Grand Dwarf is an ongoing manga series created by Saito Naotake. It's good going as far as 26 chapters at the time of this writing. Now I know a lot of people are already sick of the isekai stories popping off here and there but there's a market for these. As long as mangakas can amass some readership, the possibility of an anime adaptation isn't far off.
Grand dwarf is a story about a 52 year old, Takumi Fujimura who is Japanese artisan in a small town factory that couldn't keep up with the times. Plagued by debt from loan sharks and the banks to keep his workshop business afloat, he overworks himself for years until his body gave out. Waking up in an unfamiliar fantasy world while in his younger teen form, he meets Frau, a healer kicked out from a high rank adventurer group due to her injuries. She aspires to become a hero like her mother did. Here the two form a partnership where Takumi's craftmanship will make it possible for Frau to realize her dream of becoming that world's hero.
Reading the first chapter is all you ever need to get a feel for the flow of what the story is going to be like. While it still is an isekai story that uses the overpowered protagonist gifted with a unique skill trope, there is enough material to explain how problems get overcome beyond just screaming and shouting the power of friendship conquers all.
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Takumi is a senior artisan with decades worth of experience in manufacturing a variety of tools. Pair this idea with how Japanese Craftsmanship, discipline and techniques being brought to medieval fantasy world standards, you get why any tool he can create or gets his hands on can be upgraded to something the world has never seen. He has been given the eyes of the craftsman as a unique skill that enables him to extract and appraise raw materials for crafting that further complements his skill set.
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He's already a character that was nearing the end of his life journey making his whole stance in life complete. Unlike Frau, the young adventurer who has shown ambition, Takumi's role is more of a Sage figure in someone else's hero journey. He is the main character that functions as a side character for Frau's hero journey.
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What's good about this story being old man turning young and meeting a heroine on the process of becoming a hero is the lack of fan service. The story respects itself that it doesn't need to rely on tropes like harem building or lewd content to carry it.
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Takumi is a great guy, he's still an old man trapped in a young man's body and treats everyone else like what he would do if he was in his real age. His relationship with Frau, if not just a mentor can also be likened to a grandfather - granddaughter relationship. This old man's wisdom gets downplayed by the cast because of his young age and stature being likened to a dwarf. Everyone gets a piece of screen time for their character development and backstory which is something the mangaka is good at setting the pace. The pace doesn't feel rushed in the panels if some sad story gets revealed.
Grand Dwarf has a good shot at getting an anime adaptation but it's realistic to expect this one would be a few years from now given that there's only a few chapters out. It's a fun read but a bit frustrating to follow as it comes in monthly updates.
Thanks for your time.