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Has/is anyone reading kusuriya no hirogoto? I've started it and it seems decent, but it definitely has plenty of room to jump off of a cliff. Also the translator's insistence of using japanese honorifics in an apparently chinese setting is weird even if the the novel is written in japanese
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Oct 25, 2017 09:34
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| # ? May 16, 2024 17:34 |
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hell why not i made thing
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Oct 25, 2017 09:49
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Been inundating myself with isekai web/light novels while bored at work, so here's my official impressions post now that I'm caught up on all of them. Ascendance of a Bookworm: My personal favorite still. I am a big fan of Maine's character and like that it takes a novel approach to a fantasy setting. I worry I might be too attached to the current setting where they're poor and little kids, knowing that the full story is huge in comparison, but just based on the translated part I'm really into it. Kenkyo, Kenjitsu o Motto ni Ikite Orimasu: My second favorite. This is just a pure comedy, but it has the strongest protagonist of any of these. Reika is really funny. I like how she actually has to work hard to maintain a balance between her popular rich-girl image and being a really mundane person at her core. Kumo Desu ga, Nani ka?: I'm very mixed on this one. First, I have to acknowledge that the really crappy turb0 translations made it hard for me to appreciate this story, and I don't know if I should have bothered trying to even read them. At least they get better when it switches over to the Raising the Dead site. Not great still, but better. I think the setting is pretty clever. One of my biggest problems is that the protagonist doesn't seem to have faced any real challenges for a long time, and I've basically stopped sympathizing with her at all. I tend to find the perspective of the other characters a lot more compelling, particularly Wrath's, as it seems like they struggle a lot more. But the story definitely went in an interesting direction and I'm very curious where it will end up. Destruction Flag Otome: This was good up to the point where the web novel apparently ends, but as it got carried over into a light novel and started up new arcs I've found it much worse. After the protagonist blindly stumbles through all the drama by being incredibly dense, it's hard to take any real drama sections seriously, and it feels like it's been ramping up in that way. Evil God Average: This is probably the worst of any of them, though it had some funny parts. The protagonist was so deadpan and straightforward all the time that the humor got a bit predictable. Still, it's short enough that I can't say I regretted reading it. Common Sense of a Duke’s Daughter: This is much more about the political intrigue, which is different. It's interesting how the plot starts from the same point (bully/love rival character is shown up in romance story) but completely recontextualizes the setup and frames it in a much more sinister light. It's not really as much about the characters, but I'd be interested in seeing where it goes. Demon Girl ~Tale of a Lax Demon~: This one is also only okay. It's certainly different as it's the only one with a straightforwardly evil protagonist. I think my biggest problem with it is that every volume involves a drastic upheaval to the setting, so I don't feel like there's enough time between the bouts of mass murder for the story to relax. My Death Flags Show No Sign of Ending: I read this one most recently and think it's pretty good. I like most of the cast, and I also like that the protagonist is forced to play within the rules of the original story more. Some people in the thread were complaining about how he's forced to speak like an rear end in a top hat all the time, and the number of misunderstandings that arise from that can be frustrating. It also does play well with the idea I mentioned earlier about him having to conform to an existing script, so it's not all bad. My biggest issue is that all the characters want to turn the protagonist into some kind of traumatized badass, and even though we know that they're misinterpreting him, it comes off as a lame way of making us like him and think he's cool. I might actually try some that aren't isekai next. I haven't read any Chinese web novels before, but My Disciple Died Yet Again seems appealing. And it has a female protagonist, apparently, which I think is generally a plus? Looking for anything else that might not already be in the OP, if anyone has any recs.
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Oct 25, 2017 23:26
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My Disciple if you want more comedy, Ze Tian Ji/Way of Choices if you want more drama and action (although it is also frequently very funny.)
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Oct 25, 2017 23:56
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i wouldn't really recommend disciple as your first entry to the genre, since a lot of the humor relies on lampooning genre staples. i think the works of i eat tomatoes work well as an introduction. at worst, they might bore you. conversely, if you are feeling perverse and want to really jump into the deep end you could try one of the wn's about a murderous, larcenous serial rapist which are the real targets of disciple. martial god asura is one example. of course, ztj is vastly better than any of the murder hobo wn's, but it's really its own thing.
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Oct 26, 2017 00:22
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I think if you're at all familiar with how male and female-targeted power fantasies work you'll mostly understand what Disciple is parodying. But if you're curious, I'd go with I Shall Seal the Heavens or A Will Eternal.
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Oct 26, 2017 00:48
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Read a Will Eternal, and post about it with us!
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Oct 26, 2017 00:56
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They're far too long to actually recommend but Martial World and True Martial World are pretty good examples of the genre without wholly irredeemable protagonists. Both novels get much less interesting once the protagonists get really strong but that's a common issue. What I would recommend are Undefeated God of War and World of Cultivation as they stick less strictly within the genre and are much better for it. Undefeated God of War and World of Cultivation are more about the protagonist creating their own faction so they have stuff like supporting characters that actually stick around and stay relevant as well as avoiding the classic "protagonist pisses off some powerful jerkass, gets stronger, kills them, and then leaves the area" loop that seems to define the genre. Undefeated God of War is also, to me at least, very funny, and has gotten a lot better over time. Library of Heavens Path is also worth mentioning but do note it is a straight up comedy. E: and a will eternal, read that
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Oct 26, 2017 01:02
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i just read AWE up to the current translation, the best part is definitely the comedy. the murder stuff isn't nearly as fun but it's part of the genre so what can you do.
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Oct 26, 2017 01:16
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I feel like the murder stuff could be better done if there were proper consequences for that stuff and characters couldn’t just unleash apocalypses against your entire clan because you farted on their dog.
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Oct 26, 2017 01:40
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If you haven't given it a read the one I'd recommend is http://www.novelupdates.com/series/akuyaku-reijo-ni-koi-wo-shite/ I've posted about it a few times in the thread and it is generally well liked. Doesn't seem to generate much discussion though.
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Oct 26, 2017 01:49
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jon joe posted:I feel like the murder stuff could be better done if there were proper consequences for that stuff and characters couldn’t just unleash apocalypses against your entire clan because you farted on their dog. I'd honestly find the entire genre more fun if every single time some jackass on a power trip starts trashing the world, every clan goes out of their way to stomp on their dumb heads into the dirt. Not because of honor or reputation, but because they all are sick of having entire countries wiped out because some thin skinned manchild couldn't accept the fact that his fiance from another life is 11 years old and doesn't want to associate with the trillion year old man in a child's body. Annointed fucked around with this message at 06:54 on Oct 26, 2017 |
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Oct 26, 2017 06:49
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Annointed posted:I'd honestly find the entire genre more fun if every single time some jackass on a power trip starts trashing the world, every clan goes out of their way to stomp on their dumb heads into the dirt. Not because of honor or reputation, but because they all are sick of having entire countries wiped out because some thin skinned manchild couldn't accept the fact that his fiance from another life is 11 years old and doesn't want to associate with the trillion year old man in a child's body. In ZTJ, there is a legendary figure who is your stereotypical "kill everyone and consume everything for the sake of power" type cultivator. Everyone admires him for being strong, but they also agreed that he was an rear end in a top hat who made the world a worse place for everyone else and they're glad he's dead.
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Oct 26, 2017 13:14
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Regarding My Disciple Died Yet Again, I've been fine just with the information I gleaned second-hand from watching other people in this thread comment on other Xianxia WNs. It helps to have some familiarity with the tropes and the way they differ from JP tropes, but otherwise it's fine if you haven't read many/any Xianxia WNs. Speaking of MDDYA, I feel so bad for Wang Xuzhi. Poor dude who has been committed to Zhu Yao for like 100 years (and even decided he was fine with marrying her after she reincarnated as a man), but she just keeps blowing him off. At least reject him properly! Myriad Truths posted:Kumo Desu ga, Nani ka?: I'm very mixed on this one. First, I have to acknowledge that the really crappy turb0 translations made it hard for me to appreciate this story, and I don't know if I should have bothered trying to even read them. At least they get better when it switches over to the Raising the Dead site. Not great still, but better. I think the setting is pretty clever. One of my biggest problems is that the protagonist doesn't seem to have faced any real challenges for a long time, and I've basically stopped sympathizing with her at all. I tend to find the perspective of the other characters a lot more compelling, particularly Wrath's, as it seems like they struggle a lot more. But the story definitely went in an interesting direction and I'm very curious where it will end up. Finally, someone who agrees with me on this (though in my case I dislike the protagonist mostly just because she just isn't a very likable character). I feel like, being overpowered aside, the reader is supposed to sympathize with Kumoko's sorta "wacky anti-social" persona (and I can understand why many nerdy type people might, since she basically represents an anti-social power fantasy), but I don't really find her personality and antics very funny. While there's a reasonable explanation for her attitude towards other people, it doesn't exactly make it any more pleasant to read from her perspective. Ytlaya fucked around with this message at 16:50 on Oct 26, 2017 |
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Oct 26, 2017 16:46
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Man ZTJ really getting me to hate Daoist Ji.
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Oct 27, 2017 18:05
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It's okay, Yu Ren seems like he'll be a good emperor.
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Oct 27, 2017 18:48
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Sindai posted:It's okay, Yu Ren seems like he'll be a good emperor. They're setting him up as a puppet emperor, or less if the Chen clan comes back from the othet continent. I'm wondering how the live CCS will play out, given Ji didn't plan that far.
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Oct 27, 2017 19:41
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Desuwa posted:If you haven't given it a read the one I'd recommend is http://www.novelupdates.com/series/akuyaku-reijo-ni-koi-wo-shite/ I don't remember this well enough to deliver a specific critique but it started strong and got pretty bad once he started his slumlord thing and just seemed low-quality after he got kicked out to the countryside. Also contrived.
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Oct 30, 2017 04:32
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RIP Empress, you were pretty cool. Curious to see whether CCS is going to stay the poperentice or leave in disgust. Comedy option: he goes up north to fight the demons in disguise and he and Qiushan Jun become BFFs without knowing it.
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Oct 30, 2017 21:31
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I'm at chapter 87 of MDDYA, and Wang Xuzhi died  . I like how they showed him reincarnating and Zhu Yao thinks "so what, it's still not the same person with the same experiences." I've always disliked the "reincarnation to make death less sad" trope.On the upside, I'm looking forward to seeing how the story deals with what I'm guessing is going to be some female cultivator story tropes. edit: Hahahaha Zhu Yao owns, this lady is not afraid to take what she wants. She starts wondering if her master is romantically interested her and then just jumps him. edit2: Yesss it seems like this arc is about the Xianxia/cultivation version of those "reincarnated as the villainess in an otome game" WNs. Ytlaya fucked around with this message at 23:58 on Oct 31, 2017 |
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Oct 31, 2017 22:34
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Oct 31, 2017 22:39
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I'd already laughed at this meme like 5 times, but you just made it 6. 
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Oct 31, 2017 23:49
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it's perfect
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Nov 1, 2017 01:09
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beautiful
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Nov 1, 2017 06:36
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I wanted to thank those who suggested I start with A Will Eternal when getting into Xianxia stories. I enjoyed the comedy a lot. The stuff about him crushing people's throats less so, but the good definitely outweighed the bad. I think I would have been very lost by the whole notion of cultivation if I had started somewhere else. It seems like it's strongly based in these religion/philosophies that I have very little knowledge of, but I at least have a vague understanding of what they mean now. (I honestly thought, just by skimming the thread prior to reading it, that you guys were talking about some story involving growing plants). In some ways it's like the RPG mechanics of Japanese LNs in the extent that it pervades the medium.
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Nov 1, 2017 22:59
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Do other Xianxia like A Will Eternal have more developed cultivation/arts systems and good fight scenes? I ask because MDDYA has what seems to be a very simplified cultivation/arts system (since the focus of the series isn't combat) and was wondering if the cool fight scenes and system in the English-language Forge of Destiny were just uncommon. edit: Speaking of MDDYA, it's sad that Zhu Yao forgot about Wang Xuzhi. That death actually felt pretty impactful and sad, I think because the series just don't have many main characters (and because the set-up was the sort of thing where he would be revealed to have survived in most other series). Ytlaya fucked around with this message at 01:33 on Nov 2, 2017 |
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Nov 2, 2017 01:31
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Myriad Truths posted:I wanted to thank those who suggested I start with A Will Eternal when getting into Xianxia stories. I enjoyed the comedy a lot. The stuff about him crushing people's throats less so, but the good definitely outweighed the bad. I think I would have been very lost by the whole notion of cultivation if I had started somewhere else. It seems like it's strongly based in these religion/philosophies that I have very little knowledge of, but I at least have a vague understanding of what they mean now. (I honestly thought, just by skimming the thread prior to reading it, that you guys were talking about some story involving growing plants). In some ways it's like the RPG mechanics of Japanese LNs in the extent that it pervades the medium. I didnt even mind the throat crushing when he was outmatched in the Luochen Clan but I really felt like (Foundation Establishment Trial By Fire)BXC slaughtering all the Qi Condensation disciples when he was on another level was a bad look. Cmon dude!
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Nov 2, 2017 01:47
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Ytlaya posted:Do other Xianxia like A Will Eternal have more developed cultivation/arts systems and good fight scenes? I ask because MDDYA has what seems to be a very simplified cultivation/arts system (since the focus of the series isn't combat) and was wondering if the cool fight scenes and system in the English-language Forge of Destiny were just uncommon. Most Xianxia have the exact same system with slightly different names. All you generally need to know is that later levels of cultivation are always better than former levels, excepting mythical techniques or lucky-find artifacts that enhance your fighting ability beyond your cultivation. quote:With a flick of his sleeve, Qun Xo caused all the gathered experts to vomit blood! Xuanhuan typically has more varied power systems.
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Nov 2, 2017 06:10
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dudes need to stop vomiting blood whenever they get upset.
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Nov 2, 2017 06:41
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Is there no cultivation technique that cures stomach ulcers?
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Nov 2, 2017 07:02
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Annointed posted:Is there no cultivation technique that cures stomach ulcers? To do so would be to go against the will of the heaven and earth. Emmideer fucked around with this message at 07:30 on Nov 2, 2017 |
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Nov 2, 2017 07:28
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well, cultivation generally happens in imaginary organs below the stomach. maybe that is the problem?
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Nov 2, 2017 07:44
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I've been enjoying Martial Arts Master on Qidian/Webnovel. It's 120ish chapters in and so far it's felt more like the boxing mangas (Buyuden/Green Boy/etc) where it's like 50% martial arts tournaments and 50% dating his girlfriend and pretty much avoids all the common cultivation/fighting webnovel tropes.
Tornhelm fucked around with this message at 08:37 on Nov 2, 2017 |
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Nov 2, 2017 08:24
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does it wank about tcm?
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Nov 2, 2017 09:22
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No TCM, no Mount Tai, no young masters, no spurting blood, his cheat item has pretty much done nothing but give him extra stamina and the ability to light cigarettes by snapping his fingers (he still has to put in the effort for proper training), no murderhobos, no mass murder sprees for loot, nobody has attempted to kill/kidnap/rape his loved ones. Just good wholesome martial arts, romance, school life and improving himself so far. Well he has killed one person (a criminal), but it did at least result in a bit of trauma/questioning himself and character growth.
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Nov 2, 2017 09:54
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that sounds like good stuff, yeah.
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Nov 2, 2017 10:17
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Getsuya posted:My favorite case of an author trying to make a sociopath MC endearing was Kuma Kuma Kuma Bear where the main character has all sorts of ‘wtf is empathy? wtf are emotions?’ moments that the reader is just supposed to take in stride. poo poo. I was hoping that Was just going to be SAO but its funny because Not-kitiro is in a bear onsie.
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Nov 3, 2017 07:21
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Yes the bear onesie does make her more endearing than Kirito, but SAO is actually a readable novel because it has things like a goal, conflict, climax and a resolution. I was two novels into KKKB before quitting and the MC still hadn't found anything to do that wasn't so easy as to be insanely boring both for her and the reader. Every chapter is '*sigh* I guess I'll go do <thing>... well, that was easy, guess I'll take a nap in my magical house I created to take naps in because reading about me napping is 9/10ths of this series'
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Nov 3, 2017 11:10
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Keyword: Hoping. Which I accept is a very dumb thing to do with this genre of fiction.
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Nov 3, 2017 12:19
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| # ? May 16, 2024 17:34 |
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jon joe posted:Most Xianxia have the exact same system with slightly different names. All you generally need to know is that later levels of cultivation are always better than former levels, excepting mythical techniques or lucky-find artifacts that enhance your fighting ability beyond your cultivation. Oh, I don't mean in terms of the general system; I know that cultivation pretty much always involves stages and what have you. I'm wondering if the arts people use and the details about them are sometimes more interesting. Like, in MDDYA people just throw out kind of generic attacks, like icicles, fireballs, energy swords, etc (which is fine for that series, since combat isn't important in it). But Forge of Destiny has a bunch of cool, unique abilities that people use in fun/interesting ways. I feel like a series that actually focuses on a protagonist fighting and becoming stronger would rely heavily upon the quality of its fight scenes.
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Nov 3, 2017 17:54
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