Kumo Desu ga, Nani ka? - Ch. 69.2

[MoeMochi]

I'm very much against the "everything is right from some point of view" idea.

Sometimes people are just wrong. That applies even when it's literature. There's a final answer, which is author's intention. I may be assuming some of the intent, but at least that's based on their commentary on the series, and the real life factors that affect the relationships between manga and novels. Banging on about how the story got boring is narrow minded, out of context, and honestly, doesn't take a genius to interpret some of the reasons why people are taking that stance.

It's asinine to assume just because you have a 'preference', that gives you remit to criticise. Imagine if I 'preferred' that everyone who disagreed with me got banned from the forums. The correct answer to 'preference' is acknowledging the series is not for you, and walking away. Not imposing your preference onto it. I am here because I like the series, and I use said preference as a lens to understand and evaluate it, but ultimately I argue on its behalf while offering reasoning and evidence.

I don't go reading manga I don't like them complaining it's not what I wanted. Neither do I do it when the manga turns out to not be what I was really interested in, even dozens of chapters later. I don't even do that for manga that change their stance halfway, if the author decided to do something different. Because that's not criticism, that's just self-validation.

Don't try to equalize people feeling strongly for whatever reasons they have with what I'm arguing for. That's how the world got whacked up by 'alternative facts', where people can take whatever stance they want without backing it up. And as I said, it even applies to literature, manga.

Saying that people can be wrong when it comes to literature.....defeats the entire point of literature. There is no wrong way and the authors intention means nothing. Once you put art out into the world it becomes the people's art. Everyone will understand and perceive it in a different way. Some people will even understand the tone or understanding differently. You see this in many great works from popular paintings, to influential stories, to even religion. Thinking that you are above everyone else because you understand what the author was trying to convey is pretentious. And also saying the typical "Well if you don't like don't read!" adds nothing. People are entitled to their opinion and criticism builds improvement. Even if it's not criticism and just complaining....why can't we? If I buy the same burger everyday and complain that sometimes the burn the bun are you just gonna tell me not to ever buy from them again? Grow up. Readers are allowed to complain about something and continue the story even if you like it. Shocking. I have nothing against Shiro moving back power wise. I understand that setting her back when she gets comfortable or feels powerful has been a common thing in this Manga, and now that she's powerless she'll have to grow to rely on her new companions amd work harder to become a powerful God. However no one likes setbacks. In real life and in fiction. Even if they make sense. Being put at the beginning with nothing is frustrating even if it builds character. And so far with minimal chapters, and no room to really digest the information we haven't seen Shiro do anything but react. We don't get a chance to see her grow or learn and it can be frustrating to watch. It feels slow to wait every few months just to see her at the back burner. We don't even have strong feelings on her companions outside of Arieal. The pacing is much different compared to the other works so a lot of readers haven't formed attachments to anyone but Shiro and all shes done is go OH NO! MY POWERS! And be cold and sickly. She will grow. She will form attachments. But we don't have to like the execution.

 

[DLRevan]

Saying that people can be wrong when it comes to literature.....defeats the entire point of literature. There is no wrong way and the authors intention means nothing. Once you put art out into the world it becomes the people's art. Everyone will understand and perceive it in a different way. Some people will even understand the tone or understanding differently. You see this in many great works from popular paintings, to influential stories, to even religion. Thinking that you are above everyone else because you understand what the author was trying to convey is pretentious. And also saying the typical "Well if you don't like don't read!" adds nothing. People are entitled to their opinion and criticism builds improvement. Even if it's not criticism and just complaining....why can't we? If I buy the same burger everyday and complain that sometimes the burn the bun are you just gonna tell me not to ever buy from them again? Grow up. Readers are allowed to complain about something and continue the story even if you like it. Shocking. I have nothing against Shiro moving back power wise. I understand that setting her back when she gets comfortable or feels powerful has been a common thing in this Manga, and now that she's powerless she'll have to grow to rely on her new companions amd work harder to become a powerful God. However no one likes setbacks. In real life and in fiction. Even if they make sense. Being put at the beginning with nothing is frustrating even if it builds character. And so far with minimal chapters, and no room to really digest the information we haven't seen Shiro do anything but react. We don't get a chance to see her grow or learn and it can be frustrating to watch. It feels slow to wait every few months just to see her at the back burner. We don't even have strong feelings on her companions outside of Arieal. The pacing is much different compared to the other works so a lot of readers haven't formed attachments to anyone but Shiro and all shes done is go OH NO! MY POWERS! And be cold and sickly. She will grow. She will form attachments. But we don't have to like the execution.

Absolute bullshit. Material made for everyone is material made for no one. Creator's intention does matter, else everything we consume would be the same constant drivel until the next trend comes along, and nothing is allowed to intrude on that.

Except it completely goes against what manga is about. It's a medium that caters to varying interests, intents and purposes, by dint of being varied, specialized and unapologetic about what it is. Manga did not get to where it was today by listening to the drivel of opinions of readers who aren't mature enough to to tell if they're not just mindlessly consuming. That would be the failing western comic book industry.

I'd tell you to grow up instead. People aren't entitled to opinions if they aren't operating on good faith or with appropriate knowledge. Not everything put in front of you is meant for you, neither is everything obliged to cater to you, with freedom for you to criticize. Grow up, the world isn't about you and your opinion. It's also ironic on so many levels that you make it out as if it's immature to forestall the complaints of others. If you really believed that, you wouldn't have stopped me and my criticism either.

The manga hasn't changed. It's got a certain direction that hasn't changed at all. Don't like setbacks? What the heck have you been reading? If you get to change the parameters, then you can criticize anything. The very idea doesn't even pass a basic smell test. Imagine if I wrote a children's book which had a simplistic villain, and you criticize me for not making the villain more nuanced. But it's a bloody children's book. And you can say that's not fair, and there's a clearer difference than for this manga. But who gets to decide where to draw the line? You and your oh so important opinion? Or do we go with the intent of the story? You don't get to hijack art, that's what's really pretentious. And if the material doesn't match those intentions...then sure, go ahead and criticize. Ideally with some forethought and logic. Not all criticism is good. Sometimes, it's just garbage. Frankly, I don't even know why I have to explain that.