The design and UX isn't done, Rob and Abbie, okkurrrr! 😌
blood_lion's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.75
drobertson9074's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
alivegurl's review against another edition
3.0
Hmm...okay, at this point, I feel like there's not a lot for me to say anymore. So let's just cut to the chase:
First of all, the translation is absolute shit. There were more grammatical and spelling errors in this one than any of its prequels. Normally, I'll just brush it off, but when it happens in serious and tense situations, it kind of takes you out of the scene. That just infuriates me. Was this even an official translated version?
Second of all, it becomes quite exhausting and, frankly, old that the other three heroes have almost no character growth at all. You would think that after being majorly injured in three separate events, they would come to terms with the fact that they will most likely die if they don't get their act together this time. At this point, they've just become one-dimensional figures that doesn't serve the story other than to show the contrast with Naofumi and make him look good—which is redundant, because even without them Naofumi is doing a fine job at that himself.
Now, let's get to the parts that I do like:
1.) I love the storyline of this volume. Its easy-going, chilled atmosphere—which is a huge contrast from the previous book—allows us to rest from all the thing that's been going on recently. It has also allowed Naofumi and his party to grow significantly, in terms of strength—which I think is a long time coming. Being set in a different area, away from Melromarc, allows Naofumi and his friends to relax a bit more, because most people don't have prejudice about him here. It definitely feels a bit like a vacation—albeit not without some tense moments later on.
2.) L'arc and Therese are, by far, my favourite characters in the series. They are way more complex than most characters—probably even more so than Naofumi—and have a great dynamic in their relationship. You don't know 100% what goes on between them and/or what kind of people they are. Therese, in particular, attracts me because she is much stronger and more feisty than her appearance seems to portray. Her behaviour towards L'arc sets the tone of their friendship. L'arc, on the other hand, is pretty easy-going and oblivious, but possibly with something darker underneath. It's such a breath of fresh air after a barrage of one-dimensional characters that have appeared so far.
3.) Naofumi is starting to actually look and feel stronger than before–creating a huge power gap with the other heroes. Before, it seems almost as if we just HAVE to believe that he was unbelievably strong amongst his peers—although we clearly saw how much he was struggling just to survive. Now, it definitely feels that way too—thanks to the rapid leveling that should've happened a long time ago. Raphthalia and Filo got stronger too, of course, but that's no surprise, since they've always been portrayed as being incredibly strong—especially Filo.
All in all, I think the story flowed very nicely this time. There were more showing than telling, in terms of letting the story unfold, and we can see Naofumi bond with some new people. It's refreshing to see that he's starting to want to trust more people. Also, the mystery of the wave comes back to remind us that it's not solved yet. So I'm curious what's going to happen next.
First of all, the translation is absolute shit. There were more grammatical and spelling errors in this one than any of its prequels. Normally, I'll just brush it off, but when it happens in serious and tense situations, it kind of takes you out of the scene. That just infuriates me. Was this even an official translated version?
Second of all, it becomes quite exhausting and, frankly, old that the other three heroes have almost no character growth at all. You would think that after being majorly injured in three separate events, they would come to terms with the fact that they will most likely die if they don't get their act together this time. At this point, they've just become one-dimensional figures that doesn't serve the story other than to show the contrast with Naofumi and make him look good—which is redundant, because even without them Naofumi is doing a fine job at that himself.
Now, let's get to the parts that I do like:
1.) I love the storyline of this volume. Its easy-going, chilled atmosphere—which is a huge contrast from the previous book—allows us to rest from all the thing that's been going on recently. It has also allowed Naofumi and his party to grow significantly, in terms of strength—which I think is a long time coming. Being set in a different area, away from Melromarc, allows Naofumi and his friends to relax a bit more, because most people don't have prejudice about him here. It definitely feels a bit like a vacation—albeit not without some tense moments later on.
2.) L'arc and Therese are, by far, my favourite characters in the series. They are way more complex than most characters—probably even more so than Naofumi—and have a great dynamic in their relationship. You don't know 100% what goes on between them and/or what kind of people they are. Therese, in particular, attracts me because she is much stronger and more feisty than her appearance seems to portray. Her behaviour towards L'arc sets the tone of their friendship. L'arc, on the other hand, is pretty easy-going and oblivious, but possibly with something darker underneath. It's such a breath of fresh air after a barrage of one-dimensional characters that have appeared so far.
3.) Naofumi is starting to actually look and feel stronger than before–creating a huge power gap with the other heroes. Before, it seems almost as if we just HAVE to believe that he was unbelievably strong amongst his peers—although we clearly saw how much he was struggling just to survive. Now, it definitely feels that way too—thanks to the rapid leveling that should've happened a long time ago. Raphthalia and Filo got stronger too, of course, but that's no surprise, since they've always been portrayed as being incredibly strong—especially Filo.
All in all, I think the story flowed very nicely this time. There were more showing than telling, in terms of letting the story unfold, and we can see Naofumi bond with some new people. It's refreshing to see that he's starting to want to trust more people. Also, the mystery of the wave comes back to remind us that it's not solved yet. So I'm curious what's going to happen next.
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