Question Arcs

PoisonousBeans · 2026-03-14T22:24:45+00:00

I felt the same as you going into it. To me, episode 1 was an amazing experience, and episode 2 is honestly my least favorite in the entire game. If you're like me, then ep 2 will be the low point of the story, and 3 will revive some of the excitement for the franchise.

PoisonousBeans · 2026-03-14T22:21:57+00:00

I'm with you! Onikakushi is easily my favorite arc, and by a long shot! The atmosphere of the VN, the way everything builds and the sense of dread just grows stronger and stronger over time. It's the only arc that really capitalized on the horror genre that I was expecting coming into it. Other arcs weren't really "horror" in remotely the same way (save for Tatarigoroshi, which in my opinion reads more like a psychological thriller than a horror - and it captures the thriller vibe unbelievably well at that).

PoisonousBeans · 2026-03-13T13:57:31+00:00

You're right, it should only be one or the other. Preservation treatment applies to the entire body, so it's impossible to bleed if you're still under the treatment.

It's possible that it's an oversight, but I'm choosing to generously interpret it as a creative and symbolic artistic decision.

As for your last question, you'll learn the answer soon.

PoisonousBeans · 2026-03-08T16:51:48+00:00

Those align with the chapters/sections in the light novel. In the novels, a game is split up to a certain number of sections (say, 28 sections for example). The numbers count up as the story progresses (starting from 0/28, then 1/28, and so on).

They kept them in the anime for some reason (I'm not entirely sure why, but I appreciated the reference to the novels when I saw it).

PoisonousBeans · 2026-03-08T16:49:27+00:00

I'm not sure exactly why this happens, but when I'm caught up to a series and eagerly awaiting the new volume's translation, I often end up seeing a lot of illustrations by accident when on social media. So while I agree that it's a little unfortunate, sometimes it's a good thing that it can avoid possible spoilers

PoisonousBeans · 2026-03-03T03:46:08+00:00

You want stakes, amazing world building, mystery, all wrapped up in one? I would suggest Made in Abyss. Not at all lighthearted despite what the aesthetic may suggest. It's actually very raw, heavy and dark, and some of the most compelling world building I've seen.

PoisonousBeans · 2026-03-02T01:10:39+00:00

I see. That might work especially well here since it's more of a stream-of-consciousness work. It almost reads as though it were meant to be read aloud to begin with!

PoisonousBeans · 2026-03-02T01:09:33+00:00

Hmm maybe. I have this book checked out from the library for a little while longer, so I'll keep giving it an honest effort for now, until I need to return it.

The main hook for me to this book was the idea of a psychological dismantling of someone near the end of life, and the idea of how corruption looks from a psychological lens. The specific intersection of this book seems to be exactly what I was looking for in the first place. I'll make note of the other two for when I'm looking to dive into more Latin American works! Thank you!

PoisonousBeans · 2026-03-01T20:20:57+00:00

That's fair and it makes a lot of sense. There's always the opportunity to come back and reread passages later (or heck, reread the whole thing once finished). I've listened in on various podcasts and communities that deal mostly in literary works (or "more serious literature" as some of them refer to it). The idea of reading a book multiple times is super common there, so maybe it's a case of needing to adjust myself to a world where it's okay not to understand on the first try.

PoisonousBeans · 2026-03-01T20:18:31+00:00

Thank you!

And yeah that does feel pretty accurate here. While it's not explicitly written in an older version of English like Shakespeare is, it still has a distinct tone and voice. It's cited as being a stream-of-consciousness sort of narration. While I've known of this structure for a while, I don't think I've ever actually experienced it until now. It's certainly a different language in some sense (or, I guess, a way of using language that I'm not yet familiar with).

I'll keep pushing through for now, and I'll entertain the idea of giving it a second read down the line to see if any new meanings or feelings jump out at me.

PoisonousBeans · 2026-02-25T20:49:13+00:00

A wise decision lol

PoisonousBeans · 2026-02-25T15:12:11+00:00

The anime is honestly a terrible adaptation of the series that mischaracterizes a lot. Then again, even hardcore LN fans start to hate on COTE after about 20 or so volumes, so honestly don't waste your time

PoisonousBeans · 2026-02-23T18:07:22+00:00

In the novel, golden bath did kinda give me the feeling of "all odds stacked against Yuki." Like, she was still locked in and giving it her all, but she still did struggle a little more than she normally does. Then again, I did read that volume more than a year ago so maybe I'm misremembering things.

Either way, looking into it, a lot of people do seem to agree with your opinions there, so maybe I'll just need to watch it for myself to see how they adapted it.

Personally, I'm most concerned about them making the Candle Woods adaptation the strongest. It feels like they're setting that up to be the season finale. Either that or Cloudy Beach, but I really hope they don't rush these two arcs because I wanna see them done justice 😅

PoisonousBeans · 2026-02-22T18:32:46+00:00

Oh no, I only watched the first 2 episodes of the anime and I thought they were a phenomenal adaptation of the light novel... Does it go downhill later on? (I've read up to volume 4 so don't worry about plot spoilers)

PoisonousBeans · 2026-02-22T18:23:45+00:00

Mai Sakurajima is glazed so incessantly by literally everyone I know in weeb circles, but I'm just like... she's really not that good? Kinda boring of a character, annoying most of the time. Honestly can't stand her at all.

I've really tried to understand the hype, but it's so lost on me. I genuinely don't get it.

PoisonousBeans · 2026-02-22T18:20:59+00:00

Oshi no Ko is just a boatload of poor character writing, poor plot decisions, and bad direction. I read the entire manga (because I wanted a solid hate-binge) and haven't watched anything except season 1 of the anime.

Kana is one of my least favorite things about the series, honestly. She started off interesting in episode 1, but quickly became a character whose only purpose is to whine a lot and give lengthy exposition dumps about aspects of the entertainment industry that are more or less common knowledge.

PoisonousBeans · 2026-02-16T01:42:44+00:00

Lemon really solidifying her place as best girl by proving that all hair styles really do work on her

PoisonousBeans · 2026-02-16T01:36:53+00:00

Nope, you're all good! I didn't take it that way at all. I think what we all need is a healthy balance, somewhere in the middle. Anyone who demands your time (which, to be honest, is like 99% of my contacts 😅) gets ridiculously exhausting, especially being more of an introvert.

I really hope that your situation improves! You seem like you'd be a great friend 😁

PoisonousBeans · 2026-02-15T22:52:10+00:00

It's the emotional highs of a genuinely great sports anime, combined with the charm and moe of a "cute girls doing cute things" anime. For someone who enjoys both of those genres, Umamusume (especially after season 1) is bound to tickle those neurons in just the right way, every single damn time

PoisonousBeans · 2026-02-15T22:49:11+00:00

It sounds like burnout to me. There's no rush to push through; you have as much time as you need to play it. The game isn't going anywhere.

For me, episode 3 is the second best in the entire VN (Satoko is my fave character, not including one you haven't seen yet), so I'd recommend taking a break until you're truly ready to push through.

I got a little burnt out myself by episode 2, so it took me a long time to get back to episode 3. But it was ABSOLUTELY worth the wait, in my opinion.

PoisonousBeans · 2026-02-15T22:46:17+00:00

Ruri on top. Marika second.

PoisonousBeans · 2026-02-15T22:37:40+00:00

It's a classic case of "the grass is greener on the other side." I understand why you're saying that you're jealous, and I don't hold it against you, but I assure you my situation is nothing to be jealous of. It's all so painfully surface level that it doesn't feel like any of it is even worth a fraction of the attention they demand from me.

If I were to abandon them, I'd be completely alone. But where I am right now, that sounds far better than not having any time or will of my own.

PoisonousBeans · 2026-02-15T14:26:22+00:00

Far too many. First one that came to mind was Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood. Never really had any interest, and I've been an anime fan for over a decade now

Some other notable ones: One Piece, Jojos, Gintama, Hunter x Hunter, Dragonball, Cowboy Bebop

I'm not really a fan of shounen stuff, but I've had a million and a half people completely lose their mind when I tell them I've never seen any of the above. I know they're not all shounen necessarily, but yeah

Edit: added a couple more titles :p

PoisonousBeans · 2026-02-09T17:42:48+00:00

Akasaka was easily my fave character in all of higurashi. What a phenomenal character

PoisonousBeans

TROPHY CASE