Forum - View topicREVIEW: Magic in this Other World is Too Far Behind! Novels 1-2
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Merxamers
 Posts: 720 |
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My main issue with the first novel was that it seemed to spend an unusual amount of time and detail on the main character basically spoiler[bullying Felmenia, for no real reason. Their entire fight in the first volume is an extended curbstomp that only ends when she breaks down in tears, which makes me wonder if the author is using this book to vent about some past experiences...] Stuff like that just makes it hard for me to like Suimei, despite the good points he makes about "kidnapping children."
I'm undecided on whether i'll continue this or not. There's a bit of a light novel drought until the 31st, so eh, maybe i'll give volume 2 a try. |
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Guspaz
Posts: 25 |
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Volume 2 and onwards have a very different feel/style from volume 1. It's not an ideal first volume since it's not representative of the series (or even the protagonist) as a whole.
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RegSuzaku
Posts: 273 Location: Ikebukuro |
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This is only in recent works, though. There's a book called "The Seven Basic Plots" that I read a long time ago - I know books like that aren't some sort of absolute authority, but this part, at least, is a good point, I think - one of the "seven basic plots" that it presents is, essentially, the "other world" story. I think the book called it "Down the Rabbit Hole" or some other Alice reference, but it includes not only actual fantasy isekai stories (like Narnia), but also things like The Great Gatsby (I think is used Brideshead Revisited as its example). Several of Shakespeare's comedies are also examples - Midsummer, Twelfth Night, As You Like It (ahaha how many papers have I written about them from that angle?). Historically, the hero has always wanted to return "home", and "home" has always been presented as the "right" place to be. You can't stay in the fairies' forest forever - you'd go insane. (Though, AYLI is more of a genre-bending trip into a deconstruction of the "pastoral" - basically, urban Londoners in Shakespeare's time were weebs for the countryside, and Shakespeare, who was actually from the countryside, breaks it down and parodies those tropes in AYLI, but that's beside the point). The thing is, wanting to return home isn't new - deciding to stay is new. Having even the slightest respect for the idea that the new place could be valid is new - not new, new, but, say, ~1970's, maybe? It came with the dawn of "nerd culture" probably. Having a protagonist who grew up as a nerd, who sees going to the other world as some sort of wish fulfillment, is new, with the generation of people who grew up with SF/fantasy fiction as such. It's shallow, and deconstructing it is probably not a bad thing, but "wanting to go home" isn't new. (I wrote an isekai thing with a MC who wants to return to his world, but when he gets back, he realized he didn't actually want to return, and ends up going back to the other world, and staying there. I also wrote an isekai fanfic for an idol series, where the math-obsessed character keeps saying he doesn't believe in magic, because it's unscientific - that is, he sees that the spells work, but doesn't believe they can't be explained by science. So he scientifically analyzes them, and helps them create more advanced spells. They'd never bothered to do all that because they've never had a need to.) |
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Yune Amagiri
 Posts: 1115 Location: France |
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If it's your main issue you should continue, Suimei is no longer the same starting vol 2. The relation between Suimei and the heroines is now kind of "teacher and his students" ( actually he really is ). As of vol 5 the lastest on J novel club, the heroines even have the upper hand on him and teases him much more than he did. So far the story is rather interesting, most of the new characters, both foes or allieds, enhance it even more adding another aspects to the story than just "find a way to return to his world". The 1st vol in a Isekai story is rarely ( pretty much never ) similar to the next ones it becomes much more interesting once the character overcomes the "shock and discovering phases" Last edited by Yune Amagiri on Fri Jul 27, 2018 10:06 am; edited 1 time in total |
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BlueAlf
 Posts: 1559 |
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I really have problems with the early volumes too (I've read prepub for both volumes). But most people have been saying that the story really develops later on.
Personally, I'm taking a break from it since other than Suimei's personality, I also can't stand the way the author rants about magical jargon in the middle of fight scenes. I do plan to get back into reading it later on though. |
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myskaros
 Posts: 604 Location: J-Novel Club |
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Also wanted to pipe in that I wasn't really feeling the series after volume 1, but 2 was amazing and it's maintained the same style as 2 going forward, so give it a shot if you read 1 and still have good will left :3
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seltzermx
Posts: 51 |
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I don't think it's bullying of you don't start the fight. It was self defence. And he took the Ender Wiggin approach: defeated her so thoroughly that she'll probably never fight him again (without killing her). |
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zztop
Posts: 650 |
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There's currently 8 LN volumes, with the 9th volume due this 25th August.
A note that Vols 7-8 have a new illustrator, Nekonabe Ao, replacing the previous artist Himesuz. One thing to note is that Reiji is more like the stereotypical "do-good" hero of these types of novels, while Suimei is more of the stealthy realist. |
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Merxamers
Posts: 720 |
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I think the difference here is that Suimei is in a position of overwhelming power, and was spoiler[absolutely looking for a fight without any thoughts of an alternative]; if a toddler attacks an adult, punching the child in the face is not an acceptable response. In the case of Ender Wiggins, he was viciously bullied by peers who were much larger, stronger, and more powerful than him, who also had allies collaborating in his abuse. From his position of weakness, he did what he had to do. It was just a sequence that left a bad taste in my mouth. From what the other comments here have said, it looks like he becomes more likable later on. For that reason, i'll give volume 2 a try. |
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seltzermx
Posts: 51 |
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If someone comes at me with a knife, no matter their size or gender, they're getting a swift kick to the face. Felmenia is considered the strongest magifican in that kingdom, and she went into that fight expecting to overwhelm him and beat with her superior power. That that wasn't the end result is not his fault. And yes, he's less harsh in subsequent volumes. |
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nargun
Posts: 931 |
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Critical analysis of the morality of this specific element of Ender's Game has... not been nice. http://johnjosephkessel.wixsite.com/kessel-website/creating-the-innocent-killer |
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MiloTheFirst
Posts: 429 |
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I remember when I was reading the fan translation of the web novel almost 2 years ago and thought the concept was interesting but the writing mediocre. after the reading up to volume 4 I am glad to see the light novel has been highly improved by comparison. what I find interesting is how quickly they are releasing the volumes. I don't think any other title that i am aware of have received this treatment, could it be that this one is actually really popular here on the west? don't get me wrong, I really like this series but I don't think it is that good.
we are getting one volume of realist hero every 3 months but this one is getting a volume per month, I know the former already caught up with the japanese relese and the later still have a few volumes to do so but still. I am guessing it most be in high demand on another note I find really refreshing that they are not treating this isekai as yeat nother video-game like world, there are no levels nor mp or such. although I like Overlord (for different reasons) I think the video-game like isekai series are really cringey on its premise of everyone having levels and stats and such as part of everyday life for the denizens of the new world. I think the only other current J-novel club title that is doing this is undead adventurer. but that one isn't really an isekai to begin with, its world works as a traditional rpg (dragon quest and such) but the characters don't acknoledge the existance of levels or a numerical stats, it is more of a straight out fantasy world. btw, that one is also fun thought the writing isn't that good, it definitively could afford being less redundant and repetitive |
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MiloTheFirst
Posts: 429 |
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I know what you mean, when I read the web novel I also though he over did it. but the adjustment to the narration in the light novel made me feel like his deeds were justified I wouldn't say he spoiler[bullied Felemenia for no reason at all. first and foremost he NEEDED to break her spirit to make her feel defeated so she would agree to signing the geass and thus force her to keep his identity secret. then he went all out on her as a show of respect, something like that chivalry sense you see in battles between samurai. then, you know, as much as he overpowered her he is still as much as a inmature teen as her, he was feeling really frustrated over being kidnapped to another world without a guarrantee of being able to go back to his previous life, I am sure anyone would be really bitter and stressed after that] |
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Double Mangekyo
 Posts: 180 |
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The volume-per-month thing is because JNC hired the fan translator, who had already done work on the volumes beforehand. Basically, they're just editing an already existing translation. Same with Invaders of the Rokujouma!?. |
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seltzermx
Posts: 51 |
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Critical analysis by a few people I do not know or care about. I've read the book probably at least 50 times in my life. I my critical analysis, the book is great. |
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