I've been reading this off and on for years, usually reading 50 chapters in then getting sidetracked and forgetting about it, then restarting all over again.
This time, I am determined to finish it. I'm currently in chapter 101, so not too far to go now. Fair warning, this review does contain minor spoilers.
.
.
This is a great read! Everything so far from the setting, the monsters, the way they defeat the monsters, and the struggles they face with survival and the psychological affects of being tossed into this place is satisfying. I've read the first 50-70 chapters a handful of times throughout the years, and yet despite being able to predict what's going to happen, it's not boring.
As it stands, I was prepared to give this an 8 maybe even a 9/10 score depending on the ending.... but I'm going to drop it to a 7.
Why? Because there's a fundamental flaw in the writing process I cannot get over: The writing of the characters themselves.
All you need to know is that every character that gets ample screen time aside from Sengoku himself can be summed up in 3 words or less.
Rion - Childhood best friend Mariya - studious outcast Oomori - clumsy oneechan Kazuma Saji - brash comedian Sakuma Yuki - class president Miyauchi - martial arts tomboy Yarai - heart of gold delinquent Kohei- Reliable psycho Minna (fake) - cheeky trap etc...
These are not characters. They're stereotypes and tropes, and while they're effective and likeable, they're boring. It's the equivalent of telling someone to guess the personalities of Red and Blue in any children's show.
What about the rest of the characters? In the first chapter they mention that like 300 of them are onboard the airplane.
Well! About half of them die, mostly off screen, and the ones who don't and make a brief appearance, and even the ones making a lasting appearance, are all relegated to the background and can be separated into a couple groups.
Males - Perverted, violent and/or constantly in a state of panic. Most are dumb and have zero useful input for any discussion because that is a role reserved strictly for Mariya, Yarai and Sengoku (exceptions on one occasion each are Tooru and the Student Council President guy).
Females - If they aren't panicking about their surroundings and screaming for some guy to save them, then they only have love on their minds and are mostly motivated by securing the best guy for themselves (namely Sengoku, because MC, or Yarai because Strong and unexpectedly smart). That is it. They have no other traits. They serve to be props and trophies for the guys and whatever scene they're in for the reader themselves. * An exception being the business bitch for psychic Mami, who was preoccupied with securing a good PR and building a cult that was absolutely useless in this setting. What PR? For who? The concept of business and business relationships does not exist here.
I could go on, but you get the point. It is a great read and I do recommend it, but don't read to be wowed by well-rounded characters. Read for the interesting mystery behind the island(s), the violence and minor exploration of psychological states in mass panic, and the obvious ecchi.
** Note: If you can't tolerate the sexualization of fictional characters, especially underaged ones, just skip this. I didn't realize until halfway through, but the students are only 14, and lolicons and pedos are very proud people in this.
(●'◡'●)ﾉ
Edit 04/04/2024: Just finished. There is a LOT of unanswered questions, and vital information that is missing. I'm tempted to drop the rating because such important info is just not there, and the ending feels slightly dissatisfiying and rushed as a result.... but I won't. 7/10
I've been reading this off and on for years, usually reading 50 chapters in then getting sidetracked and forgetting about it, then restarting all over again.
This time, I am determined to finish it. I'm currently in chapter 101, so not too far to go now. Fair warning, this review does contain minor spoilers.
.
.
This is a great read! Everything so far from the setting, the monsters, the way they defeat the monsters, and the struggles they face with survival and the psychological affects of being tossed into this place is satisfying. I've read the first 50-70 chapters a handful of times throughout the years, and yet despite being able to predict what's going to happen, it's not boring.
As it stands, I was prepared to give this an 8 maybe even a 9/10 score depending on the ending.... but I'm going to drop it to a 7.
Why? Because there's a fundamental flaw in the writing process I cannot get over: The writing of the characters themselves.
All you need to know is that every character that gets ample screen time aside from Sengoku himself can be summed up in 3 words or less.
Rion - Childhood best friend
Mariya - studious outcast
Oomori - clumsy oneechan
Kazuma Saji - brash comedian
Sakuma Yuki - class president
Miyauchi - martial arts tomboy
Yarai - heart of gold delinquent
Kohei- Reliable psycho
Minna (fake) - cheeky trap
etc...
These are not characters. They're stereotypes and tropes, and while they're effective and likeable, they're boring. It's the equivalent of telling someone to guess the personalities of Red and Blue in any children's show.
What about the rest of the characters? In the first chapter they mention that like 300 of them are onboard the airplane.
Well! About half of them die, mostly off screen, and the ones who don't and make a brief appearance, and even the ones making a lasting appearance, are all relegated to the background and can be separated into a couple groups.
Males - Perverted, violent and/or constantly in a state of panic. Most are dumb and have zero useful input for any discussion because that is a role reserved strictly for Mariya, Yarai and Sengoku (exceptions on one occasion each are Tooru and the Student Council President guy).
Females - If they aren't panicking about their surroundings and screaming for some guy to save them, then they only have love on their minds and are mostly motivated by securing the best guy for themselves (namely Sengoku, because MC, or Yarai because Strong and unexpectedly smart). That is it. They have no other traits. They serve to be props and trophies for the guys and whatever scene they're in for the reader themselves.
* An exception being the business bitch for psychic Mami, who was preoccupied with securing a good PR and building a cult that was absolutely useless in this setting. What PR? For who? The concept of business and business relationships does not exist here.
I could go on, but you get the point. It is a great read and I do recommend it, but don't read to be wowed by well-rounded characters. Read for the interesting mystery behind the island(s), the violence and minor exploration of psychological states in mass panic, and the obvious ecchi.
** Note: If you can't tolerate the sexualization of fictional characters, especially underaged ones, just skip this. I didn't realize until halfway through, but the students are only 14, and lolicons and pedos are very proud people in this.
(●'◡'●)ﾉ
Edit 04/04/2024: Just finished. There is a LOT of unanswered questions, and vital information that is missing. I'm tempted to drop the rating because such important info is just not there, and the ending feels slightly dissatisfiying and rushed as a result.... but I won't. 7/10