The Fake Alchemist Volume 1 Review

The Fake Alchemist is a new isekai manga publishing this month by Yen Press. In a market saturated with this genre, is this series able to stand out? Let’s find out!

Paracelsus is a man from modern-day Earth who dies after being hit by a truck. However, it’s not the end of his journey as he gets a second chance at life in a fantasy world where magic and magical creatures exist. He can choose two skills before transmigrating into this new world, so Paracelsus find himself as an alchemist who can barely make ends meets. In fact, his skills are non-offensive and it’s hard to gather the ingredients for his potions, thus making him turn to creating easy potions that don’t bring a lot of money.

However, making the potions is time-consuming, and he’s not averse to some extra help. The only problem is that he has cheater skills and needs someone who can keep his secrets… as slaves are legal, they seem to be a good option. Paracelsus buys Nora, a slave from a foreign land who turns out to be a witch, and a tortured elf with no limbs, tongue, eyes… (readers can get the picture). He feels pity for the elf and wants to try to help her however he can. Nora, however, takes to him quite easily and, compared to the elf’s slave contract, she’s able to buy her freedom, and with Paracelsus, she’ll earn more than she imagined.

What should have been a complicated fix but with not too many issues turns into a bigger problem when the person who might have tortured and cursed the elf slave comes knocking on Paracelsus’ door. Can he and Nora help and protect the elf slave and stop whatever machinations the torturer is planning?

The Fake Alchemist takes on a more adult theme compared to many other isekai I’ve read. The story doesn’t shy away from torture, abuse, grooming and sexual relations. Paracelsus might not agree with them as he comes from a modern-day Earth, but he’s not above adapting to the societal rules of this new world he finds himself in. He’s still a gentle guy and doesn’t condone torture or abuse, but he doesn’t hesitate to join Nora in her night activities as a slave.

The story gives the impression that Paracelsus will form a harem of beautiful women, especially if he can manage to restore the body of the elf slave. And as Nora turns out to be a witch with powers, I wouldn’t be surprised if the elf also has some over powerful skills of her own. After all, it seems that the women in this story will be the ones protecting him as he has zero offensive skills and too much naivety.

The art is detailed throughout the volume. Readers are treated to a few pages in full colour at the beginning, however there’s no preview of what’s to come in the next volume at the end of the manga. It’s tagged as Older Teen on the volume itself, although only as Teen on the publisher’s website. Due to the topics it covers, I’d stick with the Older Teen tag.

The Fake Alchemist is written by Jiro Sugiura (My Wife Has No Emotion) and illustrated by Umemaru. It’s released in the English language by Yen Press with a translation by Minna Lin. Volume 2 is slated for release in June 2026.

Our review copy was supplied by Yen Press.