Shi ni Modori no Mahou is a Japanese fantasy romance by Eiko Mutsuhana about Oriana, a magic-school student who dies alongside her boyfriend, Vincent, then wakes up years earlier in her seven-year-old body with her memories intact. When she eventually meets Vincent again, however, he has no memory of their previous relationship.
The series can be confusing to find in English because its light novel and manga use different English titles. The light novel is officially published as Return from Death: I Kicked the Bucket and Now I’m Back at Square One With a Boyfriend Who Doesn’t Remember Me, while the manga adaptation is called Re-Living My Life with a Boyfriend Who Doesn’t Remember Me.
This guide explains the story, Oriana and Vincent, the time-loop mystery, web novel status, Japanese and English light novels, manga adaptation, current volumes, awards, reading options, and whether the series is worth starting.
Quick answer: Shi ni Modori no Mahou is a fantasy romance and death-loop mystery written by Eiko Mutsuhana. Oriana dies with her boyfriend Vincent and returns to childhood remembering their former life, but Vincent does not remember her. The story exists as a completed Japanese web novel, published light novels, and a manga adaptation.
What Is the Full Title of Shi ni Modori no Mahou?
The complete Japanese romanized title is:
Shi ni Modori no Mahou Gakkou Seikatsu wo, Moto Koibito to Prologue Kara (※Tadashi, Koukando wa Zero)
The Japanese title is:
死に戻りの魔法学校生活を、元恋人とプロローグから（※ただし好感度はゼロ）
The story was written by Eiko Mutsuhana, whose Japanese name is credited as 六つ花えいこ. The Japanese light-novel editions feature illustrations by Yugiri Aica, while the manga adaptation is drawn by Gin Shirakawa.
Because the full title is extremely long, English-language readers often search shortened forms such as:
- Shi ni Modori no Mahou
- Shi ni Modori novel
- Shi ni Modori no Mahou novel
- Shi ni Modori no Mahou Gakkou Seikatsu
- Re-Living My Life with a Boyfriend Who Doesn’t Remember Me
- Return from Death light novel
These searches can all lead to different versions of the same underlying story.
What Is Shi ni Modori no Mahou About?
Oriana once had the kind of future she expected to continue naturally.
She was seventeen, studying at magic school, and in love with Vincent, the eldest son of a duke’s family. Their school life ends abruptly when the two die under unexplained circumstances.
Then Oriana wakes up.
She is seven years old again.
Her life has moved backwards, but her memories have not.
Oriana remembers Vincent, their relationship and their deaths. What she does not remember is what actually killed them.
She therefore spends the years before returning to magic school focused on one goal: this time, Vincent must survive.
When she finally sees him again, she expects the reunion she has dreamed about for years.
Instead, Vincent treats her like a stranger.
He remembers none of it.
That single difference transforms what could have been a simple second-chance romance into something much more complicated.
Oriana remembers having already loved Vincent.
Vincent has never experienced that relationship.
She is emotionally continuing a love story that, from his point of view, has not even started.
At the same time, the unexplained deaths are still waiting somewhere in their future.
Who Is Oriana?
Oriana is the main heroine and the character through whom the story’s initial return-from-death premise is experienced.
She retains memories of her previous life after returning to the age of seven and becomes determined to prevent Vincent from dying again. The original web-novel description explicitly frames her motivation around saving him even after discovering that he has completely forgotten her.
Her situation creates an emotional contradiction.
Oriana knows the version of Vincent who became her lover. She remembers his personality, affection and importance in her life.
But those memories belong to her.
They do not give the present Vincent any obligation to love her.
That distinction is central to why Oriana works as more than a standard regression heroine. Her knowledge of the previous timeline gives her information, but it cannot simply recreate another person’s feelings.
Her challenge is therefore not merely:
How do I get my boyfriend back?
It is closer to:
How do I save someone I still love when, to him, our love never happened?
Who Is Vincent?
Vincent is Oriana’s former boyfriend and the other half of the story’s central relationship.
In the life Oriana remembers, he was a devoted partner. When she encounters him after returning to the past, however, he does not share those memories.
That changes the meaning of almost every interaction between them.
For Oriana, meeting Vincent is a reunion.
For Vincent, it is an introduction.
Her familiarity can therefore seem inexplicable or uncomfortable from his perspective.
This is one reason the romance develops more effectively than it would if Vincent simply recovered his feelings immediately. The story gives him room to react to Oriana as the person standing in front of him rather than treating his previous self’s relationship as something he must automatically inherit.
The emotional question becomes:
Can Vincent fall in love with Oriana again without remembering that he loved her before?
That question is tied directly to the larger mystery of the loop.
Why Doesn’t Vincent Remember Oriana?
At the beginning of Oriana’s return, she retains memories from their previous life while Vincent does not. This difference is part of the official premise across the original web novel, English light novel and manga adaptation.
The series does eventually develop its death-loop and memory mechanics further, but explaining every later revelation would spoil one of the main reasons to keep reading.
For a first-time reader, the important point is this:
Vincent’s lack of memories is not simply a temporary misunderstanding added to delay the romance. It is part of the mystery itself.
Is Shi ni Modori a Reincarnation Story?
Not exactly.
Calling it a conventional reincarnation or isekai story can give readers the wrong impression.
Oriana does not die and become an unrelated person in a completely new life. Instead, she returns to an earlier age in her own timeline while retaining memories from the life she already lived.
For that reason, these terms describe the premise more accurately:
- return from death
- regression
- time loop
- time travel
- second-chance fantasy
- death-loop romance
Cross Infinite World itself markets the English light novel around time travel, fantasy, romance and a magic-academy setting.
Why Is the Time-Loop Mystery So Important?
The romance may be the immediate emotional hook, but the unanswered deaths provide the story with forward momentum.
Oriana knows something terrible is coming.
She just does not fully understand what caused it.
That means remembering the future does not automatically give her the power to prevent it.
She knows the result.
She lacks the complete explanation.
The story therefore develops around two connected questions:
Can Oriana and Vincent build a relationship again?
And:
Can they avoid the fate that killed them before?
This combination keeps the romance connected to the fantasy plot instead of allowing the mystery and relationship to feel like two unrelated stories.
The closer the timeline moves toward the point at which Oriana remembers dying, the greater the tension becomes.
Is the Original Shi ni Modori Web Novel Complete?
Yes. The original Japanese web novel is complete at 201 episodes.
Shōsetsuka ni Narō currently lists the final installment as 201/201, with Episode 201 serving as an extra story. Its series listing shows the final episode as having been posted on April 15, 2022.
This is an important distinction because readers searching for the series can encounter several different publication formats.
The web novel being complete does not mean every adaptation or translation has caught up with it.
Web novel, Japanese light novel, English light novel and manga should therefore be treated separately when discussing status.
How Many Japanese Shi ni Modori Light Novels Are There?
Earth Star Entertainment’s official catalog verifies three Japanese light-novel volumes.
Japanese light novel releases
| Volume | Japanese Release |
|---|---|
| Volume 1 | June 16, 2021 |
| Volume 2 | April 15, 2022 |
| Volume 3 | April 15, 2022 |
Volume 1 is officially listed by Earth Star as a light novel written by Eiko Mutsuhana and illustrated by Yugiri Aica.
Earth Star also maintains separate official catalog pages for Volumes 2 and 3, both listing April 15, 2022 as their release date.
This is one area where readers should be careful not to confuse light-novel volume numbering with the manga volumes, which now run considerably further.
Does Shi ni Modori Have an Official English Light Novel?
Yes.
Cross Infinite World licensed the light novel under the title:
Return from Death: I Kicked the Bucket and Now I’m Back at Square One With a Boyfriend Who Doesn’t Remember Me
The publisher announced Volume 1 for worldwide digital release on September 30, 2021.
Cross Infinite World later released Volume 2 on March 31, 2023.
Interestingly, Volume 2 switches the relationship wording in its title to:
Return from Death: I Kicked the Bucket and Now I’m Back at Square One With a Girlfriend Who Doesn’t Remember Me
That change is not random. It reflects a major development in the structure of the story.
New readers who want to remain spoiler-free should therefore avoid reading a detailed synopsis of Volume 2 before completing Volume 1.
How many English light novels can currently be verified?
As of August 8, 2026, I can directly verify two official English light-novel releases from Cross Infinite World’s own announcements: Volumes 1 and 2.
That wording is deliberate.
The Japanese edition has three verified light-novel volumes, but readers should not assume that Japanese and English publication counts are identical.
What Is the Manga Called in English?
The official English manga title is:
Re-Living My Life with a Boyfriend Who Doesn’t Remember Me
Seven Seas licensed the manga in 2023 and explicitly identifies it as an adaptation of Eiko Mutsuhana’s Return from Death light novel series.
The manga credits:
- Eiko Mutsuhana — original story
- Gin Shirakawa — manga art
- Yugiri Aica — original character designs
The first English manga volume was released on July 9, 2024.
How Many English Manga Volumes Are Available?
As of August 8, 2026, six English manga volumes have been released.
Seven Seas currently lists the English schedule as:
| Volume | English Release |
|---|---|
| Volume 1 | July 9, 2024 |
| Volume 2 | November 19, 2024 |
| Volume 3 | March 4, 2025 |
| Volume 4 | July 1, 2025 |
| Volume 5 | November 11, 2025 |
| Volume 6 | May 5, 2026 |
| Volume 7 | November 17, 2026 |
The complete release sequence is listed on Seven Seas’ official series page.
Because November 17, 2026 is still in the future, Volume 7 should currently be described as an upcoming English release, not an already released volume. Seven Seas lists it for that date with a 164-page paperback edition.
How Far Ahead Is the Japanese Manga?
The Japanese manga reached Volume 7 on February 5, 2026.
KADOKAWA lists that volume as containing Chapters 26 through 30 and credits Gin Shirakawa for manga, Eiko Mutsuhana for the original work and Yugiri Aica for the character designs.
That means English manga readers are currently only one collected volume behind the Japanese release count, although release dates remain different.
Shi ni Modori Novel vs Manga: Which Version Is Which?
The different English names are probably the biggest source of confusion around the series.
| Feature | Light Novel | Manga |
|---|---|---|
| English title | Return from Death | Re-Living My Life with a Boyfriend Who Doesn’t Remember Me |
| Original creator | Eiko Mutsuhana | Adapted from Eiko Mutsuhana’s novel |
| Japanese LN illustrator | Yugiri Aica | — |
| Manga artist | — | Gin Shirakawa |
| Official English publisher | Cross Infinite World | Seven Seas |
| Main format | Prose and illustrations | Sequential manga art |
| Best for | Source-story readers | Visual readers |
Seven Seas explicitly describes the manga as an adaptation of the Return from Death light-novel series, removing any doubt that the two English titles belong to the same franchise.
Which Should You Read First: the Light Novel or Manga?
There is no universally correct choice.
Start with the light novel if you want:
- the source prose version;
- more internal narration;
- the officially translated Return from Death edition;
- a reading experience closer to the original published novel.
Start with the manga if you want:
- Gin Shirakawa’s artwork;
- facial expressions and visual emotion;
- quicker visual pacing;
- physical Seven Seas editions;
- an easy entry point into the story.
The manga works perfectly well as an introduction.
Readers who become invested in the story can later explore the novel for another version of its character perspectives and narrative detail.
How Popular Is Shi ni Modori no Mahou?
The series has grown substantially beyond its web-novel origins.
KADOKAWA’s official page for Japanese manga Volume 7 states that the series had passed 2 million copies in cumulative circulation.
The manga then achieved one of its biggest recognition milestones in 2026.
On May 11, 2026, Kadocomi announced that Shi ni Modori no Mahou Gakkou Seikatsu wo, Moto Koibito to Prologue Kara had won the 50th Kodansha Manga Award in the shōjo category.
Seven Seas now highlights the same Best Shojo Manga award on its English Volume 1 listing.
These milestones matter because they show that the series is no longer simply a niche web novel with an adaptation. It has developed significant commercial reach and formal manga-industry recognition.
Why Does the Story Work So Well?
The most interesting part of Shi ni Modori no Mahou is not simply that Oriana gets a second chance.
It is that her second chance is emotionally unequal.
She remembers everything that made Vincent important to her.
He remembers none of it.
That creates several conflicts simultaneously.
Love Without Shared Memories
Oriana’s feelings are based on real experiences, but those experiences only exist in her memory.
The current Vincent cannot be expected to feel something simply because another version of him once did.
Knowing the Future Without Understanding It
Oriana has information from the previous timeline, but the most important answer is missing: the exact truth behind their deaths.
That makes foreknowledge useful without making her all-knowing.
Identity Across Different Timelines
The story raises an interesting romantic problem.
If Vincent does not remember being Oriana’s boyfriend, should Oriana treat him as the person she already loves or as someone she needs to know again?
The series does not need a philosophical lecture to explore this question. It emerges naturally from their interactions.
Romance With Real Plot Consequences
Their relationship is connected directly to survival.
As Oriana and Vincent move through school life again, the timeline is also moving toward the fatal event Oriana remembers.
Romantic progress and mystery progress therefore reinforce each other.
Is Shi ni Modori Mainly a Romance or Mystery?
It is both, although the romance is the emotional centre.
The original Narō listing includes themes and tags associated with magic, school life, mutual romantic feelings, misunderstandings, loops and a happy ending, while official English publishers describe the work as fantasy, mystery and romance.
Readers should therefore not expect a pure mystery novel where romance remains in the background.
Likewise, it is not simply a school romance with a disposable fantasy gimmick.
The loop is integral to the relationship.
Is Shi ni Modori Worth Reading?
Yes, especially for readers who enjoy romance with mystery, second chances and emotionally complicated time-loop mechanics.
Its strongest appeal comes from making the relationship itself part of the speculative premise.
Oriana does not merely need to solve a mystery.
She has to coexist with someone who means the world to her while knowing that their shared emotional history now exists only on her side.
The series should particularly appeal to readers who enjoy:
- slow-burn fantasy romance;
- magic-academy settings;
- time loops and regression;
- second-chance stories;
- emotionally awkward reunions;
- relationship-driven mysteries;
- characters whose choices change familiar events;
- manga with expressive romantic artwork.
Readers looking only for rapid romantic payoff may find some of the emotional rebuilding slower than expected.
But that gradual rebuilding is also the point.
If Vincent immediately remembered everything and restored the relationship, much of the story’s strongest conflict would disappear.
Where Can You Read Shi ni Modori Legally?
The easiest method is to search by the correct official title for the format you want.
For the English light novel
Search for:
Return from Death: I Kicked the Bucket and Now I’m Back at Square One With a Boyfriend Who Doesn’t Remember Me
The official English publisher is Cross Infinite World, which has released the series digitally.
For the English manga
Search for:
Re-Living My Life with a Boyfriend Who Doesn’t Remember Me
The manga is officially published in English by Seven Seas Entertainment in print and digital formats.
For the original Japanese web novel
The original Japanese version is hosted on Shōsetsuka ni Narō, where the series reaches Episode 201.
Readers should avoid assuming that an unofficial translation page represents the current official English release status.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Shi ni Modori no Mahou?
It is a Japanese fantasy-romance story by Eiko Mutsuhana about Oriana, who returns to childhood after dying with her boyfriend Vincent and discovers that he no longer remembers their relationship.
What is the English title of Shi ni Modori no Mahou?
The English light novel is Return from Death: I Kicked the Bucket and Now I’m Back at Square One With a Boyfriend Who Doesn’t Remember Me. The manga is Re-Living My Life with a Boyfriend Who Doesn’t Remember Me.
Who wrote Shi ni Modori no Mahou?
Eiko Mutsuhana wrote the original story. Yugiri Aica illustrated the Japanese light novels, and Gin Shirakawa draws the manga adaptation.
Is the Shi ni Modori web novel complete?
Yes. The original Shōsetsuka ni Narō version reaches 201 episodes, with the final page marked 201/201.
How many Japanese light novels are there?
Earth Star Entertainment currently verifies three Japanese light-novel volumes.
How many English light novels are there?
Two English volumes can currently be directly verified through Cross Infinite World’s official release announcements: Volume 1 from 2021 and Volume 2 from 2023.
How many English manga volumes are available?
As of August 8, 2026, six volumes are available in English. Volume 7 is scheduled for November 17, 2026.
Why doesn’t Vincent remember Oriana?
Oriana retains memories after returning to childhood, but Vincent initially does not remember their previous relationship. The deeper mechanics behind the loop develop later in the story and are best left unspoiled for new readers.
Is Shi ni Modori an isekai?
It has fantasy elements, but “return from death,” regression or time-loop fantasy better describes its central mechanism because Oriana returns to an earlier point in her own life.
Is Shi ni Modori a romance?
Yes. Romance is one of the central elements, combined with fantasy, school life, mystery and a repeating-death premise.
Is Re-Living My Life with a Boyfriend Who Doesn’t Remember Me the same series?
Yes. It is the official English title of the manga adaptation based on the Return from Death light-novel series.
Who publishes the English manga?
Seven Seas Entertainment publishes the official English manga editions.
Has Shi ni Modori won any awards?
Yes. Its manga adaptation won the shōjo category at the 50th Kodansha Manga Awards in 2026.
How popular is Shi ni Modori?
By the Japanese release of manga Volume 7 in February 2026, KADOKAWA stated that the series had exceeded 2 million copies in cumulative circulation.
Should I read the light novel or manga first?
Choose the light novel for the source prose experience and deeper written perspective. Choose the manga if you prefer visual storytelling and Gin Shirakawa’s artwork. Both are valid starting points.
Final Thoughts
Shi ni Modori no Mahou starts with what sounds like a familiar second-chance premise and then makes that second chance deliberately unfair.
Oriana gets her memories back.
She gets Vincent back.
What she does not get back is their relationship.
To Vincent, she is not a lost lover returning after tragedy. She is someone he has only just met.
That imbalance gives the romance its emotional tension, while the unexplained deaths make every return to school life feel as though it is moving toward a deadline.
For new English readers, the naming is the hardest part to understand.
Remember this distinction:
Read Return from Death if you are looking for the official English light novel.
Read Re-Living My Life with a Boyfriend Who Doesn’t Remember Me if you are looking for the manga adaptation.
Behind both titles is the same central question that makes the series memorable:
If only one person remembers a love that once existed, can the two of them create it again before history repeats itself?
