In Another World, My Sister Stole My Name Volume 1 Review

We have of course seen many isekai titles where our protagonist finds themselves in a new world, but how often do we see two sisters transported to another world? Well, that’s the premise of the new Yen Press manga In Another World, My Sister Stole My Name which promises to provide something a bit different to this popular genre.

The story begins in modern-day Japan where our protagonist college student Ichika has a mysterious hand mirror that allows her to talk to a young boy called Cecil from another world. Of course, Ichika doubts anyone would believe her if she told them about the mirror so the only one she’s confided in is her older sister Karen.

One day both Karen and the mirror suddenly go missing, leaving no trace behind. It’s only a year later when the mirror reappears that Ichika finds herself drawn into Cecil’s world and discovers that Karen has been here the past year – and she’s stolen Ichika’s identity for herself!

When confronted about her actions, Karen reveals that all the stories Ichika told her about Cecil and this world allowed her to easily assume Ichika’s identity (they never saw each other through the mirror, so Cecil doesn’t know what she looked like). Now she’s engaged to Cecil, who believes she’s the kind woman he grew close to through their everyday discussions through the mirror. Otherworlders are considered valuable in this world and being Karen’s sister, Ichika is warmly welcomed though she has to pretend to be Karen.

With no way to return home, Ichika decides to do her best in this new world. She may have been betrayed by Karen, but that’s no reason to mope around doing nothing and if there’s one thing our heroine is good at, it’s picking herself up and moving forward. She studies the history of the world, magic, and generally shows an interest which earns her Cecil’s respect.

Traditionally, Otherworlders have always married into the royal family and it’s not long before Ichika is told she’ll be wedded to the second prince, Noah. He has little intention of getting to know her and in fact is quick to tell Ichika he can’t stand her sister (for reasons so far unknown), so he’s less than thrilled by the arrangement.

In Another World, My Sister Stole My Name has many of the common tropes we see in isekai and villainess titles (in this case Ichika has landed in something similar to that role), but to its credit, the story stands out on its own merits. Ichika is a relatable lead and she’s a bit more grounded than some of the characters we see in these types of series due to her being college-age.

The other members of the cast are likewise likable and I appreciate that they’re not blind to what’s happening here. It’s hinted that Cecil knows Karen is not the girl he came to know through the mirror, especially now that Ichika has appeared, but due to Karen ending up with the role of Saint he can’t exactly toss her aside. Noah is perhaps the most off-putting here in Volume 1, but as the book goes on, his personality starts to mellow and it’s clear he’s starting to see Ichika as her own person and not just the sister of the woman he hates.

This manga is based on a single-volume light novel by author Kotoko (Fake It to Break It! I Faked Amnesia to Break off My Engagement and Now He’s All Lovey-Dovey?! available through J-Novel Club), which I hope means the story will move at a comfortable pace without overstaying its welcome. This first volume comes in at 150~ pages, which feels about right for showing us all the key information without overwhelming the reader. It also does a good job of not feeling like it’s based on a light novel; if not for the credits and afterword, I probably wouldn’t have realised this wasn’t an original manga, which is not something I can usually say about adaptations like this.

The artwork is handled by NiKrome (The Reincarnated Little Villainess Becomes the Beloved Daughter of a Mean Daddy available through MangaPlaza) who also illustrated the original novel. Their work is detailed and expressive with attractive character designs for all involved. The art leans into the softer tones we’d expect from the shojo label this is released under, but it isn’t overly flowery or romantic either. It strikes a good balance to attract a broader audience.

As mentioned earlier, In Another World, My Sister Stole My Name Volume 1 comes to the West thanks to Yen Press and has been translated by Jan Cash with lettering by Madeleine Jose. The release reads well with no issues. It includes colour pages at the beginning, which are a real treat as among other things they depict all four of the leads on a double-page spread.

The manga series is ongoing in Japan with four volumes currently available. Here in English, Volume 2 is scheduled for March, so still quite a while until we get to enjoy more.

Overall In Another World, My Sister Stole My Name Volume 1 proves an interesting first instalment. While it features many of the tropes we’re familiar with, it does plenty to differentiate itself and stand out in the crowded genre. Given the source material is short it’s unlikely to go on for more than 5-6 volumes too, which will make it more appealing to those looking for a shorter series. Plenty of reasons to pick this one up!

Our review copy from Yen Press was supplied by Diamond Book Distributors UK.