The 100th Regression of the Max-Level Player
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
Star-Fostered Swordmaster
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.
The Player Hides His Past