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"Valkyria Chronicles 3: Mecha Warfare"







86 is a lightnovel that ... revolves around a certain group of individuals, filled with different backgrounds, all fighting in the battlefield, in the hopes of being granted amnesty and freedom. Sounds familiar?

Well yes, but actually no.

Valkyr-I mean 86, weaves a story of racism and social discrimination in the form of "man vs machine" kind of setting, where the last hope for humanity, rests in the form of kids going all "neon genesis evangelion" on everything. Honestly, if that weren't enough to pique your interest then I don't know what will. Well, despite the decent theme of the story, the series is not without it's own fair share of problems. One thing that really stuck out to me, was the Para-RAID system. I mean, I get that the author wanted to incorporate the link between the handler and the operator in deep way, but still. Looking at it objectively, I really don't see it as something to write home about (It's literally just radio communication!). Nitpicking aside, I personally liked the way the characters were written. And while you might not feel a deep connection with the characters, as much as you did while playing danganronpa, the series still manages to do a decent job at delivering that warm fuzzy feeling we all know and love. /s

So with that biased opinion out of the way, here's the point-based tldr:

Story: 9/10
Art: 9/10
Characters: 10/10

Enjoyment: 8.6



As a note, if you're into lightnovels with serious plot elements like world-building and garterbelts :) then this book is for you. But if you're into "battle-shounen" esque lightnovels, and light-hearted fun, then you might want to skip this one out.

“If you win, you get another one for free!”

- Boxxo


Story!

Isekai vending machine, pans out exactly as how one might expect from such a crazy title. The main character is a vending machine maniac that got reincarnated into a vending machine, in another world where monsters and magic is commonplace. The concept of the story is ... unique and feels like a breath of fresh air from the list of rpg and fantasy series in the genre. If you like isekai novels that are lighthearted and comical, then this book is for you! But if your into world-building and OP characters, then this might not be your cup of tea.


Art!

There’s really nothing much you can say about the art style. But in terms of compatibility, the lively and energetic character designs, really fits in with the overall mood and tone of the book. Personally, I really like the character designs for Boxxo and Ramiss.


Character!

The characters are all unique and entertaining. Stereotypical characters such as Shirley and Suori doesn’t really get in the way of storytelling that much, and are mostly in it for the comedic relief. Aside from the other characters, what really stood out for me was the way the main characters were written. Personally, I really like the fact that the protagonist and the main heroine’s role get’s thrown upside down throughout the story.


Enjoyment!

Personally, I really enjoyed the story and the way the characters interact with each other. And if you compare it to other series of the genre, it could easily hold it’s own against other titles with the same premise such as Kumo desu ga nani ka?, and surprisingly stand toe-to-toe, with isekai comedy such as Konosuba. Honestly, with the increasing demand for isekai anime, It wouldn’t really be surprising to see this novel get an anime adaption, within the next 3-5 years at best. Come to think of it, I wonder how they’ll handle the coca-cola and mentos scene in the anime? (laughs)

For a lightnovel that recycles one of the most overused tropes in the industry, I find Grimgar to be particulary interesting, mostly because of it's unique way of weaving through the isekai theme. Throughout the story, the book continuous to remind it's readers of the harshness of reality, in a world where sword and magic is commonplace. Without cheat items or even overpowered skills to rely on, the story attempts to present a somewhat realistic view of another world, by using the narrative view point of a timid, weak, and uncharismatic main character, in establishing a unique representation of a game-like world where the idea ... of save states, resets, and other convinient options are non-existent. For this reason, I'll give the story a generous rating of 9/10.

Art-wise, the illustrations are pretty good considering the form of each character's body proportions. And although, the facial expressions are a bit rough (particularly the eyes), it doesn't really get away with the tone and mood that the author originally intends. For this reason, im going to rate it with the score of 7/10.

Character-wise, I find the character development to be unique. As the story explores more of the world of grimgar with each page, so does the characters in each chapter. By being exposed to the harsh reality of a game-like world, the characters eventually starts to grow albeit slowly. Sure they don't really have any intriguing backstories or plot-breaking expositions, but for each challenges and hardships that they encounter, they grow more and more like a party of adventurers many times greater than when the first time they formed a ragtag party of rejects. For this reason, it gets the rating of 9/10.

Enjoyment-wise. Personally, I find the challenges that each characters have to face and overcome to be particularly endearing. With a party of stereotypical teenagers bickering, joking, and fighting amongst themselves, in a world where carelessness can lead to death, the idea of having to rely on one another in order to survive instead of going solo and bulldozing through mobs and bosses really shines the brightest. For this reason, I'll give a grand rating of 10/10.

Overall rating: 9/10