Jump to content

Mr Poltroon

Members
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Posts

    5949

  • Joined

  • Last visited

  • Days Won

    66

 Content Type 

Posts posted by Mr Poltroon

    Gamer Girls in Visual Novels

    in Visual Novel Talk

    Posted

    1 hour ago, NowItsAngeTime said:

    Mashiro (Making*Lovers)- Old School/Monster Hunter

    I hope I'm not conflating her with anybody else, but if you take Saki to the arcade doesn't she show she's actually pretty good at arcade shooters?
    Not a defining aspect of her character by any means, though.

    Spring 2020 Anime Discussion

    in Anime/Manga Talk

    Posted

    8 minutes ago, Dreamysyu said:

    @Mr Poltroon I see. I personally thought the pacing in the anime was a bit to fast for my liking, but, if I think about it, I've read some LNs with very similar stories, and, even if funny at first, the tend to get boring pretty quickly. So, I think I'll just stick with the anime for now, and after I catch up with this season, I'll think about picking up the LN from the very beginning, if I'm still in the mood, and after that I'll just continue with what I like more.

    I have every intention of watching some of the anime when I have time, so I'll get back to you on that.

    8 minutes ago, Dreamysyu said:

    Also, let me guess, is the protagonist from the otome game

      Reveal hidden contents

    going to be the reincarnation of Bakarina's friend from the previous life?

     

    Here's an answer in spoilers, so I can force you to try and not click it:

    Spoiler

    There are hints that Sophia might have some sort of connection with the friend.

     

    Spring 2020 Anime Discussion

    in Anime/Manga Talk

    Posted

    9 hours ago, Dreamysyu said:

    So, it's the middle of the season, and I finally decided to start catching up with the seasonal anime. Started with the first three episodes of My Next Life as a Villainess (also known as Bakarina anime). You know, I take back everything what I said previously, the anime is hilarious! I was suspicious since I generally don't really like dumb characters, but in this particular case it just kind of works. It actually feels more like a sweet parody on the otome villainess isekai genre, though I guess it was one of the earlier ones, so maybe some of tropes actually originate from it.

    Now I don't know if I should pick up the LN or just continue with the anime...

    My opinion on the first couple of novels:

    Let me preface by saying that the best thing about the story, its wholesomeness, also results in a lot of repetitiveness.
    Bakarina's inner thoughts are as simple as she is, obviously, so they're always the same things and the same misunderstandings. Her motivations are always the same and she always interprets everyone's actions from her own perspective, meaning, as far as inner thoughts go, every situation is the same in her head.
    Secondly, the interactions between the other characters are also repetitive and always the same.

    I think these aspects can be exponentially better in the anime, but I haven't actually watched it to confirm. It feels like these running gags will flow better in something more fast-paced and with complementary animation.

    Then there is the story. The events that occur. I don't see any reason why the anime would be particularly worse in that respect. It should have more than enough time to depict the events, because I, at least, didn't feel there were many of them outside of all the running gags and Bakarina being a baka.

    The only thing the novel might have over the anime, but again I have not seen it, are the scenes where the novel gets into a character's head

    Spoiler

    and repeats all their interactions with Bakarina so we get their perspective on it.

    The wholesomest of things. I'm not sure how they'd do this in the anime.

    What are you playing?

    in Visual Novel Talk

    Posted

    2 minutes ago, Silvz said:

    They are not canon, but you can read them AFTER the series chapter they are related to.

    Right. About this. What does 'canon' mean here? Because I know there are chapters that are not canon in the sense that they don't fit with the setting and tone.
    But are there chapters that would fit with the setting and tone but simply aren't canon because they represent and alternative scenario or were made after the original story concluded?

    What Video Games Are You Playing Right Now?

    in Gaming Talk

    Posted

    2 hours ago, Novel21 said:

    I have just played little bit of Nine hours, Nine persons, Nine doors on PS Vita since it's part of The Nonary Games. 

    I have a question about Virtue's Last Reward, it's it sequel of Nine Hours-Nine Persons-Nine Doors? 

    Yes-ish. Not really a direct one.

    YOU and ME and HER (aka Totono aka Kimi to Kanojo to Kanojo no Koi)

    in Visual Novel Talk

    Posted

    Spoilers in the loosest sense, because I haven't actually played the game or know its contents. Still wouldn't recommend you read them if you haven't played it or know some specific things about it like I happened to learn.

    Spoiler

    On this topic, I am also very much of the opinion that genres exist for a reason, and that games/books that go out of their way to pretend to be a different genre than what they are just seem... counter-intuitive. I don't know. I have genres I like and having games fool me with their marketing seems deceptive and makes me feel tricked. Some people enjoy this, however. "What a twist!"

    There's no way, that I know of, to produce games such as this that do not lie to the consumer. That said, DDLC actually managed to pull off one of the best ways to explain this due to its warning label. It does reveal it has a twist, sort of like a "Hi! Twists within!" sign.

    As prefaced, I don't know exactly how much of this applies to Totono, exactly.

     

    YOU and ME and HER (aka Totono aka Kimi to Kanojo to Kanojo no Koi)

    in Visual Novel Talk

    Posted

    20 minutes ago, Koyomi_ said:

    Totono IS a pure love story and just because it has midly "problematic" or polarizing content it doesn't mean that its not that good.

    This statement obviously interests me. I keep jumping back and forward on whether to play this, and pure love is certainly attractive to me. That said... Here's a spoiler question to which I would recommend answering in spoilers:

    Spoiler

    I just want to feel happy and cute feelings here. Will I actually get that at some point or will it all end badly?

     

    What Light Novel are you reading right now?

    in Anime/Manga Talk

    Posted

    @Dreamysyu

    Of what you've read I read Arifureta up till 8 or 9 (can't be bothered to check which).
    I have a question for you, though. Do you think you'd be at all interested in Crest of the Stars? I know I sure loved its anime.

    Arifureta was actually really enjoyable when I was reading it. I have my problems with it, mostly in regard to the fact that I don't really like action scenes, meaning there are large portions of text I can't help but hope they end. There's also several things that happened and I sort of wish did not, but alas. There are just as many that did happen and I did want to happen. There are many things in the novels which are in direct opposition to my viewpoints and preferences. Elaboration below:

    Spoiler

    Among things I didn't want to happen is just about everything surrounding the bunnies.

    I get it's all a big joke and I can enjoy it for what it is, but what have you done to the cute bunnies... I actively want stories about how running away and dodging and avoiding conflict is the way to win! But no. Merciless bloodthirsty spec ops team time.
    Same goes for Shea. It wasn't really noticeable at first, but it feels like the author realised at some point that "Oh. She's not super coward, any more. Let's add some scenes to show off how tough and badass she is now!". This becomes especially noticeable because I think the author hadn't yet decided on this when Shea first re-encountered her changed family (which is why she's despairing at their behaviour), but later went on to make her worse than them in some respects -- added bonus for the irony and hypocrisy! It's fine. That's just what passes for character development in these circumstances.
    She's cool, I guess, but my preferences for cool are more along of how Shizuku is than, uh, Shea's super strength and foul language. I don't dislike her at all, mind you, but it's tough seeing a character I love 'develop' into something that's fun but not what I once loved any more.
    Case in point, how she dealt with Yue's "weakness". I think it makes complete sense in how the characters are at that point, but boy did I hate that bit. Nothing quite as powerful as witnessing first hand how Shea's personality shifted with time. You can't make a story where Hajime is slowly recovering his emotions and his ability to rely on others and also have Shea 'tough love' Yue this hard insisting on exactly the opposite. :( I wanted her to be nice to her and help her some other way than a huge fight.

    Another problem I had is some aspects of the harem he is amassing. There are only three characters I can really see as serious candidates for loving the protagonist. Yue, the premise of the whole thing. Kaori, which would likely end up with him given enough time regardless, and Shea the desperate damsel. Tio's a pervert. I'm not sure how I'd even fit her into this.
    Outside of these people, everyone else has no business falling for the protagonist, in my opinion. I mean, why degrade the character of the teacher with that? What purpose did it actually serve? How the teacher interacted with Hajime and started change with him is the high point of the story for me! She's just doing her best for her students, and her character is such that she won't give up on prioritizing them. Love never needed to enter the picture, and certainly not with Hajime.

    And Shizuku, too. I have some slight issues with Shizuku's arc as a whole, but I saw no need for falling for Hajime. Some of the best scenes with her were her breaking the stereotype of everyone else falling for Hajime.
    Outside of love, I sort of dislike the idea that everyone had serious mental blocks to go through and that without meeting/the help of Hajime they can't (Tio's great in the dominion of her own mind and emotions, though. Love it!). I accept and don't mind people having these sort of mental things to deal with, but I always saw Shizuku as someone who acknowledged and understood her own problems, trucking on regardless. Evidently that's not what the author had in mind for her, and that's fine, I guess, but I don't have to like it.

    The character of Kouki disappointed me. I understand that he has big issues. Of course he does. However, I never thought they had anything to do with jealousy or other negative emotions. I saw him as one that was always able to turn everything into a positive in his own mind, and just happened to have the power to go with it. Easily manipulated, simplistic, lacking nuance and many other things, but I thought that for all his problems he'd be stubborn and critically oblivious. That negative emotions just failed to enter him. That's the character I was hoping him to be from what I saw of him early on. Alas, the author had other plans. Have to make sure that the closest thing to a "love rival" is actually a complete jealous loser, huh?
    This one really disappointed me. I wanted him to get through his mental challenges on utter obliviousness, I guess. He can be a pretty flawed character without actively making him into an envious, petty, rage-filled, pathetic, loser, as they went out of their way to do.

     

    Now, if I say I liked what I've read so far, that must mean there are a number of things I really liked.

    The number one thing I like about this novel is that it does what it promises to do in a timely fashion. It is always moving forward in the plot, and when it teases that something will happen in the future, it steadily works towards it and then it happens. And you don't need a billion years for it.

    Case in point, the reunion with Kaori. When I initially started the novel, I was sceptical that they'd ever meet in positive circumstances. Maybe they'd continuously fail to meet each other, or she'd die when the time came, or they'd be forced to be enemies for some reason. My scepticism was such that I think I had to spoil what would happen to an extent so that I could motivate myself to continue reading the series.

    In the same vein, when the story puts Hajime and the teacher at the same restaurant, the story had everything to make them miss each other due to contrivances and coincidences, and yet it chose not to do that. They actually met and talked! It was more or less at that point that I decided I could probably trust the story wouldn't go around contriving stuff to keep making more books and delay the story.

    Another thing that keeps me going is that, despite the edginess, it seems to be working towards a more emotional/happy Hajime. I'm just a sucker for that kind of thing. The start made it seem that was a lost cause and not where it was going, but steadily it readjusts surprising me positively.

    One thing that's always a positive where I'm involved is that there's an established romantic relationship. Usually these are the primary cause for me giving up or disliking a story. They're teased, and then used to keep moving the finish line further and further back into the story, delaying the event and forcing us to buy more volumes/prolong the story. As I've already mentioned, this series usually only teases things it has the intention of delivering on sometime soon, when the story seems appropriate for it. That it has such a relationship is the reason I started it, and I'm glad to see that it's not its only redeeming factor.
    What made it so the relationship was so quickly established is also the primary reason I appreciate the novel as a whole. Good pace!

    Finally, the reason I can even get through and edgy chunni novel... the comedy! It doesn't always land with me, but anything with this much comedy is something I can get through. Thank god for it, or I'd simply not manage to read this story. Thanks Shea in volume two for single-handedly ensuring that was a series I'd like. (Goddammit Shea in later chapters for ruining my innocence. :P)

    So yeah. As my sole companion on the train in many months past (not now with the Covid-19 situation), I actually had many thoughts on this series. I really like it, if nothing else for making me think things of my own volition, I guess. I don't particularly like novels that are made to make me think. I prefer to find lightweight stories that I can think about if I want to.

     

    I'm actually looking forward to the J-Novel Club's otome stories, but I don't want to start anything with just one or two volumes, so I'm holding off. I'm sure there'll be some I really enjoy. Anything otome tends to be pretty good, in my experience. I like all sorts from the hardworking and successful heroines with supportive love interests to the weaklings with mean sadistic love interests (and all smut stories that entails). I just need something to actually occur rather than being endlessly teased...

     

    So, aside from Arifureta, what did I read? Well... Uh...

    ERLTDax.jpg

    How NOT to Summon a Demon Lord (10-ish volumes).

    So, I do not think it is a surprise to anyone that watched the anime that this was intended to be the trashiest trash to ever trash. However, I enjoyed it greatly! The reason I finally decided to actually read this is because of how many memories of enjoying the anime I had. The main thing that always stuck in my mind was the girls showing the desire for intimacy with the protagonist and it actually happening. They spend nights together and hug each other a lot in the story, which I love greatly.
    The other thing that I like is, as ever, and overpowered protagonist that is recognised as such. He's actually nowhere near as overpowered as I'd have liked during some points of the story, but it's fine.

    Now, most instances of what I refer to as "intimacy" is the novel trying to pretend there are sex scenes in there. Because it can't actually do that with describing them, it describes equivalent things, within which a lot of contact and hugging and lying together that I just absolutely love.
    I'm somewhere in an odd spectrum where I like sex except the sex part or something? Cuddles for the win! This makes me love this story for displaying intimacy and bonding between the characters, that for sure love one another.

    As such, for the characters and for the overpoweredness, this was an extremely pleasant read.

    My final question is: This story seems like a really low bar to set. It seems like supremely generic male power fantasy, so why is it that I have so much difficulty finding other stories like it? It seems to me most lack the actual intimacy and consequent bonding of the characters.
    Like, love triangles/harems with loads of innuendo or trying to get into bed with the protagonist sure exist, but... Not like this? At least, not any officially translated Light Novels I know of. Am I... missing something?

     

    So that's it for what I read, if I'm not forgetting something. I've probably started something(s) that I wasn't in the mood for at the time and will likely try to get my money's worth some other day.

    SRPG eroge Venus Blood Frontier to get an English Kickstarter

    in Visual Novel Talk

    Posted

    32 minutes ago, LegalLoliLover said:

    By the way, am I allowed to post R18 images on this site? In any case, it's the one with adult Odin wearing a blindfold and chained collar, rearing her... rear.

    They have to be unbedded (that is, a link to the image one has to click to see the image. The image must not be visible unless you click the link.) and properly tagged, in spoilers.
    Loli images are also contentious and should not be posted where possible. Edit: Oh, no risk after all.

    [NekoNyan] Making Lovers Discussion

    in Visual Novel Talk

    Posted

    Just now, NowItsAngeTime said:

    Is there a recommended route order?

    Generally I just generally do a save my most interested heroine for last in moeges but just wanna make sure there isn't some like plot-related reveal or something that would be better to experience earlier/later.

    I've been hearing one should leave Karen for last, but I wouldn't know why.

    What Anime are you watching now?

    in Anime/Manga Talk

    Posted

    2 hours ago, Plk_Lesiak said:

    So, I'm done with the first season of SNAFU and its OVA and I... Don't really get it? I mean, the general idea sound fun – I've called it reverse Monogatari in my mind, because while that series is about Koyomi solving supernatural problems by being absurdly nice (and self-sacrificing), this is about the protagonist solving everyday problems by being a relentless asshole and misanthrope (and self-sacrificing). The main cast feels well thought out and there's definitely depth in there somewhere, but that first season... It was boring, even by my highly-tolerant standards. Also, I only vaguely care about any of the characters by this point, which is hardly acceptable for a slice-of-life series that definitely tries to be somewhat profound and emotionally engaging despite the generally comedic formula. Also, the supporting cast is very much a mixed bag – the fujoshi jokes weren't very funny in the first place, but stopped being even amusing pretty fast.

    I'm often bad at picking up on subtleties of the characters' motivations and relationships in fiction, but even when I try to dig for meaning, I can't find anything particularly compelling about what I've seen. There's some social commentary for sure, but portayed in a rather bland way and with unconvincing solutions. Apart from that, everything is competent, but in no way striking or memorable. So, can't find a reason to give it anything above 7/10.

    So, considering how insanely hyped up the light novels are, can anyone help me with understanding it? Is this a poor adaptation? Slow opening chapters? Am I missing something crucial?

    Edit: What makes it even weirder is that Hachiman should feel relatable for me, as a cynical loner. Some of his neurotic reactions in the flashbacks definitely resonated with me, but I can't say the same about the core story. :P

    The reason people like SNAFU is better conveyed by the second season... which has a completely different tone as a result. It is also why I don't like that second season.

    Also, shame on you for not liking the first season. It is hilarious!

    Majikoi A-3 Released

    in Visual Novel Talk

    Posted

    Just now, mitchhamilton said:

    just seems like fan tl are dying out as well so that kind of added to it. idk if anything has been announced at all for this project within the last year or not either. not sure what the majority of people think but its just been forever. i wouldve thought people have moved on at this point. i mean, it is nice to see but.

    See, that's what I find odd. What is there to move on from? Why would I not read a new VN that came out today, if I like reading VNs in this genre? It has nothing to do with excitement or moving on, I think.

    Majikoi A-3 Released

    in Visual Novel Talk

    Posted

    2 minutes ago, mitchhamilton said:

    its just been so long that i thought the project was dead. read all of them long after a-1 was still being tled. i guess people still care out there which isnt too surprising. look how long the first took to be fully tled with people still being excited for it.

    This is curious. Yes, certainly excitement can build up if things get announced as upcoming and such... But it's weird to think that a long length of time can make one uninterested in the actual release.

    Fuwanovel's 1st Maggie fanclub event

    in The Coliseum of Chatter

    Posted

    1-b) As c isn't really a subject and you like reading VNs, I'll go with this.

    2-b) It has hotter guys, I think.

    3-a) Everyone that does gacha is at least c. Now, if you don't do gacha at all, you'd be a. Between the two, I'll go with a, because I'm uninformed about gacha games. What BL ones are there?

    4-a) Random assumption of the game playing ability of the average VN player.

    5-b) Even if it's not, IT SHOULD BE.

    6-b) Everybody likes this, and I don't like fish.

    7-b) I only recognise this name. EDIT: Changed to b because I accidentally put a.

    Sisterly Bliss ~Don't Let Mom Find Out~

    in Unformatted Walkthroughs

    Posted

    On 21/03/2020 at 9:16 AM, Quinx said:

    help me I'm doing all the ending (both good ending and both bad ending) but there's still have CG and gallery not unlocked yet in the game.

    I'm afraid I do not know what could cause this.

    In theory, if you play all endings up till the end, you will see all CGs in the game, even if the in-game gallery is bugging out.

    EDIT: Rather than suspect bugs, the more obvious cause is that my walkthrough does not cover all in-game choices necessarily. Doing them may be necessary to unlock all CGs (though I haven't actually tested that):

×
×
  • Create New...