Otoyomegatari - Vol. 11 Ch. 73 - Colloidal Process

[MangaDex]

 

[Sparkletime]

Why does this feel like it might start the ending of this series? Not sure how to feel about it.

 

[backhouse]

It's not as if dressing up is much help in your case

 

[boag]

@Sparkletime well the entire region is about to turn into a hellhole from the 1877 Russian-Turkish war, at least thats the one i think is being alluded to, then again the whole region has been a warzone for the past 500 years.

Also looking back at so many of the chemicals used, makes me wonder what the cancer rates were back then.

 

[balenol]

@backhouse based

 

[Redice]

Oh wow, didn't know those very old cameras were so much trouble besides the bulkiness.

 

[kazaddum]

boag: While that war is around the corner, the russian annexiation of the Khanate of Khiva among others are closer at hand and more relevant to the story.

 

[irrelevance90]

This brings me back when we used to have to take our films to be developed at the photographer's shop.

 

[agshield]

Mr. Smith. . . take a picture WITH your muse.

 

[InfiniteVerisimilitude]

@sparkletime
Start of the second half methinks. It is trailering that we'll revisit the the place visited before. There is also a trekk through Afghanistan to India on the cards.

Btw, if people want to read up about some of the period I can recommend this book: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Great_Game_(Peter_Hopkirk_book)

 

[Verrone]

I love Mr. Sniff so much XD

 

[Skaliq]

Man, words can't explain how much I love this series.

 

[Sternberg]

This is truly one of the best manga I've read so far. Great pacing, great art, comfy atmosphere. Everything is right with this one.

 

[nemoralia]

As soon as I saw that camera I was really hoping he'd take her picture! ? lovely chapter ?

 

[Vickamoose]

Talsa loves her mother so much TT TT It was so touching that that was the first thing she thought about when she saw the photo. Also, watching them just roll up their sleeves and shake around the reagents made me nervous af lmao. Back in dem good ol days

 

[lividus]

Nowadays we just flip up the mobile and *biip*, done. All hail science!?

 

[orochijes]

With all our mirrors and cameras it's so universal in our culture to know how you look almost 24/7, pretty hard to imagine what seeing yourself (outside of a translucent reflection in some water) for the first time as an adult would be like.

 

[nohugs_ugh]

"in my work clothes!?"
"you won't look any better dressed up."
I have never related to this manga so much

 

[Flupser]

Befor cameras there are mirrors

 

[roetheboat]

I think it’s really important to note that Smith’s desire to capture the lifestyle and culture of the people is ominously well-timed. It’s highly likely that the time period this takes place in is around 1870-1880, possibly a little later.

This means this was the last generation to live before the Soviet Union attempted to reorganize society and millions would die from starvation. The young brides and grooms would likely have lived long enough to see the end of their way of life.

As I pointed out in a previous chapter, irrigation efforts and pollution by the Soviets destroyed the Aral Sea starting in the 1960’s, leaving a large polluted desert in its wake. It’s actually considered the worst environmental disaster in human history, and has left the people still living there in deep poverty.

It’s both wonderful and heartbreaking to read this series, because the author obviously did her homework to try to represent this era correctly. But knowing what happens eventually is just really sad.