__Story: A
Execution: B+
Characters: B
Art: B+
Enjoyment: A
Overall: B+ __

Recommended? Yes. If you’re a fan of fantasy and have an itch for something different and very engaging this may be worth a try.

“Everything is not always black and white.”

Most of us have heard that quote or some variation of it. What can give a story dimension are nuances. When things are not black or white but rather shades of grey it means a situation may not be as straightforward as it was presented at face value. Complex motivations from many sides are something that is natural to the real world but can be harder to convey to an audience in a fictional world because the plot has to move forward instead of exploring a given time from many perspectives.

“Skeleton Soldier Couldn’t Protect the Dungeon” is a perfect answer to this. Our skeleton soldier is stuck in a timeloop which comes with the privilege of exploring everyone’s perspective, gathering clues to uncover a deep conspiracy, and finding out how his actions will steer the direction of everyone he comes in contact with. You bet it’s as cool as it sounds.

The practical art style and saturated color palette compliments the eerie, medieval tone of the story and makes the bright and happy moments pop that much more.

I’ve established that our skeleton soldier is stuck in a time loop but intel isn’t the only thing of value that transfers to him with each new life. The skeleton soldier’s existence has been gamified with stats, levels, abilities, quests and more so the longer he survives with each iteration the stronger he is next time.

Time loops both in games and storytelling mediums traditionally allow for a grand puzzle to solve but can have the unfortunate consequence of diminishing the sense of danger a lethal scenario may pose for the protagonist and some people don’t like that. In response to that, first off I believe the joy of time loops is world building and having another chance to tackle particular problems. Second, there is a degree of risks that are established early on that imply a finite number of respawns (assimilation rate) and a mechanic that doesn’t allow him to permanently reside in a dungeon otherwise he seems to go in a daze and is bound to the dungeon(dungeon affinity).

With so many mysteries our skeleton soldier must make every life count. Today’s friend may be tomorrow’s stranger. Yesterday’s enemy may be today’s ally.

I found the point of view of a skeleton soldier summoned by a necromancer and stuck in a time loop to be an interesting niche to explore. Especially since monsters are a category of characters that are usually an antagonist or a supporter to such in most fantasy settings.

This is a manhwa I never knew I needed in my life, but greatly appreciate to have come across.