And Avatar is anime in my eyes, first one masterwork, second one every season better from disappointment to great enjoyment. Flowers for Korra, hope she heals.
Hmm, I think I need to compartmentalise my response into sections/treat your comment as multiple messages, or else I'm going to go mad 'wanting to respond to different ideas you've put forth' only to tangle myself up and inevitably 'make zero sense' in the end, lmao. Oh, by the way: if you have any interest in using a different medium for messages (I'm quite a fan of Discord, but "to each their own" as they say ^^), I'm up for suggestions! I understand how you feel with your school work/etc, so something 'more segmented, yet continuous' might suit you better? Up to you.
I'm also studying at the moment, and I'm quite a bit behind right now as I also struggle with organising and planning my workloads to be manageable and realistic. All of my assessment submissions end up being 2-3x more sophisticated/more indepth in their scope, than they need to be... -_- As a result of my nature to 'over-do things', I find all the work rather draining and end up wanting to put it off to "some other time" as well. Well.... It doesn't help that I'm studying Social Work/Mental Health (in a pragmatic discipline, i.e. for the sake of entering the field directly), and a lot of it is about "Politically Correct methodology". :/ As a result, I end up learning everything twice as I learn 1) the "politically correct answer" and 2) my own answer, otherwise I'm afraid I'll leave this course as 'completely brainwashed' by the system and will forget everything meaningful and sceptical that comprises my individuality. :< ... It's mentally-taxing in a rather weird way, huh.
Okidoki, so:
Emergence
Incidentally, I came across the meme for this manga/hentai only about 2 weeks ago, lmao (I was looking into 'Oyasumi PunPun' and someone recommended this in the same vain). I've read about the first 1/4 (quarter) of Emergence, but I've slowed-down/put it On Hold for the moment as it's a bit too heavy for me right now. Honestly, I found the story far too reminiscent of someone close to me and their story through their early adult life and late teenage life, and the writing for the MC is extremely relatable (DESPITE our genders being completely opposite), so it's a bit too hard to continue reading for the moment as I'm really certain that I can entirely imagine/project where the story is going and "~I-DO-NOT-LIKE~", ahaha.
I'll probably return to the story later (when I've forgotten the spoilers about drugs and pregnancy that I stumbled upon), but I'm not-game to take on the challenge of Emergence for now. xD
Well, though I'm happy to read an Alternative Ending to it, if that's what you've put your efforts into! ^_^ If it's a positive spin on it, then I'd be curious how anyone could possibly response Emergence into a "positive-spin" - even remotely...
'So I'm a Spider, So What?' & 'The Wrong Way to Use Healing Magic'
Yeah, I've read both of these somewhat extensively (I've read So I'm a Spider, So What? extensively, but I've only read the manga for Wrong Way/Healing Magic). I'm quite a fan of both, but since I read up to around Chapter 200 or so around 3 years ago or longer, I'm now just counting on the manga to catch me back up and progress the story since I don't want to read all those chapters all over again. I basically remember most of the plot, but there's so much "RPG-jargon" and 'talk about Abilities, Skills, etc' that you have to keep track of in Kumo Desu that it's hard to put it down for a few years and return to it at all... :/
As for the Healing Magic story: I just happened to stumble across it in manga form (it's the one where the guy gets dragged away by another Healing Mage the moment he's summoned, right? Not that 'Hentai Revenge-Porn' story, riiightt? xD), so I haven't read the LN and I don't think I like it enough to read all of the LN, frankly. :< It's good, but I like it about as much as most other "alternative spins to Isekai" stories. Shrug~ :3
Madoka & Claymore
... Dude, I haven't read Claymore in around a decade now I think.... LOL.
Yeah, I don't really remember enough about Claymore to comment, but it's a little hard to say whether it counts as a feminist piece or not as it's somewhat erotic if I remember correctly? Yeah, even if men are just sub-par existences in that story, it's still hard to comment on the social-politics of that one. :/
As for Madoka: well... the story revolves around ['young girls being told "not to become witches", told to "despise witches and hunt persecute them", but then find out that the moment they fall into the trap of 'that mindset', they themselves are doomed to become these "damnable witches" no matter what they do']. On top of that: the identity of each witch is a representation of a facet of Culture that predominantly preys on women/females. It's been quite a long time since I watched Madoka and analysed it, but I should honestly rewatch it some time and write an essay on it for the sake of moments like this. I'm utterly convinced that Madoka is a work of pure genius as a social-commentary on the trappings of modern society in dehumanising women/girls whilst indoctrinating them to 'repeat the cycle of self-persecution' in order to maintain a status-quo... I mean, whether Madoka made these points on purpose, or whether it was just a coincidence as a result of simply 'displaying the realities of our world through analogies of the Female Rites to Womanhood', I'm not sure. I doubt such a thing could be an accident, but I also felt the same way about Psycho-Pass until the second season for it came out and ruined everything, LOL. Shrug xD
Bookworm
Yeah, I reckon I'll almost-definitely read the LN at this point. It sounds like an amazing rabbit-hole to get myself stuck in soon. I'm running low on reading-material to indulge in, so I might just take the opportunity to start a new IP like Bookworm.
Hmm, what's Critical Theory btw? Haven't heard of it before. Your course sounds extremely exhausting, intellectually-speaking... :/ I get the perspective you're looking at things from there, but things become pretty miserable when you can reason the majority of human civilisation through "gimme, gimme, gimme!". xD What exactly is your end-goal with that qualification? What kind of work does it open up to? Honestly, it's the first time I've heard of such a course/professional field-of-study, so I don't really know anything about it or what you'd use it for (besides the obvious bits about 'De-constructing society', etc).
Sooo: besides the really depressing and the really heavy stuff, you got any other recommendations? I'm a huge fan of the Fantasy genre, and I don't really mind all of that 'complex human-politics' when it doesn't take place in our actual world, ya know what I mean? So, if you've got anything that you really like which takes place 'somewhere OTHER than Earth' [LOL], I'd be totally-down for reading that~ :3
(One day I'll re-read So I'm a Spider, So What?... One day.... Jeez, it'd probably be around Chapter 300 or something by now too--I wonder how much longer until the series ends la~ In this vain, I guess it's kind of similar to Reincarnated as a Slime, in that it's 200-300 chapters long by now and, like you said, the MC is basically a god that is facing 'the destruction of all existence' and seemingly has to resolve this themselves somehow. Oh well, beats those shounen-esque WNs that are somehow 1000+ chapters long... -_- Like heck I'm reading any of those!~).
Oh, two recommendations from me:
-The Second Coming of Gluttony
-Starchild Escapes Arranged Marriage
-Running Away From The Hero (remake)
I love the heck out of these series'--but if I had to PERSONALLY pick one, Starchild is a really fun read (for me). I can't remember if it's Korean or Chinese, but it's basically like a giant Yandere-Simulator In Another World, where the MC happens to be the best 'hot-set of asssss' in the entire universe and every gal wants to chain that fucker up for the rest of eternity&existence if given even just a momentary chance~
Honestly, the book is all over the place and goes from 'dimension to dimension' as Hot Ass-chan gets dragged around by either some 1-sided Love Interest or his only friends/companions, "the stars" (no joke, the only beings that don't want to Hump His Rump are ~Inanimate Objects~, heuheuheu), as the story's premise is that he's literally 'the child of the stars' and they're constantly trying to 'manipulate the future and everything in the cosmos' so that "his previous life's Ex Girlfriends (the ones with the Arranged Marriages to him~) don't find him and lock him & his soul away for good", lmao. It's a bit ridiculous, but the sense of 'impending doom' and the trials he constantly has to overcome in order to just take a single step further towards his freedom, it's fun to follow and read. :3 Anyway: who DOESN'T like a good Yandere-Simulator that's on a Galactic scale?!?! ~Book is great fun~
Running Away From The Hero (remake) does similarly fall under the Fantasy genre like these other two titles, but it's primarily one of those Comedies that does 'Multiple PoV/Perspectives' nearly constantly. It's a ton of fun, but only if you're interested in the comedy aspect of it. The actual story line, well.... it drags-out rather fiercely. Heck, I think it's around Chapter 120 and, from what I've heard/read, the "true plot" is only really just starting now (ya know: the titular part where the MC supposedly starts to "run away from the hero", kek) - and I'm pretty sure I just read about 10 chapters of Side Stories only to catch up to the latest release. >_>
Still, it's another Yandere-based story of insanity only, this time, it's more-or-less "being ridiculous" on purpose.
As for The Second Coming of Gluttony: it's a hard-recommend... I mean, ... I like it a lot, buuuuuut, I fully acknowledge that the MC is 1000% one of those Shounen Protagonists on Omni-roids, ahaha. I enjoy the story cos I went into it fully-expecting the MC to be some 'omnipotent plot-armoured being of harem-destruction', but I can also see how people would get infuriated over 'how a stray cat could utilise the MC's capabilities/skills better than he can'. It's also a bit strange how the tags for the book include 'Romance' and 'Harem' when the guy is involved in neither and is more like one of those Jesus-kuns that has the ~"Ultimate Ability: Titty Life-Cumpass"~ as he blushes from one heroine to the next, only to ~migrate faster than any native of the savannah~ the moment he makes any progress with anyone (female OR male)... I do enjoy the story on a chapter by chapter basis as it's a fun story with a lot of diversity in its lore, and the action scenes and environments just feel intuitively vivid too, but I can totally understand why someone would completely loooaaathhhee The Second Coming of Gluttony. You're either going to love it without noticing its flaws, or you've going to be inundated with headaches. ;/
Shrug. I think most people would enjoy Running Away From The Hero (remake) though. It's hilarious, and it's just an easy read. It's easy to pick up, put down, lazily read, or enthusiastically read.
Anyways: let me know if you've read any of these titles, and what you think about my responses (and a bit about your course/qualification(s), if you don't mind :3).
Oh damn. The LN sounds really depressing and deep... I don't think any of these themes were really explored heavily in the Anime or Manga (from what I've seen so far, at least - I'm just about to finish the first season of Bookworm, FYI).
That's some pretty heavy stuff though. The anime feels a lot more "naive" in comparison to the LN, honestly (from what I've seen thus-far, at least)... I should probably put some time aside for binging on Bookworm LN some time--though I am a bit afraid of it being 'extremely depressing', lmao. >_>
Thanks for the info! That excerpt was perfect for demonstrating your point, so I appreciate the time you set aside for responding to me in earnest. Like I said just before: if you have any other recommendations from what you've read (or watched) recently, feel free to drop some suggestions to me~ :D
Thanks again la!
Howdy, and thanks for the in-depth response. Oh, and it's not a problem since I find this stuff interesting (ahh, by the way, I'm quite the fan of Madoka Magica as a feminist piece - but I tend to be part of the minority on whether or not this is a "feminist piece", etc).
I see, so you meant censorship in that way. Yes, I'm mostly familiar with just about every example you gave (Overlord, Wandering Son, inserted-fanservice & "anime-only" creative liberties in modifying adaptations, etc), and it is pretty common - sadly - to remove any socio-political gestures that 'challenge the Status Quo' from adaptations & anime.
It sounds like the LN for Bookworm is the best place to appreciate the series. I guess I'll have to read it some time then. Although I found the production of the Anime to be rather beautiful (I defs shed some tears in the first season), if they're censoring content to do with 'the realities and perils of Being a Woman/Female in that/this era'- you know, the main focus of the entire series - then I'll definitively look towards the LN to compensate for this demerit. It's a shame when this kind of stuff is 'intentionally targeted' when adapting good source material, but like you suggested, you just come to expect these kinds of "Creative Liberties" from the Anime Industry...
Thanks for going into detail on the differences between the original story of Bookworm and its adaptations (oh, and I liked your touch of including some of your personal history/backstories and motivations for your perspective(s) - it made for a perfect contrast to Bookworm :3). Like you said: I don't think any of the changes made in the Manga/Anime to the core values of Bookworm were unintentional or accidental, as it's nothing new in the industry. Although I'm an older guy who doesn't have much of a "reason to care" about these things, I do notice when adaptations and Anime make me cringe with 'unnecessary changes' to their source-material (though, I totally forgot about that change to the lore of Demiurge in the Overlord adaptation, aha. I gotta get back to reading that LN again some time soon).
Thanks for your time! Feel free to recommend any other LNs or shows you really like that are written/made for females/women. I like reading this kind of stuff occasionally since it tends to be much more "emotionally mature", usually. They also just genuinely have their own qualities, and make for a good juxtaposition to all the other media/stories I consume.
Yo, wanted to ask a question concerning your review of Ascendance of a Bookworm: when you said that the Anime was "censoring" some of the LN/source-material, in exactly what way (ie, what kind of censorship) did you mean?
I'm just curious if it was 'certain kinds of content/concepts' that were censored, or you simply just meant 'the shortening of the source-material to fit the Anime'.
All Comments (5) Comments
I'm also studying at the moment, and I'm quite a bit behind right now as I also struggle with organising and planning my workloads to be manageable and realistic. All of my assessment submissions end up being 2-3x more sophisticated/more indepth in their scope, than they need to be... -_- As a result of my nature to 'over-do things', I find all the work rather draining and end up wanting to put it off to "some other time" as well. Well.... It doesn't help that I'm studying Social Work/Mental Health (in a pragmatic discipline, i.e. for the sake of entering the field directly), and a lot of it is about "Politically Correct methodology". :/ As a result, I end up learning everything twice as I learn 1) the "politically correct answer" and 2) my own answer, otherwise I'm afraid I'll leave this course as 'completely brainwashed' by the system and will forget everything meaningful and sceptical that comprises my individuality. :< ... It's mentally-taxing in a rather weird way, huh.
Okidoki, so:
Emergence
Incidentally, I came across the meme for this manga/hentai only about 2 weeks ago, lmao (I was looking into 'Oyasumi PunPun' and someone recommended this in the same vain). I've read about the first 1/4 (quarter) of Emergence, but I've slowed-down/put it On Hold for the moment as it's a bit too heavy for me right now. Honestly, I found the story far too reminiscent of someone close to me and their story through their early adult life and late teenage life, and the writing for the MC is extremely relatable (DESPITE our genders being completely opposite), so it's a bit too hard to continue reading for the moment as I'm really certain that I can entirely imagine/project where the story is going and "~I-DO-NOT-LIKE~", ahaha.
I'll probably return to the story later (when I've forgotten the spoilers about drugs and pregnancy that I stumbled upon), but I'm not-game to take on the challenge of Emergence for now. xD
Well, though I'm happy to read an Alternative Ending to it, if that's what you've put your efforts into! ^_^ If it's a positive spin on it, then I'd be curious how anyone could possibly response Emergence into a "positive-spin" - even remotely...
'So I'm a Spider, So What?' & 'The Wrong Way to Use Healing Magic'
Yeah, I've read both of these somewhat extensively (I've read So I'm a Spider, So What? extensively, but I've only read the manga for Wrong Way/Healing Magic). I'm quite a fan of both, but since I read up to around Chapter 200 or so around 3 years ago or longer, I'm now just counting on the manga to catch me back up and progress the story since I don't want to read all those chapters all over again. I basically remember most of the plot, but there's so much "RPG-jargon" and 'talk about Abilities, Skills, etc' that you have to keep track of in Kumo Desu that it's hard to put it down for a few years and return to it at all... :/
As for the Healing Magic story: I just happened to stumble across it in manga form (it's the one where the guy gets dragged away by another Healing Mage the moment he's summoned, right? Not that 'Hentai Revenge-Porn' story, riiightt? xD), so I haven't read the LN and I don't think I like it enough to read all of the LN, frankly. :< It's good, but I like it about as much as most other "alternative spins to Isekai" stories. Shrug~ :3
Madoka & Claymore
... Dude, I haven't read Claymore in around a decade now I think.... LOL.
Yeah, I don't really remember enough about Claymore to comment, but it's a little hard to say whether it counts as a feminist piece or not as it's somewhat erotic if I remember correctly? Yeah, even if men are just sub-par existences in that story, it's still hard to comment on the social-politics of that one. :/
As for Madoka: well... the story revolves around ['young girls being told "not to become witches", told to "despise witches and hunt persecute them", but then find out that the moment they fall into the trap of 'that mindset', they themselves are doomed to become these "damnable witches" no matter what they do']. On top of that: the identity of each witch is a representation of a facet of Culture that predominantly preys on women/females. It's been quite a long time since I watched Madoka and analysed it, but I should honestly rewatch it some time and write an essay on it for the sake of moments like this. I'm utterly convinced that Madoka is a work of pure genius as a social-commentary on the trappings of modern society in dehumanising women/girls whilst indoctrinating them to 'repeat the cycle of self-persecution' in order to maintain a status-quo... I mean, whether Madoka made these points on purpose, or whether it was just a coincidence as a result of simply 'displaying the realities of our world through analogies of the Female Rites to Womanhood', I'm not sure. I doubt such a thing could be an accident, but I also felt the same way about Psycho-Pass until the second season for it came out and ruined everything, LOL. Shrug xD
Bookworm
Yeah, I reckon I'll almost-definitely read the LN at this point. It sounds like an amazing rabbit-hole to get myself stuck in soon. I'm running low on reading-material to indulge in, so I might just take the opportunity to start a new IP like Bookworm.
Hmm, what's Critical Theory btw? Haven't heard of it before. Your course sounds extremely exhausting, intellectually-speaking... :/ I get the perspective you're looking at things from there, but things become pretty miserable when you can reason the majority of human civilisation through "gimme, gimme, gimme!". xD What exactly is your end-goal with that qualification? What kind of work does it open up to? Honestly, it's the first time I've heard of such a course/professional field-of-study, so I don't really know anything about it or what you'd use it for (besides the obvious bits about 'De-constructing society', etc).
Sooo: besides the really depressing and the really heavy stuff, you got any other recommendations? I'm a huge fan of the Fantasy genre, and I don't really mind all of that 'complex human-politics' when it doesn't take place in our actual world, ya know what I mean? So, if you've got anything that you really like which takes place 'somewhere OTHER than Earth' [LOL], I'd be totally-down for reading that~ :3
(One day I'll re-read So I'm a Spider, So What?... One day.... Jeez, it'd probably be around Chapter 300 or something by now too--I wonder how much longer until the series ends la~ In this vain, I guess it's kind of similar to Reincarnated as a Slime, in that it's 200-300 chapters long by now and, like you said, the MC is basically a god that is facing 'the destruction of all existence' and seemingly has to resolve this themselves somehow. Oh well, beats those shounen-esque WNs that are somehow 1000+ chapters long... -_- Like heck I'm reading any of those!~).
Oh, two recommendations from me:
-The Second Coming of Gluttony
-Starchild Escapes Arranged Marriage
-Running Away From The Hero (remake)
I love the heck out of these series'--but if I had to PERSONALLY pick one, Starchild is a really fun read (for me). I can't remember if it's Korean or Chinese, but it's basically like a giant Yandere-Simulator In Another World, where the MC happens to be the best 'hot-set of asssss' in the entire universe and every gal wants to chain that fucker up for the rest of eternity&existence if given even just a momentary chance~
Honestly, the book is all over the place and goes from 'dimension to dimension' as Hot Ass-chan gets dragged around by either some 1-sided Love Interest or his only friends/companions, "the stars" (no joke, the only beings that don't want to Hump His Rump are ~Inanimate Objects~, heuheuheu), as the story's premise is that he's literally 'the child of the stars' and they're constantly trying to 'manipulate the future and everything in the cosmos' so that "his previous life's Ex Girlfriends (the ones with the Arranged Marriages to him~) don't find him and lock him & his soul away for good", lmao. It's a bit ridiculous, but the sense of 'impending doom' and the trials he constantly has to overcome in order to just take a single step further towards his freedom, it's fun to follow and read. :3 Anyway: who DOESN'T like a good Yandere-Simulator that's on a Galactic scale?!?! ~Book is great fun~
Running Away From The Hero (remake) does similarly fall under the Fantasy genre like these other two titles, but it's primarily one of those Comedies that does 'Multiple PoV/Perspectives' nearly constantly. It's a ton of fun, but only if you're interested in the comedy aspect of it. The actual story line, well.... it drags-out rather fiercely. Heck, I think it's around Chapter 120 and, from what I've heard/read, the "true plot" is only really just starting now (ya know: the titular part where the MC supposedly starts to "run away from the hero", kek) - and I'm pretty sure I just read about 10 chapters of Side Stories only to catch up to the latest release. >_>
Still, it's another Yandere-based story of insanity only, this time, it's more-or-less "being ridiculous" on purpose.
As for The Second Coming of Gluttony: it's a hard-recommend... I mean, ... I like it a lot, buuuuuut, I fully acknowledge that the MC is 1000% one of those Shounen Protagonists on Omni-roids, ahaha. I enjoy the story cos I went into it fully-expecting the MC to be some 'omnipotent plot-armoured being of harem-destruction', but I can also see how people would get infuriated over 'how a stray cat could utilise the MC's capabilities/skills better than he can'. It's also a bit strange how the tags for the book include 'Romance' and 'Harem' when the guy is involved in neither and is more like one of those Jesus-kuns that has the ~"Ultimate Ability: Titty Life-Cumpass"~ as he blushes from one heroine to the next, only to ~migrate faster than any native of the savannah~ the moment he makes any progress with anyone (female OR male)... I do enjoy the story on a chapter by chapter basis as it's a fun story with a lot of diversity in its lore, and the action scenes and environments just feel intuitively vivid too, but I can totally understand why someone would completely loooaaathhhee The Second Coming of Gluttony. You're either going to love it without noticing its flaws, or you've going to be inundated with headaches. ;/
Shrug. I think most people would enjoy Running Away From The Hero (remake) though. It's hilarious, and it's just an easy read. It's easy to pick up, put down, lazily read, or enthusiastically read.
Anyways: let me know if you've read any of these titles, and what you think about my responses (and a bit about your course/qualification(s), if you don't mind :3).
Talk again soon!
That's some pretty heavy stuff though. The anime feels a lot more "naive" in comparison to the LN, honestly (from what I've seen thus-far, at least)... I should probably put some time aside for binging on Bookworm LN some time--though I am a bit afraid of it being 'extremely depressing', lmao. >_>
Thanks for the info! That excerpt was perfect for demonstrating your point, so I appreciate the time you set aside for responding to me in earnest. Like I said just before: if you have any other recommendations from what you've read (or watched) recently, feel free to drop some suggestions to me~ :D
Thanks again la!
I see, so you meant censorship in that way. Yes, I'm mostly familiar with just about every example you gave (Overlord, Wandering Son, inserted-fanservice & "anime-only" creative liberties in modifying adaptations, etc), and it is pretty common - sadly - to remove any socio-political gestures that 'challenge the Status Quo' from adaptations & anime.
It sounds like the LN for Bookworm is the best place to appreciate the series. I guess I'll have to read it some time then. Although I found the production of the Anime to be rather beautiful (I defs shed some tears in the first season), if they're censoring content to do with 'the realities and perils of Being a Woman/Female in that/this era'- you know, the main focus of the entire series - then I'll definitively look towards the LN to compensate for this demerit. It's a shame when this kind of stuff is 'intentionally targeted' when adapting good source material, but like you suggested, you just come to expect these kinds of "Creative Liberties" from the Anime Industry...
Thanks for going into detail on the differences between the original story of Bookworm and its adaptations (oh, and I liked your touch of including some of your personal history/backstories and motivations for your perspective(s) - it made for a perfect contrast to Bookworm :3). Like you said: I don't think any of the changes made in the Manga/Anime to the core values of Bookworm were unintentional or accidental, as it's nothing new in the industry. Although I'm an older guy who doesn't have much of a "reason to care" about these things, I do notice when adaptations and Anime make me cringe with 'unnecessary changes' to their source-material (though, I totally forgot about that change to the lore of Demiurge in the Overlord adaptation, aha. I gotta get back to reading that LN again some time soon).
Thanks for your time! Feel free to recommend any other LNs or shows you really like that are written/made for females/women. I like reading this kind of stuff occasionally since it tends to be much more "emotionally mature", usually. They also just genuinely have their own qualities, and make for a good juxtaposition to all the other media/stories I consume.
Ttyl~ :D
https://myanimelist.net/anime/28149/Nihon_Animator_Mihonichi
They were part of some animation festival so they're listed along with a few other animation shorts.
I'm just curious if it was 'certain kinds of content/concepts' that were censored, or you simply just meant 'the shortening of the source-material to fit the Anime'.
Thanks for your time.
PS: ME!ME!ME! is amazing, agreed.~