires a ton of work. In fact, he even has to buff himself up for almost a year just to kill a sandworm. You may now be thinking, “There’s nothing easy about that,” and you’re right. What we mean by easy is that the manga glosses over his hardships. We don’t see his grueling struggle. We don’t see him painstakingly trying to carve a stone golem or working out. What we see is him having difficulty fighting a monster, and the next thing we know is he’s ready to dominate the monster in question. Such storytelling takes away a lot of luster and satisfaction from the supposed reward for his hard work.

Final Thoughts

Time Stop Hero seems like a fanservice manga based on the premise. While that is undeniably correct, it has a bit more to offer than that. It actually has an interesting premise, though the execution could be improved. It also has quite interesting out-of-the-box solutions and some funny bits. That said, it caters to a target population, and that is as plain as day. People outside of that target population may not really like it, but those who like these kinds of manga will surely ogle at it. Tell us what you think of Time Stop Hero Vol. 1 in the comment section below!

Writer

Author: Christian Markle

I am a copywriter, proofreader, and editor. I love watching anime, reading manga, and writing my own stories. Watch out in the future as you may see one of my works one day. Manga and anime were big parts of my childhood. I grew up watching Yu Yu Hakusho, Slam Dunk, One Piece, and Dragon Ball Z. Those were probably one of the happiest and most carefree days of my life. In fact, most of my values are probably molded by manga. No, that's not an exaggeration.

Top 5 Anime by Christian Markle

Our Hottest Cosplay Ever!