The Ravages of Time

[TakunDes]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s4D42vMUSIM&t=8s

 

[bluedaisyrain]

I have always said this to myself...chinese can draw well, but write really poorly. I'll dive into this one and hope this is the exception.

 

[ColonelCrisp]

@bluedaisyrain Is it an exception?

 

[Harjeli]

I see Chinese, I rate 1.

 

[Guai]

@bluedaisyrain kek, japanese bombastic fantasy plots are even worse, and dont even start on a korean "game mechanics".

 

[Topflow619]

Is this manga good?

 

[Ice90]

@Topflow619 Yes it is,its full of schemes,philosophy,quotes from various thinkers and characters in ravages.I recommend you to check it out if you prefer a manga that makes you think and makes you re read it few times in case you missed something that ties in the plot as its full of twist and turns and as bonus in is in romance of three kingdom period.
And @Guai i really doubt you even bother to read pass 10 chapters if you did you would see it does not have much of fantasy there are bits of wuxia influence in story but not so much
@Harjeli dont skip it just because it is Chinese do at least check it out

 

[Topflow619]

@Ice90 thank you I’m looking forward to reading it,I love reading manga that makes me think

 

[Ice90]

Also for all newcomers that wish to discuss this series do join discord server: http://ravagesoftime.info/discord or if prefer reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/RavagesOfTime/

 

[Pocman512]

Great manwha hindered by translation

 

[Ice90]

@Pocman512 you should check out https://ravagingtimes.wordpress.com/ if you desire most correct translation as its official site of translator

 

[CheerTheDead]

Even with all these updates, i dare not read a chapter. Don't want to feel the cliffhanger again :'(

@Pocman512 Manhua not manhwa

 

[shutooo]

Came because of the dope cover. Is this monthly? A bit weird of a manhua with 500+ chapters.

 

[4V29LN0n]

Wonder why they stops adding the volume number.

 

[10]

A beautiful piece of work.

 

[KhunEdhan]

It's a shame kissmanga died, there was a dude there commenting on each chapter and explaining things and giving background info.

@Harjeli hmm that tells a lot about your intelligence

 

[Koenfoo]

@CheerTheDead It's Manwaa bro. This is from Hong Kong, where they use Cantonese, not Mandarin.

 

[D3m0z]

The art is insanely good. But is the plot any different from the original story of the three kingdom?

 

[VEMTO]

@D3m0z

The short answer is yes, Zhang fei is a painter, Diao chan is an eunuch, and Zhao yun is an assassin.

The long answer, Ravages is a text heavy retelling of the three kingdoms story full of schemes, philosophical dialogue, social commentary, poetic scenery and sometimes literal poetry, along with huge amount of wordplay.

If you are familiar with the the story, then the first few chapters should give you a clear idea about the difference between this adaption and the original (despite of the somewhat comical tone of the first few chapters for reasons related to publishing and targted audience).

 

[MarquisBlack]

Ravages of Time is, for me, the OG of my manga/manwha/manhua experience. Before I read pretty much any other manga, I read RoT. Here's my overview of it, for anyone who cares enough to read it.

[What is Ravage of Time?]
Ravages of Time is a manhua that retells the iconic Romance of the Three Kingdoms, one of China's classics of literature that depicts the turbulent era of the collapse of the Han Dynasty and its immediate aftermath. Just like Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Ravages of Time is heavy on character and story exposition, albeit with the author's own twist in the mix.

[What should I expect from Ravages of Time?]

Spoiler

Expect to read a lot. Not only is the manhua itself quite long (I recall how, about 100 chapters or so in, Chen Mou joked that his grandchild would end up having to write the Battle of Wu Zhang Plains at the rate he was going), but it is heavy on dialogue and exposition and philosophical musings. The battles are fun, certainly, but the real joy of Ravages of Time is the internal or external musings of its characters.

[What shouldn't I expect from Ravages of Time?]

Spoiler

Don't expect lighthearted comedy (with a few exceptions sparingly interspersed, and only really towards the beginning) or sappy romance (despite the title of the source material). Characters in Ravages of Time do fall in love, they do marry, they do have spouses and kids, but it's all entangled in the heavily political and military context of their contemporary environment. Love is therefore usually rare and disregarded in favor of political and/or social gains, and happy endings are understandably rare given the historical context.

[Why does Character X seem to be full of plot armour?? He should've died!]
Ravages of Time has largely done a good job of keeping faithful to traditionally dated birth years and deaths for all of the major and minor characters. If a character you liked dies, it's probably because that's where they died in history. If someone you disliked survived, it's for the same reasons. Same with marriages/romances/etc.

[Do you recommend Ravages of Time?]
Yes and no. If you like ponderous, philosophical stories where the lines between good and bad are meaningless, intrigue is king, and politics rule the day, not heroic dispositions, then go for it. If you're looking for a feel-good manhua that makes you feel good about the world -- this probably isn't what you're looking for.