Jun 13, 2022
Hello hello, you've been visited by random Harmonica.
I typically associate webnovels with amateur writing, which is why I approach each one with a rather open mind and "wide net" of sorts, but imo from the first 5 chapters, SynchroNyk seems to be the type of WN that'll get picked up on syosetu for adaptation, in terms of what it does and how it does it.
Vivid imagery just seems to fly off every paragraph effortlessly. On top of that, everything was easy to read. I usually don't pay much attention to how sentences are structured unless it's annoying but here, they sound "just right". It probably has something to do with the cadence or something, but I'm not an expert on that so I'll just say that reading everything from start to end feels just right. Basically, it just feels damn good to read through.
Like, SynchroNyk is definitely amongst the outliers in this contest—stories that were written with the polish of English novels you'll find in bookstores that also blend seamlessly with the Japanese LN format. While the writing is leagues above many translated JP LNs (since, it's native and all), the characters and events scream LN material.
Easy to get into, easy to get invested, hard to put down.
That's how I'll describe the experience reading SynchroNyk so far, which also appears to be the case with the earlier comments.
Okay, nitpick time. Since this is a contest and all, I do feel that it was a bit too safe with its tropes. Nyk, Mysha's party, Lulu and Aud—every single character so far felt like I've already seen them in other stories before. I wished at least one of them will break out from their archetypes. Y'know, something like "ohh, this is Nyk" instead of "ohh, this is a beta MC who'll probably be a badass later on". (I'm not specifically taking a jab at the MC, all the characters feel this way to me)
I mean, having characters who fit snuggly within the archetypes is fine. It can still be easily adapted/marketed in Japan, which is what this contest is aiming for. But like I said, it's a bit too safe. Sure, the characters can transform and break out of their mould later on (i.e. Kakashi from Naruto as the cool teacher archetype), but it'll be infinitely better if at least one character really feels one-of-a-kind early on (i.e. Satoru Gojo from Jujutsu Kaisen as the cool teacher archetype, but is also an absolute QUEEN).
So yes. Even though SynchroNyk could've been stronger imo, it's already a really strong contender that I wouldn't be surprised to see in the semis. I know you have 2 more entries, Fuzzy Rabid Usagi, so uh...sorry if there's a higher standard on those 2 since I've already thoroughly enjoyed what SynchroNyk offered so far.
