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[thewizardingtoad]

Why I hate the anime chess scene (aka. I still refuse to let it go a year later)

I wrote about how this scene establishes Zod's character and also his and Desir's dynamic pretty much perfectly, but how did the anime 'ruin' it? I mean, a scene can be bad for a large number of reasons, but "ruin" or "destroy" is a completely separate term that I think shouldn't be thrown around so easily.

The problem is that the scene doesn't work anymore.

In both the novel and the manhwa, Desir doesn't win the chess match because he is better than Zod, he wins because he makes him hurry. He says in the novel, that he never defeated him in chess before, and also that he is now at a disadvantage, because this Zod plays differently than in the future, so he doesn't know how he will react to his moves.

The only reason he manages to win, is because Zod has a meeting in less than half an hour, and he is a cocky old man, and makes a harsh move that loses him the match.

After this, Desir shows him his idea, and he pretty much loses any and all interest in anyhing that isn't this new shiny thing that he doesn't understand. He cancels his meetings, he gives Desir his credit card, he does not give a fuck! He needs to know what Desir did and he needs to know it NOW! That's his character. This side of him is shown in the novel and manhwa multiple times. If there's a shiny new magic trick he will not care about anything else but that.

And the anime made Desir show him the 'shiny new magic trick' before finishing the match. If Zod's character is the same as the novel and manhwa one, there is no meeting anymore. There is no 'I only have x minutes I need to hurry'. There is no 'There's no way this kid can beat me'.

There is however 'Oh fuck, I have to win, no, I NEED to win, I NEED to know how he did that, I can't risk not winning, there's too much on the line.' and Desir, if this scene made any sense, would now lose. Lose the match, lose the sponsorship, lose the whole story.

And he knew it. He knew how Zod works, he knew how to make him lose, and he made him lose in every other iteration of this story, except for the anime, because anime Desir is apparently a fucking idiot.

And that's why I'm not excited for the 2nd season, and why I hate everything about this, because the story should be over. Desir lost. He didn't have to, of course, but the anime needed half an episode of filler, so something had to be cut, and you know, why not the chess scene? It doesn't have any significance after all. Not like you can ruin the whole show by cutting it, right?

Right? :D

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Noone:

Returner's Magic manhwa: I can kill this one old man soooo many times

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Pram Schneider from A returner's magic should be special :3

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Spoilers for chapter 260+

I want to make so many jokes about Zod haunting the narrative, but like, that isn't tEcHnIcAlLy correct, so I'm going to make a lot of jokes about Zod haunting Desir which is actually funnier.

Zod: Please don't overwork yourself.

Desir 200 years later (because mages live long, that's why): And I disappoint you once again. Sorry. I must self detonate. For science.

Zod in the background: *turns into mana cherry blossom like, the 30th time this century*

[thewizardingtoad]

Everytime I see posts like this I get filled with such profound sadness

Cause you know who has the same brainrot as you? The same unhinged feelings as you after you've read the fic? The person who always wants to scream about the fic with you?

THE PERSON WHO WROTE IT

I never used to leave comments but since I got into the habit of commenting on everything i enjoy it's been incredible. Especially when the author gets back to me about it and we get to have a discussion of what other ideas they had. One writer replied to my comment with a 5 paragraph essay detailing the Floorplan of the building the characters lived in and it was incredible

Anyways this is all to say that if you find a fic that just makes you want to scream from the rooftops, leave a comment saying that to the author and maybe they will join you and you can scream incoherently together

[thewizardingtoad]

So how are we doing post-returner's magic chapter 251?

Personally I'm gonna kill this man, and then resurrect him, like 😭😭😭 bitch you just died stop worrying about everyone else, get better (resurrect yourself mf "greatest mage of humanity" stop being dead).

Fun fact/novel spoiler: after Zod said the thing (If i had a son I hoped he would have been like you) Desir thinks that he feels the same way 😭😭😭

Still have no idea why they brought this Helena character in tho, like??? You don't need to give him a wife to be able to say 'i would have wanted a son like you', but whatever.

Quote from the novel:

The image of a man slowly appeared, as though he were being painted into the world. The blue eyes that were gently staring at Desir were as deep as the open sea. His wavy hair looked as though it was the crystallization of all the wisdom this world had to offer. Though his presence was overwhelming, there was something disarming about his posture. His half-upturned lips outed his mischievous personality, like a rascal caught red-handed.

-Chapter 287

Just putting it here because it's so funny, how if someone just goes into the novel blind to find out what's happening they can be like 'who tf is this??? Who tf is that?? Blue eyes??? Who??

Also this is my favourite description of him but that's not important.

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I can't believe I'm saying this, but the chess scene with English dub is like??? Uniquely amazing?? Surprisingly very good??? Thank you, english dub for making me not want to go on an hour long rant every time I remember that the anime will have a 2nd season???

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They didn't have to go so hard with the volume 5 cover but damn they sure did

Like??? Just look at him!!! Look at this man!!

Also, let's be honest someone really REALLY loves him, him getting new clothes every single time we see him considered (i'm not complaining I'm So Not complaining)

But like, also, you just know that there must be at least one gossip magazine in universe solely dedicated to 'And this is what The Tower Master was wearing today folks!'

And can you blame them????

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2 seasons of colossal mistakes i fucking just can't anymore why are they doing this

I've never understood ATLA nor PJO fans (despite being one of them) as much as now. Returners magic anime? What?? That doesn't exist and even if it did it would clearly be a colossal mistake

[thewizardingtoad]

I've never understood ATLA nor PJO fans (despite being one of them) as much as now. Returners magic anime? What?? That doesn't exist and even if it did it would clearly be a colossal mistake

[thewizardingtoad]

I NOW WISH THEY LEFT IT OUT WHAT THE FUCK

💀💀💀💀💀💀💀💀💀💀💀💀💀💀💀💀💀💀💀💀💀💀💀💀💀💀💀💀💀💀💀💀💀💀💀💀

Chess episode coming soon 🥹👀👀

[thewizardingtoad]

Did...

did they just...

butcher...

the chess scene(TM)?

🙃

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*2 episodes on the raid <- more than likely the bs reason why chapters 44 and 45 won't be animated, fuck you half filler episode 10 💀

Chess episode coming soon 🥹👀👀

[thewizardingtoad]

Time, Chess, and the Tower of Magic

(novel: 29-35)

(manhwa: 44-45)

I just reread the scene in the novel, and I'm kind of obsessed with it, but also am in awe of how well it established the dynamic between Desir and Zod, something that I feel like the manhwa didn't really do, so, I'm doing a bit of comparing under the cut.

Also, if you like these characters in the manhwa, then you should 100% read at least these few chapters, because, as I said before, they are amazing.

So the manhwa starts us off with how Zod is an "odd fellow", he's always been that, and how he lead civilization into a new era of magic, he's achievements are endless, and is Desir's irreplaceable friend.

Now, in the novel, Desir says that Zod accepted his request because he was intrigued by it. (True) He says that Zod single-handedly renewed interest in magic.

(Also, fun-fact: someone wrote a book about all of his accomplishments, and it's thicker than most encyclopedias.)

(Also also, in the manhwa he looks like 40, in the novel that's 30)

The next scene plays out almost the same, except that we learn, in the novel, that Zod has an 'archaic feeling to his words'.

While in the manhwa he's all nice, and smiley etc. novel!Desir points out that until the North Sea's rules are mentioned, Zod's so impatient to get on with the match that it can almost be heard in his tone, which for this old man is VERY impatient.

And then of course Desir drops the bomb, that yeah, he wants to play the Rule set that originates from Zod's homeland and n!Desir immediately points out how much more relaxed Zod gets from hearing that.

The chess match starts, and in both mediums Zod's like, this kid is pretty good, but he's still just a kid, and "[He's] too hasty with [his] moves"

Desir, when he's on the verge of losing, makes the bet. It goes in the novel as it goes in the manhwa, except that a) Zod's like, 'I know that everything you did so far was to make this wager, and I hope you see how suspicious you are.' and b) At this Desir's just like, 'Wow, you're very interested, huh? Then I won't tell you until I win.'

And then the whole 'you play like a whole different person' thing happens in the manhwa, 'oh, well, I played against him in the future so of course I know how he plays', 'I've been the same person this entire time' etc. etc.

So. That does not happen in the novel.

What happens instead is we get the explanation as to why is Desir losing:

He's been playing with Zod for 6 years, yes,

However, this Zod plays differently than other Zod

In the future, his play style is more aggressive

Now he focuses on counter-play and he's more reserved

And Desir deduced this in the first few steps in their game, and been sacrificing pieces since then to analyze Zod's play style.

And also, yes, Desir did figure the greatest mage of all time out in what? 20 minutes?

And Desir might be losing, but because of the time limit Zod's going to make some stupid moves, which Desir deducted will happen, then he makes even worse moves, and the next thing Zod knows is that he got ripped to shreds in 3 minutes.

In the novel, Desir mentions that in the last minutes of the match, Zod's straight up panicking over how bad the situation has gotten for him.

Then, when Desir mentions the trade, Zod tries to calmly explain to him why that's not possible "You're asking to exchange a bar of gold for a peanut"

Desir of course doesn't budge and after a bit of "bartering" it's clear just how fed up with this "boy"'s bs Zod is and reading this scene after the manhwa is kind of shocking

Zod expressed disdain at the boy's choice. "I expected you to choose more wisely. You've rejected my offer, and I can't accept your deal. With that, the negotiations are over." The man rose to get up from his seat.

(...)

"So you think this is a fair deal." The Tower Master was audibly upset by Desir's words.

And I'm very sad that this scene in this form didn't make it to the manhwa, because while we see Zod being dismissive and uninterested in Desir's idea before he sees it to himself, we don't see him being, well, like this.

Prideful, kind of cocky, and straight up offended that a mere student would even dare to suggest that his idea worth as much as support from the Tower of Magic, upset to the point that Desir has to actively put out 'fires' during the conversation so that it can progress.

Which is a beautiful way of showing us how, yes, Desir does know this guy, he knows why he's upset he knows what to say to get him to calm down enough to listen and also how to say it.

What in the manhwa is essentially just 'Well if I show you that my idea is worth it then it will be fine, right? Let me show you then.' in the novel is Desir going on first about how of course what he's saying is outrageous, and Zod is right to be upset, but shouldn't Zod know that impossible things are sometimes real? And then he starts explaining how 20 years old Zod Exarion becoming the Tower Master was an impossible feat, or maybe, perhaps, even more impossible, a student defeating him in chess! Which happened just now, and That is when Zod tells him to show him his idea.

This scene alone reaffirms to the reader, that Desir doesn't just know Zod as a tactician, but as a person, he knows how to talk to him, he knows how to talk sense into him, and that Desir did this enough in the past that this comes like second nature to him.

Zod being stone headed and stuck to his ways until Desir reminds him that he's been just like this boy in the past is also one of the most Old Person Thing TM Zod does in the entire novel, showing and not just telling us that the G is not just for show in that GILF he is actually old.

After that the "reveal" scene plays out pretty similarly except that Zod gets a bit more info out of Desir, one of them is that he didn't necessarily discover the technic but he "knows of it", and Desir lets the reader know that the person who discovered it was in fact Zod, just 3 years into the labyrinth, and as he starts explaining the theory Zod catches up extremely quickly, actually taking over Desir's explanation of how resonance is better than the enchant method.

When Desir mentions that he has more ideas like this, Zod tells his secretary to cancel every plan he has until he says otherwise, which is a very entertaining turn of events in my opinion.

So to wrap it up, while I love how the manhwa did this scene, (this is probably my favorite two chapters from it) I'm kind of sad that most of the little tidbits of building up the relationship between Zod and Desir, that would be important later got lost in adaptation.

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Me before episode 10: I'm guessing they're gonna speed through the break in and Zod in one episode to progress the plot and they're using end of episode scenes for the preview to not give away anything, otherwise it would mean they have some random not in the manhwa or novel shopping scene between two arcs but that would make no sense since they only have 3 episodes left from the season and this is only a 12 episode season and they have to put in it everything they have to make people interested in a second season they surely wouldn't make half an episode filler hahahaha

Me after episode 10: 🤡

(Guys read the manhwa or the novel it's so much better than this, yall deserve so much better then this, this story deserves so much better than this)

[thewizardingtoad]

HE IS HERE

also it seems like they're going to spend a full episode on the raid, and I'm very scared they gonna find some bs reason to push chapter 44-45 into the nonexistent 13th episode

Chess episode coming soon 🥹👀👀

[thewizardingtoad]

Me: the best character is coming the only reason i'm watching this shit is him

The anime: anyway let's make an episode where half the episode is them shopping

Chess episode coming soon 🥹👀👀