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Monday, February 18, 2019

Hai to Gensou no Grimgar volume 13 read:

When a book is interesting, I can just keep reading it from cover to cover.  This book was interesting, so now it's finished.  Sort of sad to see it go so soon, but there's plenty else to do.

The new world of Parano is fascinating.  This author certainly has a strong imagination, that or is constantly tripping on acid.  I preferred the old Grimgar that followed normal rules and was more or less a traditional fantasy epic.  But I've grown used to this new Grimgar, the sliding, the craziness, the spontaneity.  By volume 13 it's now a given that something random like this would happen.

Of course Haruhiro would be warped through a magic tent to another world and separated from all his companions.  What else is new?

I guess I just have to look forward to volume 14 to see how they get out of this one.  But there's no plot progression in Hai to Grimgar.  This series could last 100 volumes.  They get out of one problem, they just warp into another.  The problems never end.  There's no overall goal except survival.  They never get any closer to said goal, there's always a new threat pressing down.  I would not say this is a good storytelling method, but it works for Ao Jyumonji.  He's been writing like this for a long time now and it's always been hooking, so I guess Grimgar should just go ahead and keep being Grimgar.

I wish they would make another anime season covering the Hai to Gensou no Grimgar books that were still sane and normal.  They were really good.  But I can see why they wouldn't want to animate nonsense like this.  The niche audience that is excited about warping to candyland and fighting bad dreams is probably rather low. . .

Given how this series has unfolded, I think we can all kiss any hopes of an anime sequel goodbye.  Ain't nobody got time for this shit.

I'm also caught up with the Isekai Mahou wa Okutereru manga, so that's two things I can check off my list.  It was never much good, but hardly any isekai manga are.  It's just more shallow simple fun like all the others -- become an adventurer, charm a cute girl, slay demons.  It certainly doesn't make you think or surprise you like Grimgar does, but at least your sanity stays within safe parameters once you're done reading.

Hai to Gensou no Grimgar is the best value added light novel series out there, I would highly recommend it, I've spent oodles of money on it, but even so it's about 1/100th as good as my own novels.  The only problem is I've already read all of my own works at least three times a piece, so. . .this is all that's left to me. . .

For people reading this blog for recommendations, though, I suggest reading my stuff first.

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