“Your next life form will be an anteater.
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Alternatively, if you would like to rebirth into your desired life form, you can restart your life again to collect enough good karma.”

~~~~~

The choice is obvious here - of course many would pick to restart and try again. Unless you are okay eating ants. But since Kondo Asami doesn’t want to, she pick to restart her life again.

Rebirth stories aren’t anything new. In fact, it has likely developed into a popular genre on its own these recent years.

What’s unique about Brush Up Life is the simple plot on collecting enough good deeds to qualify being human in your next life and the focus on the relatable, little things in life. As we follow through Asami-chan’s 2nd, 3rd and so forth chances at life, we see her going through the relatable daily grinds most of us has been through. Such as puberty, friendship, studying, dating, fitting in, and of course,
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helping out a little more so Asami-chan can cultivate good enough karma to be human again.

It’s not the adrenaline pumping stuff like stopping a terrorist or saving the life of her lover.

Rather, there is something heartwarming about Brush Up Life’s relatable conversations and internal monologues on the day to day stuffs we experience in life - rebirth or no rebirth. Situations like giving a lot of caveats before complaining about unwanted freebies. Or texting emojis with blank expressions. I especially enjoyed Asami-chan’s chats with the Rebirth Officer at the station. Her reactions and the subtle personality shifts are apt.

Things that likely make you go “Yes, that’s right, I do that too”…maybe. The little things in life.

Another thing that is done interestingly and equally relatable is the account of Asami-chan’s day to day struggles in her various professions. Each life, her chosen profession is different. Each time, while there’s something a little different that she stumbled on, they remain situations and moments that we will relate to.
In her 1st life, she was a government worker who struggled with layers of cumbersome approval process and choosing the right greetings to customers.
In her 2nd life, she was a pharmacist who went through thorough checks to ensure right medicine were prescribed and constantly reminding her loved ones to drink medicine with water because it affects the absorption rate.
In her 3rd life, she was a TV producer who worked hard to arrange the right order for artists on closing credits and dealing with childhood friend’s request to be casted on dramas for friendship appearance.
In her 4th life, she was a researcher who patiently researched on scientific breakthrough and diligently resetting the focus of shared microscope in the lab.
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until the little more Brush Up stuff happened. The adrenaline pumping stuff to spice things up.

In her 4th life, Asami-chan found out that she’s not the only person who went through multiple rounds of rebirths. Mari-chan, her childhood friend who always got top grade back in school also went through rebirth. What’s more, it’s her 5th cycle.

Turns out Mari-chan was the one that got the typical main character rebirth script. Since her 2nd life, she has been trying to save a plane crash that took 2 of Asami-chan best friends. 2 whom were also her childhood friends.

There’s no brainer what Asami-chan would choose when she was given a 5th chance. Even if this time she finally accumulated enough karma to be born human (not as Kondo Asami). Even if this is her final chance at rebirth (meaning there’s no more trying again).

To round it up, Brush Up Life successfully drums in the message that it’s the little things in life that matters. No matter which profession we are, there’ll be many little struggles we deal with. No matter how long we live, the thing that make us feel a little less lonely is the connections we made and maintained in life. Because they are the ones who made the little things not so little and worth living.