#I will also say that I like how some characters act differently because Aseo (the player tarnished) is kind off a dipshit

[largemandrill]

What the gag manga also understands is when to use the characters seriously. Jokes stop when the atmosphere gets tense or when there isn’t much to make fun of. The chapter in Summonwater Village relies mostly on slapstick comedy because of the genuine presentation of D and Rogier’s bitterness towards each other. If they didn’t get thrown in the air repeatedly by an oar there wouldn’t be much to laugh at. Same goes towards Irina’s death (her father is treated as a joke, not her) and ESPECIALLY the Radahn festival. That entire arc was treated with genuine suspense and had good story telling outside of its perimeters as a joke story.

Road to the Erdtree is so versatile as a narrative in its own right that it defeats the existence of the other two.

Perhaps the real gag of Road to the Erdtree was how the author is the only one who understands how to properly characterize everyone.

Lol I guess it's the classic "breaking the rules well because you're familiar with them to begin with". That mangaka also gets silly with characters but it also feels like they clearly understand them to begin with. They take traits the characters already have and exaggerate them into absurdity and that's why it works.

This other manga has some great moments, particularly at the end with roderika and hewg and her "chains". So idk why they insisted on making everyone else look like dingbats lol I think, given we already have a gag manga, this one would be better served telling more heartfelt/dramatic stories with more organic comedic moments rather than trying to force the humor.

[sananaryon]

The manga is great and i really think it manages to strike a good balance between comedy and sincerity (as any good parody should). Most of the time the focus is on being funny, of course, but it's very obvious that the mangakas have a lot of respect and love for the source material, and the sincere moments just feel all the more sincere.

Case in point, Godrick being reinterpreted as a bit of a bumbling grandfather/boss who wants his underlings to be happy in their work even while still doing the whole grafting thing? Really funny.

Godrick breaking down after his defeat because he already felt like a complete failure of a demigod and being defeated by a lowly tarnished just made all his insecurities all that worse? Oof, my heart

Godrick's soldiers standing up for him and cheering him on because of how bravely he had faced Malenia herself to protect them, leading him to decide that he doesn't need a stupid great rune when he has his men, and accepting his defeat with grace? Holy shit character development!

Also gotta say, this manga is I think the first time I've seen an adaptation really get the core appeal of FromSoft games.

At the start of the game, Aseo (the Tarnished) is a cowardly wretch who runs away from mosquitos, evne Melina thinks he'll amount to nothing. But, like a player character, he gets stronger as the story goes on. He picks up on weapon arts in the Weeping Peninsula, learns how to use Carian Grandour just by watching Moongrum do it (which also pays off a running gag that Melina only levels up his intelligence, truly the epitome of high Int, low Wis), and by the time he faces O'neill he is badass enough to face him down with no hesitation

Not that he's an invincible badass or anything, he puts up a good fight but needs Polyanna's help to win (Polyanna gets dialogue, wooo!), and he really doesn't wanna meet Radahn, but he's grown so much and I'm so proud of him.

Not to mention that he's just a good guy, as i mentioned. First Fromsoft protagonist who's actually a decent man. And he and Roderika are besties<3

Also the manga just has a lot of fun with reinterpreting the characters. Obviously they're a lot different from canon cause comedy, but they're reinterpreted in really fun and good ways! Blaidd is a doofus who can't read a map AT ALL and half their interractions is just Aseo guiding him to where he's supposed to go, Ranni is a bit of a spoiled brat who tries to act cool with her whole mysterious ice witch persona and then immediately loses her patience when Aseo doesn't immediately kiss the ground she walks on (and also her mysterious fading into snow whenever she's talked to the Tarnished is just her hiding in the bush next to where she sat)

And Melina...

Well, she's her mother daughter. Manipulative, condescending, no patience for people who annoy her, outright threatens the Tarnished if he's taking too many detours for her liking, and beats people to death with blunt weapons when they try her patience. She's great, Marika Junior (can't wait to see what Marika is like in the manga)

also god damn the mangaka are going through the item descriptions with Vaatividya-esque obsession because wow do they keep referencing really obscure lore. Like, some of it is obvious like Rennala and Radagon's marriage or Ranni and Radahn being siblings.

But then there's stuff like Rya being mad that Boggart's "prawn" is actually crayfish (and Boggart saying it doesn't matter since it's delicious anyway) or Aseo thinking Lionel is a creep for randomly delcaring himself Fia's dad

Also Fia's Deathbed Companionship is chiropracty, cheers on them for not going for the obvious sex joke

In conclusion, amazing manga, really funny but also really sincere and clearly cares a lot about the source material. 10/10, everyone should read.

also

get his ass

Just wanted to let you know that the manga is still incredible and the best balance of genuinely emotional moments and ridiculous fuckery that has ever been put to paper

also making a soulsborne protagonist who's above all else kind and compassionate is just an inspired touch

I really do need to read the manga at some point, it looks amazing. I'd been avoiding it because I thought it was going to be jokey all the way through. But it's capable of being sincere as well as funny? Sign me up!