pluckaduck's manga / #Reincarnation(179)

kinda wished he actually look like a "top" cuz he shaped like a "bottom"

i just love a bold and cheeky mc, who at the same time, has the rationale to set aside his grudges for the bigger picture. and the banter with his father and butler, who are more fleshed out than some other charas of their archetype of this genre, is refreshing af.

queen cecia is strong cool and capable personified. yuri is capable bubbly smart personified. arsinoe is gentle pure humble personified, strong nevertheless. unfortunately, i want lester to be ml (honestly bc I feel bad for him. 2nd lead syndrome) but the age difference is offputting. but then again, the same could be said about yuri's crush on the duke. sighhh, we wouldn't have this controversy if the author just have lester stay as a father figure. this is one of the stories where it's better to have just one love interest.

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

bro, based on spoilers, this shit is WILD. the ml is the FATHER. well, technically, she seduces and sleeps with her stepbrothers and father, but she only loves her father. the father is shitty, but to be fair, the mc is just as bad. the plot is convoluted, i have to admit, with things like jumping into the past and future, fake suicides, etc. edit: haha i read the novel and honestly, it is pretty damn interesting. the developments unfold naturally and don't meander or drag; it's pretty exciting stuff; despite the generic setting, this unfolds uniquely. cuz the mc is really smart and competent, she really knows oriental medicine and maneuvers schemes like a pro and her revenge is cathartic but i gotta admit her opponents so far aren't really that threatening. She absolutely hates her family (except lucy) and when she divorces sylvien (ch 122- i know, it's long, but the shit happening in between is good too) it's pretty satisfying since he's actually regretting it haha. the plot itself is pretty complex, with many interesting twists, like think of "i became the hero's mom" complex, but without all the wholesomeness cuz here this is mostly mc being a badass lol. anyway, people shit on this bc the father is the ML but mc hates him as much as she did in the beginning (currently on ch 139) so im gonna give author the benefit of the doubt and believe the reason she would come to like him would be good and not annoying. ch 254 novel: well. there is a lot of crazy shit. undoubtedly, the first half of the novel was better. i really disliked the stepbrothers, i really did. but orsini who regularly spat abusive language at her and even choked her on a couple of occasions, went to save her twice, and even died for her. calen, who kidnapped her to an island, chose to end his life than harm her. it's honestly touching. however, in terms of chara growth, i think isabelle takes the cake. even tho she didnt appear as often, she grew as a person... whereas the two bros didn't actually. (they just became more in love with the mc, simultaneously, becoming more indifferent to other people like their other siblings). isabelle was bratty but after mc's death, she really change... like less bull-ish. when kanna came back, she wanted to get along with her. like, finally, a evil stepsister who actually feels remorse and seeks a better relationship with her sisters. BUT THEN she died, killed when she tried to save lucy. WTF. WTFFFF. i was so about to drop the novel right there. what's worse is that orsini who saw her corpse just. walk. past. her. bc he saw mc there as well. WTFFFFFF. calen also literally didn't care either about his twin's corpse (but i have to cut him some slack cuz he was being manipulated, but still). also i really didnt care much for mc now. ngl when she was the underdog, her brothers treated her pretty crappy, it was satisfying to see her win, ig cuz the stakes was high for her. but now, she super mary-sue (more than before) it's not as much

3.5/5 ch 28. pretty average OI, but decently executed, if you read with suspended disbelief and turn ur brain off. some point/flaws i found: 1) she's an adult, IIRC 23?, but it's only relevant and mentioned in comedic moments to amplify it... it becomes irrelevant when she wallows in self-pity about being abandoned. suddenly she's just a pitiful kid and not an adult. not that i think adults can't wallow, but the way she does it, or rather, how the story demands our pity for her, is too often and too in-your-face for me to care about it. it needs to be more interspersed. she acts too much as a kid for someone who mentions her adult age a fair amount of times. 2) typical bland OI mc, everything comes relatively easy and convenient for her 3)everyone seems to ignore the fact the mc knew how to detoxify the mad disease? like why arent they questioning her? or her identity? who are her parents? no one is fcking questioning her origins 4) ofc the other orphan kids would be jealous of Richard, bc he wears nicer clothing 5) pretty harem-ish, there's like 2 boy love interests around her... why do OI author love to write about kids fighting for a child protagonist with an adult mind. they're barely 10 yo 6) why is mc not questioning why lucilian isn't at his supposed residence (the temple) and was wandering homeless when she found him? 7) she acts too much of an typical OI protagonist for someone who is aware of the tropes. 8) isnt it embarrassing that u need a kid, 10+ yrs younger than u, to rescue u? show some competency that u claim u have god dammit

it has a lot of tropes i like-- smart mc (although mc is a bit mary sue), harem, POLITICS, and various chara dynamics and banter. even without reading the novel, i know a lot of detail is being left out in the manhua bc a lot of the scenes's transitions feel very awkward, and it messes up the flow of the story a lot and breaks my immersion. the art is pretty, but it's only good for 'fan art' level of art, not made for storytelling, bc of the framing and camera shots and general flow. the facial expressions and poses sometimes felt incongruent with the dialogue and scene. for example, panels of a single chara showing an emotion/reaction are confusing bc it was incongruent with the previous panel and/or the emphasis was all wrong. they also need to explain how mc gets his knowledge, like the pencillin thing? felt that should be important enough to tie back to mc's character. i enjoy the dynamics of mc and his love interests; some are problematic, but well, i already turned my brain off. but if there is one thing that i find disconcerting, it's mc's age-- he's 17 yo at the start bro. HE'S 17 YO. yet these old men keep lusting after him and flirting with him (talking about the guard and prince of yu). i know age of adulthood is different in ancient china, but christ, why couldn't he be at least 20 yo before the older mls start liking him?? also, i find it hilarious their kisses are censored, but not mc's nipples lol.

the worldbuilding is great, the law of magic is well-established and reasonable yet also imaginative. the collision of modern times is also great. the story's somewhat philosophical and the charas are likable and unique. the subdued tone and non-grisly art lacks intensity, and the developments, whilst unpredictable, is not wild so i get why this isn't everyone's cup of tea, especially if you're seeking cathartic mindless wish-fulfillment food.