Feb 09, 2025
I'll start off by saying it's a huge credit to the story that even though there was a week or two gap between me reading the penultimate arc and the final chapters, I was able to jump back in like no time had passed. I sometimes have trouble remembering where things were at in web novels, but I picked this up again no problem. That's how big of an impression it made on me.
The elephant in the room is format and style. It's unconventional (maybe you can spin it as avant garde) but if you really think about it, is there any reason to follow convention beyond the fact that it's convention? First and foremost, if you're having fun with the style, go for it. And if it works, that's an added bonus. I can safely say that the style definitely worked for me. It took a minute to get into it, but by the time we got into the Sandra arc, the story was clicking for me and I was really hooked. I loved the humor with the headings and when Violet or Ivy would pop in with (Parenthesis around their dialogue) to show they were whispering or making an aside comment. The style just fits with the atmosphere of the story, that weird, out-there but we're trying to have fun along the way kind of atmosphere. I know why people would have some problems with it, and I'm not sure how it'll effect judging, but in terms of me enjoying the story - it helped make Usagi Days stand out to me for the better.
The characters are in an interesting case. Their interactions were fun to read, and this does remind me of a more surreal Girls Last Tour. It was both sincere and funny, dramatic when it needs to be, which is a tough thing to pull off. Ruby and Anemone were my favorites, though maybe it's not coincidence that they were also the most developed. Like others have mentioned, Ivy and Violet kind of felt interchangeable at times, but I still enjoyed that interchangeable character if that makes sense. Lucy and side characters played their roles well, with special shoutout to Sylvie for that cigar scene in her introduction.
The other part getting a lot of attention is the ending. There's a major tone shift from wacky SoL adventures to Ruby sitting in a chair Shinji-style. It seems like the final arc was constrained by time and word limit restraints for the contest, which is what it is. I didn't mind it, though I do think it would've more effective if the restraints weren't there. Another thing I thought was interesting was the final arc starting in media res, with us trying to piece together what happened earlier, which is another difference to the other arcs. Not that that's a bad thing, but it does kind of make the arc feel a little disjointed (but again, contest restraints). For what it's worth, I liked the scene where Ruby and Louie first meet. Maybe it's me, but in a web novel, I like having things made clear and spelled out. I picked up on Ruby's loss of freedom and movement by being stuck in the facility, but appreciated having her loss of being a leader and identity made clear to me since I didn't pick that up. And hell the finger gun ending is right up my alley.
The last thing I wanted to mention is the world itself. It's a great setting and allows for a lot of freedom. I liked how the SDF was explored and how characters adapted to it over the course of the story, from the computer to the kingdom. I can easily see a sequel series where functional countries have arisen again using the SDF to their own advantage, with our Usagis stuck in the middle.
I would love to see a sequel unconstrained by the contest, or at least something inspired by Usagi Days. There are a lot of good ideas here, and the four characters are fun to follow. If you like the style, then keep going with it, since there are people out there who like it too. I could easily see this being a manga or anime. Congrats on finishing and good luck with the contest!
PS - in chapter 17, did we ever find out what was in Room 3? That's the one thing I can't remember
PPS - I think my favorite line in the entire story is in Chapter 36 with Violet's "I have no lines to contribute here"
