Maou to Yuusha no Tatakai no Ura de - Vol. 4 Ch. 16 - Considerations and Preperations IX

[MangaDex]

 

[abas416]

Thansk for the translation. such a pity that the art is bad (for my taste, almost like ya**). kinda hope that they would release 2 a month or even 1 a week, well, japan manga adaptation rarely do that. and reading the novel will definitley make my head overheat.

 

[Al_Azif]

plot twist: they won't get along well

 

[chendu]

Tanks for the food

 

[N2O]

Warning!

Long haired blond bishounen character approaches

 

[AutumnBeau]

Thank you for the chapter.

 

[zokoi19]

thanks for the chapter!!

I'm super sleepy rn so I only half-understood this: so basically there's also magic power in the air, and when people use spells, they are utilizing both magic within themselves and the magic in the environment, is this correct?

Warning!

Long haired blond bishounen character approaches

he has a very long beard, that's a grandpa dude. Even if he's handsome, that's like a bi-oji

 

[HelioCesar]

Bro is rizzing up all the politicians and strategists

 

[Feytas]

thanks for the chapter!!

I'm super sleepy rn so I only half-understood this: so basically there's also magic power in the air, and when people use spells, they are utilizing both magic within themselves and the magic in the environment, is this correct?


he has a very long beard, that's a grandpa dude. Even if he's handsome, that's like a bi-oji

Try reading about magic (or to be specific "magecraft") from "Typemoon" wiki, it have more or less same theory, where there's magical energy inside a person and in the environments.

When using magecraft, especially on a scale of big ritual, one or more mages usually using magical energy inside their body (it's called "Od") to activate it and using magical energy in the environments to "maintain" it.

 

[Mageos]

Thank you for the update!

 

[tekkenshu7]

Thanks for the new chapter!

MC is already at the duke-level in terms of wisdom and intellect.
Hmmm...maybe Duke Seyfert also kinda knows something about their world's truth? The chancellor mentioned they think similarly. Provided that MC is adjusting his strats and tactics significantly on his knowledge of game, maybe the duke is also aware of it?

 

[feha]

Thansk for the translation. such a pity that the art is bad (for my taste, almost like ya**). kinda hope that they would release 2 a month or even 1 a week, well, japan manga adaptation rarely do that. and reading the novel will definitley make my head overheat.

Yeah, the art really is bad. Not just in terms of taste, but objectively too (faces look similar, impossible to distinguish. Hair too. Mc literally is only one who got black hair because otherwise there would be no way to know when we got mc on-screen vs a side-char; lots of details drawn in the bg's, like decorative reliefs carved into the wood. Making it much more cluttered. And often it is not even detailed everywhere, making it a mess where large parts have the details fade out etc; tons of panels have little to do with what's actually happening, only serving as a backdrop for dialogue. So we get useless images like a random shot of undeads; finally, it feels a bit like scales changes constantly, and overall perspective is off a bit quite often (like that horse where a trailing stick has somehow bounced ahead of the horse's backlegs and seems to be about to (near-?)hit the rider).

Anyone that claims otherwise does not realize they are reading a manga, and are instead trying to review each panel in a vacuum (Yes. The panels are artsy - aka detailed and aims to portray realistic human features. That is the problem).

And like you said, there are way too much detailed/cluttered plot that is heavily dependent on names (characters, countries, places, etc). So the release-frequency really doesn't work (we always forgot what it is about - in terms of plot-details - by the time next chapter comes out).

 

[VinylAT]

Yeah, the art really is bad. Not just in terms of taste, but objectively too (faces look similar, impossible to distinguish. Hair too. Mc literally is only one who got black hair because otherwise there would be no way to know when we got mc on-screen vs a side-char; lots of details drawn in the bg's, like decorative reliefs carved into the wood. Making it much more cluttered. And often it is not even detailed everywhere, making it a mess where large parts have the details fade out etc; tons of panels have little to do with what's actually happening, only serving as a backdrop for dialogue. So we get useless images like a random shot of undeads; finally, it feels a bit like scales changes constantly, and overall perspective is off a bit quite often (like that horse where a trailing stick has somehow bounced ahead of the horse's backlegs and seems to be about to (near-?)hit the rider).

Anyone that claims otherwise does not realize they are reading a manga, and are instead trying to review each panel in a vacuum (Yes. The panels are artsy - aka detailed and aims to portray realistic human features. That is the problem).

And like you said, there are way too much detailed/cluttered plot that is heavily dependent on names (characters, countries, places, etc). So the release-frequency really doesn't work (we always forgot what it is about - in terms of plot-details - by the time next chapter comes out).

I'll disagree about the same face issue. This artist is impeccable at drawing easily distinguishable characters when necessary. For example, compare the Prince's face and build against the MC. They have a distinct enough silhouette, with the MC being slim, while the Prince built like a brick. You can get panels and put them side by side and immediately recognise which one is which.

The usage of various cut ins for Exposition are there for a purpose too. You can notice just how heavy handed the dialogue and expositon of the world are just from these last few chapters that are STILL under the "preparation" arc.

What are the mangaka supposed to do here when the characters are discussing about their thoughts and ideas in a single room with little to meaningful back and forth? They've done their best and used all the establishing angles they could do to ensure that this didn't turn into a Hunter x Hunter text dump page.

If there's any issue this manga has, it wouldn't be the artwork. Because the artwork here is technically competent, pretty, and delivers emotions extremely well through the usage of some insane value and shading work. Check out that one panel where the MC had some lights between the pillars hit his face and you can somehow FEEL that it's the sun hitting his face. Now that's some technical prowess.

The issue here is pacing. The manga INSISTS on delivering all of the information that the light novel have in this arc, which in reality, is actually a single goddamn chapter in the novel. This is still the first volume of the LN.

Also I recommend checking out the LN's artwork. It's clearer, but it lacks the polish that the manga has. And it has character design issues that are a lot more egregious. With every single character having one body type and one head shape.

TL;DR

Art is good, pacing is bad.

 

[BananowyJE]

Goddamn, you can just feel the OMOSHIROI Prince licking his lips, knowing that he just got a future replacement for the trusted Duke Seyfert.

 

[EldritchNeko]

Warning!

Long haired blond bishounen character approaches

*old man
Probably former bishounen though.

 

[Bibliothecarius]

Thnks for the chapter!

 

[feha]

I'll disagree about the same face issue. This artist is impeccable at drawing easily distinguishable characters when necessary. For example, compare the Prince's face and build against the MC. They have a distinct enough silhouette, with the MC being slim, while the Prince built like a brick. You can get panels and put them side by side and immediately recognise which one is which.

That was what I were saying about how he at least made sure to distinguish mc (by making him the only one with black hair etc).
But prince compared to any other characters (aside from really old ones, or ones with a different gender)? Near impossible to recognize who is who (though luckily the prince has contextual clues such as sitting down at the desk).

The usage of various cut ins for Exposition are there for a purpose too. You can notice just how heavy handed the dialogue and expositon of the world are just from these last few chapters that are STILL under the "preparation" arc.

Yes, I know they are on purpose. They just don't actually add anything. You could follow just as well just reading the text-bubbles and not look at any art, for many of those panels (they do not provide source of the speech-bubbles (rather, they remove it), and neither do they show actual actions. They are used more as if to show who (or what faction) the speaker is talking about at that moment - except the characters are identical, and for some factions it was already obvious (specifically the demons)).
The ones showing troop movements are marginally useful though.

What are the mangaka supposed to do here when the characters are discussing about their thoughts and ideas in a single room with little to meaningful back and forth? They've done their best and used all the establishing angles they could do to ensure that this didn't turn into a Hunter x Hunter text dump page.

They could have shown all characters speaking, and the bubbles clearly pointing at their origin. To ensure there is no ambiguity at any and all times. But yes, besides that there is not much a mangaka has to draw, and it is why those scenes lend themselves well to few-but-large panels.

If there's any issue this manga has, it wouldn't be the artwork. Because the artwork here is technically competent, pretty, and delivers emotions extremely well through the usage of some insane value and shading work. Check out that one panel where the MC had some lights between the pillars hit his face and you can somehow FEEL that it's the sun hitting his face. Now that's some technical prowess.

That is what I meant with how it is good in a vacuum. It is actually gorgeously drawn with tons of details. It is merely that that is not desireable in a comic. You want simple art that conveys things at a glance, with nearly caricatures as character-design to ensure they are easily recognizeable and memorable (or at the very least, color-coding (though grayscale) + haircut-coding + unique accessories).
ps: though for emotions, I disagree. Yes they are somewhat visible, but they are far from as visible as the emoting mangakas can get away with through a more normal - or even chibi'fied - artstyle. Unless you only meant "emotion of a scene" (as opposed to the character's emotions), because yeah, it can do that quite well.
pps: never felt like some light was specifically from a sun, though. Maybe would if I took some time to look at the panel you talk about in detail - but if so, then that is contrary to the goal and absolutely not how one reads a manga

Like I said in my original comment: the art is great in a vacuum (using your words, it has quite some technical prowess) with tons of details and unusually realistic faces, but that is pretty much the exact issue here.

The issue here is pacing. The manga INSISTS on delivering all of the information that the light novel have in this arc, which in reality, is actually a single goddamn chapter in the novel. This is still the first volume of the LN.

Also I recommend checking out the LN's artwork. It's clearer, but it lacks the polish that the manga has. And it has character design issues that are a lot more egregious. With every single character having one body type and one head shape.

TL;DR

Art is good, pacing is bad.

Yeah I never mentioned the pacing, but I do agree with you that it is a bit slow atm. Too wordy for stuff it feels like they could get away with explaining in some shorter scene. In large part due to how mc has to move between locations all the time and essentially shows us both "mc thinks of something", "mc talks about it with others", "it is escalated [or he escalates it] and mc gets to talk about it with higher-ups", and so on. Not to mention how it tries to convey the interpersonal dynamics in the dialogues through back-and-forths.
It [that kind of storytelling] has its uses, but it is currently taken so far it does feel a bit like a chore atm, I agree.

 

[Colomopri]

I LOVE THE ART PLS WHAT ARE YOU SAYING IT'S AMCO WE'RE TALKING ABOUT

its their style and that makes it unique! please also understand that this is serialization series, there might be some improvements in tankoubon version hehe, so once it's serialized in your country please buy them ok ok 😘👌

 

[Grikath]

Gods save us from "Art Critics" and their opinions.

The way this is drawn is a right hoot, and I feel a joke in and of itself.
The plot is military/survival Isekai for, according to the front page, a Shounen audience.
The drawing style is what you'd find in the more "flowery" BL "historical" Shoujo.

The contrast is one big visual pun.... Especially when the artist does do all the usual "emotive chibish" panels you expect from Shounen manga.

 

[Yuyu_yusha]

Talking about this manga art, it reminds me of Aki Irie drawing art, especially Ran to Haiiro no Sekai.