Wandering Witch: The Journey of Elaina

[kikunojo]

@Uthred why should she bother?

 

[Uthred]

Because she's not a sociopath? I'm pretty sure I covered it with "even though she has the power to do so at no cost to herself and with trivial effort." "Why should people not stop horrible things that upset them when they can do so trivially?" seems like a pretty disingenuous question. The manga actually trys to address this in the last chapter of volume 2 where she has a wee cry about it and her master gives her some super unconvincing rhetoric about how its fine to be totally passive and that witches dont have any power - even though literally every time we've seen magic used it completely undermines that viewpoint. Look, if she's a sociopath fine. But the way its handled undermines my suspension of disbelief and robs the story of any real pathos for me. Which is why I was complaining about it. If you feel different then, genuinely, good for you. I'm not trying to convince people to adopt my viewpoint, simply expressing it.

 

[Atzerkins]

@Blixie2003 that's some really good example with absolutely no flaw and you've summoned about every detail to not allow for someone to contradict the situation. I just wanted to say that.

I didn't really think about it personally (probably because only volume 1 is translated and she does the bystander thing only once so far) but you CAN be a hidden asshole in real life. You know technocrats? They can be cheerful, look kind, are fully empathic but also extremely selfish and can ruin people's lives for their own good. Maybe that's what this protagonist turns into, a cute girl living cheerfully because she disconnects herself from the world around her even when it's right in front of her face.

 

[Kaitensatsuma]

@Blixie2003 I'm sure nothing could possibly go wrong from burning down a sentient, malevolent, poisonous field of flowers that have absorbed a woman whose siscon obsessive brother had previously imprisoned out of jealousy.

Nothing at all

 

[Nighthawlc]

@Atzerkins
Actually volume two of the manga is already translated: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B082ZPWGR8/

 

[LoadingLifeZeroPercent]

i like this series. not often do you see True neutral MCs these days

 

[yurirei]

@LoadingLifeZeroPercent
True neutral? I think she is a bit more of evil to me

 

[IWishIHadFriends]

@Uthred, Yeah.. you probably should just go back to SAO. Kirito is more of a lawful good character, that will do anything in his power in order to help some random girl

 

[Uthred]

@IWishIHadFriends Why the fuck are you babbling about SAO? You obsessed with it or something? Move on mate. While you're at that squeeze out some extra time to work on your reading comprehension. As I said, I don't mind sociopathic main characters if they're interesting. But in this case her behaviour simply undermines the story and her stated goals. If you've only read the free fan translated stuff then you have no idea how stupid it gets. In one chapter you have a witch wiping out a kingdom by turning someone into a giant fucking dragon and in the next we have the MC crying because "Witches dont have any REAL power...despite all the evidence in every chapter to the contrary...and why cant I stop bad things". My complaint is that the story is a fucking mess, so why on earth would I turn to SAO? Though I suppose in its defence at least its main characters actions dont undermine the setting or his stated aims.

 

[letum]

ty for picking up this series. i hope you continue!

 

[KingKNerd]

@Uthred I think it's less about liking Elaine and more about having a vessel for the reader to experience the world around. For example, Kirito has the personality of sweetened cardboard because he's mainly a device to help the reader see the world of SAO. That's a bit of a shitty example but, I can't think of any of the top of my head right now. I just hope you kind of get the point

 

[Uthred]

That example doesn't make any sense. There's a difference between a self insert character and a viewpoint character. Usually the main character is always the latter but Kirito is definitely a self insert character whereas Elaine is absolutely not. She has her own established character (poorly in my opinion as she's inconsistent in an inorganic manner). Also she's entirely passive whereas Kirito was the main driver of the plot in SAO. It's a bizarre comparison that makes next to no sense.

 

[Atzerkins]

A vessel to experience the world and a self insert are not the same things exactly. Rather, it should be said that Kirito is the sort of "wish fulfilment" or "power fantasy" self-insert whereas Elaine is a self-insert for the reader to relate to the world somehow. The latter category includes characters who, for example, have amnesia so that they'll be discovering the world at the same time as the reader. Oftentimes those same characters are very strangers to that world and will not involve themselves deeply into its politics. This is the case of Elaine which leaves the world as it is.

 

[Richman]

Huh, if I were a traveler with great power, I would also not like to meddle with other's business, why would I?
If i helped someone it would be out of pity or because I want something from them.

 

[Moonwolf287]

I thought this would be a pretty fun relaxd traveling witch story but till now I pretty much hate every (main) character she met (aside from the king). The chapter with the witch teacher makes me just see red. negelect is not a fucking teaching moment. and stealing something precious feom someone to force them to spend time withyou is not cute.

 

[OdinSubs]

At any chapter I should start reading after the anime guys?

 

[Grimmycoffee]

Does anyone know where I can find the novel translation?

@Moonwolf287 Well,

Spoiler

the teacher did meant to come out mean at first with the proper teaching be off-screen. It's not ideal way to show a teacher I think, but it's something

 

[GoldFlareon]

Read it in 20 minutes, don't regret it but wouldn't do it if I'd known it stayed this campy and dumb. I've read so many of this exact story, and rarely even object to mary sues. But usually mary sues have a mild characterization, broad strokes that become clear in the background of her stories and gently lend to her being a good person. In this we're supposed to think shes a good person but shes shown to be a stupid lying scammer.

 

[Triparadox]

"negelect is not a fucking teaching moment"

She was never a teacher to begin with. She was doing her job which was to render Elaine frustrated and finally gave up on her dream which didn't happen.

 

[KanzenKyo]

@OdinSubs, the manga hasn't caught up with the anime.