I like the idea that there's a chance, however small, of Jaibo and Philosophy!Ryou crossing paths

I had to spark, thankfully I've been saving for her for months but oof 😬 At least I pulled a couple other umas I wanted along the way

I dream about the day I can come on here and openly gush about [redacted] and the scene where [redacted] and [redacted] [redacted]

I just dropped a follow 👀

Tl;dr I think Ito has done far better and I'm on my hands and knees begging English publishers to bring over more of Furuya's stuff for my collection

I do think it's interesting that both chose to give it a sort of meta ending, but again, I think Furuya pulled it off better because it was the natural conclusion of the framing device he'd been using since chapter 1. Ito's felt... tacked on? Idk. It came out of nowhere and didn't add much

Which is fine for a short story or an anthology-type series like, say, Tomie (which is my favorite work of his), but for an adaptation of a book that relies so heavily on the characterization of the protagonist and making you feel something (whether disgust or pity) for him... Not as much

Tbh it was emblematic of the issues I have with Ito's stuff in general (and I say this as someone that still more or less enjoys it), where it's a little too style over substance for my taste. The art is gorgeous and twisted, but I never find myself caring much about his characters.

I thought the shift into more modern times in Furuya's version was an interesting choice that made it feel fresh, and it just felt a bit snappier.

Meanwhile, while Ito's had some really cool imagery (as his stuff tends to do), it just felt kinda...dry, somehow? It felt like more of a slog

I preferred the Furuya version, but given that I prefer his work in general that wasn't really a surprise.

That said, it's been a few good years since I read the original novel, so I'm grading less on faithfulness and more on which one hit me harder. (Though both clearly took lots of liberties)

Man I hope so 🙏 It deserves the best honestly

I admittedly wasn't super familiar with the work in question (I was a fan of some of the creator's other work but this one slipped me by), but having gone through the whole thing? I am a woman obsessed. It's so good and I only hope I do it justice

In all seriousness I got some very nice messages from my family, got to spend the day with friends, and am going to see a movie with Sair later tonight. I feel very loved, not just by my beloved horse girl. Things are good. 28 feels good