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Summary:

Minami Harusumi remembers his past life as Princess Veronika. After getting bullied throughout elementary and middle school for claiming to be a princess, he's learned to shut up by the time he reaches high school. One day, after his notebook, containing his memories of his past life, gets passed around more and more of his classmates remember their past as well. Unfortunately, they have more than just that in common: all of them died on the same day. In Princess Veronika's castle. Under mysterious circumstances. And they were on opposing sides.

Not your typical Isekai story: instead of getting dropped in a fantasy land, our protagonist Minami Harusumi remembers his past life as a princess of a medieval fantasy kingdom. Unfortunately for him (and his classmates) she died under mysterious circumstances. And before long, he's not the only one who remembers.

We're talking Gender, baby: Minami used to be female, and that is plot relevant. Even more so, as more and more people remember their past lives, there are also others who switched genders since then. And that is not always easy - especially if you remember how your body used to be.

Holy PTSD Batman: turns out dying in the middle of a war under suspicious circumstances only to be suddenly dropped in the reality of a modern Japanese high school triggers some fight or flight instincts in most people. Sucks if these people have access to offensive attack magic.

And the plot chickens: this is a plot driven story. Both the characters and you, the reader, are trying to uncover why the members of class 1-4 died in their previous lives. Everyone has secrets. Most people are lying. There is always a different motive to consider.

This ain't Naruto: Minami is intelligent. So are most of his friends. So was Veronika, his past life. The characters are clever and driven, sometimes the most Machiavellian asshole is a 15 year old girl (whose side you are on <3), and it is fun. Hell, at one point a character acknowledges that he is attack dog coded and decides to stop trying to solve the mystery and instead listen to the people who know better.

I think therefore I am: What is the self? What is your TRUE self? Remembering the past means changing. These teenagers cannot stay the same once their past life comes back to haunt them. That is scary. That is - in some ways - death of the self. And, oh boy, are we dealing with that.

Mamma Mia but make it sad. Like, really sad: Veronika was a Princess, duty-bound by her heritage to marry well and have children. Veronika saw her own body as a product sold by her country to ensure peace. Many of the people she met along the way, she loved, only she could never put a name to her feelings. More than just a few hearts got broken. Including her own.

Harold, they are lesbians: while not explicitly a queer story, we should not ignore the amounts of gender being had by some of these characters. And the fact that Rida had romantic feelings for Veronika. Or that Hiroki Yuu pulls girls like no other. Or that Vince only ever compared beauty to his prince. Or that Minami is someone's ex-wife.

Is there such thing as free will?: the past of our characters is deeply ruled by society's expectations and boundaries. Magic has rules. Religion has rules. Life has rules. The path forward is fated. As such, Minami and his friends struggle in a world in which they are technically free but still bound by the obligations and values of their past. And the shadows that have followed them to the future.

Lets get Brandon Sanderson in here: this world has genuinely good world building. The magic system is relatively simple but almost the more genius for it. The implications of things get properly explored. The differences between modern times and the fantasy world get discussed. IT IS PRE-COLUMBIAN EXCHANGE. I REPEAT. THIS FANTASY MEDIEVAL EUROPEAN SETTING DOES NOT HAVE POTATOES. NO POTATOES.