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I discovered this thread a while ago and have been following returnee since, I'm really enjoying it. The translator opened the donation link a month or two ago and people have been dumping so much money at them we've been getting two chapters every single day since then. A while back when I first caught up to the current translation I was looking for something else to read and figured I'd look at the top rated novels on the site I was reading on (wuxiaworld or something) because I figured the top stuff couldn't be too terrible. And hey, one of the highest rated ones was called Close Combat Mage! Surely it would be good if Returnee was any indication of quality, right? 
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Jul 26, 2017 22:00
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Yea, it's great what a complete crapshoot the quality of this stuff is innit?
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Jul 27, 2017 01:28
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Depressing Box posted:Did Returnee ever go back to being fun? I fell off around chapter 130, after the invaders made skin-suits out of everyone in Venezuela, the MC found out and violently murdered them, then traveled back to their world and kept violently murdering everyone for like 15 chapters in a row. No idea, that's when I dropped it too.
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Jul 27, 2017 13:14
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At one point in Returnee, the main character is trapped in a dungeon for several years. It's revealed that this dungeon is some weird version of Earth, which is why he can't leave it using his warp skill. It turns out, the Earth itself somehow mutated itself an id because of people constantly loving with it, and that id and the Earth itself are basically fed up with people loving around with them and have decided that it's probably a better idea to just scrap humanity and start over. Also, when I mentioned the MC being able to warp before, that's another product of the series not giving two shits about power creep and using it for laughs/plot points. He originally just had the Leap skill that let him jump good, which eventually evolved into letting him double jump and later infinitely double jump, which than evolved into being able to warp, which then evolved into the Dimensional Traveler skill which is exactly what it sounds like. He's currently hopping to random planets and stealing them from other factions by wiping out the forces stationed there with his giant flying castle and orbiting barracks that are filled with troops, officially placing himself and his group in a war with higher existences despite not being one himself. So yeah, it's picked up a little bit.
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Jul 27, 2017 17:21
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You know, I really want to see more stories that go "Science! gently caress yeah!" Not this pseudo-science mumbo-jumbo that's actually Clarke-tech by another name, actual science stuff like germ theory, Newton's laws of motion, Mendelev's genetic inheritance, and stuff like that. It's probably why I'm enjoying Dr. Stone manga so much, because the science plays such an important role in the story. As a side note for recommendation, Library of Heaven's Path is a reasonably fun read, if you like MCs curbstomping over everything. No real tension, because you know that the "villain of the week" is going to get owned hard within three chapters, but still pretty amusing in a puerile fashion. If you can read Chinese, I would recommend 逍遥小书生, which to my best knowledge isn't being translated. It's one of those "transmigrated with cheat into an alternate history world" story, only the MC is just trying to live a carefree life while everyone else wants him to work for the betterment of the nation. While there's elements of Wuxia in it (chi-powered martial arts, Wulin/Murim, etc.), it plays a surprisingly low key role in the story, which mostly involves making shittons of money while trying to avoid all responsibilities. Finally, I just picked up 儒道至圣, which is a somewhat interesting story about Confucianism being the basis of the world's wizardry. The MC is surprisingly monogamous from the Baidu-wiki entry for the genre, and it isn't just mindless kicking people's poo poo in. Any genocide that goes on is because of the ongoing conflict with the furries of the world, which has been at a standstill for the last millennium and has recently been heating up again.
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Jul 27, 2017 19:04
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well in chinese wn's, any "science" that gets brought over is either tcm nonsense or else a weird built-in computer that does all the heavy lifting.
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Jul 27, 2017 19:10
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gimme the GOD drat candy posted:well in chinese wn's, any "science" that gets brought over is either tcm nonsense or else a weird built-in computer that does all the heavy lifting. "Release That Witch" has been decent so far on "science".
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Jul 27, 2017 20:10
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ShinsoBEAM! posted:"Release That Witch" has been decent so far on "science". Ha, I was just about to mention that too. I mean, it still runs on a lot of magic, but the author seems aware of the underlying principles, and uses magic as more of an alternative to advanced manufacturing technology than a complete handwave.
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Jul 27, 2017 20:22
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jwang posted:If you can read Chinese, I would recommend 逍遥小书生, which to my best knowledge isn't being translated. It's one of those "transmigrated with cheat into an alternate history world" story, only the MC is just trying to live a carefree life while everyone else wants him to work for the betterment of the nation. While there's elements of Wuxia in it (chi-powered martial arts, Wulin/Murim, etc.), it plays a surprisingly low key role in the story, which mostly involves making shittons of money while trying to avoid all responsibilities. I feel like there are actually more of these "reincarnated with superpowers...but with a twist!" stories than there are stories that play the concept straight. It's like a bunch of people keep thinking "wouldn't it be totally unique/hilarious if instead of fighting the demon king (or whatever) someone did ___ instead???" and forget to notice such titles already vastly outnumber the genre they're supposedly subverting. edit: I'm partially joking, but I actually do believe that, at least with Japanese WNs, "I was reincarnated with superpowers and just wanted to be lazy and form a harem while occasionally easily defeating bad guys that got in the way of my dream" titles definitely outnumber ones where the protagonist is actually trying to defeat a bad guy. It's like they're some sort of fantasy specifically tailored towards people who just want to be lazy and do nothing all day. Ytlaya fucked around with this message at 21:32 on Jul 27, 2017 |
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Jul 27, 2017 21:25
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Ytlaya posted:I feel like there are actually more of these "reincarnated with superpowers...but with a twist!" stories than there are stories that play the concept straight. It's like a bunch of people keep thinking "wouldn't it be totally unique/hilarious if instead of fighting the demon king (or whatever) someone did ___ instead???" and forget to notice such titles already vastly outnumber the genre they're supposedly subverting. i think this happens with a lot of things. like for a western example the "what if superheros but its grimdark" trend in 90s comics a bunch of stuff comes out reacting to other stuff and then the reactions to the reactions start coming out
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Jul 27, 2017 21:36
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Law Cheetah posted:i think this happens with a lot of things. like for a western example the "what if superheros but its grimdark" trend in 90s comics That's a good point, though I feel like these WNs are fulfilling a specific desire (to be lazy, powerful, and loved by women) so I'm not so sure the genre is going to be replaced by some subversion of its tropes in the future.
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Jul 27, 2017 22:49
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in main character hides his strength, every vaguely heroic character but the mc pretty much gave up on dealing with the series of increasingly nasty apocalypses the setting faces. instead, they live lives of wealth and authority at the expense of the powerless and the world itself. others chose to go back to earth, or do the time jump body theft thing to no particular effect. that's korean though.
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Jul 27, 2017 23:01
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Ytlaya posted:That's a good point, though I feel like these WNs are fulfilling a specific desire (to be lazy, powerful, and loved by women) so I'm not so sure the genre is going to be replaced by some subversion of its tropes in the future. It's also to do with the internet and how it's a lot easier to get your material into a medium where other people can see it. Go back a few centuries and you'd probably have a ton of stories spun off from what people knew, but they wouldn't or couldn't be written down. Paper is expensive, so is ink, and nevermind literacy. Now? There's a ton of literate people with some kind of access to the internet and oh boy do they have stories to tell you.
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Jul 28, 2017 02:44
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There are samples of the Honzuki drama CD on Youtube now, although the illustration is kind of spoilery (late arc 3), and technically the spoken lines spoil some stuff as well, but still! http://www.tobooks.jp/booklove_dramacd/contents_07.html
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Aug 5, 2017 01:29
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Welp. Qidian International rehosted a bunch of translated chapters from Wuxiaworld apparently without asking and issued them a DMCA to shut down the entire site (which includes both Qidian properties and novels that aren't Qidian properties) in the same breath. Apparently Wuxiaworld is relocating to a non-US country that requires a court order for DMCA notices. Thread favorites that this impacts include I Shall Seal the Heavens and A Thought Through Eternity/A Will Eternal. Like, the novels QI took are Qidian properties, but the translations aren't. Apparently Wuxiaworld had a contract with Qidian, too, which Wuxiaworld claims QI is violating and QI claims they're honoring. Kaja Rainbow fucked around with this message at 14:01 on Aug 6, 2017 |
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Aug 6, 2017 13:57
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Kaja Rainbow posted:Welp. Qidian International rehosted a bunch of translated chapters from Wuxiaworld apparently without asking and issued them a DMCA to shut down the entire site (which includes both Qidian properties and novels that aren't Qidian properties) in the same breath. Apparently Wuxiaworld is relocating to a non-US country that requires a court order for DMCA notices. Yup. And now they're requiring people to watch ads before each chapter, which I think breaks another promise they made? They are loving this up quite spectacularly.
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Aug 7, 2017 00:13
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They also bought Gravity Tales and tried to hide it.
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Aug 7, 2017 00:15
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I know that "Warlock in a Magus World" always had more or less vague D&D influences in the various worlds/settings the villainous MC schemed and murdered his way into conquering, but after nearly 800 chapters the author appears to have stopped giving a gently caress and sent him straight up into the Forgotten Realms.
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Aug 7, 2017 21:43
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there is one wn where a guy does the isekai thing as his game character. except, it is his pnp rpg wizard character who uses vancian magic in a standard ln-ish fantasy setting that has never even imagined anything like it. it's the nerdiest goddamn thing imaginable but it kinda owns.
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Aug 7, 2017 21:46
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post it
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Aug 7, 2017 21:53
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gimme the GOD drat candy posted:there is one wn where a guy does the isekai thing as his game character. except, it is his pnp rpg wizard character who uses vancian magic in a standard ln-ish fantasy setting that has never even imagined anything like it. This reminds me of that fanfiction with a D&D wizard in Harry Potter's world.
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Aug 7, 2017 22:01
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Ytlaya posted:This reminds me of that fanfiction with a D&D wizard in Harry Potter's world. Harry Potter and the Natural 20 is a great read.
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Aug 7, 2017 22:55
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i don't care if it is the most amazing work of fiction ever created, it is still harry potter fan fiction. the vancian wizard isekai is this honestly i didn't read that much of it so it might have completely poo poo the bed later
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Aug 7, 2017 23:20
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gimme the GOD drat candy posted:i don't care if it is the most amazing work of fiction ever created, it is still harry potter fan fiction. That Harry Potter fanfiction is superior to most Japanese/Korean/Chinese web novels I've read, and I say this as someone who isn't a fan of either Harry Potter or D&D and never reads fanfiction (in fact, that Harry Potter thing is the only fanfiction I've ever read). It's really clever in the way it has the protagonist's D&D magic interact with the Harry Potter magic.
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Aug 7, 2017 23:50
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gimme the GOD drat candy posted:i don't care if it is the most amazing work of fiction ever created, it is still harry potter fan fiction. This owns.
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Aug 8, 2017 00:30
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gimme the GOD drat candy posted:i don't care if it is the most amazing work of fiction ever created, it is still harry potter fan fiction. "Overpowered protagonist" tag makes this seem rather unappealing.
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Aug 8, 2017 00:33
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Silver2195 posted:"Overpowered protagonist" tag makes this seem rather unappealing. Yeah, that's one of the tags I steer clear of, up there with other hits like "slavery." OP protagonists can work if the story is primarily a comedy or something, but that usually isn't the case.
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Aug 8, 2017 00:48
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Ytlaya posted:Yeah, that's one of the tags I steer clear of, up there with other hits like "slavery." OP protagonists can work if the story is primarily a comedy or something, but that usually isn't the case. I think it's funny.
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Aug 8, 2017 01:04
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Ytlaya posted:That Harry Potter fanfiction is superior to most Japanese/Korean/Chinese web novels I've read, and I say this as someone who isn't a fan of either Harry Potter or D&D and never reads fanfiction (in fact, that Harry Potter thing is the only fanfiction I've ever read). Yeah, I have zero D&D experience outside of watching Community and Harmonquest, and was expecting to find it so bad it's good, but I read it and it turned out it was actually good. Somehow the author wove an incredibly dumb premise into something with a coherent theme and viewpoint. It also does a great job of making sure that both sides of magic are balanced; neither the D&D side nor the Hogwarts side are overpowered compared to the other. Wingardium Leviosa is an unthinkably high level levitation spell in D&D, while the main character can counter one of the unforgivables with a basic spell. Resurrection of anybody is extremely trivial in his world, but HP wizards can spam an unlimited number of instant death spells that can't be defended against. I wonder if the author being a DM (presumably) helped him to keep the narrative balanced so that it never felt unfair to either side.
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Aug 8, 2017 11:57
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gimme the GOD drat candy posted:i don't care if it is the most amazing work of fiction ever created, it is still harry potter fan fiction. do you suppose that what we're all doing here is somehow on a higher level than harry potter fanfiction
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Aug 8, 2017 16:16
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Law Cheetah posted:do you suppose that what we're all doing here is somehow on a higher level than harry potter fanfiction even the most derivative rapey wuxia wn still has an original setting and characters. fan fiction is a dead end.
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Aug 8, 2017 16:55
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Eh, I think fanfiction can have a place in re-examining beloved characters in a different light or different situation. At the very least, good fanfiction doesn't take a whole lot less creativity than original writing, and certainly original writing can be rather derivative and uncreative too. And writing someone else's character correctly requires developing your ability to analyze characters and understand what makes them tick, so that you can make your own rendition of the character ring true to fans of that character. Essentially it involves both overlapping and different skills with original writing. And fanfiction isn't even a dead end professionally. There're instances of established writers who started out writing fanfiction, even ones where they got picked up because of their fanfiction. This is my perceptive anyways, as someone who prefers creating original settings and characters but routinely does freedom roleplay with people who like to play canon characters. And I'd take good fanfiction over lovely original fiction. At least the former'd be more entertaining to read.
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Aug 8, 2017 17:13
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Kaja Rainbow posted:good fanfiction No.
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Aug 8, 2017 17:42
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People gettin judgemental here of all threads? 
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Aug 8, 2017 20:30
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Fanfiction can be good but never intentionally. I mean, fanfiction gave us trails got trolled.
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Aug 8, 2017 20:55
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lol at badmouthing an entire field of amateur fiction in a thread dedicated to amateur fiction.
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Aug 8, 2017 21:00
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gimme the GOD drat candy posted:even the most derivative rapey wuxia wn still has an original setting and characters.
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Aug 8, 2017 21:01
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Kaja Rainbow posted:lol at badmouthing an entire field of amateur fiction in a thread dedicated to amateur fiction. To be fair 90% of this thread is dedicated to badmouthing the things in this thread.
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Aug 8, 2017 21:14
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Harry Potter and the Natural 20 posted:On the one hand, Milo was not particularly enthusiastic about attending school. But on the other hand, it was pretty clear that this was what the plot demanded of him. Besides, this was his best shot at getting at those cultists, and everything about them said "we have loads and loads of Magic Items and gold." And it wasn't like he had anything else to do. Besides, he was only 300 XP away from a new level, and with it, one step closer to the untold arcane power of 3rd-level spells. Just read the first chapter and then criticize it.
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Aug 8, 2017 22:24
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Yeah, that Harry Potter D&D fanfiction benefits greatly from the protagonist being an original character (and his general arc of being a tabletop game character who gradually becomes more like a normal human is executed pretty well). The quality of writing is also significantly above what you see in most web novels, though that's at least partly due to being written in English.
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Aug 8, 2017 22:29
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