I've finished books 5 and 6 of Hai to Gensou no Grimgar. Neither were as good as Death March. There's still book 7, so maybe something will change, but overall it's a huge letdown. Nothing really changes or develops in these books. In fact, it looks like the story is going backwards -- for instance, priests are just written out of the story and now injuries can't be healed anymore. So what does that make of Merry's character?
No one's emotions have changed about anybody else, no one's thoughts have changed on any subject, these books could not even exist and no one would notice. You could skip forward to book seven and be just as up to date with the plot.
The entire 'plot' of books five and six are 'we continued our journey and met many strong fighters from other parties along the way, who all fought strongly in various fights.' The end.
Completely uninteresting. This isn't what novels are for, which is great at dialogue and stream of consciousness. This is just bam-whap-pow episodic Batman nonsense.
Books 3 and 4 of Hai to Gensou were so good I thought this story was the apex of creation, but now what has it become? Dull, repetitive and lifeless. I guess the author just started concentrating on drawing things out and making money instead of writing a good story anymore, because there's no other purpose to these volumes.
Since the series is 11 books long now and still growing, I guess he's succeeded in drawing things out and making money, but at what cost to his masterpiece? *sigh*
I'll keep reading because meaningless action is still fun enough and I still hold out hope that he'll eventually return to form. But the 'highlight of 2018' this is not.
Book 10 of Death March was a lot better. Pochi and Tama were so cute and funny.
Circus has a new promising visual novel out in Japan, called Tenpure!!. Odds are it'll never be translated though, so just one more lost opportunity. . .
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