@QuixoticHorizon
Same publisher.

Oh, and one more vote for more like the wyvern and rabbit story. That was adorawholesome.

Having read the manga until this very point, the ending didn't come as a surprise. I look forward to what the author has done in the next 3 volumes. 😋

Go tournament was interesting to me, primarily for how the freak's games are structured. As noted, he played second and without komi. Also as noted, komi is a relatively new addition to the game; while it's origins track to the 1920s, the current values of 6.5 or better are roughly 2 decades in age.

As to why I find this interesting, it's mainly an artifact of reading 8 immediately after 7. As the translation notes (which I find to be of immense value, so thank you for providing them) there indicated, our setting is most likely historical pseudo-china. Given that, I would assume that the relatively modern invention of komi would likewise be excluded, but clearly that isn't the case.

Please, Little Vio, I’m begging you. Have mercy on him.

Little Vio wins the Best Character award! 🤣

And with this, the series has ended. Thanks to the team for working on this series. 👏 🎉

In the afterword, I'm not sure if that bit about the manga is a jab or sincere praise

@Eminent said in Earl and Fairy Vol. 1 Discussion!:

Is this a good series? There are 33 volumes, so there's certainly a lot of content.

I like the volumes released so far.

It's an older series (started 2004, so pretty ancient (: ) and it doesn't read much like modern light novels, or even modern romance light novels. Not much focus on the cuteness of the heroine, or how she feels embarrassed by whatever the male lead does, or any of the other staples. Not much fanservice either.

It reads a bit like a romance set in the world of old British detective stories, with two major deviations - one, that lord Edgar is much more of an Arsène Lupin or Irene Adler type of character rather than any sort of detective, and second, that Lydia, besides being the HolmesWatson of the duo, is also a specialist in the old Scottish (or sometimes other British) supernatural creatures, who turn out to be very real, and very fae.

The romance is of the kind that some people might bounce off. There's enough of something there for it to be a real relationship, except that as it turns out Edgar has had a very traumatic past and is used to approaching the world in a "manipulate them before they could manipulate you" manner, and can't get rid of that habit even when it gets in his way, which makes the progress of the romance very slow, with frequent steps back. So far I'm happy to report that Lydia doesn't respond well to seduction and manipulation as opposed to honest dealings (but there's enough of manipulation attempts there that it might drive some people away anyway).

So, there you have it. It's been an interesting read so far for me, but the romance is slow burn and some people might not like some aspects of it.

Maybe, just maybe, discussions concerning future volumes with numbers like "10" and "11" should happen in something other than the discussion topic for volume 1.

I'm really fond of the way the series blends supernatural mysteries with ordinary human concerns, such that one could never be quite sure when and how much is the work of the fae. This time it was even more so, with the setting and the story strongly reminiscent of detective stories of the era.

I was getting a little concerned about the romance side, with Edgar trying his hardest to make me dislike him for being manipulative, but by the end of the volume we again got to the part where those sorts of approaches just don't get him the real connection he so obviously desires, and he realizes that. But it's a wild ride, in every volume he manages to make me angry with him at least once, because he can't stop backsliding.

I was also glad to see more of Ermine, whose exit from the series in the first volume was far too hasty. It remains to be seen if she'll be as interesting a character as she originally was; she didn't exactly get a chance to shine in this volume.

@TheGrimLich said in Earl and Fairy Vol. 4 Discussion!:

Hmm... I wonder what will happen to Ulysses when the selkies get their skins back.

I seem to recall at least one story not ending well for the person who stole the skins...

The series doesn't really keep that close to the original stories; it's the first time I've heard of selkie skins being anything but, you know, skins.

@SomeOldGuy yes

@whyohwhy1 I belive it was in Sep that 1 site started selling .https://jpbookstore.com/products/the-greatest-magicmasters-retirement-plan-17 Unless it is a pre-order kind.
Also there are 2 colored ilustration already

We're at the end of another volume. Reading it cleared up a few things for me at least. I remember reading the manga, but it was messy and didn't explain enough (or anything at all really).

Is the series continuing? Been a while since volume 6 was completed.

@saidahgilbert said in I Could Never Be a Succubus! Vol. 1 Discussion!:

Did they tell the marquis that all those people were dreaming, that there was no attacker? Or did they offer up a scapegoat so Liz could go her merry way?

It's hard to imagine that Liz would have been able to return to her previous life as a noble after amnesia if anyone knew she had dormant succubus powers.

So, while I don't think we're told what Cain told the marquis, I imagine Cain kept Liz's secret. I'm guessing he informed the marquis that people were losing their vitality to a succubus, and the succubus had been defeated, and so the situation had been resolved.

@Daniel-Perez-Apreza-fymrbja said in Moon Blossom Asura Vol. 2 Discussion!:

any idea of when is the next update?

Volume 3 doesn't come out in Japan until January 10th, 2024, so probably some point after that.

@Jon-Mitchell said in The Frontier Lord Begins with Zero Subjects Vol. 1 Discussion!:

the 'creeper rule' (probably has other names but that's the one I know)=
age of younger partner must be greater than or equal to 1/2 the elder partner's age plus seven , any younger than that and the elder partner is being a creep

I love your "creeper rule"'s history. That it originally described that the ideal age of a bride was half the groom's age plus seven. But in modern times it's morphed into the opposite.

It isn't creepy or ick-inducing to me at all; my parents broke it.... because my mom was looking for an experienced older man with kids who would stay at home and raise their kids while she pursued her own career, lol. Rules are made to be broken, as long as you understand why they're rules.

In this case, Alna's hardly dependent on Diaz for his wealth or social status, and I can't imagine him being able to manipulate her with experience. Rather he's pretty dependent on her for anything other than dispensing violence and doing manual labor.

Silly, funny, hearwarming, and also silly. Takes the story in a lot of unexpected directions, with a lot more side characters than the first volume has. (Alas, almost no appearances from my favourite delivery person.) Main duo pretty overpowered, except when it comes to matter of love, where they're adorably awkward. It's still a very light entertainment but it's unexpectedly satisfying to read.

Did I mention it's often silly? There's not many stories where a seven years old girl being a top delinquent at an academy would be as unremarkable as it is here.

Better than a lot of romance in one aspect. Since Allen's employing, mentoring and protecting Charlotte, there's an imbalance to any potential relationship, and I love that the book stopped and spelled that out, on more than one opportunity, and that Allen seriously put his feelings aside until Charlotte herself mentioned she wouldn't mind. Kudos!

This was interesting. I hope it's a short series, maybe two or three books max. It wouldn't be as funny to me if it was longer than that.

This volume has some "first major arc ended, what now" vibes, but it's not a big drop. It still has a lot of chuckle-worthy moments, a cast full of rather eccentric personalities without getting one-note, and a pleasant atmosphere that's not quite slow life but not a full adventure mode either.

What always makes me happy is the way our cast could be overpowered without letting that become their personality. Sara in particular is ridiculous, but her motivations come from caring about others, both her close ones and people in general. And even though she could be the badassest hunter that ever badassed, she doesn't like killing so she doesn't. I really like her as a protagonist.

This volume ends with our cast having left the previous plot mostly behind, and somewhat aimless. It's not bad to have a lighter volume, but I hope the action and drama picks up a bit for the next part. There were seeds of it throughout the volume - the distant nobles plotting, the not-so-distant nobles being annoying and dangerous, the incompetent guildmaster - but a lot of it got left behind unresolved, without being obvious if it's going to be relevant ever again, so there could be a lot of foreshadowing, or a lot of filler, depending on where the next volume goes.

Favourite part: Sara's meeting with the mountain wolves was the best illustration I've seen in quite a while. Of course, it wouldn't be nearly as effective if the books didn't spend so much time setting it up...

Favourite quote: "Anyway, first you say I'm a child, then you say I'm just a girl, but as soon as you realize I'm worth something in a fight, you try to order me to do the impossible. That's what's so gross about you." - Sara, laying a verbal smackdown on a very deserving target