The Sage of Wind, Ephtal is a reincarnated human, coming from modern Earth. Reincarnated in a new world where magic is real, he decides to devote the entirety of his life in the pursuit of magic. Despite his efforts, though, he discovers that he is absolutely talentless in magic, and breathed his last in anguish.

But it isn't the end for him just yet! He reincarnates once again bearing the same name, Ephtal, 400 years later. Having retained his knowledge and power, he steels his resolve and once again sets his sights for the peak of magic!

However, in a surprising turn of events, he discovers that magic has terribly declined. In this era where powerful spells are a rarity, his talentless self is now completely unmatched! From the depths of powerlessness to the peak of power, the talentless but peerless mage's journey to the top starts now!

Background

Manga

Undead Unluck is a manga series written and illustrated by Yoshifumi Tozuka. It first debuted as a one-shot titled Undead + Unluck, which was published in Weekly Shonen Jump on January 28, 2019.

Following the positive reception of the one-shot, the series began regular serialization in the same magazine on January 20, 2020, and concluded on January 27, 2025. The first collected volume was released on April 3, 2020. As of February 2025, Shueisha had published 25 tankōbon volumes.

The manga is also available digitally through Manga Plus, while the English version is published by Viz Media on its Shonen Jump platform.

Light Novels

The franchise has also received two light novels written by Sawako Hirabayashi. The first, Undead Unluck: Fuzoroi na Union no Nichijō, was released on February 3, 2023. It explores the everyday lives of the Union members through previously untold stories, including Gina's Memory and Shen's Academy Infiltration. Yoshifumi Tozuka supervised the project and provided the illustrations.

The second novel, Undead Unluck: Romantic na Hiteisha no Kyūjitsu, was published on October 4, 2023.

Anime

In August 2022, an anime television adaptation of Undead Unluck was officially announced. The project was planned and produced by TMS Entertainment, while the animation was handled by David Production.

The series was directed by Yuki Yase, with character designs by Hideyuki Morioka and music composed by Kenichiro Suehiro. It premiered on October 7, 2023, as part of the Super Animeism programming block on the JNN network, including MBS and TBS.

The anime is streamed in the United States on Hulu and is available internationally on Disney+. In Latin America, it was distributed through Star+, while viewers in India and Southeast Asia can watch it on Disney+ Hotstar.

Reception

By January 2023, the manga had surpassed 1.8 million copies in circulation.

In 2020, Undead Unluck won the Next Manga Award, taking first place among 50 nominees with more than 31,000 reader votes. It was also ranked 14th in Kono Manga ga Sugoi! 2021 for male readers and placed sixth in the annual list of manga recommended by bookstore staff across Japan.

The first volume received mixed reviews. Critics praised Yoshifumi Tozuka's energetic artwork, action sequences, and comedic timing. However, several reviewers criticized the heavy sexualization of the relationship between Andy and Fuuko, arguing that Fuuko is too often treated as an object for fan service rather than as a fully developed protagonist.

Rakudai Kenja no Gakuin Musou: Nidome no Tensei, S-Rank Cheat Majutsushi Boukenroku

Synopsis

Background

Genres & themes

Characters

Reviews

You might also like