User:JoJolion

MARCH 12

I see. Yeah, if you look at them, then I guess they do get removed as new ones get posted in due time. It's a tricky task. But everything from our conversation is covered for. Thanks for the efforts.

Okay. That's fine then. Yeah, as long as we're in touch, that's what matters. Given the length of some of our posts, it's natural that we can't keep it going on a daily basis. We're comfortable with how things are so we'll reply at our leisure. I value keeping in touch.

MARCH 13

Watched Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (2017). It was fun the cast and characters were very likable when they entered Jumanji. The story is nothing groundbreaking. The characters carry the film.

MARCH 17

Hope you're doing well. Just thought I'd drop a quick comment. My third Moot problem was notified a couple of days ago and I'll start working on it soon.

This week, I did quite a bit in terms of watching. A few good and great films. Get Out! (7/10), Annihilation (9/10) and The Big Sick (9/10). You can check out my thoughts on imdb if you're interested.

Next, Manga reads well worth mentioning, My Brother is a Shut-in (7+ because the official releases are still publishing), Totsukuni no Shoujo (7+ because again, it's both ongoing and I'm waiting for the next official release) and No Longer Human (8/10). I am only skeptical because they are still publishing/releasing but to be fair, I might rate all three an 8. Totsukuni no Shoujo is very powerful and tonally dark. It is thoroughly engaging, has sketchy art style but it can genuinely make you care for its characters. My Brother is a Shut in is about familial themes and romance so it is again up my alley. And No Longer Human is like a mini, more relatable version of Oyasumi Punpun. A terrifying tale of human degradation. You feel the dread and can take a lot out of it. It carries weight.

Other than that, usual ongoing manga that I keep up with and a few ongoing anime that I'm watching weekly.

EDIT: Finished another manga called The Lion and the Bride and added ReLIFE as well as Sesuji wo Pin to my completed list as the final chapters came out this week.

UNKNOWN DATE

The Full-Time Wife Escapist

Feb 23

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MAR 7

I am sorry. I should have probably dropped in another message telling you that I would not be able to reply on that day because I came home at 8 pm after doing Moot work for 10 straight hours, went straight to sleep and again got up two hours later to work till 2 am. I didn't even have dinner. Literally no time at all. Thanks for that. I really appreciate that you didn't bombard me with a lengthy post given that I had to reply to one more message in the first place.

Sorry again. I think you misunderstood what I said. Actually, let me clarify it. I wasn't clear enough. I'm not looking down on animated movies outside of Japan. In fact, I'm more lenient on them. It's because I have a handle of how to rate animated movies from Japan. BUT, a certain class of films, I do find hard to rate. Films like Toy Story, Up, Moana, Zootopia, Ferdinand, etc. These types of films are the ones that I find hard to rate. On the other hand, I didn't find it hard to rate something like Breadwinner at all. It's because of the type of movies they are. I'm talking about the ones I just mentioned above. My sample size for those types of films is seriously small. I don't think it'll total up to even 15. Thing is, I usually look at the story, characters, and what the series is trying to do and the like while rating a film coupled with the enjoyment and impact that they have on me of course but these films are usually just family films that exist for a pleasant and enjoyable experience. That's all they are offer and more often than not, that's what they set out to offer. I can't quite rate them on my usual standards because that's all I take from them. They actually are not very memorable for me at all because I forget about them almost immediately after I watch them. This is my issue but when I watch them, I don't see much wrong with them. When I watch them, it's because I am looking for a light and fun experience and that's exactly what I get. I hope you're trying to get my point. I'm not looking down on them at all. If I were looking down on them, I would not bother watching them or even care for their ratings. That's not what I'm doing at all. It's a genuine concern for me. I take these things very seriously. I'm talking about rating and listing out my completions. They matter to me a lot. You didn't even have to look past Breadwinner to give me an example here. Because I'm talking about specific types of animated films and not animated films outside of Japan in general. I'm not even understating that these films can't have a message themselves. They often do have simple and potent messages and I'm totally down with that. It's just I find it hard to quantify a rating for them. I do like experiencing them and often like them when I'm watching. I'm actually very hard on animated films on a general level. If you look at my ratings for animated films on MAL, you'll notice how hard I am on them. I can almost count on the fingers of my hand the films that I've rated a 7+. There are very few of those. See, I've not watched those films you mentioned there, The Plaque Dogs, Watership Down, etc. And I've already told you about my take on Hayao Miyazaki movies. Ponyo is one I've not watched actually. And I never stated that there's nothing meaningful to take out of it at all. I told you that it's the case most of the time and there's actually nothing wrong with that. I have no issue. I don't go into these films looking to study something in detail or draw parallels or the like. Like I stated already, I go looking for a pleasant experience when I watch some of these films and that's just what I get. But quantifying that via ratings is something I find hard to do for a specific type of film. You've watched thousands of films, I've not. I need a little more time to get used to rating them. It is however a fact that a majority of these types animated films are never memorable for me.

Ferdinand was something that I watched when I was still hungover after finishing Basara. I've yet to fill that void. At the time, I really enjoyed the watch. That's why I gave it the rating I did. But I knew even when rating it that it probably wouldn't stand but I had to give it at the time anyway. Its not that I can't discern quality. I really didn't find too much wrong with Ferdinand on the narrative front. It wasn't as much about the focus or development of the relationship between Nina and Ferdinand as it was about Ferdinand himself being a free spirit and helping the other bulls realize what they were living for wasn't worth it and giving them a new lease of life. I think that was more what it was about. Also, just because I rate something a 7, it doesn't always have to mean that it's a quality series. 99.5% of the time, it is because it's quality but that 0.5% also matters. Cross Ange (an anime) fits in there. I know that it's trashy, it's not a quality show at all, but I still gave it a 7 because I absolutely loved watching it. I just enjoyed it so much that I didn't want to give it a lower score. I'm not saying that Ferdinand fits here at all because I've already dropped it down to a 6. I'm just talking on a very general level.

I've watched neither of those films but I actually feel that none of your examples are actually addressing the specific type of films that I have an issue with rating. Because with the types of films you mentioned, it's actually not a problem for me to rate. I can rate them if I get something like that out of it. Breadwinner being a case in point as well. I thought it had a strong message and was an excellent depiction of its setting. It felt adult as well. I've watched Mind Game and again, it's a film that I could rate comfortably.

Fair enough. I just brushed it aside. I don't think it played on it much in the initial episodes anyway. Yeah, I don't think it'd be that great to read the manga after seeing it animated like that. Fair point on the rating.

It is. Sorry. I'll use slice of life from now on. Cool. Let me. Know when you do. You can add Mitsuboshi Colors (for some childish fun) and Miira no Kaikata for absolute cuteness from heaven.

Excellent examples. I try to look at such moments myself and I take a lot out of them much like you. I enjoy the simple and little things a lot and appreciate their inclusion. And I respect your take on Erased in this context.

Thanks for explaining that about Youjo Senki. That's was particularly helpful because that just put my motivation back further. As I've stated, I found it hard to watch in the first place. Now I'm pretty convinced that I won't like it much given your explanation. I like to know what is going on and like to understand a character really well. And if it's inconsistent on both those fronts, I'm actually considering whether I should even watch it.

Well, certain types of atmospheres can actually keep me away too though. Texhnolyze is one of those actually. I couldn't stand that dreary atmosphere. I wasn't drawn in and it was actually hard for me to get into it. Actually no, I mean, I don't go looking for meaning in slice of life shows that involve cute girls but it helps to cement its place if there is meaning. This genre is actually my staple and I will openly watch any show which his like it. I've watched both Yuyushiki and Lucky Star and liked them both. Particularly Yuyushiki.

Yeah. I'm up for it.

I think that's a fair point about Konosuba and I can see that but the thing is, comedy in general has become a genre that I'm not very fond of these days in anime. Especially when it's more leaning towards parody and is loud without too much subtelty. Slapstick as well is something that I don't like. All these together contribute to me not liking Konosuba.

Your second paragraph on Konosuba action further illustrates some of the issues I have with Konosuba. That's what I meant by loud in my previous passage. It is too spirited at times and for me, that is a turn off. I've even been put off by Gintama these days because of this when I was such a fan of it years ago. I've gradually come to dislike this and it's not something that I can probably overcome. Only specific types of comedies work for me in anime these days. And it's very hit or miss.

I don't disagree with that but the thing is I was never into the series to actually nail down all that. I only managed to finish S1 because I watched it with a friend through Skype. Otherwise, I'd likely never have watched it past the first episode. I knew from the beginning that it probably wasn't for me.

The same thing happens to me.

Haha. I can see that. I'm pretty aware of Jojo's and how it works on a broad scale and I'm fine with that. That's innovative and there's something in it for everyone because it's structured like that.

Sure. I don't blame you for that. Akame Ga Kill is something I disliked strongly myself.

I can't argue with that.

Great and understandable ratings for both of them. I like it! And yeah, mood is the key.

You're Welcome.

I'll do that sometime soon too.

FEB 26

They actually go broader than what I had in my mind. You actually have to tackled the issue on a slightly broader level. What I was trying to say in my initial sentence was that when I made that statement, I only had romance series in mind and how a series focused on romance itself falters on that count. I didn't think beyond that. It was almost as if I was saying, romance series itself fall short in that aspect let alone series not focusing on romance. I should have made that clearer. Back to what you were trying to convey with your examples, I agree with almost all of it really and I even addressed most of it in my previous message when I said that they should not just tease a romance if they aren't competent enough to build it up and develop it properly. You expanded on your examples further in this new message so it makes my job easier. A non romance series can certainly suffer with the same issues if the relationships are not explored well enough. I mean, it should come naturally. Not just forced in such a way that you're expected to simply accept that it just kind of happened because they just happened to show the possibility of a romance becoming canon. I feel that a lot of these shows, while the author may not be competent enough to actually explore the relationship in detail, sometimes just go with the flow and think the point come the end is to make the pairing Canon and that, that would be sufficient to bring about closure and satisfy the readers or viewers. As I've stated in my previous message, what I want to see from a romance is not a pairing becoming canon or not but the development of the relationship itself, the chemistry, interactions and budding of mutual affection. Because in the end, that's what a romance is all about. Not about just getting two people together and show that they live happily ever after. But yeah, you elaborated on this quite a bit. The problem is that they just constantly make it such that you simply have to accept that a certain pairing is canon without actually going into how it came about. I mean, in these shounen titles that you mentioned, it actually does not need to go in full depth because at the end of the day, romance is not a focus in this series. But they should at least make it such that the pairing is acceptable. That there's a flow to how it came about. Some reasonable interaction, some fleshing out of the mutual affection. These are minimum requirements. It should not be like how you explained in your Naruto example where it's just made canon and you have to accept that without fulfilling the basic requirements to show a reasonable progression in a relationship.

So yes, I do agree with your widening of the example base and taking this discussion further. That, you most definitely did which is why I addressed them in my view. The first paragraph was only to illustrate what I had in mind when making that statement. It wasn't meant to disregard yours. I think Ouran was an excellent example as well because it clearly shows how a romance series itself can falter with a romance portrayal. Your point about love triangles and harems is actually another great addition to this conversation since that's a new point well worth discussing on its own. A lot of the time, anime and manga just want to fall into a certain trope of genre specific scenario without rhyme or reason. They never try to put enough thought into why that infatuation, or crush or romance in such series have to come up or how to actually develop them individually. For each heroine/hero, there needs to be adequate time investment to show why the character falls in love with another and why there is actually a romantic development or interest. This site actually not that easy to do. It requires a proper amount of attention and careful consideration. Not just adding them for the sake of it. Because it satisfies a demographic. That's just as you said, hackneyed, lazy, unsatisfactory and simply, not right. It's not good writing. You're right about how it's funny that the Meruem-Komugi dynamic is actually a more layered and powerful one than a lot of Canon pairings that blatantly hog the attention without any proper development.

Your entire post on Naruto, I found quite good to read as I've already mentioned and I agree with all of it. It completely illustrates the points that both of us are trying to make. Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun, well that example has more to do with how a relationship starts of or what triggers contact in the first place and like you stated, that's for another discussion. And yes, I've already agreed that you chose to operate on a wider scale here expanding on my initial statement.

Correct, any pairing in any work has to have a bare minimum development imo. It should not come out of nowhere and just be put there to accept.

Depending on how the work tackles either case, they can both be interesting. It really depends on the amount of time invested and the competence of writing. It also depends on what the series is trying to focus on. The type of story it's trying to show and what type of characters and drama is written in. As I stated earlier, I've downloaded Saga. I've never read a non Japanese comic before so this will be a first. Classmates is something that I should watch too. I've had it on my phone for ages now. But you're right, just like with these examples, the dynamic of a couple after they enter into a relationship can be very interesting and it's a shame that there aren't enough series that focus on this aspect.

Agreed. You shed light on both those points and I agree with the way you did that. And as I made clear in a different message, I didn't misinterpret what you said. But you did clarify further in this message and your examples were very good.

Yep. It sure is. Pandering to the audience is also an issue too though. I clearly see what you're going on about and pandering to the audience actually fits well with the shounen examples that you gave ad well because as you've alluded to before, all the viewers and readers constantly discuss the pairings in these series and at the end of the day, the author is inclined to give a conclusion to the romance even if he/she isn't competent at writing it into the story. Your Ouran example also fits.

I agree completely. That's what I meant though, just having crushes and one sided infatuation with no real focus on actually trying to develop a relationship if fine if it's left at that. But if like you stated with the Naruto example, it's given proper narrative consideration, it is the duty of the author to follow through on that and give it the attention it needs.

And I agree about Dragon Ball, it never actually plays on it or tries to even show it as a romance. So in that case, it's somewhat acceptable. You explained the context there and that's totally understandable.

You took my closing sentiments exactly like I wanted you to. I'm in complete agreement. You absolutely nailed it.

That's fine. The points you made were very valid and this was an extremely engaging tangential discussion.

Yes because that's what I want to see in more series. People actually showing how the relationship progresses once the couple are in one. More so when there's tension or grievances. But I also really like it when they show the good points of a relationship, the heartfelt interactions, the pleasant interactions, etc. They all need to be there.

Correct. Basara managed to show a powerful relationship even while they were not in a relationship for most of the series. When at the end of the series, they were able to predict each other's moves during the war. It was a connection that you could feel and understand. I think those two volumes were extremely memorable for this reason. Depending on how it's portrayed, as long as proper care is given, any romance can have impact. It can be what we want it to be.

Watch Tsuki Ga Kirei, it's simple but it does have the nuance that you mentioned in your subsequent message. Same with White Album 2 (more so this actually). You can also take something like Koi wa Ameagari no You ni from this season and Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu from previous seasons. All these series have nuance and meaningful romances which is a good trend recently. You can even throw in something like Uchouten Kazoku. These are just in the anime section. The Full Time Wife Escapist is one that I strongly recommend because it takes a very practical view on romance, relationships, marriage and work. Complex Age, while not focused on just romance, does pay adequate attention to it and more so on relationships with friends, family and the like. I've already mentioned Basara. I've been fortunate to experience a lot of these series recently. So the trend is a positive one at least in recent times. I've

I've already talked about White Album 2. The Visual Novel obviously takes it further but the anime is a more than great standalone viewing.

Speaking of which, Aiyoku no Eustia, I've mentioned this VN before but it actually suffers from some issues with its romance as well. The thing is, it tries to write in romance just for the sake of it because it's something VNs almost have other inherently have when the story itself didn't need it. I gave it a 10/10 because of how good the actual story is and how great its characters are but the writing for the romance in the series is abysmal for pretty much 80% of the series. The only time it's good is when it concerns Eris. Who is really the only girl in the VN where the chemistry actually worked in a romantic sense. The protagonist, Caim is written in such a way that his very personality itself isn't cut out for romance. Moreover, the story doesn't require that he have a romance with any of the heroines (bar Eris if it is absolutely required). But the VN simply includes it anyway to have some H Scenes and side routes just for that and try main route itself has a shoehorned romance when the relationship between the protagonist and Eustia who is the titular heroine was more guardian and dependent. Thankfully, it doesn't hammer it in so it's not always led or teased. It just happens without too much meaningful buildup in a romance sense. So there isn't actually too much game time focusing on the romance.

There's another issue I have too. Like when a character is extremely dense to romance. Like in Chihayafuru for example (got this in my mind because of the announcement of season 3). I love this series a lot and it actually portrays relationships well but the way it handles Chihaya's love life or lack of it is quite frustrating to watch. A silly way to put it is that she's dense to all romance barring for Karuta itself. This is fine to an extent but if it plays along for too long, it's an issue. I've not experienced the material past S2 so this is not a concrete situation but if it turns out this way, it'd be quite annoying. We'll see. A lot of this has to do with how the character is written, how the work is written and how the relationships are portrayed. Because if it's blatantly apparent that there is a romantic interest in a character and its shown to that character or attempted to be shown, then if 5hat character can't process it for long periods of time, it can raise eyebrows.

Got it with Kaguya Sama. I didn't misunderstand anything and u only stated that you absolutely convinced me to read it whenever I get the opportunity. This example is actually somewhat similar to Basara. We know how the dynamic works and how strong the chemistry is between the main duo. Looks like you're not waiting to read the official releases either.

Haha. I'm no VN expert myself but I do know a fair amount so feel free to ask if you have any questions.

Agreed. A great example of this is how Monster does things. It lays a foundation in the beginning and slowly elevates the mystery, the psychological aspect and adds layer by layer. That's what I appreciate about Monster. This should be the template for most series. As in, how to get the fundamentals down first. Agree completely with what you said about relationships and academics.

Absolutely. White Album 2 is a drama done right whereas Clannad is not. I agree completely with what you said there. There's no proper explanation or reasoning for why the supernatural element is there and why it needs to actually have an impact. It's just kind of there. That just kills it because you wonder why it had to happen when the rest of the story played as a normal SOL/romance/drama story. Because if it simply pulls something out of the hat like that, you have to wonder, what the purpose of the reaction was? In Clannad, if everything just returns to normal, what was the reason for emotionally getting involved in Ushio and Nagisa.

Yeah, that's the thing. Getting through those 48 episodes. There's a reason I haven't watched it and this is why. What if I read the manga though? Is the anime adaptation different (like, does the anime have original content and differs from the manga?). My guess is that the movies are more a continuation of the anime rather than connected to the manga. That's what your explanation leads me to believe as well.

You're Welcome. Hope you enjoy the read. Sure. The Full Time Wife Escapist and HoshiOri pending then.

Yep. Sometimes, it leads to tangential conversations and I'm actually not very pleased about the quality I framed a lot of my replies in this post. If there's any room for misunderstanding or misinterpreting, please ask me once because I've typed this reply over three days and the connection/flow was lost several times. I apologize for that too. Excuse the typing errors too because there's bound to be a lot as I won't Reread this post. I do hope you play it someday. I've got just one friend who has played the VN. I always appreciate the different POV.

Absolutely agree with everything related to The Steins; Gate film. Nothing really to add there.

I agree with the reason for calling those manga unforgiving as well. I meant it the same way. I don't want to reread the chapters every single time. Instead, it's better to have one proper reading. Nothing betas that experience anyway. Because if there's a significant gap, you've almost got to Reread it. And yeah, wiki helps but it's not the same as getting the experience put of the work. Immersion and engagement is definitely lost to an extent at least.

Well, I consider a few (at least 2) significant arcs as sufficient. As in, completed arcs.

Yeah, I mean, things are definitely getting longer each time so it's better to talk about the FMA movie after this gets shorter.

You're Welcome.

I will. I've completed the route but not the game. So if I ever write about it, I'll share it.

Novel length indeed. I don't mind but my replies will inevitably come a little later than usual if it's that length. No need to apologize because it's a good discussion.

I'll reply to your next message as well.

Well, what you described there is true for me as well. I also view romance that way for the most part and when it's done right, it can be extremely satisfying. Except the one about mood. I'm not always in the mood for romance. For me, romance is mood specific. For me, the two genres I'm always in the mood for are SOL and Sports. [Talking only about anime and manga]. Those are my staple genres. I think the word you're looking for is also 'staple'. As far as the first bit is concerned. As in, not quite favorites but can watch at any time. Nuance has to do with the second part of your passage when you started talking about anime films. [I assume you're only referring to anime in your message because if it's all mediums, then that's too wide]. I spoke about nuance and the like already so I'll skip that bit. I even talked about the recent upward trend in romance anime. So I don't have much to add to the second part. We can talk about NGNL Zero once I watch the movie.

I agree completely with your passage about Seven Deadly Sins and we've talked about utilizing backstory or Flashbacks already.

Will get to Saga when I find the right moment to read it.

A lot of what I said might be a bit disjointed so I apologize for that. I feel bad for making it harder for you. You can reply at your leisure because I might not be reply again this week or choose to focus on specific paragraphs at a time. Because exchanging lengthy walls of text can become very taxing.

FEB 12

Yeah. I mean, I have a hard enough time making a top 30 or 50. Top 500 is a much more difficult task. Not necessarily picking them but ranking them in order. That entire passage just gives me one piece of really potent information. Do not bother watching anything from the DCEU. I wasn't interested much in the first place. Now I'm convinced that none of them are for me. I don't even follow it and even I know that that Suicide Squad was a total mess. I like the way that you just stated that Wonder Woman was the most well put together but with a bad script. Because that's the only one I've heard anything positive about. To a very small extent Batman v. Superman but that one I've seen bits and pieces of and it never really looked appealing to me. The part about the mustache was hilarious.

Yep. I'll be on it the moment I see something from him that's accessible. That's interesting too. I'll keep my eyes peeled for that too. The 1984 film doesn't seem to have that good a reception.

I can agree with that. I mean, if the film itself didn't classify itself into the supernatural genre, then what you said there would be the most natural way to view it.

Yeah. I'll just let time do its thing.

Me too. I liked it on first viewing as well but the first half, I needed to rewatch a few scenes. I've already elaborated on it a bit in my post related to M. I still miss something like The Shining. I've considered raising the score to a 9 many times. And at this rate, I might actually do it. Regard what you stated about artsy films, one of the most important points you made there is that they must find a balance between being artsy and open to analysis/interpretation and be comprehensible/be able to understand. If it's just vague and you don't understand what you're watching, it's not really the best situation. You used the word pretentious there and I completely agree with what you said regarding it. That's why I always hold back from using the word and try to find an alternative way to express myself. The moment you compared Under the Skin to The Shining, I got interested. But yeah, I agree. For me particularly, I like to be able to understand what I'm seeing as I'm seeing it. Sure, we ought to use our brains but it should not have to be an unreasonable amount. I did get your point in the ramble. Don't worry about it.

That's understandable. I rarely watch films with friends (in fact, I don't think I've ever done besides via Skype call). It's mostly just by myself or with family. But yeah, when it's on my own, it's only if I really feel like giving it a second viewing for a significant reason.

I appreciate that too. I mean, he's a monumental figure after all. I don't necessarily like his films much though barring some. For example, I didn't like The Wind Rises.

Right, let me explain. When you're looking through the film list of a person on letterboxd.com, there's a feature wherein you can sort that person's list in the order of ratings or genres or year of release. But, you cannot do this sorting based on the films that the person likes. You have to individually hover over each film to see if the person likes it or not. There's no feature that filters out all the films that are not marked as liked or sort the list in such a fashion that you can see the films that the person liked right at the beginning. So basically, when you look at a list, to see if a person liked a film, you have to hover over it individually because it's a mixture of films that are liked and those that are not. I don't know how else I can explain it.

I will find some joy in some of these titles without doubt and no need to apologize. That's something I like. You have this vast knowledge and experience that I want to pick on.

Yeah!

I don't believe that they will.

FEB 9

Watched M by Fritz Lang. Rated it a 8/10. These are my thoughts posted on imdb.

This being my first German film, it took me a while to get into it. I had a slight difficulty following and noticing all the details. But the more and more I rewatched the scenes which I didn't follow and thereafter read reviews based on why Fritz Lang purposely made Germany seem like a cauldron of hate, it makes so much more sense. For its time, M is meticulously filmed. The use of camera angles, views and timing of the dialogues is top notch. The faces of the actors are almost unforgettable. The amount of smoking in this film is unreal. I can't believe that people can smoke so much. Most of all though, it's a powerful film in terms of just etching certain scenes into memory. You don't really care for anyone in this film but it carries a message of the times back then. The state of affairs. The way the people used to live then. The raid scene, the scene with the old man being attacked by the mob, the trial scene, the scene with the mother setting the plate waiting for her daughter, the scene at the bar, the conferences and the final scene concerning the mothers' anguished warning. All absolutely make you take notice and it remains in memory.

Just to expand a bit more, the film is technically brilliant for its time. I was truly intrigued by the way they developed all these methods to catch a criminal. I mean, they didn't have advanced technology and the like so there's a lot of effort involved. Its legacy in the detective and manhunt subgenres is well warranted.

FEB 8 I don't want to praise a work if I see it and it's just not that great, or even good. I always hope it is good and succeeds, before seeing or reading it, as I never want anything to be bad and fail. I don't like to talk about things I don't enjoy, yet many people see me as only negative and overly critical based off all the times I have criticized something..........You mention War for the Planet of the Apes................Yeah. I understand why people like Code Geass

Same. I mean, people generally don't voluntarily strike up a conversation about series that are in the middle ground. They tend to want to talk about one's that are either good/great or bad/terrible. But I'm with you, I prefer talking about shows that I consider good or great as opposed to those that I don't. I'm in a similar situation wherein, I don't like or enjoy criticizing a work. In a similar fashion, while not nearly as much as you, I've seen and experienced quite a lot in my own right. I've only met a few of people I know on MAL that have experienced so much more than me. So I too get into this situation where I tend to compare works and their qualities with others from the large sample size that I have so I completely get what you mean. You being a writer and with the amount of experience that you have behind you, it's only natural for you to be this way. I also think that expectation going in is inevitable. Also, over time, with experience, standards certainly do elevate and your taste gets refined. You get more observant and notice things which you might not have done before. You can't go in with literally no expectations at all (most of the time, you do have some expectations). And same, I don't go in looking for positives and negatives. The fundamental thing I want is a good experience. And I'm sure this is true for most. That's what we crave for. It has got to be an experience wherein we can take something out of it. It is also completely natural to notice things before and after your experience if it's something that grabs your attention. You can't simply ignore it.

About War for the Planet of the Apes, you make some good points. I went in with similar expectations. For me though, it felt like an appropriate way for the trilogy to end in the sense that, down to the bare bones, it is Caesar's story. While it became grander and involved the entirety of humanity as well as the Apes, from start to finish, I was looking at but one character and that was Caesar. Purely from that standpoint, I think it did a good job to close out the trilogy. I do agree that the last bit was forced though in the sense that, the way they made it so that Caesar had to die wasn't played out in the best possible way. But in that same account, it didn't necessarily affect what the film itself was trying to show. They did probably have to go the prison break route again just to give humanity one last chance or stand. There weren't a whole lot of options and opportunities for them to do things too differently. At the end of the day, Caesar's life came full circle which was the most important bit. He is one of my favorite characters in the film medium so far and over the course of the three films, I do think his story was very well told.

Next, regarding Geass, man, you've talked with an interesting crowd there. I've talked about Geass with many many people and none of them (as far as I recall) have called it thought provoking or filled with layers of depth or even intelligent. Almost everyone who likes it among my close friends and people I've talked to like it for the trainwreck that it is. Just for its sheer entertainment value and charismatic lead character. I personally never considered it an intelligent series myself and I don't value it among my favorites either. It would not even make a top 50 list if I were to make one. As a story, it never actually made too much of a powerful connection with me but I can't deny that it has a whole lot of memorable moments or scenes throughout the course of the series. There are some scenes that are quite simply unforgettable whether for good or bad. It offers a full package in terms of entertainment value for most people. And then Lelouch. I never really expanded on why I like Lelouch, did I? It's not for his intellect or lack of it. It's not because he's super cool and good looking or anything. It's simply because from the beginning to the end, I was just caught up in his adventure. Just thoroughly attached. I don't know how I can explain it. My mind knows that there are many better characters around but my heart cannot be moved. I've come across several brilliantly written characters since. Characters with a whole lot of growth and development. Characters that are inherently likable, relatable, and ones that you can almost feel for in real life. Why, the characters in stories like Oyasumi Punpun, Complex Age, Holyland, etc or even Caesar for that matter are all so much better written than someone like Lelouch (it's not even a valid comparison) but my strength of attachment for him was too strong. I was completely taken in by his 'him against the world' situation and wanted to root for him. Maybe it's because the rest of the characters in the story are just trashy. Maybe he's the best of a bad bunch but it's precisely because of this that I rooted for him so strongly and as much as I acknowledge that there are hundreds and thousands of better written characters around, I simply can't bring myself to displace him as my favorite character. I just remember so many of his catchy lines or dialogues that are almost embarrassing to say aloud. I care not for his intelligence or looks or cool nature which many people no doubt are caught up in. I value intelligence used in real life scenarios (like for instance, in The Full Time Wife Escapist) rather than in a world of supernatural powers or Sci-fi elements. I know that you only said what you did regarding both Code Geass and Lelouch against the fan base in general and gave your own thoughts on it to illustrate a point but I felt like I should also give an alternative view anyway. There may have been a time very early on when I might have viewed Lelouch as intelligent but that thought simply dissipated as I experienced more. I don't disagree with anything you said there actually. You made some good points and pointed out blatant issues with the series. Like that Chess Game and Nina (poof). These thoughts are inspite of that. Would I like or enjoy Code Geass if I were to watch it for the first time as I am now? Definitely not. Would I like Lelouch as much as I do if I were to watch Code Geass as I am now? Again, the answer is probably no. But the timing of when I watched it and my attachment to him since is the single reason that I still regard the series in a positive light.

It's easy to understand the appeal of something and why people like it. The fact you just said Honey and Clover had all the ingredients you typically liked is enough to understand why people like it.

Those ingredients I mentioned are from the outside before starting the series. Just the mere knowledge of what Honey and Clover was supposed to be about. As I watched it, I never once got the feeling that it maximized those said ingredients at all. Sangatsu no Lion on the other hand, does manage to do it. Presentation and Execution is pivotal in all mediums. It can make or break any series.

"I tend to dislike something more when it has things I enjoy, or think are interesting, but are poorly executed."

I cannot agree more with this. This is why I dislike Honey and Clover so much.

Had a look at your Letterboxd, and looks good for just starting out. What did you think of mine?

Thanks. I started in 2016 actually. The fag end of 2016 to be precise. I've watched many more films in Indian Languages but have not added it simply because I don't want to add a lot films to my list on vague recollections. I want it to be as accurate as possible to what my current self thinks of it. Although I'm still unsure about some of my ratings because I need a slightly larger sample size. It's not as refined as I would like it to be. Like it is with my anime list for example. I followed you as well. What I thought of it? 7000+ films? I was like, are you kidding me? The sheer amount of content you've witnessed in so many different mediums makes you by far and away the most experienced person in terms of fictional media that I've ever come across. The variety in your list is quite amazing. I compared what you make of films that I've watched and am quite happy to know that there are still a reasonable amount of films that you've not watched. Your taste is mostly similar to mine as well from what I can say. Maybe in about a year or so once it's more refined, my list will be closer still to yours. I did go through your top 500 a bit and came across many new titles. All types of genres and very open to so many types of films. I'll definitely take a lot from your list and refer it quite a lot. I'll ask you about some films that catch my eye as and when I have time to watch films.

Yeah, I'm always talking to doriando about film on here. That's understandable, everyone has to start somewhere and not everyone can just jump out of their comfort zone. They need to ease themselves out of it.

He also pinged me when I started watching films and I'm following him as well. You're precisely right. I think I'm almost ready to dive into other languages now. So the next time I do get an extended break (which should be in July), I'll get to them. I definitely noticed that going through your list. The variety is unreal. You weren't kidding about being open minded. You've literally watched everything significant under the sun. And yes, The Lion King is indeed a brilliant film and that top 250 list should be very interesting in its own right. Let me in when you do tweak it at a later stage. I can see what you mean. That's why I only decided to add whatever I've watched recently or remember properly. I don't want to have something vague on my list so I decided that I would add a film I've watched in the past only if and when I rewatch them. It'll take time just like with you but it's worthwhile and more importantly, accurate. I actually didn't add animated Japanese movies that are on MAL to my letterboxd.com account. If I did that, the list would definitely be over 350 films watched. I'm doing it for films I watch from when I started the account but not ones that I watched previously.

Yeah. It's natural to favor some kind of content as you put it, as my top 500 shows, but don't close yourself off to experiencing new things that you may not know you like until you dip your toe in.

Yep. That's why I'm open to trying new genres particularly in film. I think it's the most accessible medium to try out a large variety of genres and types of stories because the time investment isn't as much as say a long manga or anime or TV series or novels and what not. Thank for not spoiling. M by Fritz Lang is a great a movie that I'm very interested in and watch to watch soon. If it was not in German, I would have watched it long ago because it's my type of story. But I'll definitely watch it. Now I have watched it. And you can tell from my thoughts that I'm in agreement with the points that you made.

That's unfortunate. The movie going experience here is good, occasionally you get annoying movie goers, but nothing too bad.

I could say the same thing. I mean, most of the time, the movie going experience isn't really that bad but occasionally, especially with some movies, it can get annoying. What I was referring to was when Caesar was dying in War for the Planet of the Apes, there were people around me who were laughing out loud which kind of spoiled the experience for me. Regardless of whether it was forced or not, it was a powerful moment and the end of the journey for a great character in film. So yeah, I was kind of annoyed at that experience. I watched the film with my Brother. Nice that your Mother likes the franchise too.

I think that applies to film in general, whether new or not. A film is always liable to disappoint.

Yeah. That's my point. It's more liable when it's an unknown quantity. When it has already been released and been in existence for a while, adequate research can kind of tell you what to expect going into a film but when it's new, it's definitely more of an unknown or like you stated, subject to a lot of hype and hence, more liable to disappoint. But I get what you're saying in both scenarios. It can happen. The likelihood is more with new films than classics though. Technically, any film that one hasn't watched is new like you stated haha.

Yeah. Blade Runner 2049 works as a stand alone, but it definitely helps if you've seen the original, and at least 2048: Nowhere to Run.

Thanks for that information about Blade Runner. I'll go in order and watch all those films when I have time. And I looked up Good Time and had it downloaded as well. Will get to it in due course. You certainly did hype me up for Blade Runner especially.

You're welcome. Yeah, the anime is awful and doesn't good at good job at representing how good the manga is.

I'm pretty aware of that which is why I still plan on getting to Pandora Hearts someday. Just need the appropriate mood and time for it. A friend of mine on MAL recently read it and said something similar about the twists.

Same, with owning all 12 volumes of Master Keaton. I agree about Naoki's art.

Yep. All hail Naoki. I can't wait to get my hands on the volumes I ordered.

Sure thing. I'll let you know when I rework my anime/manga lists. My film lists are a lot more refined in terms of actual listing, and I'm better at rating movies.

Please do. I'm definitely interested in referring to all your lists. You've experienced a lot which I can definitely draw from. I can understand that actually. I think it's easier to rate a film too. Anime and manga can be more tricky with more variables in play. And yeah, I probably don't use Letterboxd.com in as effectively as possible. For example, only use the Like function if I rate a film 4 and a half stars. Maybe I should be more lenient than that. Because I like a lot of my 3 and a half stars too.

You're welcome. I've not read your thoughts on The Full-Time Wife Escapist, so I can't say whether or not it was enough to pique my interest.

I see. Well, I hope it is enough to pique your interest whenever you do read it in that case. Makes sense then.

Hopefully I do. I've been on a roll so far, and don't want to ruin your expectation. :P

Yep. I don't think you will. You'll just keep on rolling.

True. I'm used to providing examples and cross-analyzing. It's important to provide evidence, or line of reasoning to your arguments.

Agreed completely. It's an essential when it comes to me as well. As a Law student as well. I'm required to support my papers and answers with examples and case studies so what you're doing is not too different.

Yeah. Some anime and manga I know instantly what I'd rate it, but others are a little less certain.

I get what you mean. It's the same for me. Some, I can gauge right from the off but some can be so tricky even long after completing it.

You're welcome. Definitely worth it. A good read. Translations can be slow in English.

I don't doubt it. Translations are slow in English which is a major issue particularly with manga. I think your knowledge of Japanese and Chinese has enabled and opened up more possibilities and given you access to a lot more content than me.

WHAT?! You don't love how manly good looking men with stoic poses break into politics and the mafia and every girl wants to jump on their dick?

Nope. It was too manly for me to handle. You put it in a hilarious fashion there and I'm in full agreement. I was grinning when replying to this.

As for The Heroic Legend of Arslan, there's an English translation of it online, that's working through the volumes: https://arslansenki.wordpress.com

Thanks for the links. Not sure how regularly they'll update it but yeah. The novel medium is the only one where I really think before getting in as I've stated before.

Cool.

No worries. I don't pay attention to typing errors unless I find it funny, or where I lost the meaning of what was being said. I make typing errors too, but I'm OCD about it, and often go back to fix them. If I notice them, I can't help but edit the post.

Yeah me too. When it's such a long post, it's inevitable that there will be errors from both ends and MAL has now allowed us to actually edit our comment anytime which wasn't possible before. So it's probably better for you. I'm just too lazy to edit it when I type so much. I do it on my phone as well so it's inevitable that there's some errors with Autocorrect and what not. That's why I apologize for any blatant errors.

FEB 8

Yeah. Game of Thrones took a massive decline and I could go on an entirely self-contained rant on that. XD

Game of Thrones is one series that I definitely didn't fancy. Just hearing what it's like didn't excite me too much about the fact that it has issues worth ranting about doesn't make it any better.

Breaking Bad I love and thought was great. I'm with you though in terms of the time investment.

Good. Then Breaking Bad is at least a viable option. I completely agree with you on time investment. I also expanded on it in my longer reply that I'm due to post. I've basically elaborated the same thing in light of movies. That I'm more open to experiencing and experimenting with variety in films as opposed to TV series because of the time investment and the ongoing nature as well. I prefer a complete story. This is why unless I'm absolutely guaranteed to like a series, I won't jump in. I do so much research and tread carefully with TV shows.

They're great. They're some of the best the genre has to offer that has been produced to television.

Yeah. I'm taking action and trying to make them accessible to watch. They look appealing.

I'm glad. I'm thoroughly enjoying the conversation as well. I'm the same about replying to everything, to leave no stone unturned. I sometimes get annoyed when someone misses the point of what I was saying and gets bogged down in something insignificant that I said and wasn't the focus of what I was talking about.

I'm elated to know that. Thing is, there are very few people I know that have such a wide array of experiences across mediums. I don't have many people I can talk to about film and TV series for example. Even manga at times. That's why our messages get longer and longer because I'm diversifying our conversations.I feel like picking your brain and your wealth of experience. And yeah, my logic in terms of trying to reply to everything is that, by doing so, another interesting topic might come about which either of us would not have talked about otherwise. It's simply better to cover all bases. Next with your Doriando example, I get that completely. It doesn't happen to me often now because I'm only conversing with a few people regularly who I'm used to talking to and enjoy doing so (mainly on Whatsapp) but before when I was very active on MAL, it happened go me quite a lot. It can be so frustrating having to again restart the conversation to explain yourself. And when that happens, if the other party repeats the same mistake, then you've got to do it over. At some point, you probably won't feel like replying like you usually do because there's so much of a disconnect. I'm okay with people not replying in too much detail as long as they read through it and understand it. But repeated misinterpretation is super Irritating.

Same. I'm sometimes too busy and don't log on for days. Sometimes I also simply don't feel like replying for a while.

Yeah, I mean, I'm sure it'll happen to me as well. I mean, before I started this active conversation with you, I hadn't logged onto MAL for months. I was just updating my lists offline. But yeah, you can always take your time with your replies and do it at your leisure. It can be taxing and I'm sure you have plenty of other things to do as well.

Thanks. I enjoy reading your responses too.

You're Welcome and Thank You.

Yeah. That can happen. I don't share similar tastes and opinions with many people, and yet we still find common things we do like.

Yep. I try to do the exact same thing. It's natural for some people to have similar tastes and others, not. I do the same thing pretty much and it's a more than reasonable approach.

Yeah, 3 and 4 are definitely worse than 1 and 2. I always try talking about some criticisms of a show when I recommend it if I feel it's noteworthy. If I were to recommend Vikings for example,

Thanks for explaining about Vikings again. It's another series that has been recommended to me a few times. And it's something that I do plan to get to and your thoughts on it only makes its case stronger. This type of elaboration is exactly why I like asking you for your thoughts.

To get back to Sherlock, because I kind of went off road for a moment, which isn't unusual for me. I tend to indulge in examples and analogies a lot, and these turn into entire tangents along the way.

Yep. I've mentioned that as a positive when talking to you. So I have no issues with you just letting loose and talking about whatever you want to. Regardless of whether I can reply in kind to some of the analogies and examples, I definitely do find them very interesting to read so keep posting them without hesitation.

Okay, so back to Sherlock: It's also the case that when you look at S1 and 2, while they had things going for them, I'd not consider them that good either.

The more and more I talk to you and my Brother about Sherlock, the lower it is falling as far as my interest scale is concerned. I get your viewpoint on it pretty clearly now.

P.S. It's funny, because whenever you get around to replying to my initial post, we'll be dealing with 2 separate conversations right now. Then there's possible room for a 3rd whenever I get around to reading your thoughts on The Full-Time Wife Escapist.

Yeah. Like I stated yesterday, that's why I didn't post the reply to the lengthy post yet. I didn't want to have to make things too convoluted. I think we pretty much have dealt with the important content of the recent conversation so I'll post my reply now. You can just consider this an extension of that conversation. The Full-time Wife Escapist one will be treated as a second conversation when you reply. But yeah, it's very detailed to say the least.

CONVERSATIONS WITH DORIANDO

MARCH 22

I do find it extremely odd that Snyder himself said that, seeing as how he so obviously kills directly in the movie. There's no way most of his kills could even be seen as indirect kills, imo. But my previous explanation was my interpretation of what was presented in the movie. And Batman has a problem with Superman because he sees him as a threat to mankind, due to the immense power he has, and innocent lives were lost that day. Superman, however, did not kill anyone, except Zod. He was responsible for a lot of death and destruction, due to him fighting Zod in Metropolis. I thought Batman's story arc was well done because for the entire movie, Batman projects expectations onto Superman and basically sees him as a monster that needs to be destroyed. And then, he is proven wrong, when he sees that Superman isn't the monster he thought he was and actually has a very human heart and people he cares for and people that care for him. I think the Martha scene is rather misunderstood. Even in the beginning of the film, when we see Bruce's parents dying, and then Thomas says "Martha" it foreshadows the Martha scene later in the film. They don't stop fighting because their mother's share the same name, it goes much deeper than that. Maybe not everyone misunderstands it, but may choose to ignore the subtext behind it and just make fun of the scene. I also love that when Batman says "Martha won't die tonight" and him specifically being the one who goes to save Martha Kent, was kind of like him preventing his own mom from dying that day.

The darker route really worked for me, as it also does with The Dark Knight, Watchmen and the Daredevil TV series. And I hate when people say that the movie's joyless and that they're not having any fun being superheroes. Why should they? Batman's parents were murdered and Superman has to deal with the entire world turning against him. I do agree with the Lois Lane subplot being pretty useless, it's essentially there to make her relevant. I actually thought about it more in my most recent rewatch than I did any of the previous viewings. I also felt it terribly contrived when she threw away the kryptonite spear into the water for some reason, and then has to go get it back and then gets trapped underwater and Superman has to go save her. I mean, she could have just let it stay at the same spot where Batman left it and then bring it back without any inconveniences like that. Some things like that don't make sense.

I mean, Zack Snyder directed Watchmen so XD but yeah that's pretty condescending behavior from the Snyder's. I find it endlessly fascinating as a film too, in that it's so incredibly interesting and rewatchable to me. Ever since I bought the Ultimate Edition Blu-Ray last year, I've watched the movie once every three or four months.

CONVERSATIONS WITH PEDRO

MARCH 25

Yup,it's downright infuriating,the worst anime from this season that I've seen,the only good things from that are the OP & ED,and considering the genre from this series,I would have been more surprised if these sucked as well.

Yeah,sometimes I think that I should inform,in a part of my profile description,that I regularly stalk the account and the conversations of my "friends" XD ,I mean these things I stalk are public anyway,I do it to search information to know better my friends,the friend's friend,possible enemies,etc...,it's also for not repeating a question from another person,as I would have already the answer that I want to know from it :B

But okay,that's already to much talk for now,I am not interested in making a tangential discussion,so I will not respond to your next possible fast response,as I will be only waiting for the long response,is that okay for you?

MARCH 8

Sorry for not responding to you in these past weeks,but to be real here,It's has being pretty tiring for me to make these long responses on your "native' language,I really like our conversations but I am now a University student,it will be harder than ever to make these long comments to ya,so after this response,I will make my responses to be less than 1000 characters long for now on. Now,guessing that your response will be as long as or longer than this one,can you divide it by parts,like responding my comment of Berserk in one comment while the rest in another one,is that okay for you?

Great to hear,I totally agree,it's really fantastic,I am remembering the awesome stuff from only this saga to talk about,and well,there was a bunch of it,

my eleven favorite matches,by vol 56,is of Black Hole VS Dalmatianman,Kinnikuman VS Peek-A-Boo,the only tag match here (you know the one),the respective fights of Robin Mask & Warsman,Junkman VS Painman,Sunshine VS Thingman,All fights against Justiceman,Bufalloman VS Ganman and the greatest fight yet,Silverman VS Psychoman (the two fights of Akuma Shogun could be here,but they're more like one-sided bloodbaths in my opinion :P).

Of course it's not all about the fights,the old and new characters,especially of guys like Bufalloman,Psychoman,Akuma Shogun and Nemesis,have amazing characterization and development through out of this saga,but my two favorite things here is the atmosphere through out and of the franchise's lore being discovered & actually evolving as this arc goes by,it maybe be sounding really pretentious from my part,but it makes me feel like I am a experiencing a epic tragedy akin to the Greek stories of old,while seeing a pivotal turning point of history in the Kinnikuman's universe before my very eyes,with the awakening of FRIENDSHIP POWER in all groups of "Choujinkind",that's much more interesting & awesome than the generic arcs that happen on normal Battle Shounens and even some of the early arcs from the original Kinnikuman manga.

Personal fact:my soundtrack for these chapters was the soundtrack of the 80s anime,primarily using the character themes on the respective matches ("Sand Monster" in the Sunshine match,"King of Devils" in the fights of Akuma Shogun,all OPs and the two themes for Kinnikuman,etc),the awesomeness on the series itself was three times bigger in that way,I recommend if you hear music while reading manga or books.

Yup,it's been pretty good so far,I have completed the second volume by now (meaning I stopped before the fight against Sunshine's Nightmares in Osaka),but I am not planning to buy the physical volumes by VIZ,because I am newbie about importing products from outside of my country,my idea was to read all of the seven volumes scanned online and read blindly the untranslated material available,it's sad but it's the best option in my situation for now,it would have been good if there was a translating/scanning group on the Nisei stuff (and also being more closer to the source material than the VIZ Media version),but today,it's only Planetman that is translating any manga of Yudetamago's work in the anglophone world.

BTW,I have watched ALL of the subbed material from the original anime (74 episodes,2 movies and the TV special) that was yet released,and if I can say only one thing about the anime it's that it had really have grow my liking of it,and I had also found the Japanese raw part of anime,using download by Torrent,more than half of the material I want is already downloaded in my computer,but before seeing these untranslated footage,I ask you this important question,did the movies (except the first two) and the final filler arcs from the first Kinnikuman anime,have any plot twists or complex storyline,that it has to be subbed to understand what is happening?

About Paul von Oberstein,I know the parts of the fandom that dislikes him (a Russian creator of LotGH AMVs that I like public hates him,for example),but I totally love him too,he's the best shady character I've seen on the arts I've experienced yet and he is easily very high on my top 60 favorite people of the LotGH franchise,but I wouldn't say he's underappreciated in the overall fandom,in fact great characters like Rubinsky,Cazelnne,Rebelo,Merkatz,and Wahlen are much more underappreciated and ignored than Oberstein in my opinion,they are not better than Paul but they really should get some love from the fans.

The first thing to say about your purchases is that Wow!,I got really jealous here,like it nearly made me to not read the Akira manga that's is online :D,like your awesome collection box of Akira alone is probably more expensive than my entire manga collection XD,jokes aside,it's seem to be a really cool purchase,from a manga that I only hear fantastic things about (especially because I do think that the movie is very good),this manga plus Oyasumi Punpun,Blade of the Immortal,all of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure and a bunch of others,I will read and complete in this year,my objective for 2018 is to at least have 100 completed manga and having another 50 in reading (Blame! seems cool but I will probably not read it this year). I searched that Deng Xiaoping book to know what it is about and that seems to be a great book,did you completed it?

With you talking about your relatively recent purchases,I will do the same,I am buying the monthly volumes of the classic manga of Slam,♪ and welcome to the jam♪ Dunk and the Great (Driver,ops wrong timeline) Teacher Onizuka,which are both awesome manga with great translations in Brazilian Portuguese,I was planning to read the actual first manga of Onizuka first,but it has been pretty great anyways,and Slam Dunk is really living up to the hype,the overall execution by Takehiko Inoue is nearly perfect so far,it's has been so freaking good that is making me to really marathon the rest online like a madman,with reading Vagabond after completing it.

Another manga that I am buying monthly is Naoki Urasawa's Pluto,which I have already read completely in English but I love the manga so much that I have to buy it you know. The last manga that I completed in physical media,with two volumes,was the manga Opus from Satoshi Kon,which is very good,maybe it will grow on me. And finally,I am beginning to buy the newest and biggest version of Saint Seiya,each volume having the same quantity of pages as two or three normal volumes combined,it's very pricey,so it will take time to complete the collection,but of it being so expensive it practically impossible to have any shortages of it. XD

The "Berserk" part that I was talking about earlier Hmm,I understand your opinion on Berserk,but I disagree with the majority of it,I legitimately think that these last chapters did have important progression and interesting stuff on them,and that Kentaro still cares greatly about the overall writing on his manga. I also don't think of the Black Swordsman arc being bad as you said,like yes it was on 2015-2016 that I read it,but I remember of it being a good introduction to the themes of fantasy and the world of the series.

But your point of the Golden Age arc ultimately hurting Berserk do hold some truth,the series after it,for the last 20 years of publication,it did not have a any arc having 105/110 that the Golden Age arc has and that was because some great things from that specific giant arc was underutilized to not utilized at all in the posterior arcs,it's only in last arc that the manga become closer to the that level again.

Talking about scoring stuff,is important for me to say publicly that the scores I give to things besides the completed works are INVALID scores,these are the scores I am EXPECTING to give,in Berserk for example,in the situation today,I am expecting of it being comfortably on the 100/110 score,these next new chapters can totally change my expectations of it being lower or higher,but if the series was canceled today,the score for it would be lower than I am expecting of it,it would in fact be in between 090-095 out of 110. I do agree that an 8 shouldn't be looked down upon,yeah I do have more than 100 anime with a 8 score,but I have seen less than 5% of the known anime,so that is hardly a point of me being generous and more of me have seen little of the generic and bad anime out there.

About the hiatuses,this is gonna be strange,but I don't think it should be considered a problem of the work itself,but more a problem of personal experience of the work,like my experience with it is that I am reading the series since 2015,while I am guessing that you have been reading this series for a longer time than I,meaning you had experienced much more of the constant and long hiatuses of the series than me,it's not that I am declaring something as absurd as "you're wrong because seen the series for much longer than myself" but I genuinely think that the ideal way to experience this series is when it is completed and to do a marathon of it after said completion,therefore without the hiatuses jeopardizing the experience.

I also love Vinland Saga,really great series,but your phrase of "the Vikings are more Japanese than actual Vikings" in it it's hilarious yet true,but well,it's not really a problem for me too,historical authenticity is like hiatus in my opinion,something more akin to the personal knowledge of history by the reader/viewer than of a problem of the work,authenticity in the time period of the work is important to have a believable world,but for me it doesn't need to be totally perfect on it's accuracy,that's because it not immersion breaking in my experience when there is some factual errors in the work,is when there is no importance for having it that my suspension of disbelief breaks,it's that what makes movies like Gladiator to have pass while there is wrong facts in it,when 10.000 BC doesn't have the same treatment,because it's nonsensical garbage on this department. I heard great things about Vikings,some cousins of mine are giant fans of it,maybe in this year I will watch it. Now returning to Vinland Saga,what do you think of these last chapters (by chapter 147 that is) and of the actual arc we are in?