|
Reliance was also a great choice as a farce of a name because there the sect was unbelievably unreliable and worthless/the only thing you could rely on was yourself (and you absolutely had to develop that capacity of self-reliance or you'd die)
|
#
?
Apr 26, 2016 19:17
|
|
|
|
| # ? Jun 5, 2024 21:38 |
|
|
The irony of the name was literally spelled out by Meng Hao several times while he was still a member of the sect, so not translating the name would have either lost a bunch of meaning or required some real backflips. "It's ironic that our Patriarch is named Kao Shan, because he's so unreliable, and Kao Shan means reliance in Chinese!"
|
|
#
?
Apr 26, 2016 19:31
|
|
|
It was deliberately worthless. In theory everyone was supposed to find someone else to rely on, but Reliance knew enough about human nature to realize that it would just lead to a bunch of spiteful backbiting. His plan worked, even. Any talents they found were squandered and the sect had degenerated accordingly.
|
|
#
?
Apr 26, 2016 19:32
|
|
|
The Reliance Sect was an interesting contrast to the Violet Fate Sect, which actually treated its disciples well, provided them with guidance and cultivation materials, and actively encouraged them not to be dicks to each other. The result was that the Violet Fate Sect produced a number of strong, well equipped, and gullible idiots while the Reliance Sect produced Meng Hao.
|
|
#
?
Apr 26, 2016 19:45
|
|
|
Xianxia Freud Says: You're like this because your Patriarch didn't love you enough.
|
|
#
?
Apr 26, 2016 21:41
|
|
|
Yawn. More boring fights. I guess there's nothing interesting lef-quote:As soon as she saw that he was backing up, she quickly called out, “Don’t go anywhere!” Shenanigans!  ISSTH is a roller coaster.
|
|
#
?
Apr 26, 2016 22:50
|
|
|
Some prime shenanigans happening in the latest chapters of ISSTH. Now that everyone is indebted to him, he has to save their lives to collect!
|
|
#
?
Apr 28, 2016 14:37
|
|
|
Uh, a spirit has a brain? That had a giant mirror sitting on top of it? What?
|
|
#
?
Apr 28, 2016 14:50
|
|
|
Started reading I Shall Seal the Heavens finally, maybe a quarter to a third through translation Shoulda called it I Shall Steal the Heavens 'cause this fucker is a ridiculous kleptomaniac
|
|
#
?
Apr 28, 2016 18:18
|
|
|
That's my one of favorite parts of ISSTH. In so many Xianxia stories, the same thing happens, where the MC lucks into super item after super item, but they never target them. It's always heavenly luck, random happenstance or some douchenozzle with more items than sense. ISSTH is so much more honest about it. Sure, those same things happen, but Meng Hao is always angling for them with a deliciously unrepentant attitude towards all of it.
|
|
#
?
Apr 28, 2016 18:31
|
|
|
The reliance sect really made him who he is today. Before Xu Qing abducted him he was a poor but honest scholar.
|
|
#
?
Apr 28, 2016 19:59
|
|
|
Cynic Jester posted:That's my one of favorite parts of ISSTH. In so many Xianxia stories, the same thing happens, where the MC lucks into super item after super item, but they never target them. It's always heavenly luck, random happenstance or some douchenozzle with more items than sense. ISSTH is so much more honest about it. Sure, those same things happen, but Meng Hao is always angling for them with a deliciously unrepentant attitude towards all of it. I wouldn't say that. A lot of Xanxias also have biggass arcs about the MC targeting treasures and trying to learn where such and such treasures can be. That's... really not unique to ISSTH. The one thing that is very rare though is how amusing it is. Most 'humour' in Xanxia is usually the MC being a troll which ISSTH also does, but ISSTH tends to have a lot of different things and a writing style that is humorous itself.
|
|
#
?
Apr 28, 2016 20:00
|
|
|
Characters in issth are allowed to have motivations aside from undying loyalty/enmity for the mc because of how awesome he is. Even the love interests all have their own stuff going on instead of constantly pining for Meng Hao. Xu Qing's thing is that she likes to live quietly and cultivate which is pretty boring, but at least she can do that instead of following Meng Hao around. But the best part is still when he goes on looting sprees, of course.
|
|
#
?
Apr 28, 2016 20:38
|
|
|
Arkeus posted:I wouldn't say that. A lot of Xanxias also have biggass arcs about the MC targeting treasures and trying to learn where such and such treasures can be. That's... really not unique to ISSTH. Sure, but the difference is that while they might target them, it's usually not for "selfish" reasons. Meng Hao will steal everything that's not nailed down and not bat an eye at it while Murderhobo X from ye Xianxia will constantly go "Well, the owner is dead, I might as well put it to use doing good" or however they rationalize being a murderhobo. They're written as being 'good' people within the context of their world while going around being much much worse human beings than Meng Hao. He on the other hand just doesn't care. Just look at something like Martial God Asura, possibly the most psychotic main character I've ever read about. Massacres tons of people for entirely frivolous reasons, but is portrayed as being justified in his actions, when usually they are completely out of proportion with whatever perceived slight prompted them. Sure, it's an extreme example, but so is Meng Hao.
|
|
#
?
Apr 28, 2016 21:47
|
|
|
Cynic Jester posted:Meng Hao will steal everything that's not nailed down and 
|
|
#
?
Apr 29, 2016 00:30
|
|
|
he will also steal everything that is nailed down (in fact they are higher priority because ofc they are more valuable) but that's still technically correct
|
|
#
?
Apr 29, 2016 00:38
|
|
|
I like how during all that time Meng Hao was protecting the crow divinity tribe, no one ever mentioned how he had looted their god's home. Sure, time was stopped and no one saw him do it but he was openly using all the stuff which mysteriously went missing before he was found inside alone.
|
|
#
?
Apr 29, 2016 00:55
|
|
|
i just love how much ultvex and lord fifth have rubbed off on lil haowie over the years also how old is he now, like 500~?
|
|
#
?
Apr 29, 2016 01:02
|
|
|
Yasser Arafatwa posted:i just love how much ultvex and lord fifth have rubbed off on lil haowie over the years Let's see. He's 1 2 3 2 1 2 3 2 1 2 3 2 1...2 years old.
|
|
#
?
Apr 29, 2016 01:06
|
|
|
Nah, he is under 200 years old, and most of that was spent in the ocean.
|
|
#
?
Apr 29, 2016 01:19
|
|
|
He was 40-50ish when he entered the Violet Sea and spent about ~150 years in the sea. I would spitball about 175-200 years old.
|
|
#
?
Apr 29, 2016 01:20
|
|
|
Cynic Jester posted:That's my one of favorite parts of ISSTH. In so many Xianxia stories, the same thing happens, where the MC lucks into super item after super item, but they never target them. It's always heavenly luck, random happenstance or some douchenozzle with more items than sense. ISSTH is so much more honest about it. Sure, those same things happen, but Meng Hao is always angling for them with a deliciously unrepentant attitude towards all of it. This is basically describing the protags from Moonlight Sculptor and Ark too I think.
|
|
#
?
Apr 29, 2016 02:09
|
|
|
I used to be fine with bland cookie-cutter Nice Guy MCs, but reading stuff like KonoSuba has really made me realize how nice it is for the MC to be an actual character.
|
|
#
?
Apr 29, 2016 02:42
|
|
|
Reading ISSTH leaves me with the impression that martial artists are a form of small dog, with all the panting and vacillation they do between wild excitement and frozen in fear. One second they are arrogant and aggressive, the next they are completely dumbfounded. Like I feel like 90% of their interactions could be perfectly replicated if you took a Shih Tzu and replaced it's bark with saying "Power levels".
|
|
#
?
Apr 29, 2016 04:26
|
|
|
I wouldn't really call them martial artists. Spells and treasures are what everyone normally uses, and even now that Meng Hao is in his super swole phase he just kinda flails around very quickly.
|
|
#
?
Apr 29, 2016 06:39
|
|
|
How are the translations for KonoSuba? My standards are kinda high, so if they're not great I'd rather wait for the next season of the anime than slog through poor grammar.
|
|
#
?
Apr 29, 2016 06:41
|
|
|
I would put them as pretty solid as far as translator groups go. It's far from perfection (the usual refusal to use contractions, a strange obsession with directly translating ねぇ as "Neh", and slightly stilted wordchoice every now and then), but still a cut above the usual fare. If you're reading Only Sense Online, it's above that. Also I feel like the script is so good it shines through even with the slightly meh translation.
|
|
#
?
Apr 29, 2016 06:47
|
|
|
Comic posted:This is basically describing the protags from Moonlight Sculptor and Ark too I think. Weed does most of his dickery while playing a game, and Ark is a poor copy of Weed. That's not really the same as murder hobos. Meng Hao is absolutely a murder hobo like all the rest, just with better writing and some sympathetic traits.
|
|
#
?
Apr 29, 2016 06:52
|
|
|
Cynic Jester posted:Just look at something like Martial God Asura, possibly the most psychotic main character I've ever read about. Massacres tons of people for entirely frivolous reasons, but is portrayed as being justified in his actions, when usually they are completely out of proportion with whatever perceived slight prompted them. Sure, it's an extreme example, but so is Meng Hao. I would also say that World of Cultivation/Transcending the nine Heavens are a good example of "sometimes has humour but is meant to be taken as overall serious" while ISSTH is "sometimes is serious but is meant to be taken as overall humorous".
|
|
#
?
Apr 29, 2016 10:43
|
|
|
I was checking out Royal Road because some goon mentioned it was full of garbage. As you may know, Royal Road is a site full of lovely web novels. I stumbled on one good xianxia inspired story, Savage Divinity. The setting is a low-magic cultivators world. So meditate and train to gain heavenly cosmic strength, insights into the martial forms, etc, but no one is shooting lightning bolts. That heavenly energy does make you stronger and tougher. At one point the MC declares "I am going to be a muscle wizard." I like the MC because of how shameless he is. He reminds of Meng Hoa sometimes, but just a different sort of shamelessness. The author also does a good job portraying a man with modern sensibilities struggle with living in a medieval age.
|
|
#
?
Apr 29, 2016 15:49
|
|
|
Serious Frolicking posted:I wouldn't really call them martial artists. Spells and treasures are what everyone normally uses, and even now that Meng Hao is in his super swole phase he just kinda flails around very quickly. they're basically just wizards it's one of the reasons i like the genre for how awful most of it is, there is a lack of western stories wherein wizards are being assholes
|
|
#
?
Apr 29, 2016 16:42
|
|
|
I like when ISSTH gets all philosophical or touchy feely.
|
|
#
?
Apr 30, 2016 15:31
|
|
|
Man, Novel Updates is going completely nuts with tags. Age Progression Archery Arranged Marriage Assassin Assassinations Badass Bandits Beautiful Female Lead Bows Childhood Friends Fighting Hidden Ability Hidden Talent Interspatial Storage Military Nobles Older Female Younger Male Ranked by Strength Royalty Shameless Male Lead Smart Male Lead Strong Female Lead Sudden Strength Gain Swords Time Skip Wars Weak to Strong Those are all belonging to one story.
|
|
#
?
Apr 30, 2016 15:57
|
|
|
Cynic Jester posted:Man, Novel Updates is going completely nuts with tags. I like how "interspatial storage" is on that list next to important setting themes like "wars" and "assassinations".
|
|
#
?
Apr 30, 2016 16:44
|
|
|
Are there web novels without Beautiful Female Leads?
|
|
#
?
Apr 30, 2016 16:45
|
|
|
darkgray posted:Are there web novels without Beautiful Female Leads? I think there is a blog about that but the list is depressingly short. Ah yes, here we are.
|
|
#
?
Apr 30, 2016 17:06
|
|
|
What wuxia series doesn't have bandits? I mean really. Might as well add a tag for punching.
|
|
#
?
Apr 30, 2016 17:47
|
|
|
Serious Frolicking posted:What wuxia series doesn't have bandits? I mean really. Might as well add a tag for punching. Where's my rear end in a top hat MC tag
|
|
#
?
Apr 30, 2016 20:50
|
|
|
jon joe posted:Where's my rear end in a top hat MC tag You would have to split it into deliberate rear end in a top hat mc and inadvertent (due to really really bad writing) rear end in a top hat mc. Really though, tropers are worthless.
|
|
#
?
Apr 30, 2016 20:56
|
|
|
|
| # ? Jun 5, 2024 21:38 |
|
|
Deadly Ham Sandwich posted:I was checking out Royal Road because some goon mentioned it was full of garbage. As you may know, Royal Road is a site full of lovely web novels. I stumbled on one good xianxia inspired story, Savage Divinity. The setting is a low-magic cultivators world. So meditate and train to gain heavenly cosmic strength, insights into the martial forms, etc, but no one is shooting lightning bolts. That heavenly energy does make you stronger and tougher. At one point the MC declares "I am going to be a muscle wizard." This is actually pretty decent.
|
|
#
?
Apr 30, 2016 22:43
|
|
