pluckaduck's manga / #drama(186)

ngl their co-dependency was teetering on the edge of romance in so many scenes; the homoerotic vibes are palpable here. i love it. i kinda feel bad for aki; i cant tell if taraka actually loves her, or if he's just trying to find another "rock" to depend on, for emotional and physical needs in an attempt to distance himself from yuujin. anyway, the camera work and panelling is exceptional; so many subtle, in-between-the-lines meanings and emotions. when emphasis is necessary, the expression on their faces is detailed and intense and the scenes are framed dramatically. and taraka and yuujin's dynamic is so compelling?? this is exactly what i crave in psychological subtlety BL stories. i need them to end up together.

couldn't believe ellery died... he was set up like the main character, but then he also died.... sigh. i have to admit, the trick was brilliant, and the mangaka utilized the advantage of manga format, readers's dismissive attention to details, and a bunch of red herrings to pull the wool over our eyes. the storytelling/panelling is pretty simplistic but the art is really gorgeous. the motive ended up kinda cliche, but the reveal that it was all for nothing made it even more bitter and sad. it'll probably torment him forever.

as i write this right now, im sobbing my eyes out. i came here expecting the two mcs to be canonically in love with each other, but it turns out ash is more like the protagonist, and eiji is more like his driving force that advances the story, and at best it's stated they perhaps loved each other like lovers, but that's just speculation. still, the story's fucking amazing, and the action is fast-paced, and ash is one of the most resilient mcs I've ever had the pleasure of reading about. i knew it was a tragic ending, and i was prepared to get teary-eyed, but i did not expect that ending. it just made it a lot more sad, bittersweet, and painful, the fact that he could've lived, but chose not to. the author really ripped my heart out in this one.

i think this has one of the best and most grounded take on the found family trope with a lot of nuanced charas. at first, they all were using each other and are uninterested in each other's past and stories, but bc of masa'a entry, that gradually changed to the point they will all leave together to accompany yaichi. the art is ngl messy, but it kinda adds to the charm? also the fact that matsu is in love with yaichi? i think that should be touched upon? ...or maybe that's just a mistranslation.

my only regret is reading it before it's completed. and the update schedule is also hella slow, so ill probably forget the chara's name in the meantime. sigh. the story is phenomenal, and there's no shortage of smart charas beside the glasses mc. he;s definitely not the strongest, or the smartest, but he sometimes come up with great plans/scehemes that could be pulled off with luck and boldness. the plethora of relevant likable side charas with their own personalities and strengths/weaknesses and interpersonal relationships and team dynamics creates a sense of realism and community, and i applauded the author for juggling all of that while creating logical and creative strategies using the world's power system. and need i mention the power system and battle play? the power system is relatively easy to understand, it's more sci-fi than fantasy. and there are so many ways to utilize triggers. the battles are always unpredictable, bc every chara is reasonable smart, with their own talents, it's very common for initial strategies to fail, forcing charas to come up with more various clever strategies that utilizes and boisters the team ace or make up for the weakest's weaknesses. also, i like how low the stakes are for the story, there's plenty of action but it also feels rather slice-of-life bc of a relative lack of intensity.

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.

each of the three mcs are relatable yet the problems and angst are also rather standard cliche. it's relatively fleshed out, but there is minimal chara development. the paneling and camera shots are great, and really invoked some emotions.

a story that delves into complex human nature and explores the multi-faceted dynamics between ranks or classes within a controlled and more digestible version of the systematic society in which the rich/powerful dominate the lower masses. suji, a bold and clever girl who becomes a victim of this vicious game, endeavors to cause chaos and internal conflict and ultimately collapse the game with her solid grasp of manipulation and the crux of human nature. despite her efforts, it is difficult to change the status quo maintained by the compliance of the majority, and the ruling class who holds the power to recede those waves of change.

i pity the mother to some extent bc she simply didn't have the mental fortitude to deal with raising two kids, but it does not justify her abuse at all. she victimizes herself, is timid and immature, cannot own up to her mistakes, and vents her frustration and anger on innocent kids. she's a pretty nuanced chara; instead of simply being an abusive cruel parent, she just emotionally premature and too weak-minded with a victim complex to juggle the responsibility of raising two children and being the breadwinner.

a great story about a socially anxious kid who hates himself. so relatable.