pluckaduck's manga / #Supernatural(154)

it was an entertaining story, there was some parts that felt meandering or were introduced awkwardly (such as the part about the memory loss) and i think there is some pages missing at the chapter where sayeh kills her mom, but overall decent well-written story with relatively fleshed out charas. i find it hard to believe that mc and his sister love Robert in the end, bc the only reasonable explanation for this feeling, after everything he put them thru, is stockholm syndrome. bc how the fuck can they even like him. also, i feel that the truth surrounding how they turned maestros into humans is a plot hole. bc it required taking out a marble (that represented their essense/soul) from their body, and i do not think the maestros would be willing to go thru torture/experimentations for mongliso to discover this truth, even if they were in a dream.

pretty good. solid plot with decent pacing. side charas are compelling, so i was disappointed when the main villain fell short of them. all that buildup just to be reduced to a weak basic nonintimidating villain without much depth when mc arrives on the scene. how did they become an archdemon in the first place? expanding on their backstory and how blackwing betrayed god would've done so much to their story, and give the plot more depth. and i find it hard to believe he was the only one capable enough to beat him, in lieu of the high-level angels. i also felt mc's only friend-ish, the guy with the biker helment had potential to get his own chara arc, cuz of his chara design, but like, i guess not. the subplot with pong and her rehab subject ending was tied too loosely? the potential and themes about religion, god's will, and redemption were def there, but it just fell short of it. it's still pretty good tho, with likable charas and romance and a relatable chara arc for mc.

holy shit that plot twist on ch 37 rendered me breathless. did not need to feel sadder than i already did for those two. it also finally gives a rough timeline of both settings.

contemplated dropping this on the first chapter bc of lazy writing: relying on random assholes to progress a plot point. it's illogical for someone to bully a rumored murderer, esp one with mental issues. on ch 15 red head is suddenly pouring out her heart to mc after hating him for several chapters. if that was her backstory, it was not well-written enough. it's weird that she's so affected by people calling her black blood disgusting bc she's vital to the survival of humankind so logically her supporters would far outstrip her haters and it would make more sense if she was to have an inflated ego instead of whatever superficial "angsty" backstory that was. mc gave no indication of admiring her on tv or whatever before their conversation. idk. i just think her backstory should've been more paced out and given more nuance (such as leaning on her sense of duty vs struggles being a hero conflict. and actually flesh it out.) so her hatred for mc would make more sense.

so, we got an abused and innocent kid who hates the world, an arrogant adult with main-chara complex, a gay drug addict prisoner, a high schooler with a severe sex addiction, a adult relatively normal but in love with a reflection, and an adult with crippling dependency issues. overall good story. they were all more or less fucked in the head, but good story. the art was pretty mid, but the story was excellent, especially in the beginning. it did begin to drag and the ending might not classify as a happy ending but the themes were consistent. it was never a story about the positive effects of human growth and connections. azuma is a very interesting character. she fundamentally never changed, as someone who is still childlike and ignorant and generally apathetic to people and morals. i feel bad for seki, who wanted her to become happy, and thus more "humane" after experiencing a lot and forming bonds with others, but well she's already a bit too fucked in the head after all that abuse to spare any emotions for strangers.

it holds all the classic tropes of shounen-esque stories such as "normal human entering supernatural world", "normal human has hidden abilities", "that one edgy loner with cool powers", "that one hot OP mentor/leader", and etc. it's actually good and stand on its own, however, compared to its giant competitors, such as JJK, it will naturally be overshadowed. the power system is not well established, like what is the basic premise of their powers; except for the male mc, the others' powers arent in-depth enough (and the origins of their powers weren't really touched upon at all). the side charas are also ok as a diverse lot, but not as nuanced as the mcs. the story def has potential, the beginning was quite solid in expanding on lore, and establishing the side cast... but then the story started to rush. I'm not sure when in the chapters the author was notified his story was getting axed, which could explains the faster pace of progression, but i hope the slight decline of quality was them not getting sloppy

the story is well-structured with the entire plot and smaller details planned out from the start of the story. the charas are well-written, most are relavent, and thier dynamic with one another is hilarious and natural. the comedy is on point and the chibis are adorable. the story is structured in a slice-of-life adventure way, but with sprinkles of foreshadowing, so even if each adventure feels random, it would build up to the arcs naturally. also i love seimei; he's that typical kindhearted, compassionate mc who is willing to stoop low when necessary.

i dont think i can fully express how much i love and adore this series. it's one of the best in terms of idealism, education, and comedy. even after reading this again as an college student, i find myself laughing and smiling at this incredible and heartwarming story. it is hands down the best shounen manga revolving around a classroom and their teacher