Isekai Metaller Volume 1 Review

Upon first learning that there was an isekai manga in which the protagonist is a metalhead, my first thought was: “Of course there is! There’s an isekai covering just about every person, scenario or object these days. I won’t be surprised if there was a series somewhere called I Died Having a Dump and was Reincarnated as Toilet Paper in Another World.” (And if there isn’t, someone will now do it. Opening scene is the lead character being hit by a truck while using a portaloo, obviously.)

However, just because something is isekai, both the most popular and most hated subgenre of manga right now, doesn’t mean it is automatically bad, and if you are someone who likes heavy metal, there is much to enjoy. If you are someone who doesn’t like heavy metal, then you might come across a new band you might like in this.

The story revolves around Alexi (real name Yamada), guitarist and vocalist of metal band Level 99, whose ultimate dream is bringing about world peace through heavy metal. However, the band are splitting up, and to make things worse, during his performance of the band’s final gig, he is electrocuted and killed. He wakes up as his normal self, but surrounded by a group of fantastical travellers including a rather weak mage called Lizzy, and a mercenary werewolf beastman called Tyro (whom Alexi keeps mistakenly calling Taro). The trio, and some other people who are giving Lizzy a hard time, are trying to find a particular monster, and it isn’t long before they encounter it. Alexi is able to defeat it in a single blow by playing a chord from his Gibson flying-V guitar, despite having no amp. Upon closer inspection, it is revealed his level is 999, making him almost invincible.

Following on from this battle, Lizzy gains extra confidence from seeing Alexi’s performance and she, along with Tyro, form a group on their own. It’s not long however before Alexi suffers a problem when his guitar is stolen by a young orphaned boy named Tuck who is being mistreated by a gang of bandits. Once more, Alexi helps him out and Tuck joins the gang. Upon learning there is an evil Demon King in this world, Alexi decides to once again achieve his dream of using heavy metal to bring about peace by inviting the king to a metal festival, but there is the matter of trying to find him first.

First of all, let’s deal with something that matters a lot to metalheads – categorisation. For those unfamiliar, for metalheads it’s not just a matter of deciding if a band is metal, but also what kind of metal. The opening of Isekai Metaller makes reference to over 50 genres of metal, and that feels like an undercount. Yes, a band might be metal but are old school metal (originators of the genre), black metal (for lovers of Satan), thrash metal (aggressive and fast), death metal (sonic extremity, indecipherable vocals), doom metal (depressive) power metal (dragons, somewhat cheesy), nu metal (metal mixed with rap) or something else. Then they sub-divide once more: OK, they’re black metal, but are they first wave black metal, Norwegian black metal, symphonic black metal, red and anarchist black metal, national socialist black metal, etc.

You can argue there are similarities to anime and manga here with categorisation. Yes, a series may definitely be manga, but is it isekai, mecha, harem, magical girl, yaoi, yuri, cute girls doing cute things etc.? Then we go into further subdivisions. In the case of Isekai Metaller, it is probably safe to say it fits into the subgenre of “standard reincarnated chosen one isekai” – when Alexi dies, he wakes up with the exact same appearance and behaviour, but he does have new powers.

When it comes to the material, while this is a comedy, I feel that someone who is new to metal would find this funnier. For me, the enjoyment is from coming across a piece of metal knowledge – the knowing reference that made me smile rather than laugh, and indeed the surprise references to bands that have never really broken into the mainstream. References to bands like Iron Maiden and Mötley Crüe are something you’d expect, but mentions of Swedish death metal band Amon Amarth and American power metal band Manowar were a nice surprise.

This of course might become a problem in later volumes if creator Kasuga Ryo makes references to bands who are deeply controversial – and in metal, there are many extreme bands who are problematic. There is no getting away from the fact that there are bands who embrace far-right politics (see the forementioned national socialist black metal), and/or whose members have committed crimes including arson, murder, and sex offences.

Regarding production, while Isekai Metaller lacks any extras like translation notes or colour pages, the people responsible for bring this manga into English have done a great job. This is no surprise when you look at some of the people involved. Translation is taken up by Motoko Tamamuro and legendary British manga critic Jonathan Clements. In terms of having people to work on your manga, you don’t get much bigger of a name like Clements, and both he and Tamamuro do a brilliant job. I also admire the work Tom Williams has done on the lettering. Editor Louis Yamani and designer Dan Bura also do top work. Volume 2 is due out in January 2026.

As someone who likes this music, this is certainly a manga I plan to return to. Those who might be hesitant to read this because it is isekai may be missing out on something unexpectedly enjoyable.