{"id":54852,"date":"2026-06-02T10:01:30","date_gmt":"2026-06-02T14:01:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/overcentral.com\/en\/merit-and-the-egyptian-god-speedruns-shojo-manga-plot-points\/"},"modified":"2026-06-02T10:02:19","modified_gmt":"2026-06-02T14:02:19","slug":"merit-and-the-egyptian-god-manga-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/overcentral.com\/en\/merit-and-the-egyptian-god-manga-review\/","title":{"rendered":"Merit and the Egyptian God Speedruns Shojo Manga Plot Points"},"content":{"rendered":"

When a manga series leans on established pantheons of gods, readers typically expect a gradual introduction of divine players, allowing each deity breathing room to establish their role in the narrative. Merit and the Egyptian God<\/em>, the latest shojo offering from Yen Press<\/a>, wastes no such time. The series, created by Fuyu Tsuyama and Yukari Sakai, races through story elements with a velocity that feels less like organic pacing and more like a speedrun through a checklist of genre staples. The result is a manga that is undeniably cute and visually charming, yet one that leaves the reader wondering whether the narrative sprint might ultimately undermine the very emotional foundations it tries to build.<\/p>\n

What happens when<\/a> a shojo manga compresses what would normally span multiple volumes into a single book? The first volume of Merit and the Egyptian God<\/em> offers a revealing case study in accelerated storytelling, mythological world-building, and the risks that come with rushing a romance before it has time to root.<\/p>\n

The Premise: Merit Faces Judgment and Finds Anubis<\/h2>\n

The story opens on Merit standing at the scales of judgment in the Egyptian underworld, a moment that traditionally determines the fate of a soul. She has no memory of how she arrived. Anubis, the god who should be presiding over the ceremony, is absent. The stand-ins, left to manage without him, grow impatient. Ammit, the goddess who devours the hearts of the unworthy, is hungry. In the absence of due process, the substitute officials simply declare Merit guilty. She escapes, fleeing into the depths of the underworld, where she encounters Anubis himself, not in his customary jackal-headed form but as a human.<\/p>\n

This opening sequence establishes two critical facts immediately. First, Merit is a heroine defined by agency, resourcefulness, and a refusal to accept an unjust fate. Second, the world<\/a> of the gods is in a state of disarray, and Anubis is at the center of that disarray. Thoth appears shortly thereafter to explain the situation. Anubis has been cursed with humanity, stripped of his divine power and his jackal-headed appearance, because he neglected his duties. His neglect, in turn, stemmed from a deep disillusionment with humanity, a species he came to despise for its cruelty and failings. The curse can only be broken by a human. Merit, stranded in the underworld and reliant on Anubis to regain his power so he can send her home, becomes the obvious candidate for the task.<\/p>\n

It is a tidy, efficient setup. The mythological scaffolding is erected within the first chapter, and the stakes are immediately clear. Merit needs Anubis to recover his power. Anubis needs Merit to break his curse. The path forward is paved with necessity, proximity, and the unspoken possibility that something more than mutual utility might develop between them.<\/p>\n

The Speedrun: Shojo Plot Points in a Single Volume<\/h2>\n

The central observation of this review is not that Merit and the Egyptian God<\/em> is a bad manga, but that it is a remarkably fast one. By the end of the first volume, the story has already touched nearly every major milestone that a shojo romance typically spends two or three volumes developing. The leads make a meaningful connection. They share a kiss. He rescues her, and not just once, but multiple times. Other characters begin to notice the chemistry between them. Breadcrumbs are laid suggesting that the romantic bond between Merit and Anubis might be exactly what the curse requires to break.<\/p>\n

What would normally be gradual emotional progression, built through small gestures, misunderstandings, and slow-burn tension, is here compressed into a narrative that never pauses long enough to let moments land. There is a quality of feverish efficiency to the pacing, as if Tsuyama and Sakai were determined to check off genre obligations before the reader had time to ask whether the story is earning those moments or simply collecting them.<\/p>\n

The question is not whether the events themselves are enjoyable. They are. Merit and Anubis make for a genuinely appealing pair, and the tsundere dynamic, in which Anubis protests his disinterest in humans while repeatedly stepping in to protect Merit, is executed with sufficient charm to carry the early chapters. The concern is that the pacing leaves the relationship feeling unearned. Emotional intimacy requires time, context, and the accumulation of small, credible moments. When a story barrels through those moments at high speed, the reader is left with the impression that the characters are falling in love not because the narrative has demonstrated their compatibility, but because the plot requires them to.<\/p>\n

The Mythological Framework: Osiris, Horus, and the Expanding Pantheon<\/h2>\n

One of the more interesting aspects of Merit and the Egyptian God<\/em> is how the fast pacing also serves a functional purpose. Introducing a pantheon of gods means introducing a cast of mythological figures, each with their own roles, personalities, and relationships to the central couple. Osiris and Horus make appearances, and the story uses the early momentum to get them on stage quickly. In a slower narrative, the mangaka might have spent an entire volume building toward the presence of a major deity like Horus. Here, it happens almost casually, as part of the general rush forward.<\/p>\n

This approach has a clear advantage. It allows the world to feel populated and alive from the outset. The reader is not left waiting for the supporting cast<\/a> to arrive. The disadvantage is that these figures, introduced with speed, receive correspondingly little development. They appear, deliver their narrative function, and recede. The richness of Egyptian mythology, with its layered hierarchies, complex familial relationships, and deep symbolic weight, is invoked but not deeply explored. The gods are present, but they feel like props in a romance rather than inhabitants of a living mythological world.<\/p>\n

This is not necessarily a fatal flaw. Shojo manga has never been obligated to function as a theological treatise. But the choice to prioritize pace over depth does shape the reading experience. Readers familiar with Egyptian mythology may find themselves wishing for more texture, while those encountering it for the first time may feel that the gods are introduced too briefly to register as memorable characters.<\/p>\n

What Does the Fast Pacing Mean for Character Development?<\/h2>\n

The relationship between Merit and Anubis is the emotional center of the manga, and it is here that the accelerated pacing exacts its highest cost. Merit is a likeable protagonist, brave and empathetic, capable of recognizing Anubis’s pain even when he is actively pushing her away. She sees through his tsundere exterior to the loneliness underneath. She reaches out. She builds bridges. These are all admirable qualities in a romantic lead, and they make her easy to root for.<\/p>\n

Anubis, for his part, is given a credible motivation for his bitterness. He hated humanity because humanity disappointed him. His curse is both a punishment and a reflection of his own disillusionment. He is not simply a grumpy god waiting to be softened by love. He is a being who has suffered, who has made choices he regrets, and who now finds himself trapped in a form he despises, dependent on the very species he rejected. That is a genuinely compelling foundation for a character arc.<\/p>\n

The problem is that the story moves so quickly that it does not allow either character to sit with their emotions long enough for the transformation to feel natural. Anubis’s shift from cynical misanthrope to protective romantic partner happens within a volume, and while the broad strokes are in place, the intermediate emotional steps are skipped. The reader is told, through events, that the relationship is progressing. But the internal lives of the characters, the moments of doubt, the small revelations, the gradual lowering of defenses, are compressed into narrative shorthand. The result is a romance that feels predetermined rather than discovered.<\/p>\n

The Risk of Burning Through Narrative Capital Too Early<\/h2>\n

If the first volume of Merit and the Egyptian God<\/em> has already delivered a kiss, a rescue sequence, mutual recognition, and external acknowledgment of the relationship, what remains for subsequent volumes? This is the most pressing question raised by the series, and it is a question that the creators will need to answer convincingly in Volume 2 and beyond.<\/p>\n

One possibility is that the fast start is intentional, a means of clearing the standard romantic milestones so that the story can pivot toward more complex territory. Perhaps the curse is not as simple as it appears. Perhaps the relationship, having been forged in crisis, will face new challenges that test it in more meaningful ways. Perhaps the supporting cast, introduced quickly in Volume 1, will receive more substantial roles as the series progresses. These are all viable paths forward.<\/p>\n

Another possibility is that the series has already spent its narrative capital, that the most emotionally satisfying moments are behind it, and that future volumes will struggle to recreate the tension and novelty of the first book. Shojo manga that front-load their romantic development often find themselves repeating the same beats, or turning to secondary couples and side plots to sustain interest. It is too early to say which path Merit and the Egyptian God<\/em> will follow, but the pacing of the first volume makes the question unavoidable.<\/p>\n

A Closer Look at the Art and Visual Storytelling<\/h2>\n

While the narrative pacing raises concerns, the visual execution deserves separate consideration. Tsuyama and Sakai bring a clean, expressive style to the series, with character designs that are immediately readable and emotionally legible. Anubis’s human form is rendered with the detached handsomeness typical of shojo love interests, and Merit’s design communicates warmth and determination. The mythological elements, the scales of judgment, the jackal imagery, the underworld architecture, are depicted with enough detail to feel distinct without overwhelming the page.<\/p>\n

The visual pacing, interestingly, does not mirror the narrative pacing. The panels are not rushed. The layouts allow for moments of stillness, for facial expressions to register, for the weight of a glance or a touch to be felt. This creates a curious disconnect between the story as written and the story as drawn. The art seems to want to slow down, to dwell in the emotional spaces between events. The writing, however, keeps pushing forward. The result is a manga that feels, visually, like it knows it should breathe, but textually, like it is afraid to pause.<\/p>\n

This tension between the visual and the narrative may resolve as the series continues. If the second volume slows its plot progression to match the contemplative quality of the art, the overall reading experience could improve significantly. The foundation is there. The visual vocabulary for emotional depth is already in place. What is needed is a story willing to inhabit that depth rather than racing past it.<\/p>\n

How Does Merit and the Egyptian God<\/em> Compare to Other Recent Shojo Manga?<\/h2>\n

To understand the significance of the pacing in Merit and the Egyptian God<\/em>, it is useful to consider the broader landscape of contemporary shojo manga. The genre has seen a notable shift in recent years toward faster narrative pacing, driven in part by the realities of serialization, audience retention, and the competitive pressure of digital platforms. Readers have more choices than ever, and mangaka often feel compelled to hook an audience immediately, to deliver satisfying moments early, to prove that the story is worth following.<\/p>\n

This context helps explain, though does not fully excuse, the speed at which Merit and the Egyptian God<\/em> moves. It is operating within a market that rewards immediate gratification. The danger, as this volume demonstrates, is that immediate gratification often comes at the expense of lasting investment. A reader who has already seen the leads kiss in the first volume may feel less urgency to read the second. The anticipation that drives ongoing engagement is diminished when the payoff arrives before the tension has been fully built.<\/p>\n

Manga like Yona of the Dawn<\/em>, Fruits Basket<\/em>, and Kamisama Kiss<\/em> demonstrate the value of patient romantic development. Those series allowed their central relationships to grow over many volumes, earning their key moments through accumulated history. Merit and the Egyptian God<\/em> has not yet had the opportunity to build that kind of history. The hope is that it will use its second volume to slow down, to deepen the emotional connection between Merit and Anubis, and to give readers a reason to invest in the long-term journey rather than simply celebrating the early milestones.<\/p>\n

The Release Schedule and What Readers Can Expect Next<\/h2>\n

Volume 1 of Merit and the Egyptian God<\/em> is available now through Yen Press. Volume 2 is scheduled for release on September 22, 2026. The gap between volumes gives the creators time to recalibrate, and it gives readers time to reflect on what they have read. It also introduces an interesting dynamic for the series. With the first volume having covered so much ground so quickly, the second volume will need to demonstrate that the story has somewhere to go that feels both surprising and earned.<\/p>\n

The series has the raw materials to succeed. The premise is strong. The mythological framework offers rich potential for conflict, growth, and world expansion. The leads are appealing, and the art is accomplished. What remains to be seen is whether Tsuyama and Sakai can shift gears, trading narrative velocity for emotional depth, and build a story that does not simply speed through its plot points but takes the time to make each one matter.<\/p>\n

What Is the Central Conflict in Merit and the Egyptian God<\/em>?<\/h2>\n

The central conflict of the series is twofold. On the surface, Merit must help Anubis break his curse so that he can regain his power and send her home. That is the literal, plot-level conflict, the engine that drives the characters together and keeps them in each other’s orbit. Beneath that surface lies a deeper conflict. Anubis must overcome his hatred of humanity, a hatred born from genuine disappointment and pain. Merit must navigate a world she does not understand, relying on a god who does not trust her, and find a way to reach him despite his resistance. The curse is the mechanism, but the real story is about whether two people from fundamentally different worlds can bridge the gap between them. The first volume answers that question with a qualified yes, but it does so so quickly that the answer feels more like a declaration than a discovery.<\/p>\n

Final Impressions: A Cute Start With Uncertain Acceleration<\/h2>\n

Reading the first volume of Merit and the Egyptian God<\/em> is a slightly disorienting experience. The individual elements are charming. The premise is engaging. The art is appealing. The leads have chemistry. The mythological setting is a refreshing departure from the school-based settings that dominate much of the genre. Yet the cumulative effect is one of breathlessness, a sense that the story is so eager to reach its romantic destination that it forgets to let the reader enjoy the journey.<\/p>\n

For readers who prefer fast-moving romance with immediate payoffs, this may not be a problem at all. There is an audience for shojo manga that wastes no time, that delivers the kiss in the first volume, that makes the relationship explicit early. For those who prefer slow-burn development, who want to see trust built through small moments rather than dramatic gestures, the pacing may feel unsatisfying. The series sits at a crossroads after its first volume, and its long-term success will depend on whether it can evolve its pace to match the emotional depth its characters deserve.<\/p>\n

Volume 2, due in September 2026, will be the true test. If it slows down, deepens the relationship, and gives Merit and Anubis room to grow as individuals and as a pair, the series could become something genuinely memorable. If it continues at the same breakneck speed, it risks exhausting its narrative potential before it has truly begun. For now, the first volume is a promising but imperfect introduction, a story that has all the right pieces but has not yet learned how to arrange them at a pace that allows the reader to feel their weight.<\/p>\n

The Egyptian gods may be eternal, but a manga series needs more than divine speed to endure. It needs patience, depth, and a willingness to let love take the time it requires. Merit and the Egyptian God<\/em> has taken its first step at a sprint. The hope is that its next steps will be measured, deliberate, and grounded in the kind of storytelling that makes a romance worth following not just for a volume, but for an entire series.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

When a manga series leans on established pantheons of gods, readers typically expect a gradual introduction of divine players, allowing each deity breathing room to establish their role in the narrative. Merit and the Egyptian God, the latest shojo offering from Yen Press, wastes no such time. The series, created by Fuyu Tsuyama and Yukari […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":85061,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cards.overcentral.com\/cards\/en\/54852.png","fifu_image_alt":"Merit and the Egyptian God Speedruns Shojo Manga Plot Points","footnotes":""},"categories":[32908],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-54852","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-pop-culture"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cards.overcentral.com\/cards\/en\/54852.png","fifu_image_alt":"Merit and the Egyptian God Speedruns Shojo Manga Plot Points","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/overcentral.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/54852","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/overcentral.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/overcentral.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/overcentral.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/overcentral.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=54852"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/overcentral.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/54852\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/overcentral.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/85061"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/overcentral.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=54852"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/overcentral.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=54852"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/overcentral.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=54852"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}