I initially wanted to separate magic guns from the usual guns, however, that felt like a fool’s errand. Although there’s a clear distinction between guns that shoot mana and guns that fire bullets, it’s never that simple when it comes to fantasy. There are guns that use mana to discharge physical bullets, guns that use gunpowder to fire magic bullets, those that use esper abilities to influence the gun or the bullets… Bro, where do I draw the line? So, that’s why we have this list instead.
Lord of the Runes (CN)
Weapon: Runestone Sniper Rifle
Dong Ze is a deadshot; a highly skilled sniper who’s at the top of his class. However, he can’t change what has been decided from birth—his abysmal rune energy. Only those who can access at least 60% of their rune energy can be rune hunters. Hard work can’t bridge the gap that Dong Ze’s 27% represented usually until the “system” appeared before him. Ever since wormholes appeared, rune monsters have never stopped pouring out into the world, and the war seems perpetual. Dong Ze’s rise to power is destined to upset this fragile balance and help humanity finally drive back the invaders back to where they came from.
My Rating: 7/10
The Novel’s Extra (KR)
Weapon: Desert Eagle (Handgun)
It was a story about mankind’s resurgence after the appearance of monsters, and how they built a training institution for future heroes. Kim Hajin wrote it but never finished it. Now, he is a mob character in the world he created. Someone who would be lucky if he even ends up as a statistic in the story.
My Rating: 8/10
Arifureta (JP)
Weapon: Donner & Schlag (Revolvers)
An entire class of high school students was transported into the world of Tortus where humans have been in a perpetual war with other races. During an excursion, Nagumo Hajime used his ingenuity to save his group from danger, but a jealous classmate backstabbed him ultimately causing him to be presumed dead. This is when his desperation for survival caused him to mutate into a human-monster hybrid and to acquire the ability to create hot weapons and even modern vehicles.
My Rating: 7/10
Monarch of Evernight (CN)
Weapons: Handguns, Rifles & Artillery
In one of Evernight continent’s landfills where people die for breadcrumbs lived a boy named Qianye. He was an odd one because despite the harsh and merciless environment, kindness still remained in him. During a mugging incident that left him caked in blood, he caught the eye of a passing high-ranking official who sent him to a training camp that is infamous for its very high casualty rate, but any of its graduates are highly sought after. A series of events will ultimately turn him into neither human nor a vampire and get him caught in the crossfire between warring races in their struggle for survival and as the continent’s rightful rulers.
My Rating: 7/10
Arcane Sniper (KR)
Weapon : The Legendary Black Beth (Anti-material sniper rifle)
Due to an accident during his military service, Ha Leeha became crippled. As he was depressing over what to do with his life, he was introduced into a VR game called “Middle Earth”. It was a place where someone like him can earn money but his unfortunate entanglement with the “Musketeer” class felt like the world was playing a trick on him. The game allowed for an extensive player freedom so instead of relying on the game’s assistance, he decided to play the class as he would in real life just as he did so when we was an ace sniper and as it turned out, this class was anything but trash.
My Rating: 7/10
The Irregular at Magic High School (JP)
Weapon: Trident-Silver Horn (Magic handgun/Casting Assistant Device)
Magic has finally become systematized, and academies have been built to foster magic technicians. The First High School is a renowned magic school in Japan and has just welcomed its new batch of students. Tatsuya joined the school at the same time as his sister, but while the latter is considered a genius, the former is inept. However, what happens when the school’s scoring system wrongly quantifies a student’s combat potential? What’s more is that Tatsuya has a lot of secrets that are waiting to unfold.
My Rating: 8/10
Light Novel | Fandom | Tropes
It All Starts With Playing a Game Seriously (CN)
Weapon: Pendulum (Magic handgun)
Liu Yi played the VRMMO game, Yuan World, casually. That decision soon came to bite him in the butt because the game’s decent into reality was when all hell broke loose. His game character’s stats & skills became his in real life but such a poor game character couldn’t prevent his death. However, he woke up again back to when the game was just released. This time, he has to play the game like his life depended on it if he wants to protect his loved ones and survive what’s about to come.
My Rating: 7/10
Magical Shooting: Sniper of Steel (KR)
Weapon: Assault Rifle & Sniper Rifle
Two suns, strange plants, monsters and even magic, this is the world Capt. Kang Yi Chan woke up to. He is clueless of how to return to South Korea until he stumbles into a fleeing group of a prince with his escorts. With the promise of a ticket back to Earth, Kang Yi Chan uses his arsenal of skills and modern military knowledge to help his allies win in a war that they’ve been losing.
My Rating: 7/10
Rebuild World (JP)
Weapon: AAH Rifle & CWH Anti-Material Rifle
Akira was a young orphan who dreamed of making it big as a hunter. Hunters scavenge for relics in the ruins of a bygone era while keeping in check the monsters that made these places home. While scavenging, he encountered a functional artificial intelligence called Alpha. Although Alpha seemed to have secrets, Akira needed her help to become a capable hunter. On the premise of mutual benefits, the two decide to shake hands in order to achieve their own goals.
My Rating: 8/10
Manuke FPS (JP)
Weapon: VMB Arms (A variety of handguns, rifles, artillery and even flamethrowers)
Usually, when you go beyond the game map, there will be an error, or the game will glitch. Saito Ren isn’t so lucky though. While playing a VRMMO FPS game, he fell of the map and ended up in an entirely different reality. There is magic and monsters in this new world. Luckily, he was isekaied as his game character, Schwartz, with an access to the in-game shop. As he dives into dungeons to find a way back home, he will learn that this new world isn’t so disconnected from the game and himself ;.
My Rating: 6.5/10
There are also a number of anime that I strongly recommend which are few of my favorites namely Golgo 13, Desert Punk, Black Lagoon, Jormungand and SAO Alternative: Gun Gale Online. The last one seems odd compared to the rest of the titles, doesn’t it? All are non-fantasy. I just thought I’d make them different from the main list.
Please share your thoughts or suggestions in the comments. Thanks.
Iyashi's Long-windedness 