pluckaduck's manga / #Fantasy(317)

have a lot of potential; absolutely amazing how all the magical people can change genders so it could be bl, gl or straight lol

it's entertaining and the art is nice, but like so many other manhwas, it suffers from a lack of depth and intricacy- like the concepts of magic, skill, and alchemy: what are the core differences that make combining two cause "estrangements" and "unnecessities"? the concept of "ignition" which is a combination of science and magic is barely explained and then suddenly mc is able to use it... fr looks like an asspull. even if we the readers vaguely get it, u really have to clearly explain the limitations so that whatever u come up with doesn't look like an ass-pull. anyway, im also astonished and disappointed that despite being 4th in ranking the magician is not as smart as i thought. it's the typical case of making mc seem like a genius by making everyone else an idiot (but it's not like he's that smart either). for example, the concept of reverting objects back to their original form is not really that original, so i imagine that anyone who is an alchemist saw that would understand vaguely his power at least. and he also said that if he uses "magic" uses up less mana instead of "skill", but isn't "alchemy" a category of "skill"? can u just create skills (like what mc did)? why does everybody assume a player can only use one concept? like no one has any creativity...

wholesome and funny subversion of the cliche cute-girl-steals-the heart-of-the-prince trope. the prince was annoying as hell, the his aide is just as annoying and frustrating, with the way he keeps accusing the mc of being deliberately seducing the prince and enabling the prince's behavior by refusing to listen to mc at all. the prince was just an cocky pretentious egomaniac, and that was just his role so whatever, but the aide could've been a chara that realizes how much of an idiot the prince is and deflected to the mc's side. and the duke's daughter, she was annoying as well, but all she did was lecture mc without listening to her, and at least in the end he realized how obstinate she was. while the aide just keeps yapping away.

ch4. it's pretty generic as of now but there are a couple of plot points that pique my curiosity, and if explored later in the story, could make for an interesting manhwa. first one is the "rune of regression". does the effects only exist within the confines of Earth and other realms? i don't think so, since it seems angels, and possibly by extension, the administrators of the simulation, are also affected. however if we consider the simulation akin to a computer, then the regression rune was "programmed" in on purpose. probably by the creator, who is likely at a much higher level of existence than the angel. is this gonna pull off a wannabe ORV plot? the second point is also related- assuming the video-game-like simulation is all programmed by the creator, that meant the death of an angel was anticipated, hence the rewards for the death. the plot thickens. It seems the game's administrators are also disposable pieces since they do not have any knowledge of the runes the players received, and can just be killed off for player's advancement- like what is the creator trying to accomplish here? is it just looking for entertainment? ch18. sighhhh.... ngl i was excited to see mc's potential rival's first scene and while his chara visuals are great, he's so mehhhh. i thought he'd be cunning, considering he's also a president or soon-to-be president of a huge corporation. but he's not really. and mc refered to him as a psychopath, but this so-called psychopath said himself that he cares for his subordinate, the actress's bodyguard, as family. he's also kinda misogynistic to the actress, referring to her as a business possession, but that's not exactly a psychopathic trait tho...just kinda of egocentric. maybe he'll descend into madness as the story develops...? ok but storywise, it's generic. to compensate for fast pacing, it suffers from lack of complexity and details...like most manhwas like these. despite the whole world suffering from simulation, it seems only s. korea matters. mc does not give vibes of suffering from 99 regressions (in contrast to 3rd regression dude from ORV). why does he keep joking and provoking his opponents- shouldn't he be tired of talking to them now, considering he encountered so many similar scenarios in his past regressions? you'd think he just wouldn't give a damn by now- regarding how many people survive the rounds, esp since those were his bullies. so yep, his chara is just ur generic edgy cynical mc whose regression is just a convenient means to give him cheat knowledge and make him breeze thru the rounds easily, without all the mental exhaustion ofc. ch26. hmmm i thought mc was just needlessly interacting with the representative of the 4th round, but ig it had a purpose, which is to lure in a person that'll agree to his command in return for protection. however, it would better if the narrative also showed how he was able to get the knowledge he currently has and in what regression round, instead of just saying "so this happened". and i also like if he explained what exactly he did differently that led to the butterfly effect- for example, he and his brother met the actress, however, i don't see how it would lead to them meeting in the forest. and it doesn't make sense how mc doesnt know who she is, unless she disappeared and died early in the rounds in all regressions, however, this wasn't pointed out. and second example- mc probably met with julie in previous regressions more than once, however, what made this life different than the previous when they met that led to her giving him that crystal? the narrative made no mention of him doing something different. it also doesnt explain how they met in the previous lives, or how he realize how to manipulate their encounter to make the most of it. like i said, it really lacks complexity. also, kinda random but like im suddenly curious about the so-called monsters like the goblins. it's bc they are wearing clothes. meaning they are some kind of intelligent creatures with their own society and civilization. makes me ponder if instead of just random monsters created for the simulation, the administrators are actually just teleporting civilizations from different realms (like humans) and making them fight it out. like, what if all thses "monsters" also have status windows and could level up as well, but from their POV, we are their targets spawned for EXP

the plot is solid and has a good amount of depth, it's kinda slow-paced, and there's not that much action, but the developments are interesting the worldbuilding isn't that unique (but it's written in 2013, so hey, it was prob one of the unique ones then) but it's fairly interesting with the lessa/ra conflict, and the charas are great. the art is really nice too. also, i love lessa- he's so unintentionally adorable and pretty

it's really a fantastic webtoon, beyond its time. m/f charas r well written, fleshed out. the world is even more expanded in this season, explaining more in-depth /referencing some details in the previous season. the art is so great, but some scenes are just breathtaking. also that epilogue, that plot twist about raynold's dad is chef's kiss.

sunny cheerful hero and tsundere lonely demon lord who is bothered by said hero but lets him do whatever

the plot itself is decent, not generic, and unfolds naturally along with the worldbuilding. has lots of potential story-wise, but i dont think it's brought to the full potential bc of the art... not to say that it's bad, but the flow of the scenes / overall transitions could be better. also, it's a shame to even mention this, but im glad there's none of that undermining male characters into 1D villains or foils for mc to shine. mc's savior, mc's savior's killer, josef, rayer, etc. there's only a couple prominent female characters... but we'll see how they're treated in this story.

it's pretty decent. i especially loved that scene of that magician suffering under the torture of a justin bieber's 'Baby' song's orchestra for his interrogation. the worldbuilding for a low fantasy is fairly fleshed out, a combination of magic and modern technology, and the monster situations and the process of subduing them are well-thought-out enough. if i lived in this world, ill be glad to know my taxes funding the military are being used well lol. the ending could've had more buildup and closure, but considering that it's not a character-centric work, but focuses on the military dealing with monsters, it is fine.