Jun 25, 2022
[Review Part #2];
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However and its a big however - All that is purely my subjective feelings on the matter - Critically speaking, I think volume two is a natural, well crafted and excellently executed continuation of Volume one with only some minor cavoites here & there.
(I'm trying to keep this concise, forgive me if I lack full elaboration, I'm not a huge fan of Honeyfeed for reviews, the 2k word limit and lack of formatting makes it awkward๐
).
I think perhaps what I'm trying to get at, is that this book(thus far atleast) is 'Zero no Tsukaima' Not 'Re;Zero'.
It is a light-hearted, often wholesome even, fantasy adventure story with likeable characters and somewhat predictable but always fun plotting.
Like Zero no Tsukima, the characters may appear one note on the surface but beneath it, all have motives and depth that they show in increments through-out the tale.
This is a good thing, Zero's Familiar is a brilliant and criminally underrated classic - Its also fun, a fun story is seldom a bad thing.
I think my issue with Volume two was almost entirely based on your and others comments claiming Eryn and the plot have exciting unpredictable twists - They don't๐
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You're first comment to me on chapter 31(?) is maybe the most telling - You say that many were surprised that Eryn was more then a generic waifu - That is correct and I love it.
Eryn does have motives in life, she has pent up feelings, a drive for her goals and a shy reserved side.
But she ain't dark - What's actually here in the story, depicts a girl who is sometimes rash in her thoughts but always composed - Even when she first claims she might die to kill the Duke, she then puts that down in order to protect Claude - She further supresses her urges after finding her mother's sword - Never giving up hope her friends will come.
And all that is fine, good even - Well written, engaging to read.
I think what all this is to say is perhaps be careful what you say.
I love conversing with people like you, you're always polite and amiable - It's fun and sometimes insightful๐๐ - However weirdly enough for this volume, in my opinion you shot yourself in the foot - With small comments, you put the idea in my head of a tone shift that never came.
This volume follows the first to a tee, more group bonding followed by a classic wedding plot as popularised by the aforementioned Zero no Tsukaima, highschool DXD and of course the modern masterpiece that is 2001's Shrek.
Again I see no issue in this being trope-y, tropes are only bad when handled poorly - You handle them well. My favourite genre's are 'heartfelt-harems', 'Deeper then they First Look' pieces and the ultimate combination of those two, the mighty 'Visual Novel Adaption' genre.
I love Zero's Familiar and I love School Days - Volume two's fault in my opinion is it sets up for the School days/Madoka side of the spectrum but firmly lands deep into/on the Zero no Tsukima side - And honestly I don't see a problem with that, only with how it was framed.
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Keeping with my Tsukima comparison we have the character of Queen Henriette - She is a side character whom we get alot from, quite a bit of it is complex.
We see her struggle to take over the crown at a young age, to accept the burden of leading her tiny country into a hopeless war.
We learn of her secret affair with a cousin no less - Of the anguish she feels upon his death, after rejecting him for political gain - We see her make open sexual advances on the protagonist simply in the pursuit to be a tiny bit less lonely.
But cut forward five minutes and the show will be back to comedy hijinks, or harem fanservice.
I guess what I'm getting at (And honestly I'm not even sure whom this review is aimed at, at this point๐
) - Any story can have depth, even goffy isekais - Maybe what I'm saying is take pride in that, while being careful not to allude to other modes.
Eryn being a person rather then a waifu, is not a twist - It's what should be expected.
I appreciate much of anime and the community surrounding it would see that as revolutionary but I think you as the writer you should be able to take pride in being an iseakai - A generic one in premise and plot but well written, fun, witty and passionate - Volume two has no true 'Twist's' in a genre sense, this is the route many have taken and many more will - It is your writing that elevates it - Volume two is not different from 1, it simply shows the colours that were already there, a bit more brightly๐๐.
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Other points of note - Ludmina is a filler. Unlike Saki last volume who we met in passing - Ludmina is directly adjacent to the protags but disappears completely, unmentioned for large portions of the book/novel/volume/whatever the right word is๐
- A simple line about her using speed to help carry in extra toilet paper for the Knights ambush toilet camp would of sufficiently solved this - Though reading your below comment I can see how this ended the way it did๐
๐.
- World Descriptions are still none-present - And that's kinda ok?
Loping back again to Zero's Familiar, although it has some detailed background arts and distinct architecture from country to country, its by no means high fantasy and the lands the show visits are all fairly generic fantasy places.
Your book thus far operates on the same principal which I think is fine - Sparse descriptions of locals based primarily on the audiences pre-existing fantasy knowledge to fill in the blanks - I would prefer maybe one or two more detailed setting - Ergo the setting of the school in Zero no Tsukima gives the story a grounding - A better idea of what Eryn's home looks like could serve a similar purpose nicely.
Worldbuilding wise, damn these nobles have alot of ranks lol - Also is religion a thing or are all churches abandoned like the one in Volume 1?
So far me likes the worldbuilding, nothing much else to say yet...๐๐.
-Love the moving on from home stuff, saying bye to her house, the graves etc and comparing that to Claude simply leaving his parents home - Very nice.
-Similarly still loving the characters - They feel authentic, like we are simply seeing a slice of their lives - Every now and then we learn a little more about Pietro or Cornelius for example, in natural/organic ways - Never the full picture, just a bit of insight - Its nice and realistic to how real life works.
Overall I really like the character work as a whole.
-Comedy & references are as smile worthy as ever๐๐.
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'Aight let's wrap this up - Been a while since I did a review (last one was for Gosick I think๐
) so sorry if I'm rusty in places.
Volume 1 & 2 of Iseikai Chef are one and the same - Were this an anime they would be the first 7 eps and second 6 eps respectively with an Ova to add in the dragon/ludmina mini-arc.
They are a very well crated fantasy adventure story, with nice themes and enjoyable characters who all show greater depth.
The ending alludes to a short time-skip in prep for 'Season 2' as it were, the real exiting of the tutorial world perhaps? - And I'm plenty excited.
I do stand by what I said subjectively, even Eryn's monologues in the early chapters of volume 2, come across with the full picture as simply a girl with ambition - And like Claude said in relation to her summoning him and using him - "Isn't that what a familiar's for?"
When read this as just the text, this arc is the story of girl desperate to not be swept away by society and to live up to her parents names - But at heart she is a good person, who overthinks and seemingly convinces herself into believing she might actually be a bad person - Yet all her actual actions removed from her thoughts, say otherwise.
This is an awesome character arc, its relatable, well suited to the story being told and not all that common.
And so putting aside the unfounded expectations I gained from reading comments and thinking too much about them(๐๐) which obviously is on me as the reader not you - Volume two is delightful continuation and I look forward to reading more - Thanks for the good time๐๐.
