Prescription for Manga: Parallel World Pharmacy

Although Japanese “isekai” stories of characters spirited away to or reincarnated in alternate worlds have been prominent since at least the 1980s, the fantasy sub-genre began an unprecedented explosive growth in the 2000s. The rapid exponential increase in number of “reborn in another world” stories soon necessitated a diversion from simple sword wielding heroic epics. So emerged stories about modern-day people transposed to alternate worlds as feudal lords, farmers, merchants, organization managers, doctors, monsters, and even weapons. Author Liz Takayama & illustrator keepout’s web-novel series Parallel World Pharmacy (Isekai Yakkyoku) premiered in 2015. As the story gained popularity, it was adapted into a manga by illustrator Sei Takano beginning in late 2016 then an anime television series in mid-2022. One Peace Books is officially translating the manga for English-speaking readers, with the first volume scheduled for release on May 30, 2023.

The story revolves around brilliant pharmacologist Kanji Yakutani who literally works himself into an early grave. Yet, for Mr. Yakutani, the great beyond turns out to be an early modern era society comparable to pre-Renaissance Europe. And 31-year-old Yakutani has resurrected into the body of a preadolescent noble heir. By fortunate coincidence, or possibly divine intervention, Dr. Yakutani, now known as Farma de Médicis, is a student pharmacologist with not only a genius mind full of modern era medical knowledge but also now magical abilities to create medicinal substances and also diagnosis illnesses. So the young man in a younger boy’s body decides to do what he was unable to accomplish in his previous life: use his medical expertise to directly improve the lives of patients, and by extension evolve the medical know-how of his relatively primitive world.

The isekai sub-genre rarely delivers genuine surprises or drastic alterations of its stock tropes. Parallel World Pharmacy isn’t unusual in the regard that its story development is reminiscent to anyone familiar with the isekai genre. However, that’s not to call Parallel World Pharmacy uninteresting. The story pacing is brisk, and characterizations are strong. Characters primary and supporting all have unique and distinctive personalities. The story doesn’t emphasize world building, yet it does provide enough background detail to make the world feel believable and real. The manga devotes slightly more emphasis than its anime incarnation to expressing the protagonist’s psychology and motivations, particularly the untimely demise of his younger sister that motivated him to pursue a career in developing medicines. But the story also keeps the tone playfully buoyant with ample whimsical humor and an emphasis on familial relationships and loyalty.

Sei Takano’s manga art is entirely functional. Character designs are consistently unique enough to make distinguishing characters easy. Moreover, character expressions are dynamic and expressive. Background art is functionally sufficient: not common nor extensive yet detailed enough when necessary to establish settings. Panel layout is easy to navigate. The script contains just enough technical jargon to feel both otherworldly and scientifically-based. References to complex chemical compounds and curative components is just thorough enough to convince readers that the protagonist is a knowledgeable doctor, without alienating the reader or making the dialogue too heavy and boring. Moreover, a credits page reveals that the manga’s medical references were verified by medical professionals, demonstrating that an extra degree of consideration and realism has been injected into this fantasy story.

The 176-page manga presents its first four pages with the original Japanese serialized color pages converted to monochrome. The rest of the book contains the manga’s first four chapters (equivalent to roughly the first two-and-a-half episodes of the anime). A few brief scenes play up some sensuality for the sake of comedy, but the manga contains no harsh language, nudity, sex, or violence. Practically the book should be inoffensive and accessible to practically all readers. Brief instances of in-panel text are translated. Sound effects are retained with appended in-panel translations. An appendix includes an illustrated two-page afterword by Sei Takano.

Sei Takano’s Parallel World Pharmacy manga doesn’t break any ground; however, it is a plentifully enjoyable fantasy drama infused with light humor. Readers fascinated by speculative “what if” historical scenarios and readers seeking some variety from the typical sword-swinging isekai adventure will likely find this manga to be just what the doctor ordered.