So I’m a Spider… | Review

[Today’s review is by Renee Scott, the newest member of the Good Comics for Kids team—Ed.]

So I’m a Spider. So What?: The Daily Lives of the Kumoko Sisters, vol. 1
Original story by Okina Baba, art by Gratinbird 
Yen Press, 2021
Age rating: 13+  

For those unfamiliar with the original series (which also became an anime released in January 2021), So I’m a Spider. So What? is the story of a high school girl who finds herself resurrected as a spider in a RPG-like dungeon world where larger, powerful monsters want to eat her. Known as “Kumoko (ku-mo-ko)” by fans of the series, our protagonist endures trials and hardships in order to stay alive, as well as build up her strength to become a powerful force to be reckoned with. During one of her adventures, Kumoko develops the ability to separate her mind into four different entities: Information Brain, Body Brain, Magic Brain #1, and Magic Brain #2. This spin-off showcases the adventures and relationships each brain or “sister” has while inhabiting our hero.

Sounds confusing and chaotic. That’s because this manga is confusing and chaotic. 

If you’re a fan of the original, including the light novels, you’ll understand it more than a first-time reader of the series.  

There’s really no plot to this manga, other than how each brain co-exists with the others. It’s a collection of stories involving each sister in this isekai, which quite honestly, makes absolutely no sense. However, that’s what makes this manga very appealing. To see how the sisters interact is pretty relatable. As with anyone who has siblings, there’s almost always going to be conflict and rivalry. However, there are light hearted tones to show how much the sisters rely and dote on each other. Whether it’s protecting the other’s feelings or defending each other from enemies threatening them (which is very confusing as they are in the protagonist’s body so how is that even possible?!), the sisters stick together and find ways to work it out, compared to the protagonist, who in a previous life was a lonely outsider. It’s funny and easy to follow, but be advised that this is not a continuation of the original story. 

If you’re looking for more of the original story, it’s best to continue reading the light novel and manga series. With this new collection, it’s best to take it with a grain of salt, to not take it seriously, and just go along with the insanity.  

Filed under: All Ages