Cultivator Against Hero Society - Ch. 2
- Thread starter MangaDex
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The cultivators reactions are perfect, exactly how you'd imagine a cultivator would react to these things. I love it!
The 'heroes' are much more disappointing but it's only chapter 2, hopefully they get more interesting.
And can someone please give the poor guy some directions already?
The 'heroes' are much more disappointing but it's only chapter 2, hopefully they get more interesting.
And can someone please give the poor guy some directions already?
Pokari
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Wait, so they can understand each other? That last chapter is just complete dumb-fuckery then ("u want direkshions? ok I kill u."), that's disappointing from a writing standpoint.
This version (a new pokemon has appeared, let's capture it) does make sense, so I'll give it benefit of the doubt that maybe I'm just missing world-building context on the previous chapter.
This version (a new pokemon has appeared, let's capture it) does make sense, so I'll give it benefit of the doubt that maybe I'm just missing world-building context on the previous chapter.
@Pokari
I think the first chapter was already quite clear as is. Unless there was an edit to the chapter between my reading and yours.
Plasticman came in intending to kill this new unknown person. Before meeting him, he was already powering up everything.
The cultivator asked politely about directions. Plasticman powered up to max, flat out ignoring him. Cultivator asks if he can't understand him, Plasticman pretty much says, I dont give a fuck, I just want to kill you for fun.
They then lore drop that for the last 11 years, heroes are just running around rampant without any threats (they've gone despotic). Then Machoman appears demanding him to become a slave.
Similar things must have happened with the previous heroes the culitivator defeated, hence why he wondered why so many people are needlessly seeking death over nothing.
This practically explains the current state of the world, clarifies that the cultivator is not from here, and directly explains the mindset of most heroes.
What else do you need the author to tell you within a single chapter that isn't already shown from the above? Personally, it seems quite enough world building.
I think the first chapter was already quite clear as is. Unless there was an edit to the chapter between my reading and yours.
Plasticman came in intending to kill this new unknown person. Before meeting him, he was already powering up everything.
The cultivator asked politely about directions. Plasticman powered up to max, flat out ignoring him. Cultivator asks if he can't understand him, Plasticman pretty much says, I dont give a fuck, I just want to kill you for fun.
They then lore drop that for the last 11 years, heroes are just running around rampant without any threats (they've gone despotic). Then Machoman appears demanding him to become a slave.
Similar things must have happened with the previous heroes the culitivator defeated, hence why he wondered why so many people are needlessly seeking death over nothing.
This practically explains the current state of the world, clarifies that the cultivator is not from here, and directly explains the mindset of most heroes.
What else do you need the author to tell you within a single chapter that isn't already shown from the above? Personally, it seems quite enough world building.
Pokari
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@An76685:
It sounds like we reached the pretty much same conclusions as to what the setting is, but didn't necessarily agree on whether it's good writing.
Edit: To clarify. Bluntly, even with the backstory nominally explaining it, I didn't find the heros' actions particularly believable. That's really all there is to it. Subjective call, it's fine if you disagree... I'm too tired right now to pick apart why I felt that way x.x;
It sounds like we reached the pretty much same conclusions as to what the setting is, but didn't necessarily agree on whether it's good writing.
Edit: To clarify. Bluntly, even with the backstory nominally explaining it, I didn't find the heros' actions particularly believable. That's really all there is to it. Subjective call, it's fine if you disagree... I'm too tired right now to pick apart why I felt that way x.x;
@Pokari
I don't deny that there is always different preferences and expectations for everyone, but please keep in mind that you are looking for 'believable actions' in regards to a literal parody series featuring a culture and reality that is intentionally depicted to be ridiculously flawed. If a series is not for you, that's fine; however, I wasn't making the argument demanding you to enjoy this series.
Both direct descriptions in the form of narration or long exposition; and lore/setting explained purely through subtle character interactions all have their place. You mentioned missing world building and disappointment in its writing, I described how the direction of events and interactions serve the very same purpose, leading to the same result. Novels and movies can manage the very same by melding both styles, I only brought it up due to the wording of your comment practically disregarding it.
I don't deny that there is always different preferences and expectations for everyone, but please keep in mind that you are looking for 'believable actions' in regards to a literal parody series featuring a culture and reality that is intentionally depicted to be ridiculously flawed. If a series is not for you, that's fine; however, I wasn't making the argument demanding you to enjoy this series.
Both direct descriptions in the form of narration or long exposition; and lore/setting explained purely through subtle character interactions all have their place. You mentioned missing world building and disappointment in its writing, I described how the direction of events and interactions serve the very same purpose, leading to the same result. Novels and movies can manage the very same by melding both styles, I only brought it up due to the wording of your comment practically disregarding it.
Pokari
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@An76685:
I am perfectly familiar with the dynamics of half-serious highly-humourous series of which you speak, but it didn't hit me the right way here.
To be clear, having said all that, I'm just articulating my position as best I can: I don't actually feel that strongly about this. As I've said, the original comment was as much an in-the-moment perspective. A hot-take, if you will. I think it was a reasonable-enough reaction on my part, but it's not the hill I'd want to die on.
I am perfectly familiar with the dynamics of half-serious highly-humourous series of which you speak, but it didn't hit me the right way here.
Specifically, my feelings the first time through, were that the first encounter ("I want directions" -> gets attacked) was just overdone and dumb—that is to say, the interactions that were intended to be humourously dumb, overshot and landed more in "this is too dumb" territory for me.
The second chapter started going in an interesting, non-humorous direction with it (sentient monster 'pets' in a hero-dystopia). That didn't really cleanse my palate of the first chapter, because the actions still felt dumb in that context (why is "plastic man" going in for the kill? The premise explains that some heroes are dirty slavers—but then why kill? Is sentience and peaceful communication normal among the "monsters" these guys enslave and kill on a regular basis? Is deception frequent? If not, how and why did the protagonist get marked as a "monster" in the first place? Some further explanation seemed required. Which might or might not have been forthcoming, thus the "further world-building" part of the comment.)
My original comment was written in the moment of fluctuation between my continued disdain for the first chapter and my slight intrigued curiosity towards the emergence of a dystopian premise in the second chapter. It is not really a considered analysis, which I hope is apparent from the tone of the comment.
Now, going back and re-reading the first chapter, the psycho-killer approach of the hero is, with the additional knowledge I have now, still not totally sensical, but within suspension of disbelief—I can, if I go out on a limb, make vague guesses as to maybe why the character might be acting in the particularly-dumb fashion that they are, and hypothesize about the world based on that... If I read it in a totally non-humourous way, mind. If I'd thought the first chapter was hilarious on it's own, I suppose I would feel this to be a neat hat-trick. I didn't, so it just felt like bad writing—specifically, providing information in the wrong order and thereby breaking suspension of belief first, after which point it the revelation of new information that points in the right direction but still doesn't explain the first chapter (which clearly was played mostly for kicks anyway) is not enough to convince a skeptical reader (i.e. me).
Honestly, writing all this out, part of my problem may indeed just be that I felt the humour is dumb and the setting is at least half-interesting so I'm focusing on the latter in reading it, whereas I'm supposed to be appreciating the former first and only then considering the latter. I'm not sure.
The second chapter started going in an interesting, non-humorous direction with it (sentient monster 'pets' in a hero-dystopia). That didn't really cleanse my palate of the first chapter, because the actions still felt dumb in that context (why is "plastic man" going in for the kill? The premise explains that some heroes are dirty slavers—but then why kill? Is sentience and peaceful communication normal among the "monsters" these guys enslave and kill on a regular basis? Is deception frequent? If not, how and why did the protagonist get marked as a "monster" in the first place? Some further explanation seemed required. Which might or might not have been forthcoming, thus the "further world-building" part of the comment.)
My original comment was written in the moment of fluctuation between my continued disdain for the first chapter and my slight intrigued curiosity towards the emergence of a dystopian premise in the second chapter. It is not really a considered analysis, which I hope is apparent from the tone of the comment.
Now, going back and re-reading the first chapter, the psycho-killer approach of the hero is, with the additional knowledge I have now, still not totally sensical, but within suspension of disbelief—I can, if I go out on a limb, make vague guesses as to maybe why the character might be acting in the particularly-dumb fashion that they are, and hypothesize about the world based on that... If I read it in a totally non-humourous way, mind. If I'd thought the first chapter was hilarious on it's own, I suppose I would feel this to be a neat hat-trick. I didn't, so it just felt like bad writing—specifically, providing information in the wrong order and thereby breaking suspension of belief first, after which point it the revelation of new information that points in the right direction but still doesn't explain the first chapter (which clearly was played mostly for kicks anyway) is not enough to convince a skeptical reader (i.e. me).
Honestly, writing all this out, part of my problem may indeed just be that I felt the humour is dumb and the setting is at least half-interesting so I'm focusing on the latter in reading it, whereas I'm supposed to be appreciating the former first and only then considering the latter. I'm not sure.
To be clear, having said all that, I'm just articulating my position as best I can: I don't actually feel that strongly about this. As I've said, the original comment was as much an in-the-moment perspective. A hot-take, if you will. I think it was a reasonable-enough reaction on my part, but it's not the hill I'd want to die on.
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Pokari
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@LoyaltyFriends:
Hardly, but I do tend to wring the available clause-separating punctuation of the English language for all it's worth, if that's what you're referring to. XD I'm aware it doesn't necessarily enhance readability.
(But I'm totally inured against wrong uses of "your", for instance. How could I ever read any manhua scanlations, if I were to get caught up on all the little grammar and spelling mistakes?)
Hardly, but I do tend to wring the available clause-separating punctuation of the English language for all it's worth, if that's what you're referring to. XD I'm aware it doesn't necessarily enhance readability.
(But I'm totally inured against wrong uses of "your", for instance. How could I ever read any manhua scanlations, if I were to get caught up on all the little grammar and spelling mistakes?)
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I understand the difference it's just a bad habit.
Pokari
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Pokari
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@NomadKingR6:
Assuming you're serious: Not terribly well, actually. The problem with being a native speaker of English (horribly messed-up language that it is), is that I know what's correct and what's not (at least most of the time), but explaining the full rules of why something is correct or not to other people is quite difficult.
Assuming you're serious: Not terribly well, actually. The problem with being a native speaker of English (horribly messed-up language that it is), is that I know what's correct and what's not (at least most of the time), but explaining the full rules of why something is correct or not to other people is quite difficult.
