I have been reviewing a lot of otome isekai lately so I guess its fitting that I recently finished From Far Away a classic shoujo isekai. This is from the days where InuYasha and Fushigi Yugi were the isekai staples instead of Sword Art Online. This is not a reincarnation story but the story of an ordinary girl being transported into an extraordinary word. From Far Away begins when eighteen year old Noriko is transported into a mysterious fantasy world where she is rescued from danger by a handsome swordsman Izark. However unbeknownst to Noriko she is the Awakening who is foretold to unleash the greatest evil imaginable the Sky Demon who turns out to be Izark himself. The two of them decide to go against fate and put an end to the source of all evil instead of unleashing it. However there are many people who want to use their powers for themselves. The story is a very simple good versus evil story. You can be sure Izark would be beating up someone after him and Noriko every volume. However I dont think that its simplicity is inherently bad. I dont think a work has to be super complex in order to be enjoyable. However the biggest thing that contributes to the storys success is its realism. Noriko doesnt speak the language of the new world and has to learn it in the first few volumes. She cant fight or take on major opponents since she lacks the training. The side characters who are conventionally unattractive are treated as people and are some of the most valued cast members. The romance itself is impeccable. Noriko and Izark both depend on each other for different reasons while having lives outside of their romantic endeavors. Noriko falling for Izark is very believable as he is the first person she met in this world and he sticks by her side no matter what. He is kind and offers her the support she needs as well as protecting her from enemies. Izark himself needs Noriko for support as well. He has been isolated his whole life for his powers and Noriko is the first person to discover them and treat him as a person. He has a hard time opening up due to years of social rejection but he grows in order to accept the love of the people around him. I adored their relationship and I loved the way it developed. Izark had his issues but he never took his negative emotions out on Noriko. I think theyre a lovely couple who are well suited for each other. Noriko herself is rather helpless in terms of combat but that didnt make her weak in my eyes. I feel like shes incredibly well adjusted and strong willed despite needing to rely on Izark to defend her. She is very mature and I thought it was nice to have a heroine who is isekaied as a young adult rather than a young teen. Even if she cant fight Noriko provides emotional support to her teammates as well as her own brand of connecting with the supernatural which is different from the various seer characters from the series. Izark has a lot of issues. He has a lot of fear of rejection particularly regarding his powers. Noriko helps him to become the best version of himself. He has a lot of inner turmoil and yet he remains a kind person. Having people to rely on made him stronger and more human. I really appreciated how he was still loving and respectful of the people around him which is unfortunately not always the case for other MLs with dark pasts. The side cast is very likeable. My personal favorite was Gaya a cook who is actually one of the most powerful and renowned warriors in the Gray Bird Tribe. Shes very skilled at swordsmanship and shes treated with an astounding amount of respect considering shes an older and conventionally unattractive woman. I adore how she is portrayed as both a motherly figure and a strong warrior in her own right. I also really adored Doros a Chimos breeder who was initially on the wrong side due to being a bit slow on the uptake of his employers evil intentions. However hes a very kind and loving person who does so much for our leads. Hes very sweet despite not being particularly bright. Other characters include Agol a mercenary and his blind daughter Geena who is training to become a seer. We also have Barago and Banadam part of their squadron who didnt leave much of an impact. Duke Jeida is a deposed ruler who was sent into hiding after the higher powers took issues with his opinions. His wife and daughter were very likeable characters with his daughters maturity and his wifes airheadedness. The villains have simple motivations which fit the simplicity of the plot. Rachef had a similar upbringing as Izark yet he had no one kind to depend on and took a darker path. Keimos only feels like he has value if he is best in his only talent fighting. He quickly becomes obsessed with Izark the only person to defeat him. Tazasheena is an arrogant seer who wants power but realizes that she isnt valued by her companions. I would love to see what she would do with her life after the conclusion. I absolutely adored the ending. I think it was full of hope and I think the tie in between Norikos world and Izarks was super cute. I would have loved to see more of their futures. The art was super cute and retro feeling given that this series is from the early 90s. I personally loved how the characters had such a variety of designs. There were so many characters who werent conventionally attractive mixed in with characters who are traditionally beautiful. I wasnt sure how much Id like the art but I got very attached to it. This series could have been a lot deeper than it was but it didnt negate how much I loved it. I think this is a fun shoujo that I could even recommend to fans of battle shounen since the fights are very clear and easy to follow. I adore this series and I think it is a great reads for both fans of actionadventure and romance alike.