The Other World’s Books Depend on the Bean Counter Vol. 1

Author:Yatsuki Wakatsu
Illustrator: Kikka Ohashi
Publishers: Yen On Press
Age Group: Older Teen
Genre: Boy Love, Fantasy, Isekai
Type: Light Novel

Content Warnings: magical energy drink overdose, some smut, overbearing protector

Spoilers ahead

Plot

Seiichiro kondou is your average accountant workaholic who comes across a girl being enveloped into the ground. When he tries to help her he’s accidentally transported to another world. As compensation, the Romany Kingdom promises to take care of all of his living expenses, but being the workaholic he is, Seiichiro asks for a job. 

He’s placed in the Royal Accounting Department where he finds lackadaisical colleagues, which he starts whipping into shape.

When he nearly dies from overwork and a magical drink overdose, the handsome Commander Aresh steps in to save him…only that means a having physical relationship… as medical treatment?!

Character Development

Seiichiro Kondou is your average overworked workaholic that enjoys working himself to death. He’s quiet tempered except when people don’t do their jobs. He’s seen as strict and unfeeling, which isn’t true at all. He just loves accounting because numbers keep the world running. He doesn’t particularly care either way about having a physical relationship with a man, he sees it as one of the norms (maybe from our world…not so much the Romany Kingdom). 

Commander Aresh is your pretty, masculine leader of the knights. All the girls fawn over him but he’s never been in a single relationship. That is… until he bumps into Seiichiro and finds him strange, catching his attention. Aresh becomes over protective and kind of a mother hen to Seiichiro, mostly because Seiichiro refuses to take care of himself and if it was up to him he’d still be downing those magical energy drinks…. On the other hand, Aresh also doesn’t know why Seiichiro isn’t bothered by them having a physical relationship (though Aresh is trying to come to terms with how he feels). 

World-building

The Romany Kingdom is your classical medieval kingdom that needs help with miasma. The girl Seiichiro tries to save, Yua Shiraishi, becomes the Holy Maiden. Magic is used for pretty much everything in this world so they aren’t as technologically advanced as Earth, but they are quite innovative in other regards. Seiichiro comes across a quill that never needs ink (so obviously he buys it). 

One bit of world-building most Isekai don’t consider that this series does is how people from Earth react to magicules. The Holy Maiden is fine, but Seiirchiro turns out to be allergic. He can’t handle magic. So part of the medical treatment he receivers from Commander Aresh is to help him get used to magical energy. 

If he gets magical energy from someone else it’ll cause him to get horribly sick again and need to start over. Thus Commander Aresh is over protective so he can give him doses of magical energy. 

This world is very laid back that Seiichiro’s work ethic is seen as abnormal. Yet, it’s thanks to Seiichiro’s work ethic that we find the kingdom is going bankrupt from all the excess funds being funneled to other departments (embezzlement and money laundering anyone?). He puts a stop to that immediately, making a lot of enemies. 

Themes

Take care of yourself!

I’d definitely say that the theme for this is you need to take care of yourself. Due to Seiichiro being a workaholic (corporate slave), he prefers to find the easiest method to deal with his needs. He comes across a magical energy drink (nutritional tonic) that does it all…only he overdoses on magic and learns he’s allergic to magicules. He doesn’t sleep or eat very much until Commander Aresh takes over and forces him to. 

Moral of the story is you need to take care of yourself. You’re more than just your work (though, Seiichiro would disagree). 

Observations & Predictions

I see Commander Aresh and Seiichiro’s relationship coming to a head. Aresh is definitely going to ask Seiichrio why he isn’t bothered by his ‘medical treatment’. Seiirchiro will have to explain that it’s normal in our world. 

I also see his continued interference with the other departments will put him in danger. It does in the current volume, but there will definitely be more of that. 

Seiichiro’s plan to get rid of the Holy Maiden system will have a huge economical and psychological impact on the Romany Kingdom. It’ll be interesting to see what happens with that as more changes are implemented to deal with the miasma without needing the Holy Maiden’s power. 

I hope we’ll see some growth from Seiichiro that his work doesn’t need to take front stage and he’ll figure out his own feelings towards Commander Aresh. We know from the story that he recognizes some of the sings that Aresh may like him. I hope he won’t just ignore those moving forward. 

Would I recommend this as a read? Yes, I would. The way Seiichiro handles problems is relatable and entertaining. I love the dichotamy between Aresh and Seiichiro. We also have some great secondary characters to provide some great sub-plots in the future. 

Recommendations

Female Protagonists with Similar Vibes: 

The Savior’s Book Cafe Story in Another World
By: Oumiya, Kyoka Izumi

The Saint’s Magic Power is Omnipotent
By: Yuka Tachibana

More Sweet Boy Love: 

Koh-Boku
By: Sonoo MIchiru
*Can find this one translated online

The Dragon’s Betrothed
By: Meguru Hinohara

Delinquent Daddy and Tender Teacher
By: Tama Mizuki

Cherry Magic! Thirty Years of Virginity can make you a Wizard?!
By: Yuu Toyota