You’ve seen the numbers. If you hang around MyAnimeList, Anime-Planet, or Tapas, you know The Beginning After the End (TBATE) sits comfortably in that "must-read" stratosphere. It’s sitting there with an 8.something or a 9-plus depending on where you look. But honestly, numbers are kind of a lie. They don't tell you about the grueling shift from a cozy "magical school" vibe to a "war-torn tragedy" that leaves readers staring at a wall for three hours.
When we talk about The Beginning After the End rating, we aren't just looking at a score. We’re looking at a phenomenon. This is a story written by TurtleMe (Brandon Lee) that started as a web novel and exploded into a webtoon that, frankly, carries the weight of the entire Western isekai genre on its shoulders.
It's a weird one. You have King Grey—a cold, powerful ruler in a high-tech world—who dies and wakes up as Arthur Leywin in a world of mana and beasts. Sounds generic? On paper, yeah. But the way the audience rates it tells a different story. People aren't rating it highly because it’s a new idea. They’re rating it because of how it hurts them later.
Why the early scores are so misleading
If you judge the The Beginning After the End rating based solely on the first fifty chapters of the webtoon or the first volume of the novel, you’re getting a skewed perspective.
Early on, it feels like a power fantasy. Arthur is a prodigy. He’s "better" than everyone because he has the mind of a king and the body of a kid who can manipulate mana better than most adults. It’s fun. It’s satisfying. But if the story stayed there, that 4.8/5 rating on Tapas would have plummeted years ago.
The rating stays high because TurtleMe understands the "long game." Most isekai stories suffer from power creep where the protagonist becomes a god and the stakes vanish. Here? The stakes don't just stay; they become suffocating. By the time you hit the "War Arc," the rating reflects the emotional investment of a fandom that has watched Arthur realize his past-life wisdom isn't enough to save the people he loves.
Breaking down the platform specifics
Let’s look at the actual data. On MyAnimeList, the manhwa (technically a webtoon, but categorized similarly) often fluctuates between an 8.0 and 8.2. That puts it in the top tier of all-time webtoons. On Anime-Planet, it frequently hits 4.5 out of 5 stars.
Why the discrepancy?
- The Novel vs. The Webtoon: The novel readers usually rate the series higher. Why? Because the novel is significantly further ahead. It has reached the "Alacrya" and "Victoriad" segments, which are widely considered the peak of the series.
- The Art Factor: Fuyuki23’s art was the face of the series for years. When the art style shifted or went through hiatuses, you could see the The Beginning After the End rating take a temporary dip in the comments sections, though the aggregate scores usually hold steady because the plot carries it.
- The "Solo Leveling" Comparison: Many users compare TBATE to Solo Leveling. While Solo Leveling gets points for pure hype and legendary art, TBATE usually pulls ahead in ratings regarding character development and world-building.
The "School Arc" Slump: A real critique
No series is perfect. If you’re looking for a reason why someone might give it a 6/10 instead of a 10/10, look at the Xyrus Academy arc.
It’s a trope. Every fantasy story eventually goes to school. For a while, the pacing slows down. Some readers find this part of the story a bit too "standard." You’ve got the bullies, the secret power reveals, and the tournaments. Honestly, it’s the most "AI-generated" feeling part of an otherwise very human story.
But the reason the The Beginning After the End rating recovers—and even surges—after this point is because of the payoff. The academy isn't just a setting; it’s a sacrificial lamb for the plot. When the tone shifts, it shifts violently. That’s where the series earns its stripes.
How the rating compares to competitors
If we line TBATE up against the heavy hitters, the numbers stay competitive.
In the world of "reincarnation" stories, Mushoku Tensei is often called the grandfather of the genre. Mushoku Tensei has a very high rating but is often criticized for its protagonist's controversial personality. Arthur Leywin, by contrast, is much more "likable" to a Western audience. He’s stoic, protective, and driven by a different kind of trauma.
This makes the The Beginning After the End rating more stable. It doesn't alienate as many people.
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Then you have Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint (ORV). ORV often edges out TBATE in "intellectual" ratings because its plot is a meta-commentary on the act of reading itself. However, TBATE wins on accessibility. It’s a "popcorn" read that slowly turns into a "prestige" drama.
The impact of the hiatus and staff changes
We have to talk about the elephant in the room. The transition between Season 5 and Season 6 of the webtoon was rocky. Changes in the production team and the long wait led to a lot of anxiety in the community.
Does this affect the rating?
In the short term, yes. Review bombing is a real thing. Angry fans sometimes take out their frustrations on the star-rating system. But if you look at the "all-time" metrics, the core story is so strong that it survives these production hiccups. The The Beginning After the End rating is anchored by the novel, which provides a blueprint that is simply too good to fail, provided the adaptation stays faithful.
Is it worth the hype?
Look, if you hate isekai, TBATE might not change your mind in the first ten chapters. You’ll see the same "reborn as a baby" tropes you’ve seen a thousand times.
But if you value character growth? Arthur is not the same person in Volume 9 as he was in Volume 1. Not even close. He’s broken, remade, and then broken again. The side characters—Tessia, Sylvie, the Lances—actually have lives and motivations outside of the protagonist. This depth is exactly why the rating stays in the 90th percentile.
The series handles "power" better than most. It isn't just about getting a bigger sword. It's about understanding the fundamental physics of the world (Aether vs. Mana). It’s "hard magic" in a way that appeals to fans of Brandon Sanderson or Patrick Rothfuss, which is rare for a webtoon.
Final Verdict on the Data
When you look at the The Beginning After the End rating across various aggregators, you’re seeing a consensus: it is the gold standard for Western-originated web fiction.
- Tapas: 4.8/5 (Over 20 million views)
- Goodreads: Generally 4.3 to 4.6 for various volumes
- MyAnimeList: ~8.1
These aren't just "hype" numbers. They are sustained over years of weekly releases.
How to approach the series now
If you’re new to the series or wondering if you should continue, here is how to navigate the experience based on what the ratings tell us:
- Read the Novel for Depth: If you find the webtoon's pacing too slow or the art changes jarring, the novel is where the "true" rating lives. The prose allows for much deeper internal monologues from Arthur.
- Push Past the Academy: If you’re bored during the school arc, just keep going. The story you think you’re reading is not the story you’ll be reading by chapter 100.
- Check the Official Source: Support the series on Tapas. The "official" The Beginning After the End rating there matters most for the author’s ability to keep the story going and eventually secure an anime adaptation.
- Engage with the Community: The TBATE subreddit and Discord are massive. If you’re confused about the magic system (Aether can be tricky), use these resources. The community's high engagement is a big part of why the series stays relevant.
The reality is that TBATE has outgrown the "isekai" label. It’s a high-fantasy epic that just happens to start with a reincarnation. The ratings reflect a journey that gets better as it goes, which is the rarest feat in modern fiction.