the isekai genre is a big guilty pleasure of mine.
i like the general concept of cultural and technological juxtaposition observed from the protagonist's POV in a fantasy world, be it played straight and/or for satirical and parodic intent.
this... isn't to say i actually enjoy most of the stories i come across. this manga is a prime example of that, in one of the worst ways possible.

[minor spoilers, if you actually want to read this story]

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this story follows the common isekai trend of "i-died-and-got-mysteriously-reincarnated-but-i-don't-really-miss-my-old-life-because-damn-all-these-girls-are-super-hot", which to be fair, isn't as much as an issue because of the protagonist's past life. rudeus, our protagonist, was shown as a miserable, depressed 40-year-old hikikomori NEET; he had little to nones positive experiences or aspects in his old life, so it's understandable for his fear of certain social interactions and becoming a 'loser' again.

which would usually be a nice spin on the common isekai protagonist, if not for the fact rudeus never changed and is still a pathetic, otaku loser even in his new life.

you would think that upon realizing he has a new chance at a better life, he wouldn't follow the same path as his old self and be an absolute creep, but uh.....yeah no, the first thing this guy does upon realizing he's a baby is get a boner over his mom's tits.

which i can't really judge as much since i would honestly do the exact same in that moment, but any reliability is lost when common sense kicks in and you once again get reminded this guy is only in the body of a child, and is still very much a grown ass adult man.

because even if his instant internal reaction of "a loli magician is here-!!!" to his seeing his quintessential isekai magical-cute-girl-tutor wasn't quite bad enough, he apparently:

* befriends a human/elf/beast hybrid girl he mistakes for a "super beautiful pretty boy", and internally comments for his newfound friend to stop looking at him cutely before he "discovers a new world of shotacons"

* steals a pair of underwear from his magical-cute-girl-tutor, which he literally worships and refers to as his god (this is brought up multiple times and develops into literal worship obsession)

* listens in on his father blackmailing the family maid into sexual acts, and only brings this up during the time it's revealed said maid is pregnant with his half-sibling. the main reason why he brings this up? because said maid "did him a favor" when she found the previously mentioned stolen underwear and ignored it (to add salt to the wound, the maid used to adventure with his father until he was outright stated to have raped her one night in their travels)

* spies and listens in on his parents having sex (and hopes they "hurry up and give [him] an imouto")

among very, very many other things. and this is all just before he actually leaves his childhood home to visit and live with his other relatives, which brings up his "ojou-sama submission strategy" for "taming" the essential violent cute tsundere girl...who is his cousin. who he also, on multiple times, fantasizes and engages with in a sexual manner.

sometimes you can kind of forget all of this is the basis of his character when a dramatic or emotional event takes place, but then the sudden realization of what the actual dynamic at hand is rears it's ugly head. i find the best example of this is chapters 34-36, wherein rudeus has a particularly harsh confrontation and reunion with his alcoholic, lecherous father.

this character arc actually got to me at first, due in part to not only how the artist for this series actually isn't that bad and put obvious effort into evoking the emotions and feelings of key scenes, but also how the literal best character in the whole story, Geese, briefly sums up this entire arc in one line: "you expect too much of an 11-year-old child."

and it's also with this line you realize rudeus isn't an actual 11-year-old, but a 40-year-old grown man INSIDE a 11-year-old's body. which, again, isn't really great in hindsight, and also just sorta ruined the entire point of the situation at hand. good job with that one, guys.

but hey, the novel is apparently way better and actually explains things- oh wait, but the manga is...based off the novel, so does that mean the novel is worse? well apparently it is, considering rudeus actually DID worship the underwear he stole from his magical-cute-girl-tutor.

this dude made a legitimate religion entirely focused on his magic tutor, his cousin and his hybrid childhood friend...all of whom he married and had multiple children with. these three are referenced in his religion as the goddess of wisdom, the goddess of war and the goddess of love, and their "holy relics" are literally kept in his basement for who even knows what reason.

so what are these holy relics? the previously mentioned underwear of his tutor, a wooden sword representing his cousin (her underwear is included as well, go figure) and...the blood-stained sheets from when his hybrid childhood friend gave him her virginity.

......so that's a thing, i guess?

now is there any actual enjoyment to be found in this series? well, if one handful of side characters actually being decent counts, then yes. the previously mentioned best of these characters, Geese, is easily the only reason you should actually read this, if only to know that the author can make a character the audience can genuinely like and grow attached to.

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TL;DR i expect nothing, and i'm still let down.