A Nobody's Way Up to an Exploration Hero

A Nobody's Way Up to an Exploration Hero (モブから始まる探索英雄譚, Mob kara Hajimaru Tansaku Eiyūtan, "The Story of an Exploration Hero Who Has Worked His Way Up from Common People") is a Japanese light novel series written by Kaitō and illustrated by Almic. It began serialization online in April 2019 on the user-generated novel publishing website Shōsetsuka ni Narō. It was later acquired by Hobby Japan, who have published ten volumes since July 2021 under their HJ Bunko imprint. A manga adaptation with art by Terio Teri has been serialized in Akita Shoten's seinen manga web magazine Dokodemo Young Champion since August 2021 and has been collected in four tankōbon volumes. An anime television series adaptation produced by Gekkō aired from July to September 2024.

A Nobody's Way Up to an Exploration Hero
First light novel volume cover
モブから始まる探索英雄譚 (Mob kara Hajimaru Tansaku Eiyūtan)
Genre	Fantasy, romantic comedy[1]
Novel series
Written by	Kaitō
Published by	Shōsetsuka ni Narō
Original run	April 9, 2019 – present
Light novel
Written by	Kaitō
Illustrated by	Almic
Published by	Hobby Japan
Imprint	HJ Bunko
Demographic	Male
Original run	July 1, 2021 – present
Volumes	10
Manga
Written by	Kaitō
Illustrated by	Terio Teri
Published by	Akita Shoten
Imprint	Young Champion Comics
Magazine	Dokodemo Young Champion
Demographic	Seinen
Original run	August 24, 2021 – present
Volumes	4
Anime television series
Directed by	Tomoki Kobayashi
Written by	Kazuyuki Fudeyasu
Music by	Keiji Inai
Studio	Gekkō
Licensed by	Crunchyroll (streaming) SEA: Muse Communication
Original network	Tokyo MX, KTN, BS NTV, AT-X
Original run	July 6, 2024 – September 21, 2024
Episodes	12

Characters

Kaito Takagi (高木 海斗, Takagi Kaito)

Voiced by: Yuya Hozumi^[2]

Main protagonist of the story and a low level adventurer that remains on the first floor after hearing his two male friends from school explain how they quit after running into a goblin on the second floor. He remains happy on the first floor killing slimes and makes it up to 999 slimes. His 1,000th slime is a golden slime that drops a summoning card for a Valkyrie. He later finds and defeats a silver slime that rewards him a Demon.

Sylphy (シルフィー, Shirufī)

Voiced by: Kana Hanazawa^[2]

A Valkyrie that is rewarded to Kaito after killing his 1,000th slime and earning him the title Slime Slayer. She is a short statured young woman that resembles an older child. She wears silver armor and she has blue hair with blue eyes. Her main skills are offensive lightning and a defensive barrier that she can create. She often shows jealousy to Luceria and is very sensitive and encouraging to Kaito. Kaito eventually gives her the nickname Syl.

Haruka Katsuragi (葛城 春香, Katsuragi Haruka)

Voiced by: Azumi Waki^[3]

A childhood friend and neighbor to Kaito. She often discourages Kaito from going to the local dungeon. Her father helped to inspire Kaito to go down to the dungeon and become an explorer.

Luceria (ルシェリア, Rusheria)

Voiced by: Mayu Sagara^[3]

A demon summon rewarded to Kaito after killing a silver slime. Unlike the more reserved and nurturing Syl, Luceria is blunt and at first bemoans being the summon of Kaito. Like other summons, she requires the crystals dropped by monsters, but she has a habit of always asking for more crystals despite her workload. Her character has dark hair and also resembles an older child. Kaito eventually gives her the nickname Luce. Her skills involve strong fire magic and disintegrating ability.

Airi Jingūji (神宮寺 愛理, Jingūji Airi)

Voiced by: Yoshino Aoyama^[4]

A female adventurer that Kaito meets in the dungeon along with her two female party members. She uses a naginata and has trained in her family dojo to use it as she dreams of becoming a hero. This dream is one she shares with Kaito. Eventually Kaito joins her party so they can clear more levels in the dungeon. She is a first year in college and attends the college that is the first choice for Katsuragi. She becomes infatuated with Kaito the more time she spends with him.

Miku Moriyama (森山 ミク, Moriyama Miku)

Voiced by: Saika Kitamori^[4]

Hikari Tanabe (田辺 光梨, Tanabe Hikari)

Voiced by: Azusa Tsugimori^[4]

Media

Light novel

Written by Kaitō, A Nobody's Way Up to an Exploration Hero began serialization on the user-generated novel publishing website Shōsetsuka ni Narō on April 9, 2019.^[5] It was later acquired by Hobby Japan who began releasing it under their HJ Bunko imprint with illustrations by Almic in July 2021. Ten volumes have been released as of November 1, 2024.^[6]

No.	Release date	ISBN
1	July 1, 2021[1]	978-4-79-862436-5
2	September 1, 2021[7]	978-4-79-862580-5
3	December 1, 2021[8]	978-4-79-862679-6
4	April 1, 2022[9]	978-4-79-862801-1
5	September 30, 2022[10]	978-4-79-862921-6
6	April 1, 2023[11]	978-4-79-863149-3
7	September 29, 2023[12]	978-4-79-863313-8
8	February 1, 2024[13]	978-4-79-863405-0
9	July 1, 2024[14]	978-4-7986-3584-2
10	November 1, 2024[6]	978-4-7986-3670-2

Manga

A manga adaptation illustrated by Terio Teri began serialization in Akita Shoten's seinen manga web magazine Dokodemo Young Champion on August 24, 2021.^[15] Its chapters have been collected into four tankōbon volumes as of July 2024.^[16]

No.	Release date	ISBN
1	February 18, 2022[17]	978-4-253-30681-2
2	May 18, 2023[18]	978-4-253-30682-9
3	December 27, 2023[19]	978-4-253-30683-6
4	July 25, 2024[16]	978-4-253-30684-3

Anime

An anime television series adaptation was announced in December 2023.^[20] It is produced by Gekkō and directed by Tomoki Kobayashi, with Kazuyuki Fudeyasu handling series composition, Shoko Yasuda designing the characters, and Keiji Inai composing the music.^[2] The series aired from July 6 to September 21, 2024, on Tokyo MX and other networks.^[21] The opening theme song is "Up Start" performed by Amatsuki, while the ending theme song is "Strobe Fantasy" (ストロボ・ファンタジー) performed by May'n.^[22] Crunchyroll streamed the series.^[23] Muse Communication licensed the series in Southeast Asia.^[24]

Episodes

No.	Title [25][26]	Directed by [a]	Written by [a]	Storyboarded by [a]	Original release date [27]
1	"This Nobody Will Become a Hero" Transliteration: "Sono Mobu wa Eiyū o Mezasu" (Japanese: そのモブは英雄を目指す)	Kentarō Iino	Kazuyuki Fudeyasu	Tomoki Kobayashi	July 6, 2024 (2024-07-06)
2	"The Second Servant Card" Transliteration: "Ni-mai Me no Sābanto Kādo" (Japanese: 2枚目のサーバントカード)	Kentaro Iino	Kazuyuki Fudeyasu	Shin'ichi Watanabe	July 13, 2024 (2024-07-13)[b]
3	"The Viscount-Class Demon and Sylphy's Worries" Transliteration: "Shishaku-kyū Akuma to Shirufī no Nayami" (Japanese: 子爵級悪魔とシルフィーの悩み)	Tomonori Mine	Masanao Akahoshi	Tomonori Mine	July 20, 2024 (2024-07-20)
4	"Hidden Dungeon" Transliteration: "Kakushi Danjon" (Japanese: 隠しダンジョン)	Subaru San	Michiru Tenma	Tomoki Kobayashi	July 27, 2024 (2024-07-27)
5	"Attempting the 7th Floor! And a Date!?" Transliteration: "Chōsen, Nana-Kaisō! Soshite Dēto!?" (Japanese: 挑戦、7階層！そしてデート！？)	Sumito Sasaki	Kazuyuki Fudeyasu, Yōhei Kashii	Tadayoshi Sasaki	August 3, 2024 (2024-08-03)
6	"The Doubly Dangerous 8th Floor" Transliteration: "Kiki Mata Kiki no Hachi-Kaisō" (Japanese: 危機また危機の8階層)	Kentarō Iino	Masanao Akahoshi	Kenya Ueno	August 10, 2024 (2024-08-10)
7	"Open Campus of Adolescence" Transliteration: "Seishun no Ōpun Kyanpasu" (Japanese: 青春のオープンキャンパス)	Hiroto Miyagi	Kazuyoki Fudeyasu	Tadayoshi Sasaki	August 17, 2024 (2024-08-17)
8	"Bellia the Knight-Class Devil" Transliteration: "Shishaku-kyū Akuma Beruria" (Japanese: 士爵級悪魔ベルリア)	San Subaru	Michiru Tenma	koto	August 24, 2024 (2024-08-24)
9	"Joyful Days" Transliteration: "Shiawasena Hibi" (Japanese: 幸せな日々)	Kenya Ueno	Michiru Tenma	San Subaru	August 31, 2024 (2024-08-31)
10	"What I Can Do Now" Transliteration: "Ima Jibun ni Dekiru Koto" (Japanese: いま自分にできること)	Kentarō Iino	Masanao Akahoshi	Tadayoshi Sasaki	September 7, 2024 (2024-09-07)
11	"In Search of the Elixir" Transliteration: "Erikusā o Sagashi te" (Japanese: エリクサーを探して)	Masamune Hirata	Kazuyuki Fudeyasu	Shin'ichi Watanabe	September 14, 2024 (2024-09-14)
12	"And Their Heroic Tale Begins" Transliteration: "Soshite, Eiyūtan ga Hajimaru" (Japanese: そして、英雄譚が始まる)	Tomonori Mine, Sumito Sasaki, Tomoki Kobayashi	Kazuyuki Fudeyasu	Tomoki Kobayashi, Shin'ichi Watanabe	September 21, 2024 (2024-09-21)

See also

• Love Is Indivisible by Twins, another light novel series with the same illustrator

Notes

1. Production staff information is taken from the ending credits of each episode.
2. From Episode 2 onwards, episodes are released on select platforms (such as ABEMA, Crunchyroll and simulcast platforms by Muse Communication) one week before their televised airings.