What are you reading?

[Jason_Miao]

Dreaming of Sunshine has updated.

I like how the 3rd phase exam fights are handled.  Quick overview, detail following the main char, and it doesn't bog down the entire story by devoting a chapter for each fight.

It would be nice if more anime/manga that involved tournaments would do the same (or perhaps they do these days; haven't seen anything new since Madoka).

[thepanda]

https://www.fanfiction.net/s/11434313/1/A-child-genius Simple ranma/negi crossover.  Basic, Ranma hangs out around there after a mushroom incident.  Lots of little bits done well, but its a really simple/short tale that brushes over things more often then not.

That was good. Like, I really, really needed that right now. Been a while since I've read anything Ranma related.

[Dracos]

Glad you enjoyed :)

[Dracos]

Just finished https://www.fanfiction.net/s/6362397/18/Beautiful-Destroyer-Sailor-Moon

Mmm.  Sage continues to take it in interesting ways.  A hangout with Usagi and Beryl is just something few people do.

[Anastasia]

That's still going? I remember dropping it ages ago, since it kept trying to one-up itself.

[Dracos]

Yeah.  He did a rewrite a while ago.

[Jason_Miao]

I'd posted the link to the machine translation to Ark earlier.  The last part was translated a few days ago, and the translator is now working on the sequel.

[Yuthirin]

A Dead World updated. After so LONG.

[Jason_Miao]

https://twigserial.wordpress.com/2014/12/24/taking-root-1-1/

Engineered children.

By Wildbow

[Anastasia]

https://twigserial.wordpress.com/2014/12/24/taking-root-1-1/

Engineered children.

By Wildbow

Is it any good?

[Jason_Miao]

Well, good is a subjective label.

Let me put it in a way that'll let you form your own conclusion without having to read it first: Its very much by Wildbow.

[Anastasia]

Well, good is a subjective label.

Let me put it in a way that'll let you form your own conclusion without having to read it first: Its very much by Wildbow.

Well, mild rephrase: Do you think it's good and why or why not?

Though your statement does tell me a whole lot of what I need to know.

[Yuthirin]

Well, good is a subjective label.

Let me put it in a way that'll let you form your own conclusion without having to read it first: Its very much by Wildbow.

With Wildbow's own unique psychoses?

[Jason_Miao]

With Wildbow's own unique psychoses?

Yes.

Well, mild rephrase: Do you think it's good and why or why not?

Though your statement does tell me a whole lot of what I need to know.

The stories of Worm and Pact could be described as generally good persons forced by circumstance to do horrible things.  This story is probably closer to pre-teen infiltration/black ops team whose members don't stand out as being particularly good or bad, controlled by a dystopian government.  For the first two stories, the story is a fight against a bitter status quo, whereas this story (as far as I've read) seems to be a fight to preserve it.

But those are just differences, not reasons.  I'm okay with reading dystopian literature.  I'm okay with reading about anti-heros.  Despite that, the story still doesn't quite grab me, and I'm not really sure how to articulate why it doesn't.  I've rewritten my explanation a few times, but they were just lists of features and not really a reason why I didn't find it to be great. I'll have to get back to you on this one.

[Anastasia]

The stories of Worm and Pact could be described as generally good persons forced by circumstance to do horrible things.

I'd argue about Taylor being counted as a generally good person, but anything involving Worm and morality is akin to a car running into a fuel tanker at 100 miles per hour. While on fire.

This story is probably closer to pre-teen infiltration/black ops team whose members don't stand out as being particularly good or bad, controlled by a dystopian government.  For the first two stories, the story is a fight against a bitter status quo, whereas this story (as far as I've read) seems to be a fight to preserve it.

I wouldn't take anything about the status quo away from Worm. Interesting observation there. I've always felt Worm's story was more about change and collapse, which are in opposition to the status quo. Though I suppose one could see that as merely a matter of perspective - change is still change away from that bitter status quo.

But those are just differences, not reasons.  I'm okay with reading dystopian literature.  I'm okay with reading about anti-heros.  Despite that, the story still doesn't quite grab me, and I'm not really sure how to articulate why it doesn't.  I've rewritten my explanation a few times, but they were just lists of features and not really a reason why I didn't find it to be great. I'll have to get back to you on this one.

Yeah, that can happen. I was like that about Worm at first, actually. From reading more and spending some time thinking about it, I came to realize it was because I have some fairly deep philosophical differences with various assertions and patterns Wildbow presents in his work. It's nothing really against the story but fundamental incompatibility instead.

Anyway, the point of what I'm saying is this: Sometimes it's not something directly in the story that bothers you, but something deeper. Something grabs you on some level and makes you disagreeable to the entire thing. Sort of in the same way some people just don't get along with each other.