Kaiten no Albus

Today I’d like to introduce one of my current top recommendations: Kaiten no Albus. The premise of this manga is incredibly unique. The protagonist, Albus, is chosen as a hero and sets off on a journey to defeat the Demon Lord. Albus possesses a special ability—when he dies, he is sent back in time to the very start of his adventure, reliving it from the beginning. In fact, he already succeeded in defeating the Demon Lord on his fifth run, but Albus continues to take his own life and reset the loop in search of a “perfect future.” For him, perfection means creating a world where everyone, including the common people, can live with smiles on their faces. Yet, every time he defeats the Demon Lord, tragedy strikes—his companion Fiona inevitably becomes possessed by the Demon Lord. Albus is trapped in this cycle of despair, endlessly repeating loops to somehow craft a future where even Fiona can remain happy. That is the core of Kaiten no Albus. I honestly think this is one of the best ongoing isekai/fantasy manga out right now. Since Albus has already gone through countless adventures, he knows exactly when enemies will appear or when quests will trigger, allowing him to take the shortest and most efficient path to the Demon Lord. Watching him progress feels almost like watching a video game “speedrun (RTA),” and that brings an exhilarating sense of satisfaction to readers. The atmosphere of Kaiten no Albus reminds me a lot of Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End. The reflective scenes, where Albus recalls companions he met during past loops, have a tone very similar to Frieren. In fact, when you search for Kaiten no Albus on Japanese Google, “Frieren” often shows up as a suggested related keyword. The story also has great depth, and one major mystery still unresolved is how Albus even obtained this looping ability in the first place. It was given to him by a hooded, mysterious figure—though my personal guess is that it might have been the very first hero. One concern I have is that I hope the manga doesn’t get stretched into a 20- or 30-volume long series. With such a sharp premise and tight storytelling, it has high potential for an anime adaptation, but I think readers don’t want to see endless repetitive loops of failed adventures and new companions. That said, the overall tone of the story makes Kaiten no Albus a very pleasant read. If you’re looking for something similar in atmosphere to Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End, this is the perfect manga for you.

August 28, 2025