Starting Over

• Author: Sugaru Miaki
• Genres: Tâm Lý, Drama, Light Novel
• Status: Completed
• Chapters: 70
• Rating: ★ 4.1 / 5
• Published: 2026-10-01

When a Return Ticket Turns Out to Be a Scam

The story follows a young man in his prime twenties who suddenly wakes up to find himself shrunk back into his ten-year-old self. Packed with all his adult memories, he immediately hatches a plan to capitalize on this golden opportunity. He thought he had scored a golden ticket to change his life, only for it to be the start of the ultimate bait-and-switch.

Instead of hitting the lottery, our main character decides to flawlessly recreate every single past milestone to preserve his blissful life. Unfortunately, just a couple of stray choices spark a terrifying butterfly effect, turning his regression into an absolute nightmare. Every single attempt to copy-paste his past fails miserably.

The Perfect Clone and the Glitched Original

His psychological crisis reaches its peak when a flesh-and-blood clone of himself suddenly appears. Bizarrely enough, this person is living a dream life—an exact match of everything the protagonist possessed in his previous life. The clone's very existence lands like a brutal slap directly to his self-esteem.

Consuming envy and sheer panic drive our main character toward incredibly dark thoughts of eliminating the imposter to reclaim his place. The author executes this gritty psychological downward spiral masterfully. Watching the protagonist's self-destructive spiral feels painfully raw and authentic.

Relationships Out of Sync

Looking at the supporting cast, you truly see just how steep the price of stubbornness can be. His former flame Tsugumi gives him a cold shoulder in this timeline, leaving a bleeding wound in his heart. Even his once-picture-perfect family suffers heavily from his miscalculated choices.

Just when despair reaches its peak, the arrival of a girl named Hiiragi brings a completely fresh turning point. She isn't a ghost from his past, but a genuine connection rooted firmly in the present. It is Hiiragi who helps him realize the true worth of living for today.

Praiseworthy Highlights

• It tackles the regression genre from a brutally realistic, ruthless, and deeply satirical angle—with zero cheat codes or protagonist plot armor in sight.
• The psychological evolution of the main character is remarkably convincing, tracking his transformation from a contented youth into a bitter cynic before he finally finds the light.
• The romantic subplot with Hiiragi, while quiet, serves as a remarkably effective balm for the soul, bringing genuine warmth into the overarching dark atmosphere.
• The story is perfectly paced at 70 chapters plus an epilogue, allowing readers to fully experience the emotional journey without feeling fatigued or dragged out.

Frustrating Drawbacks

• The middle section drenches you in relentless gloom, dead ends, and despair, which can feel deeply suffocating if you are just looking for lighthearted escapism.
• Excessive cynicism and self-destructive antics from our main character get dialed up a bit too high at times, leaving readers downright frustrated and drained.
• Side characters besides Hiiragi lack meaningful depth and development, mostly fading into background props to highlight the protagonist's profound solitude.

Community Ratings

• Novel Updates: 4.3/5 (22 ratings, 1,752 readers, checked on 10/01/2026)
• Goodreads: 3.97/5 (311 ratings, 25 reviews, checked on 10/01/2026)

International readers highly praise the nuanced resolution of the novel's psychological knots. Many admit to feeling a strong sense of resonance with the blunders and regrets of our main character. It really forces you to take a hard look in the mirror.

Despite a slight score variance across platforms, it remains a bright gem in the psychological genre. The story delivers a sobering wake-up call to anyone daydreaming about turning back the clock. Brace yourself mentally before diving in.

Final Thoughts for Do-Over Dreamers

This book acts like an ice-cold bucket of water thrown over rose-tinted fantasies of restarting life. Instead of painting a glorious comeback, it teaches us to confront and embrace the shattered pieces of our reality. Only when you let go of the past can you truly break free.

If you are craving a sweet, fluffy read, steer clear of this one for now. But if you are seeking deep soul redemption and want to learn to treasure the present, this is an absolute must-read. It will reach right into your darkest corners.

Bottom line: Starting Over is a painfully agonizing yet healing journey that shatters the illusion of fixing the past, teaching us to cherish what we hold in the present.

Tags: regression, psychological, healing