Release Year: 2020
Reading Year: SU2023
Currently Reading: Completed

Thoughts: The art style is solid, the staging is powerful, and the general design is distinct. The overall concept pulled from the video game is novel and compelling. There is clearly a lot of work put in these novels. If you like the video games or action manga, then there is so much to like here!

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Release Year: 2016
Reading Year: SPR2023
Currently Reading: Completed

Thoughts: Heartwarming and spirit-lifting. It is such a nice palette cleanser to have a series with short volumes and feel-good themes. It won’t wow you, but it does feel like each volume captures that moment of thinking back to good times. Pacing is on the slower side, which makes the emerging story lines all the better.

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Release Year: 2013
Reading Year: SPR2023
Currently Reading: Volume 9

Thoughts: Could not be higher expectations given this is made by the creator of Fullmetal Alchemist. Art style is incredibly nostalgic.

I feel at this point I have a solid handle on the pacing, characters, and overarching story. The art style, character design, and world are all excellent. It is too easy to forget the amazing scaffolding each of these do. However, the story is almost too big. Or, perhaps, the writing caters to how large of a world and conflict there is, rather than building up these characters more thoroughly. The characters are why we put up with a ton of dialogue and info-dumping about the complexities of war. Not the other way around. So, for me, this series goes up and down. The ups when there is less pressure and the characters are allowed to shine for themselves and have personality. Like when Alfarhid joins the group. I find myself bouncing around too much and not having enough motivation to follow through. This may be because I have more of an affinity for writing and characters than I do for incredible battle scenes.

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