Maou no Ore ga Dorei Elf wo Yome ni Shitanda ga, Dou Medereba ii? - Ch. 66

[kgrwakami]

Time to add a cute blind cat girl to his growing "friend" harem.

harem is cringe

 

[Szaal]

preferably into the sun. Or a black hole. Or a black hole being slammed into a star.

I don't think that's how thicc celestial bodies work, but yes. Yees.

 

[Szaal]

Sure, I get your point. I would assume that they wrote it very concisely here in the manga, and gave it more attention in the novel. It unfortunately happens a lot with adaptations.

I don't think the part of Sorcerer's nature needs to be repeated. The point of sorceres being crazy psychos are p much center of the theme with Zagan's and Barbaros's old master, various dead sorcerers Zagan had offed in earlier chapters, and even that one who proclaims Brabaros's rival in the spin-off.

If it were to be repeated in Kuroka's flashback, it would become a dull exposition because we already know it.

If things were to be explained that Kuroka hates Sorceres for their crazy antics, I think it will be the same cliche all over again. No difference to what we have, except her flashback is more watered down than personal. That's why I disagree with @AnotherDuck .

 

[AnotherDuck]

No difference to what we have, except her flashback is more watered down than personal.

I still prefer watered down over racist.

 

[Rezael]

I wonder if zagan will either fine a cure to her blindness or nephy/nephataros could cure her through mysticism

 

[SifTheFair]

Thanks for the chapter

 

[ruyum]

Thanks for the translations !!!!

 

[Szaal]

I still prefer watered down over racist.

I prefer it personal rather this... racism? (I thought it was about being cliche).

Personal motivation is strong and relatable. It is what makes a character alive. The spice of the lore. She hates Sorcerers because Sorcerers killed her family and her friends. And now, the church which she saw them as a place of refuge and return with Raphael in it, apparently colluded with Sorcerers themselves and killed Raphael, it seems.

And I wouldn't equate the bad-rep towards sorcerers as racism, no. I think it's closer to how people perceive certain occupations as inferior than the occupations of a big millionaire executives. Imagine janitor vs. a CEO, or a customer support vs. market analyst. Heck, it doesn't have to be about payrolls. There is a reason why people who worked close to the ground-zero at the "field" hates the MBAs, or the gamers vs. DEI "consultants".

 

[AnotherDuck]

I prefer it personal rather this... racism? (I thought it was about being cliche).

Both.

She hates Sorcerers because Sorcerers killed her family and her friends.

Parents got robbed by some black dudes, therefore hating black people. Same idea.

And I wouldn't equate the bad-rep towards sorcerers as racism, no.

Not the general bad rep, no (that's more of a, "99% of lawyers give the rest a bad reputation," situation), but her own motivation. Considering she was a young child brought up in a racial village, there's little reason to assume her motivation relies on the sorcerers' reputation. Her hatred is also far stronger than most people, so the overall reputation would have little effect on it. It's more of a coincidence than a cause. So if it was some human bandits that for one reason or another that attacked her village, she'd likely hate humans instead.

And in your janitor vs CEO example, sorcerers would be like CEOs, much more rare and more politically and economically powerful. And generally much more hated than janitors.

 

[Szaal]

Parents got robbed by some black dudes, therefore hating black people. Same idea.

Racism is a stigma which focuses on race. Stigma (social stigma) is a wide, large-encompassing concept of seeing certain groups based on, quoting wikipedia here, socioeconomic status, culture, gender, race, religion or health status.

So yes, same idea, but not racism. Thank you for pointing me out the Janitor and CEO position, because it gets me to actually do a bit of research to explain that what happened in the manga is specifically not racism.

The only racism I can see is just Nephy being the high/elder elven race, which is not the point in this Nephteros/Kuroka's arc.

---

Not the general bad rep, ... , but her own motivation.

Perfectly encapsulate what I said. She hates Sorcerers not because they are the evil bad guys of the world, but because they essentially destroyed the very reason of her own living. Twice.
You brought up about how she would hate on humans were bandits done it instead, but have you taken into account that the church, a human-organized group, was the one helped her? Either she is going to focus the vengeance on this specific group of bandits, or she would be in an inner turmoil and be very wary towards men: evil or kind?

 

[AnotherDuck]

So yes, same idea, but not racism.

That was my point. I never argued that what happened here is specifically racism. It's the same idea as racism. Glad you understand that part.

You brought up about how she would hate on humans were bandits done it instead, but have you taken into account that the church, a human-organized group, was the one helped her?

I was talking about a what-if scenario and the way she judges. Them saving her isn't part of that.

 

[Szaal]

That was my point. I never argued that what happened here is specifically racism. It's the same idea as racism. Glad you understand that part.

You did said you preferred a watered version of the story rather than "racist", and always referred to that part as racism earlier. Of course everyone took it that you're taking that scene as racism.

That's why Kuroka's motivation in here is so powerful. It's not related to a certain social stigma, but instead related to something personal to her. Makes the character more interesting, pulls us in to keep rooting for her and see what's the story has in store for her. The only way for her to grow from here is to resolve that personal conflict; to see how she would face the truth that not all Sorcerers are bad guys, and certainly not all sorcerers are killer of her closed ones.

 

[AnotherDuck]

You did said you preferred a watered version of the story rather than "racist", and always referred to that part as racism earlier.

"Always", meaning at a single instance did I say it "came across as racist." That implies a similarity, not saying it absolutely is.

I don't care how people interpret it as long as the discussion flows, but since you want to mark words and argue semantics, I have to correct you. It doesn't matter what you call it, whether racism, bigotry, prejudice, or some other definition. Was it unclear that I was talking about something like that? Does it matter if it's specifically racist by the dictionary definition?

That's why Kuroka's motivation in here is so powerful. It's not related to a certain social stigma, but instead related to something personal to her. Makes the character more interesting, pulls us in to keep rooting for her and see what's the story has in store for her. The only way for her to grow from here is to resolve that personal conflict; to see how she would face the truth that not all Sorcerers are bad guys, and certainly not all sorcerers are killer of her closed ones.

You know, that sounds awfully similar to what a racist character would go through. And it's a by-the-numbers, cookie-cutter motivation with zero originality, as well as a silver bullet plot.

The way for her to grow is not exclusive to this either. Any motivation she had to hate them would require the same general resolving plot you're describing.

 

[Szaal]

Apple is apple, orange is orange. Both are fruits, by they are still different.
Defining a stigma not based from racial characteristics as racism is just wrong. I hate woke developers, so I guess I'm a racist; is that how it works over there?

It doesn't matter as long as we understand each other, but it seems you are vehemently adamant that this case is racism.

You know, that sounds awfully similar to what a racist character would go through. And it's a by-the-numbers, cookie-cutter motivation with zero originality, as well as a silver bullet plot.

Or a racist character may also come from their upbringing: a noble taught their kid that they're of superior status and should not stoop below as the commoners.

On the point of Kuroka's motivation, there is no need of originality. The trope of "they slaughtered my beloved ones" exists and lasts long throughout the media because it is simple, flexible, and easy to understand; just like any good tropes. We have Luke Skywalker, Kratos, Aang, even fuckin' Sonic movie has it (I don't play the original retro games, so idk exactly how Shadow's backstory is there). And they all are memorable, beloved characters. Of course, each to their own.

What you described as a cliche, 0 originality of a silver bullet plot, is what is called trope. This is where I pull the card "trope is tool. Use the tool, don't un-use it". What matters is the implementation of the trope.

With Kuroka, the implementation is fine. It is not spectacular, not epic, not necessarily mindblowing nor unique, but it doesn't have to be! It is simple and not convoluted, still consistent with the lore, and breathes character to the dorky Kuroka (inherited from Raphael?) while introducing new side to her (trained combatant despite being blind). In a way, that alone is already unique to the character Kuroka, isn't it?

 

[AnotherDuck]

It doesn't matter as long as we understand each other, but it seems you are vehemently adamant that this case is racism.

You know what? If you don't care to read what I write, I'll just stop. You're just wrong.

 

[asdman]

Am I growing old or is her motivation is exactly the same as the last knight girl who was mislead into thinking that old knight was killed my the MC to seek her revenge on him?

Did they ran out of motivation for this story or what?

 

[ruyum]

Thanks for the translations !!!!

 

[Elandriel]

This manga's cast has wonderful family chemistry so I'm happy to see them doing just about anything, but I've kind of lost any connection to the goals of the antagonists and feel like I'm just reading to see growing interpersonal bonds or SoL moments. I hope they do something interesting with this clone-based existential identity crisis beyond having the gang say "you can figure out who you are, with us!"

I feel like some of this is because it's been years since anything of consequence has happened.

 

[frostmonolith]

Every single 2 months that I forgot I've read this, always brings back the best memories and opportunity to reread the previous volumes again.