Alright, thanks for humoring me on this. Much appreciated.
First of all, the brownie point thing. I have voiced my frustration with this series on comments of previous chapters multiple times I believe. Most of the time, the reply I receive is something along that previous asshat's reply. Surely you can see how my experience affect my expectations, so I think me being precautious is justified especially with how tribal a lot of people are with their opinions. You being pretty open to discussing this is an exception, not the rule. I hoped you didn't take it the wrong way if you were being genuine before, so I apologize. I hope you understand.
Now, from how I see it, so far within the story the 1 major move forward made in the series is Mieruko's interaction with the Godmother and Romm. Not any particular interaction, but just the fact that Mieruko found them. Why? Because in this series' storytelling, the Godmother and Romm serves as mentor characters, akin to Abbe Faria for Edmond Dantes in The Count of Monte Cristo. A character (or in this case, 2) that are able to teach and give the main character means towards resolving her conflict.
You said that multiple efforts were made by the protag, and yes, I see your point. But, my frustration lies with how a lot of those efforts are barely reciprocated if at all. In the hospital scene within Michiru arc, Romm did in fact teach Mieruko the fact that she sees "the other side" much clearer than everyone else using the reflection on the window. But this is a no-shit-sherlock information because she's known all this by virtue of interacting with Niguredou.
Mieruko herself had an inkling of idea (and hoped) that she can communicate with the good ones, but she doesn't know which is which. This is the kind of thing I expect Mitsue and Romm to teach, but they didn't. As far as I can remember, MItsue's been out of the picture throughout Michiru arc and Romm are as dismissive as any mentor can get.
"A lot of them are dangerous, so just don't" is how I perceive Romm's advice (and also how Mieruko perceives it I think but do correct me if I'm completely wrong). But Mieruko wants to actually know what she should do in multiple paranormal interactions, so she goes on a trial-and-error mode with no basic knowledge that Romm and/or Mitsue should've given. That's how she almost crashed into a truck, that's how she went panic mode when her brother touched the cursed snowman, that's how she basically go about her life since the start of this series.
It's too dangerous because she has no experience, yet no one taught her anything so she starts grasping on straws to have experience. But by trying to gain experience she gets into dangerous situations. Because she could get into dangerous situations, Romm told her to not even try. By not trying, she gains no experience. She got no experience, so it's dangerous. The circle of inadequacy feeds itself, and Mieruko doesn't get anywhere close to resolving her own conflict.
By this point if you're still reading, I hope you can see that my frustration is not on Mieruko the character, but on the storytelling of this series as a whole. By finding someone she regards as mentor, the story as a whole moved forward 1 step. After that, we got to Michiru's arc where there's no real growth for Mieruko as a character. On the contrary, the mystery just... expands further with the whole "unassuming middle aged guy" and the "dad". Don't get me wrong, I LOVE mystery. But having it expand while the story barely progresses is, for me at the very least, frustrating. Which brings me to the bigger picture of my frustration. This series' pacing.
I know for a fact that if I found this series for the first time today, I wouldn't be bitching about it like this. If I read this series in one go, it would be fine. But I'm not. I followed this series right from the pre-serialization. This series is written with the pacing of a biweekly series, yet it took 6 years just for the story be in practically a stand-still ever since the end of cursed shrine arc. Mieruko as a character today is practically still the same girl she is before Mitsue and Romm. Still mostly bumbling about her way through her wacky wahoo life reacting to things around her as opposed to acting towards a goal that resolves her overarching conflict, and most of this is because the character that knows more than her is either out of the picture or just dismissive.
I will way this again. If this weren't the series' 6th year in publication, If this 59th chapter was from 4 years ago, I would have no problem with the series.
If you've read this far and you don't feel combative towards my opinion as most people here, thank you. If your intent is still on mocking me, you're just proving my "brownie point" argument. I won't blame you for following the grain to feel accepted by the majority,
"Surely you can see how my experience affect my expectations"
i don't, how long you've been on internet anyway? you surely have to known that you'll met all kind of people? i have gone to argue with tons of people with bad faith. but if i never argue with someone they're a blank slate, i'll judge what kind person you are later after few exchange.
"so far within the story the 1 major move forward made in the series"
you already contradicted yourself. you said the story haven't move forward this past 3 years? you sure you actually read/remember the series lately?
"But, my frustration lies with how a lot of those efforts are barely reciprocated if at all"
wdym? explain what kind effort miko should do there without herself getting killed? remember how many times romm dying? remember when miko tried to talk to one she almost getting killed? remember when she want to go to inari shrine by herself and almost getting killed? please, enlighten me on this subject
"But this is a no-shit-sherlock information because she's known all this by virtue of interacting with Niguredou."
it meant miko power is much stronger even above romm, which make it much dangerous for miko sometimes get confused between flesh and spirit. so it's an disadvantaged, a huge on at that and it's information miko doesnt know well.
"This is the kind of thing I expect Mitsue and Romm to teach, but they didn't"
uuh you don't remember mitsue and romm don't want miko to get involved and want her live as normal person.
remember what happened to strong medium in the series? miko's dad died and mitsue's master died
it's too dangerous romm even said so.
"MItsue's been out of the picture throughout Michiru arc"
she's back on training
" Romm are as dismissive as any mentor can get"
wdym? give me one example romm didn't out right help them?
"But Mieruko wants to actually know what she should do in multiple paranormal interactions"
romm stop her at this point , she's survive for 2 years with ignoring them and want to stay that way
" so she goes on a trial-and-error mode"
uhh no, she's not doing that. she did once and stop because it's dangerous
"That's how she almost crashed into a truck"
no, she did that ignore michiru and coincidentaly, move plot forward with her admitted to hospital and aware of the presence of scyte guy
"that's how she went panic mode when her brother touched the cursed snowman"
what her option other than run? supposedly she already train, in span of 2 weeks you honestly think she can face this spirit? and, coincidentaly this also move the plot again that her father still powerful and seto ghoul have been spying on them.
"t's too dangerous because she has no experience"
it's too dangerous if they teach her. why do you think they want her to do the usual ignoring instead? why do you think they'll help her in every way but that?
"By not trying, she gains no experience"
ok what if she tried and instantly get killed? what then? even as someone with experience like romm got himself hurt and dying.
"Mieruko doesn't get anywhere close to resolving her own conflict"
what conflict? she's just surviving, if you out in the jungle are you gonna start killing every predator and every poisonous animal? you don't right?
"I hope you can see that my frustration is not on Mieruko the character,"
sorry, i still don't
" I followed this series right from the pre-serialization"
me too
"yet it took 6 years just for the story be in practically a stand-still"
we disagreed on this and i have argumet is solid to why it wasn't the case
"same girl she is before Mitsue and Romm"
wrong, method still the same but she's have been growing since then
" Still mostly bumbling about her way through her wacky wahoo life reacting to things"
i mean i debunk this pretty much so idk why you still cling onto this?
"and most of this is because the character that knows more than her is either out of the picture or just dismissive."
i already explained this, if you don't mind high school girl severely injured or killed then that's your moral. im pretty sure most people won't
"If this 59th chapter was from 4 years ago, I would have no problem with the series."
i mean that boiled down to you being impatient not the story badly written. so want advice? forget this series exist for 10 years and came back for bulk reading
"If you've read this far and you don't feel combative towards my opinion as most people here, thank you. If your intent is still on mocking me, you're just proving my "brownie point" argument"
holy fuck you are sensitive little worm, go to "Tensei Shitara Ken Deshita" discussion for chapter 78. it's me vs 7 people and all of them ran like coward. it's tuesday for me, won't change my perspective for someone i havent met.
you just have 1 bad experience and you cry this much? stop with water work and order of french cries.
it's pathetic