Black Summoner

Lore & Background

The story follows Kelvin, a man who wakes up in a strange world with no memory of his past life, having bartered away those memories in exchange for powerful abilities during transmigration. He becomes an S-rank summoner, the only one of his rank in the world, and his first contracted follower is Melfina, the Goddess of Reincarnation who granted his powers. Kelvin quickly reveals himself as a battle junkie, seeking out strong opponents from the Black Knight of the Ancient Castle of Evil Spirits to the demon within the Hidden Cave of the Sage.

Kelvin's contracted servants include Clotho, a slime that evolves into a Slime Gluttonia; Gerard, a Blackghost Knight who becomes an Abyssal Knight Commander; Melfina, who creates an artificial body after initially appearing as an interactive game menu; and Sera, the daughter of the former Demon King Gustav. He also adopts a reincarnated hero named Rion as his sister and maintains romantic relationships with Melfina, Efil, Sera, and Ange.

The series includes a manga adaptation illustrated by Gin Ammo, which began serialization in Overlap's Comic Gardo website in January 2018, and an anime television series produced by Satelight that aired from July to September 2022. The anime was directed and scripted by Yoshimasa Hiraike, with character designs by Miwa Oshima and music by Michiru and Yuria Miyazono.

Reader's Guide

Black Summoner is a notable entry in the isekai genre, distinguished by its protagonist's trade of memories for power and his battle-junkie personality. The series achieved over one million copies in circulation by May 2021, indicating significant commercial success. Its multimedia expansion—including a manga adaptation and an anime series—helped broaden its audience, with the anime licensed by Crunchyroll for streaming and English dub release. The light novel's English publication by J-Novel Club (digital) and Yen Press (print) further extended its reach to international readers. The series' legacy lies in its blend of action, harem dynamics, and world-building, with characters like the goddess Melfina and the slime Clotho becoming recognizable elements. While not groundbreaking, it represents a well-received example of the popular 'reincarnation with powers' subgenre, sustained by consistent volume releases and a dedicated fanbase.

Did You Know?

• The series began as a web novel on Shōsetsuka ni Narō in October 2014 and was later acquired by Overlap for print publication.
• Kelvin's first contracted monster is a slime named Clotho, which evolves into a Slime Gluttonia nearly as strong as Demon Lords.
• The goddess Melfina initially appears as an interactive game menu before creating an artificial body for herself.
• The anime adaptation aired from July 9 to September 24, 2022, on Tokyo MX and was produced by Satelight.