It's difficult to find harem literature that consists of characters who are realistically depicted and fall in love with the main character for proper reasons. Love indeed has no bounds but there tend to be underlying reasons behind the infatuation. It has become common for harem-based entertainment to attempt to develop characters and abandon the storyline because of incompetence. Rokujouma no Shinryakusha!? is a light novel that strives to achieve more by providing great characters and an amazing storyline.

The story begins according to the synopsis and starts as a generic harem without outstanding qualities. There seems to be a lack of ideas and is therefore assumed to be uninspired. This brings me to one of the few qualitative issues this work faces. The pacing is slow and takes its time to construct a world with depth and a compelling narrative. It is evident a few times throughout the series that the story needs to be extended and thereby does not offer conclusions when needed.

On a more positive note, the story is very well constructed and adds reasoning behind actions. Those who have viewed the anime, especially, will conclude that there are plot holes and a lack of explanation regarding events. There are lots of events occurring but the author does not rush to offer explanations but instead adds clues throughout the storyline. Essentially, this light novel is a puzzle, and pieces can be assembled from events that take place to conclude. Many moments strike one as odd but eventually turns into an "aha" moment. It appears frequently and is achieved because of foreshadowing and intelligent writing. Intelligent writing is more subjective than other terms but I believe it is achieved because of loose connections managing to constitute a bigger picture and thereby makes incoherent events sensible. The harem, for example, is made sensible because of the storyline.

Despite the novel's brilliance, certain issues need to be discerned. It is arguable whether the following are impactful issues because of the substance behind them at times. Many volumes consist of a structure where there is an excellent setup leading to an action segment. At times, this is brilliantly executed and the action scenes utilize the tools provided to build a good action segment. This is not always achieved because the pacing of the action segments tends to be inconsistent and there certain segments that seem to provide redundant information by being too long and offering little information. This aligns with the other issue; deus ex machina. The outcome of a fight in terms of the living party members tend to be predictable and thereby lessens the excitement of the said fight. The author does recognize this issue and tries to salvage it by adding logical explanations for why certain outcomes occur and it does lessen the effect of the deus ex machina trope. On top of that, albeit the action segment being predictable, the overall outcome remains fresh and adds surprises. An action scene is not only comprised of the action but also what it entails, which Rokujouma no Shinryakusha!? excels at.

The characters are the focal point of this light novel and every occurrence is related to them. Most harem related works fail at constructing a harem wherein every character is sensible. Every character ends up becoming likable and has realistic approaches to issues. The characters who grew up in harsh circumstances tend to be able to stand up to threats more efficiently than characters who grew up in a meek environment. The excellence does not end with discernable characters because there is more to them. The pros and cons of the characters make every character equal to an extent. Characters who lack the physical capability to stand up to threats tend to be more intelligent and vice-versa. This is a natural occurrence that reflects reality and logically so. If a person's weak, it is to be assumed the person can spend more time training the brain instead of futile attempts to physically empower oneself above realistic nature.

There are many ways to have characters that stand out and developing them is one way. I have exclaimed how every character has weaknesses because it is impossible to be perfect. It is, however, possible to work on poor qualities to become a better individual. The characters in this light novel develop a lot and a personal connection is established between all of them. The development our characters receive is realistic and reflects possible mannerisms in reality. Their flaws are improved upon but not diminished, and they retain their identity. The characters receive several arcs revolving around them where they develop by receiving new traits to their personalities and have certain aspects of their pasts exposed. This work does not follow the typical first-person narrative because the narrative seems to revolve around a multitude of characters. This allows the readers to understand the motives behind actions executed by the pro- and antagonists.

The main character, Satomi Koutarou, has several girls falling for him. It seems to be an unrealistic approach because "what qualities could a character have for an abundance of girls to fall for him"? Initially, there are not many qualities that make him stand out compared to harem leads. During that period, there are not many characters who fall in love with him either. As the story progresses, his positive qualities are displayed and created, leading to a natural course of infatuation. Koutarou is a human with heaps of flaws but also has a lot of positive qualities that make him attractive. Humans tend to be afraid to communicate with seemingly perfect individuals and are more comfortable around individuals who can provide help but also need help themselves. That aspect of reality is excellently conveyed.

Overall, Rokujouma no Shinryakusha!? is an underrated and excellent gem that exceeds the expectations of readers. The story provides many mindblowing twists. It's constructed like a puzzle where every occurring event circles back to the beginning. The characters are excellent and carry flaws but also have many positive traits, making them very likable. The reasoning behind the existing harem is realistic but also has proper reasoning behind it. The interactions between characters can stray from being wholesome to serious. Every prevalent tool is used to improve the story and make it easier to be indulged in the show. It's a ride that filled me a lot of emotions ranging from happiness to sadness. I recommend it to anyone who has the patience to sit through extended periods of reading.