By: Peggy Sue Wood | @pswediting

It has been an odd but good start to the year for me and because of a more relaxed schedule I’ve been reading (and watching) a lot more of the medium I love—comics and animation. Around January, I got really into picking up webtoon titles and I was recommended The Regressed Mercenary Has a Plan, which is what I would like to recommend to you!

When reading, what stood out to me was the fight scenes and, looking at comments on Webtoon, it would seem that others agreed. The fight scenes in early chapters are incredible, especially in Chapter 4, and they continue to be one of the most impressive parts until about Chapter 10. It reminds me of the kind of play-by-play fights you’d see in Robert Downey Jr’s fight scenes from the 2009 Sherlock Holmes or Marvel’s Daredevil hallway fight scene from the Netflix series: heavily choreographed and cinematic in design.

After Chapter 10, however, the fights seem less focused and impressive regarding skill and more like a quick means to an end. This is sort of fine as the plot picks up with more haste. Cecil Perdium, the main character, clearly has a plan for his revenge—a point foreshadowed by the title—and seeing it unfold in rapid succession reinforces the story’s faster pacing. Personally, I don’t mind this approach, even if it comes at the cost of more engaging fight scenes.

According to Novelupdates, the novel currently has over 650 chapters, possibly exceeding 700 by the time this review is published. Based on what I’ve read so far—about 20 chapters of the comic version—it seems safe to assume the fight scenes are unlikely to regain the fresh, intricate quality they had at the start. That said, the artist demonstrates a strong sense of choreography early on, and with time, perhaps the fights will recapture their former appeal (particularly hoping this is the case for big-boss fights).

As for the plot, it follows a familiar structure to others in the action-regression type stories. If you’ve read Duke Pendragon: Master of the White Dragon or The Lord of Coins, you’ll recognize the setup: a fallen lord is given a second chance, swiftly consolidates power at home, and embarks on a quest for revenge while becoming overwhelmingly strong. While the story introduces an intriguing element with its “mana-strings” concept, this power feels like a blend of ideas from similar series. To me, it resembles the early stages of the grass powers from Douluo Dalu, though others might see it differently.

The idea is fresh enough that I think the series is worth recommending here.

So, if you are interested in seeing some action, some army building, and a young lord giving out the comeuppance his enemies deserve, then definitely check this one out! Currently available to read on Webtoon: https://www.webtoons.com/en/action/the-regressed-mercenary-has-a-plan/list?title_no=7261

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Copyedited by: Katherine Cañeba | @kcserinlee