#but considering the mc is supposed to be just a player isekai with at least partial amnesia I feel like she should be closer to my age now?

[amouress16]

I decided to design my own Yuu/MC oc! A lot of her ‘abilities’ and such are things I have interpreted from canon and some theories I have on why the MC is the way they are.

[troofless]

Under-appreciated light novels recommendation list, ranked in terms of PLEASE READ, to ehh, I’ll just put it in anyway:

Legend of Sun Knight (Completed Translation+Series): Set in a world of knights and magic, this series is golden comedy because the MC literally carries the plot. He’s smart, snarky and sleazy… but in a good way. I wrote about it here, but this series is for people who love comedy and political-castle-intrigue-level manipulation. ANYWAY PLEASE READ IT IT’S UP THERE ON MY TOP TEN BOOKS TO READ. No anime or manga translation. WHY.

Rakuin no Monshou (Completed Translation): For people who love the switching-the-royal-prince-with-a-body-double trope, political manoeuvring, military tactics, having the main character travel to different countries and exploring their governing system, and major character growth. No ecchi scenes, mentions of sex and rape (if any) are not elaborated on. Love between the MC and the female lead is more of a stranger to mutual respect to love, but since the female lead is literally 14-15 (they’re engaged to foster peace between two countries and not some lolicon thing), there are literally 0 sexy/blushy blushy/kissing/intimacy scenes between them. In the story their relationship feels less like a lovey dovey couple and more like the relationship between two generals that trust each other. This doesn’t have an anime or manga series after it. Why.

Only Sense Online (Ongoing Translation, Ongoing Series): Unlike the recent isekai and trapped-in-an-online-game-and-if-you-die-in-the-game-you-die-for-realsies trends that are going around right now, this is just a game where the MC has fun playing a normal VRMMO and makes new friends in it. …In fact, the MC isn’t an otaku or a game maniac, his sister and childhood friend are the ones crazy about levelling up and doing all the main subjugation-monster quests and everything, he’s more of the chill type who’d rather hang back and craft stuff to sell in his shop. He likes doing things at his own pace and learning how to craft new things in his own time. Instead of battling monsters and levelling up, he’s more likely to be seen harvesting items and mining rocks. Oh, and also at the start of the game he mis-clicked and is stuck in a female avatar, and combined with his mothering, take-care-of-everyone personality, everyone treats him like like a ‘nanny’ and is in awe of his ‘moe-ness’, even though he keeps insisting he’s a guy. One of the story’s underlying message is that different people have different ways of enjoying the same game, be it doing quests in a party, creating items to support players, roleplaying, and even PKing, and that’s okay because that’s what a game is for. No angst or permanent character deaths (it is a game after all), tis for warming your heart with the sheer sunny goodness that is the MC. No ecchi. Has an ongoing manga series, but no anime.

Hidan no Aria (Ongoing Translation, Completed Series): MC goes to a 'military’ school that trains students to be armed detectives, or as they say, ‘Butei’ (Busou Tantei). Think mercenaries. Female MC is a OP genius and major tsundere, only out-shadowed by our MC. MC considers himself weak, and because of his genes, his innate OP powers is only triggered when a certain condition is met: aka when he is sexually aroused. (Insert sexy times.) In this mode he doesn’t get flashy superpowers or anything (at least, by the world’s standard) — all it does it accelerate his brain’s thought process, but it gets so OP to the point where can deflect bullets with his own bullets and slice bullets in two with his knife. OP God Mode. This trigger also turns him into a major flirt and gigolo that can’t say no to a girl, which caused him to actively seek to avoid situations where he is in close contact with girls to prevent being triggered. Has a ‘harem’ of girls if you wanna call it that way, but even though the story is halfway translated as of now, it’s obvious he’s fallen for the main female lead. You’d only want to read this story to find out the next BS thing the MC does when he’s triggered, and it can only get higher and higher. Seriously, the moment where he catches a bullet in his teeth (way later in the story) gives you the best feeling ever. To put it in the Female MC’s words: "How about that rating, Kinji? Being classed by the world as a dangerous character who fights non-humans? Tell me how do you like that?” And his words: "–I’m a senior high school student. My grades are slightly below average, and I attend a violent school.”, and his monologue: [At least that was what I want to be. Honestly…] Had a 2011 anime and ongoing manga series, as well as a Yuri spinoff series (as per the usual anime law decreeing that all spinoffs have to have Yuri plot in them, see Soul Eater and Fate Prisma).

Baka to Test to Shoukanjuu (Completed Translation + Series): Idiots doing idiotic things in school. Interesting battle system, with loads of comedy. Loads. Of. Comedy. No ecchi scenes. Had an two-season anime series in 2010 and 2011, and a manga series.

Chrome Shelled Regios (Completed Translation + Series): Main character is OP but gets debuffed at the very start, tries to restart his life as a normal person but realises that his innate talent for fighting doesn’t allow him to. Has many female love interests but at the end MC only chooses one. ‘Magic’ system works a little differently from conventional sources, nearing more to martial arts style, and telekinesis-telepathy combination rather than enchanting-spell type. What else can I say other than the MC controls a weapon made of thousands of infinitely thin and sharp wires that he uses to slice bugs (the main enemy) up with... which is so badass. (Though his main weapon is a sword.) No ecchi scenes. The sideplot about ‘fate’ and the history of the setting gets a little confusing though. This had an anime, but since the director died right before the 2009 anime ended it’s unlikely that a second season will come out. It does have a manga side plot series that is completed and a great accompaniment to the main light novel.

CubexCursedxCurious (Completed Translation + Series): MC lives in a house that is apparently so holy that cursed weapons journey there to get purified and lift their cursed. Oh yeah, and some cursed weapons can turn into people too (Soul Eater style?). Wielding the weapons will obviously give you great power, but it also has serious drawbacks, e.g. A sword cursed to be able to slice through anything, drawback is that their owner will be consumed by bloodlust and is compelled to draw blood with that sword (in other words, the old regular cursed sword rule). MC is of course immune to curses (and so he can wield that sword) because he was born in that holy place. Female lead is originally a torture device made of 32 different torture tools, including Iron Maiden, Guillotine, Pendulum, etc. Literally the first scene is the female lead found naked (since her real form is a mcfreaking cube I would not be surprised) in the MC’s kitchen looking for food to eat so let there be a representative of the subsequent ecchi scenes to be found. The cursed tool system is cool, anyway. MC doesn’t end up with anyone is particular. Plus point: Not all female characters introduced are in love with the male MC. Just three (3) girls. Also, the second light novel doesn’t feature the ‘second’ heroine’s backstory arc like a lot of light novels do... but instead a couple of a girl and a genderfluid character. Cool stuff. Had a 2011 anime and (very behind) manga series.

Other more well known ones:

Mahou Shoujo Ikusei Keikaku (Up to Date Translation, Ongoing Series): Think Battle Royale x Danganronpa x the Mahou Shoujo Trope. Lots of blood and death, so don’t bother if you don’t want to see your favourite character die/put through lots of angst and depression. Each Magical Girl has different superpowers and you’d only want to read it in hopes of seeing your favourite character live to the end/have a cool death scene/have cool action scenes in general. One of the underlying themes was that it’s not a given that powerful people will always win; the strong can be overthrown by the weak (I can think of at least two occasions), a person can win a killing game without any blood on their hands, and the magical government is pretty much corrupt. Had a recent 2016 anime series and a manga series.

Hyouka (Up to Date Translation and Series): Based on Agatha Christie stories, think mysteries but without any actual murder.

And then I’ll throw in a few English books to show that I have good taste in books:

Captive Prince by CS Pacat: Gayyyyy + lots of politics. THE ROMANCE THOUGH.... enemies to tentative friends to hostile ‘ah we’re supposed to be on opposing sides as enemies of each other’s nation’ to lovers YEAAHHHHHHH. Some parts are explicit, yeah.

In Other Lands by Sarah Rees Brennan: MC was dragged into a magical military academy in a magical land to be a child soldier, but instead of being typical Harry Potter he is snarky, sarcastic and actually raises valid questions like why the heck are they raising child soldiers??? Bisexual icon male MC who is also a pacifist I love him he must be protected

Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein: War story narrated by a spy who was caught by enemy soldiers and forced to reveal her state secrets in the form of written narrative. Mystery and unreliable narrator time! If you can survive the first few draggy chapters and then a little more the reveal is SO. REWARDING. Female MC.

Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett: I tried recommending this to my friend and sadly I realised that if you have no background knowledge on Christianity and what the apocalypse details you may not find this interesting. It’s a shame because it’s so funny. EDIT: I’m so glad it got a TV series??? That means more people will read the book, which is amazing, right??? 

The Sherwood Ring by Elizabeth Marie Pope: Female MC and the story of her ancestor’s romances (think short story-style but all connected together). Straight romance. Female MC.

Any book by Brandon Sanderson: Yes. Just… yes.

Summers at Castle Auburn by Sharon Shinn: A bastard girl stays in the castle with her royal relatives for the summer. (If you’re wondering there is discrimination against her as a commoner but overall she is loved by her family there.) Somehow the only page I have bookmarked in this book is the part near the end where the MC commits royal crimes, and is slapped by the king, giving the reader no small amount of satisfaction. Fantasy-style with small amount of political intrigue, female MC is a apprentice hedgewitch so she knows herbal knowledge (which is a prominent part of the book when she uses it?). Anyway, please read.

A Posse of Princesses by Sherwood Smith: Female princess MC is invited to a large one week (?) party with the other country’s princes and princesses to celebrate this big county’s prince’s great birthday or smth. Some political intrigue and also great plot twist. At the end of it I got really invested in the romance between the side characters bc they were really well developed lol..

The Queen’s Thief Series by Megan Whalen Turner: The third book is my favourite book because I love the MC (Costis!!!!!), bless his innocent soul (COSTIS!!!!!!) caught up in the nefarious plots of the first book MC. Little romance and more of political plots.

Warriors by Erin Hunter: I had to include at least one joke book and this was it. Anyway this was the series I grew up reading, honestly the third series had the best MC in the blind, grumpy, no-nonsense healer who is so refreshingly different from a normal ‘hero archetype’ MC. (*whisper* You gotta talk about the furries, troof!) Oh. Oh yeah, they’re all cats.

[drink-n-watch]

  It was snowing yesterday but today is sunny and warm. Seems the universe is confused in my little corner. We’re also slowly considering unquarantining in these parts which I am a little unsure about. I understand the economic pressures but we aren’t exactly in clear waters yet. If you are someone who has to go back to work physically, you have my sympathy, and thanks for keeping things going. I’m going to stick around my home a bit longer. I get sick really easily and there’s no point in clogging up our healthcare system if I don’t have to. 

How about you Crow? How’s the weather and the news where you are?

  We had a hard freeze last night, which is really unusual for Ohio. Though weather extremes are becoming a bit more frequent… We’re talking about reopenings, too, and like you, I am concerned. My wife sent me a great discussion of the topic by someone who’s not only credentialed, but who is really lucid and articulate! Basically, I’ll work from home as long as they let me. I, too, have no desire to clog up the health care system.

Let’s talk about more pleasant things. And what could be more pleasant than My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom!? It’s a trick question, don’t worry about finding an answer.

I’m not entirely sure a show like Villainess can have filler episodes but if so, I would say this was one. It’s the middle of the season and I figure the series wanted to take a little breather with this small collection of vignettes. Everything was in tone with the show but it’s the type of episode you can skip and not really miss anything. Except for the very end but we’ll get to it.

This said, just because I didn’t think the episode served much narrative purpose, doesn’t mean I didn’t like it. It was a nice little vacation and it’s always lovely to see these characters. Any opening thoughts Crow?

Alan, Mary, and Nicol had some interesting moments in this episode. I’ll be interested to see if you mention them! I’ve been trying to get a handle on what Nicol’s thinking, and we might have gotten a peek!

Full disclosure, I don’t really have much to say about this one and even though I just finished watching it, I’m going over my screencaps to remember what happened.

I think my favourite part was the opening tag. There is something so fun and so “Catarina” about having a fake snake artisan make her replicas and then practicing the throws with the actual thing. For someone so oblivious, Catarina sure is prepared. And I adore her poor exasperated maid! And her mom. Catarina is in fact a lot like her isekai mom despite having different sensibilities and I like that a lot!

That little scene where the maid and mom were reflecting on how much better everything became after little Catarina planted her forehead on the paving stones was really interesting. I figured the maids and butlers would have been happier with Catarina’s change. I didn’t realize that even mom (and apparently dad) felt so much better off, too! So far, it’s like Catarina is making the world a lot better! Though a few ominous hints showed up later in the episode. Well, as ominous as this show can be.

The lake scene was fine. It was cute and Marie got to throw in some yuri. I realize that although we see him often, Geordo doesn’t ever get the chance at any proper development. 

His biggest development? I am starting to feel sorry for him! Nicol even said that his smiles are more open and honest now that Catarina’s with him. But no one’s letting him be alone with her. Not Keith, and not Mary. Mary in particular seems to be getting kind of fierce! Gotta say I am a fan.

However I did call it last week when I said they might want to give Nicol some air time. This was more fun than I thought it would be. To me, all the boys’ character designs are pretty much equal and it’s just a question of your particular hair colour preference, but that show has made it clear that Nicol is supposed to be much more attractive than, everyone really… Still I always sort of forget about it and seeing Catarina physically swoon was pretty funny! I’m also starting to dig the running joke about how inexpressive Nicol is.

Don’t get me wrong, he still doesn’t stand a chance. However, I’m glad that he went from an unrealized prop supporting character to a slightly developed one.

I’ll give him credit. What he said to Catarina and how he said it was really romantic! I thought it was hilarious how Sophia urged him on, then was shocked to find Catarina practically catatonic in reaction to his near confession!

And then we had Alan’s time in the spotlight, both as the vignette was about him and as he quite literally was in the spotlight. From what we know of Fortune Lover, this is probably the biggest sign that he is no longer the same character as in the game. That Alan would never have had all the attention on him like that, and even enjoyed it. 

I guess it indirectly speaks to the growth in Geordo’s character as well, since he’s letting his brother take the glory and not interfering in any way.

That was a great scene, wasn’t it? I could even feel the romantic tension when Alan’s eyes locked with Catarina’s! So could Mary, too, I think — or at least she suspects.

Often these types of episodes will have something to tie back into the main plot and get the viewers excited again about the ongoing narrative. This episode was no exception. At the very end, we got a small flash of Catarina’s previous life while discussing Fortune Lover with her classmate.

Her school friend is really cute. My favourite design and I’m sorry we see her so rarely. 

It’s really common practice for dating sims to have a secret or true route that is unlocked only once you’ve finished all the other routes. Frequently that route will not be openly advertised although most experienced otome players will spot it right away. More recent games also have DLC routes that come out later. It’s a smart business model. That’s what was implied in Catarina’s memory. I think Sirius is the unlockable character. That line about him not liking anyone was given way too much importance for it to just be random dialogue.

And it’s clear that Catarina has gone from rival to MC, so guess she could play that route. What do you think Crow?

I think you’re on to something. The scene was really prominent, and his expression too neutral to be trusted. And did you see the crowd of young women glaring at him as he watched Catarina join Geraldo to dance? They were furious. I think there’s some trouble brewing there, in fact.

Though with the caliber of people surrounding Catarina, I think she’s safe.

I’m impressed by the staying power of the premise. Sure, the series is somewhat repetitive, but 6 episodes in and I’m still really enjoying it. The charming cast helps that a lot, but the story itself has more to offer than I would have thought. Way to go!

Even the repetitive jokes, like Catarina completely misunderstanding why Keith and Geraldo were fighting over the boats, still works. The setup is clean, the characters are true to themselves, and the timing is good.

I think we need to keep an eye on Mary, though. Looks like she’s starting to feel a bit desperate — and that some of her plans are starting to go awry. I wonder what part that’ll plan in the coming episodes?

      My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom! ep 6 – The Devilish Count Makess His Move It was snowing yesterday but today is sunny and warm. Seems the universe is confused in my little corner.