Kamachi made a very bold decision to essentially kill off his MC at the very end of the first volume, but I guess that can happen when you’ve got no idea if you’re going to be able to write a second volume!
Now I've gotta read more Dostoevsky, Tolstoy, or Camus to refuel.

It’s got a few early 2000s anime-isms that I’m :/ on, but I liked much more than I disliked here, and I've started to care more about that than any objective measure of quality. I felt Touma's arc was strong if simple, and the story was wrapped up nicely in the end.

The actual fanTL's prose itself was kind of hard to read sometimes… Not because it was complicated or short, but because it was dry. I felt myself rewriting some sentences in my head to keep it fresh and add flavor and rhythm to some narration.

A Certain Magical Index, Vol. 1 -- Kazuma Kamachi

I haven't blown through a 200 page book this fast in a long time. Then again, a lot of that is bc LNs are much sparser on text... Still, I had fun finally getting this series started.

Mickey 17

Another Bong Joon-ho banger. Mickey has an absolutely horrible few years and, at the end of it all, learns that it's okay for him to be happy too. There are some moments when I wondered if Nausicaä helped inspire it

(There is more but it's long and there's not enough space) Elder Zosima cooked here 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

"Above all, do not lie to yourself. A man who lies to himself and listens to his own lie comes to a point where he does not discern any truth either in himself or anywhere around him, and falls into disrespect towards himself and others. Not respecting anyone, he ceases to love,"

I don't like Fyodor Pavlovich LOL, though the reasons are for far far more than him being rude to everyone and being unable to take good advice, which are pretty minor things compared to the other shit he's done

look at it. it's so beautiful. i had to end an entire taxonomic kingdom of wyverns just to get one. and i need another to finish my armor set

I would kill for the opportunity to write a scenario with someone where Makoto is eventually able learn to care for himself, but it'd have to be a long-term thing since I can't find any catharsis in developing/fixing such a core flaw of his just like that

That's where the ironically selfish part of his character comes in, he can be self-sacrificial without too much regard to even the fact that there are a /lot/ of people who really, really care for him and that seeing him in pain is painful for them too

Ofc there are more negative parts of his character, like how he has very low self-esteem.. Despite caring so much for everyone else, he doesn't care for himself nearly as much and seriously needs to learn how to love and value himself

At his core Makoto's just a guy who cares deeply about others, can't and doesn't want to stand by in a crisis, and in those dangerous situations wants to save everyone that can be saved

To others he can be outright heroic, but he never thinks of himself as that or asserts anything like that: to Makoto, he is an ordinary, unlucky person anyone can find anywhere, who only decided not to give up. His actions don't stem from any desire to be a hero.

Hundred Line: Last Defense Academy (demo)

This game has ambition written all over it, and I really hope the full game delivers because it's got the potential to be overwhelmingly kino. I like the characters, scenario, and the music is spectacular! It's kind of Danganronpa 4, tbh.

If I had to say it, the biggest problem is that Fairy Dance is juggling tons of things at once and trying to wrap it all up in too few episodes. Like I said in my thread maybe it's better in the LN since there's more space there