2011-05-02, 01:37 | Link #1122 |
Lurker
Join Date: Aug 2010
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Finished reading the Chinese version of Vol7 - and I have a few things to say (WARNING - spoilers ahead):
Spoiler for stuff:
Overall, as a LN series I'm starting to see this as 2nd rate - the anime was better, and as a general rule I tend to think the LN is better than the anime. Must be the fight scenes being animated... |
2011-05-02, 03:59 | Link #1125 | |
Ava courtesy of patchy
Join Date: Jan 2009
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About transition scene being "off", it's been like that for this series for some time, but I agree that it's really glaring in this volume. I agree with this LN series as being 2nd rate, but IMO, the LN is still better than the anime. The anime does have the advantage of animated battle, but they cut the explanation too much and make Laura and Cecilia look like they have bipolar personality disorder . For formulaic nature, that's basically a complaint for almost all reader of the LN here(including me). |
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2011-05-02, 04:45 | Link #1126 |
Junior Member
Join Date: Apr 2011
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Although I can see why he does it, it's still a little painful how the author keeps using the "tournament interruption" card to give the main characters legitimate reasons to be the ones actually fighting instead of the teachers. Get the main characters in the arena (tournament or duel), invader appears, automatic shutdown happens and now the teachers can't help so the first year students have to fight. The gospel incident is the same where Houki (speed) and Ichika (oneshot) are the only ones equipped appropriately for the mission so the teachers can't go.
It's a good way to avoid the facepalming situation of the time Laura went berserk yet they let Ichika (who has low shield energy and is just a first year) handle the situation instead of the teachers. I actually sympathized with Houki when she gave the brilliant idea of letting the teachers handle it but then the show acted as if what Ichika was doing was the right thing (unless of course the novels explained why it had to be a low energy Ichika). However, using interruptions this often is hurting the story as many have pointed out. Things I can think of that the author can use to change the routine: Spoiler:
Also, I guess another reason why the invader fights have to occur in the arena is because Tabane (as crazy as she is) probably isn't that willing to let civilians get hurt in her training routine/data gathering so she sets it up only on occassions where the arena's shields are active and when the main characters are in position (like in tournaments, duels or in the middle of the ocean). |
2011-05-02, 08:58 | Link #1128 |
Senior Member
Artist
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: The Middle Way
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i dunno, judging from those summaries provided by Mister Rodgers II
it doesn't seem like it's getting worse or anything actually, i was just thinking it was getting better i guess it's hard to dislike things when you're young huh?
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2011-05-02, 09:07 | Link #1129 |
Basileus Basileōn
Join Date: Jan 2011
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MY RAGE AGAINST IS!
This is ridiculous, the author of IS is just SO annoying. I really wanted IS to be good, I kept deceiving myself with the expectations that the series would become better as it progressed, but nothing has changed. Why is it that there are tournaments in each volume (save vol.4) that are constantly attacked? Why do people attack only at tournaments? What is wrong between them and tournaments?Besides, why in the world are the Phantom task force attacking Ichika and crew? Nothing has been explained and that there is no progress in plot...at all! In addition, with so many governments involved in this story, why are the characters always just centered around those from the IS Academy? There should be plenty of conspiracies by other countries, beside the Phantom Corps. There should be heaps and heaps of characters similar to Toaru no Index, numerous side plots and events. All there is so far, is only the increase in girls. Furthermore, why is Ichika still so weak? This is pathetic. So annoying. Brilliant characters, mecha designs and setting, but the plot is a piece of garbage, assuming there is one. Also, even when fighting enemies, the 'good guys' always outnumber the 'bad guys'. What kind of story is this? The fights just lack grandiose because of this. Overall, IS is a huge letdown. It will no longer be a series receiving my full attention. The author has failed me, he just does not know how to utilise the setting of IS to it's greatest potential. |
2011-05-02, 09:47 | Link #1130 |
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2008
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I haven't crossed the line into dislike really, I mean I'd have to see the actual original to know, but I'm just saying I have limits too, despite being a lot more easy going. Actually, for me, as I got older I stopped worrying about if something is any 'good' and I just like the things I like. yay circularity.
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2011-05-02, 10:21 | Link #1131 |
一刀繚乱
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: アッバス
Age: 33
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Well, be careful what you wish for. Not all LNs are 'early bloomers' (though it's rare to see a story not improve after 3 volumes or so). TAMnI is one that really got interesting very late into the story, so we'll see.
Seeing as how things are going now, I may stop my translation of IS at Volume 3 so that I can focus on 'some other projects', so someone else will need to continue on after that.
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2011-05-02, 16:13 | Link #1132 | |||
The Power of One
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Earth
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2. Don't expect any great plot progression, since IS just isn't this type of novel. Don't forget that in the beginning, TAMnI on;y gots its expansion approx. after the Accelerator Arc to me, when the Science part became interesting. 3. About the plot...I'd rather wait a bit before answering. At first, I thought that there would be one with the end of V6...but, y'know...well, IS is a easy-readable novel, so if the words were sentenced and used in a Isshin-way, I would have dropped this.
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Last edited by Athena; 2011-05-02 at 16:27. |
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2011-05-02, 21:33 | Link #1137 |
Tenshi's Defense Squadron
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Fighting against those who oppress the system
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Personally, I prefer the drama with the blue haired siblings than all that wish washy with Houki and etc. To me, it seems like this harem plot is being forced down our throats than it happening for a good reason.
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2011-05-02, 21:57 | Link #1138 | ||
Ava courtesy of patchy
Join Date: Jan 2009
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Reason number 1, why would the country need to attack the academy when the students will graduate anyway after 3 years and they can recruit the students after that. Reason number 2, unlike academy city in Index, IS academy doesn't hold political power nor diplomacy power at all. IS academy is just a school, nothing more and nothing less, unlike Academy City who also functioned as research place on Esper ability. Reason number 3, unlike in Index setting where the country is in tense relation with each other, there's no major bad relation here, which give the countries no reason to risk tarnishing their own country reputation by attacking a neutral place which doesn't have any political stand. I agree with no big plot progression at all, but Index was also the same up until after Daihaisai(forget the city sport competition name)'s arc, which is about 10 volume in, it's just that here, the author use too many formula so the build-up arc feels really repetitive and boring compared to Index. For adding heaps of characters, I don't think it will work here. Remember, unlike in Index where basically everyone can be esper or magician, here only girls can pilot IS, not to mention there's limited IS in the world sans the one that Tabane can magically create. About Ichika being weak, I'm also confused by this. The author contradicted himself by saying in earlier volume that Ichika is a fast learner in IS technique, but when he start to be involved in battle, his brain become a mushed and all he do is charge ahead even though he knows his weapon waste a lot of energy. Personally, I think this is the author's fault for wanting to put a girl in the spotlight in each volume's battle, but instead of putting both said girl and Ichika in a partnership battle, he put the girl in spotlight and make Ichika looks stupid on the way. Strange thing is, Ichika looks stronger in the early volume(vol 1-3) compared to the last 2 volume(vol 5-6) where he seems so..... useless. Quote:
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2011-05-02, 22:38 | Link #1139 |
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2010
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Comparing IS to Index is a joke. Who actually thought of that? I think there's some over-expectations because of the setting. And to me the greatest failure is its protagonist. When you have a shitty protagonist that doesn't progress, the story is over.
I won't say there's no plot progression in the first 10 volumes of Index, since I can actually see it leading somewhere; fact is it was actually scaling up in characters and setting and shaping the ground, while keeping each seemingly independent arc interesting by itself. Though unfortunately, for a story of such a scale, I find the characters a little lacking still compared to other novels I've read, though I'm nitpicking here, and it doesn't stop me from putting it in my top 5 LN slots. Going back to IS, I think the author actually has the ability to write a better story, but it seems like he's trying to write something that he thinks will sell well or capture a larger market. And of course he doesn't seem to plan thoroughly enough. This is just the feeling I'm getting. |
2011-05-02, 23:26 | Link #1140 | |
Ava courtesy of patchy
Join Date: Jan 2009
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What makes Index much better with this series IMO is the characterization and the way the author doesn't use any repetitiveness even in the earlier volume. Sure there's some volume where the story development follows a certain formula(Touma get lucky unexpectedly, gets in trouble in the mid-volume, settles everything with his right punch), but even when following the formula, the author always put some spin on the story, especially during the battle, to make it not boring. Compare that with IS where the author just follow the same formula even up to the battle progression(new enemy comes, Ichika and co. get in trouble, Ichika get help for his energy problem, either he becomes a decoy or finishing the enemy with OHKO hit.) On the other hand, I agree with the biggest failure is in Ichika. Unlike Touma, who's been portrayed as GAR from the start, Ichika was portrayed as a promising amateur since the start. With this kind of setting, the protagonist needs to be developed fast skill-wise or else the story will be ruined because the protagonist become a side character due to his lack of skill, and that's exactly what happened here. The enemy is developing fast skill wise, but the protagonist is still the same stupid amateur with promising potential as he was in the first volume, that's why he ends up as only a decoy in the later volume. I still have hope that the author can tie all these meaningless arc into something with better overall plot, but he better do it fast or this series will lose one of its reader . Oh, and I hope Ichika will stop charging head first into battle and use that brain of his for once. |
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Tags |
blockhead protagonist, comparison, fanservice, harem, manga rebooted, mecha, not dense mc, on hiatus, seinen, shounen |
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