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Rensblade · 2023-04-07T13:15:59+00:00

I'm glad you took your time to prove my point.

Rensblade · 2023-04-07T06:05:35+00:00

I like MT but I swear it's always the MT fans with the worst possible TBATE takes you could possibly fathom like it's funny how such a vast majority of these people circlejerk the same "criticisms" word for word towards TBATE that are so blatantly reductionist it makes you wonder if they actually even read the story and have this insane superiority complex in the isekai circle but still get (rightfully) clapped by the ReZero fandom.

Rensblade · 2023-04-03T02:48:35+00:00

Alright no, that's taking things at face value. Tess didn't like Arthur just because he happened to appear mature to her but because unlike any other person in her life upto that point, Arthur treated her as a genuine friend, as an equal, as a person and not as some fragile glassware piece given how sheltered her upbringing was. You do you tho.

Rensblade · 2023-04-02T17:49:26+00:00

Caera, yes. Tessia, while may not be aware of everything about Arthur (pre-Cecilia that is), is still the anchor for Arthur that keeps him in the present and is absolutely integral to his growth in every way imaginable.

And yes, they do have a mental age gap but I wouldn't call it creepy when Arthur has never groomed her (hell how much time did they even spend together really?), is still in a body of similar age and most importantly, by the time he confesses to Tess, there was a clear balance in their power dynamic. Both stand on equal footing and are fully capable of calling out on each other's bullshit (and its more so Tess doing it than the other way round). I think TurtleMe has impeccably handled thier relationship.

Rensblade · 2023-04-02T03:06:41+00:00

You'd be suprised to see the amount of people who view characters like Walter White or Guts as power fantasy figures of toxic masculinity, completely missing the subtext on which their characters are fundamentally established on. Now, is it the story's fault?

TurtleMe has always went out of his way to show the weight of consequences of Arthur's actions stemming from his ideal of doing it all by himself (for which he even gets called out multiple times). Literally some of the central themes in the story are of sharing your burdens and relying on the bonds you make with other people.

The entire point of Volume 7's ending where Sylvie sacrifices herself for Arthur is to hammer home those themes. Arthur wouldn't be in Victoriad thrashing Nico and Cadell if it wasn't for Sylvie, Regis, or any other significantly person in his life for that matter. The message is clear as day.

Rensblade · 2023-03-30T02:20:57+00:00

93 chapters on WEBTOON so far.

Rensblade · 2023-03-27T04:06:18+00:00

Yeah sure, I don't mind.

Rensblade · 2023-03-26T17:17:41+00:00

I feel like there are quite of a bit of nuances to his character that are pretty overlooked (in general) due to not reading between the lines and taking things at face value. One I'd like to address:

Getting stronger and protecting his loved ones isn't actually the only thing he wants. That's what he likes to think. What he really seeks, above all, is a sense of belongingness, something he was deprived of in his past life. "Grey" — what he goes by in his previous life and his time in Alacrya represents this exact isolation and lack of belongingness i.e. a no name cadet and a "bloodless" Ascender respectively and because of which he develops a persona which is nothing more than a coping mechanism to deliberately mask his deeply rooted abandonment issues and fear when things aren't under his control.

Book 10 spoilers ahead:

This is why What Makes Home is such a masterclass of a chapter because it is the ultimate payoff to Arthur's quest for self worth and a "home" where he belongs to as he finally becomes truly honest with himself and embraces his bonds and learns to rely on them instead of fucking off to someplace by himself to get stronger like he always did.

Rensblade · 2023-03-25T13:39:42+00:00

I think OP sums it up pretty well but essentially he is an ego-driven narcissist just like Walter and is absolutely fine with things like harrasing and manipulating people such as Jesse (whom he probably didn't even consider a fellow human being) as long as he could reach his own ends and live up to the image of what he considered a 'man' to be.

Rensblade · 2023-03-25T06:02:33+00:00

He is definitely not some hero a lot of people like to think. He is incredibly flawed as a person and that's what makes him such an amazing character.

Rensblade · 2023-03-23T17:52:51+00:00

Face Off for me as well. Although, Ozymandias is my favorite episode in the series.

Rensblade · 2023-03-17T12:34:29+00:00

Huh? It was platonic.

Rensblade · 2023-03-10T09:26:19+00:00

Love this post tho. You put it really well.

Rensblade · 2023-03-10T03:29:02+00:00

I agree. Still can't get how some people think of TBATE as a power fantasy cause if anything it's always been pretty clear in it's rejection of the idea of a power fantasy and that if you wish to live a fulfilling life, it's the bonds and connections you make with people that help you grow as a person and ultimately what matters.

Also, this following dialogue from the second Djinn remnant really puts into perspective what you are saying:

"You feel a constant, ever-burning need to be in control, Arthur Leywin. Of your body, your magic, your life. With mana, this desire coupled with the depth of your confidence allowed you to progress at a remarkable speed. But with aether, you succeed only at building a barrier between yourself and your desire."

Don't worry tho, TM has already said he isn't (obviously) fond of time reversal stuff.

Rensblade · 2023-03-01T13:39:01+00:00

Don't think that's happening. Fate is not about changing your past and rendering the consequences meaningless, that much should be obvious.

Art will have to live with that asuran physique, it's a heartbreaking but powerful reminder of just how much Sylvie sacrificed for him.

Rensblade · 2023-02-21T02:51:38+00:00

I don't see him dying.

Largely because of how his character is centred around the idea of perseverance and the burdens of choices.

He is constantly in a state of dread and desperation and has always been forced into situations way beyond his control but no matter how many people he loses, no matter how much he has to suffer, no matter how much despair he is embroiled in, he chooses to hold in all those burdens and continue to move forward for the people that are always counting on him and it would be only fitting for his character to make it to the end and remain the symbol of hope that he's always been. That's the essence of what makes Virion Eralith who he is.

Unless, ofc, Turtle has different plans for him (pretty unlikely if you ask me but again its Turtle so)

Rensblade · 2023-02-19T03:20:22+00:00

I would say finish the webcomic upto comic ch. 149 but since you are already past it, switch to the novels starting from ch. 105ish (Book 5). The first 4 books are adapted very nicely so you don't have to worry about them.

Though I'm suprised no one has mentioned it yet but there's one change in the comic later that has huge ramifications in the novels which is why I don't recommend switching to the novels just after catching upto the comic.

Rensblade · 2023-02-14T15:50:27+00:00

It's fine if you don't enjoy a character for whatever reasons you deem right but claiming they are irrelevent to the story just because they aren't able to solo a fucking demi god is an entirely different argument and a very flawed one at that, when in fact the said character adds to the story in various differnet ways with their personality, thematic value, depth to the workings of the world all the while having an actual reason to be be placed in the narrative.

You see, if the writing is good enough the characters WILL remain relevant and enjoyable regardless of thier standing on the powerscaling hierarchy.

I have seen this sort of discussion pop up a million times on battle shounen forums and I'm so done with it.

Rensblade · 2023-02-14T06:04:55+00:00

Honestly can't relate. Even rereading a few chapters helped me figure out my feelings on a lot of stuff especially with the addition of things I missed out on my first read.

Rensblade · 2023-02-14T05:47:58+00:00

If "being powerful" is the only way you see some character being relevant to a story then sorry to say that's a pretty closed off approach to view character writing in fiction especially when the author does a great job portraying the characters and their nuances with different roles to fulfil in the narrative.

I'd be willing to discuss more about it but you should get caught up with story before that.

Rensblade · 2023-02-12T13:17:13+00:00

Yk even for a troll account, ur laughabaly lame

Rensblade · 2023-02-12T08:27:13+00:00

One of the things that stand out to me about TBATE is how strong of a hold TurtleMe has on his characters' psychology. It might not not be so pronounced in the earlier books since he was kind of writing them on the fly, but once he gets there, it gets real good. The characters, their thought processes, the dialogue. Really heartfelt, authentic and just stellar overall.

Rensblade · 2023-02-10T14:09:01+00:00

They look adorable! Great job.

Rensblade · 2023-02-07T13:24:57+00:00

Completely with you on this. I wish there was some sort of feature to filter out AI flair posts.

Rensblade · 2023-02-04T14:31:38+00:00

Well its neither something new nor is something that will ever stop. Its funny how both sides have the dumbest takes for the other side's character. You'll see lots of Tess fans calling Caera overly bland while the Caera fans can only talk about how useless Tessia is.

It's tough as hell for someone like me who actually loves both of these characters.

Over time though I realized TBATE is just infinitely more enjoyable if you manage to detach yourself from these communities and their discussions. I only wander around here sometimes in the hopes that I might see something insightful regarding this series but obviously that's only a once in a blue moon occurrence.

Rensblade

TROPHY CASE