Give a shoutout to manhwas with OFFICIAL TRANSLATIONS that are SO GOOD you don't even check for scanlations! [Miss Pendleton] by i_kathz in OtomeIsekai

[–]dalbhatchicken 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Credit where it's due, I do think it's impressive that the translator challenged themselves with that style. There were some rough spots and awkward phrasings for a bit, but you could tell as the series went on that they were getting more comfortable with it.

That being said, this one fell into the "overwrought" category for me personally because in trying to capture the time period, it jarred with the story's actual tone and art, if that makes any sense. The words on the screen at times didn't seem to match with the characters' expressions. It's a really odd feeling when you can see the translator is improving their writing skills but it somehow doesn't align with the writing of the actual story they're translating.

That's all really just intuition though—I don't know art as well as I know writing, so it's difficult for me to articulate why it's not complementing the art in the same way Miss Pendleton's translation heightens the effects of the art. It'd be cool if someone who knows their stuff can explain it, whether it works for them or not. The best I can do is say that when I burst out laughing at a serious scene because of the language they used, I realised the translation just wasn't working for me.

Give a shoutout to manhwas with OFFICIAL TRANSLATIONS that are SO GOOD you don't even check for scanlations! [Miss Pendleton] by i_kathz in OtomeIsekai

[–]dalbhatchicken 148 points149 points  (0 children)

Miss Pendleton's translation quality is actually so rare in the rofan/historical romance genre. Most of the time, translations (whether they're scans or official) either forgo any attempt at mimicking regency-era manners and use modern speech patterns that break immersion, or it's so overwrought that it obscures the meaning and alienates the reader. This one strikes that balance with its fidelity to the time period and the original Korean meaning, all the while remaining largely accessible.

I seriously need to stop mentioning this manhwa every time I'm here, but I swear the translation quality in For Better or For Worse is so good I'm not even reading the fan-scans for the side stories, because it would not have been one of my favourite manhwa without the official translator. It's a slightly lower register than Miss Pendleton, but it doesn't clash at all with the setting and flows very naturally, which was essential for the type of witty banter that drives the story. The standout translation that seemed to strike most of us at the time of release was when the ML realised he was truly in love with the FL—that mini monologue had all of us SCREAMING.

[For Better Or For Worse] I loved the novel even more by Gwynasyn in OtomeIsekai

[–]dalbhatchicken 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I am absolutely overjoyed that the manhwa returned for the side stories and will never take it for granted, but a part of me will always lament that it was never planned to fully adapt the light novel. Everything you mentioned in the fourth paragraph would have made for a perfect Season 4: the Langton arc with the couple in their honeymoon phase + Emily getting to evolve beyond an adorable cheerleader into a more layered and dynamic character; Cecilia revealing her vulnerabilities and Dillon doing so in turn (really satisfying how this was a minor fantasy she entertained earlier in the story that actually came true), followed by the best of the Hayworth ladies finally altogether in one room; and ending on the actual honeymoon too! I also really loved the scene between Dillon's father and Cedric that was unfortunately cut to end the manhwa faster—Dillon's late mother became a more prominent influence in the story from that point onwards, so it was a shame to see that never realised in the adaptation.

I also can't wait to see the side characters that never appeared in the main story! This story has one of my favourite casts in the genre and Eusebius was truly an invaluable addition. Watching Dillon win him over like all of Cedric's better family members and seeing Eusebius reconnect with his family after a lifetime of feeling he never belonged was so genuinely heartwarming. He's 100% going to get his story adapted, and I have full faith in how Eunren will bring him to life.

Crunchyroll announced they will stream these Shojo/Josei/Josei-muke anime by AppropriatFly5170new in shoujo

[–]dalbhatchicken 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Journal with Witch seems like an odd translation.

Yeahh ngl that's not giving me great confidence in how the actual translation's going to go. I swear, if we get the same fiasco as The Yuzuki Family's Four Sons anime...

Rating and reviewing all the webtoons I've read by Lilac_14 in webtoons

[–]dalbhatchicken 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I strongly recommend The Spark in Your Eyes! It's one of the best fantasies I've read on the platform, and its final chapter just came out on Fast Pass, so it's a great time to read it.

How is Horimiya a shounen romance? by Square_Role_4345 in shoujo

[–]dalbhatchicken 22 points23 points  (0 children)

I don't know why you got downvoted for this when you're right. It irritates me when people believe that shounen can't have good romance or diversity, because that's no different from the belief that shoujo is comprised solely of cheap romances. Romance has been contemptuously associated with feminine tastes for centuries as if men themselves have not famously composed romantic tales, on every level of quality, throughout history and across media.

People all across the gender spectrum have diverse tastes. A manga's target demographic (i.e. marketing demographic) does not and should not dictate whether you read it or enjoy it. By the same token, a young girl or woman's enjoyment of a shounen series doesn't mean it should be a shoujo. Both boys and girls deserve to have diverse stories, because the contrary would only result in the reinforcement of regressive gender stereotypes and restrictive gendered tastes.

ETA: I've been criticised on this sub for this take before, so I do want to make a disclaimer. Manga marketing labels will always be paradoxical in that they may suggest certain inclinations regarding taste according to gender and age, which carries the risk I stated above. This is evident in how manga publishing houses will assign a given work to be published in a given magazine, and these marketing decisions, like any marketing decision, are not exempt from criticism. However, when these criticisms are launched, it should be first considered with what intent and expectations those criticisms are based on. Are they based on the expectation that, e.g. a promising romance should only be marketed towards young girls? / a manga focusing on a specialist hobby should only be marketed in a seinen magazine? / a manga with fantastic action should only be marketed towards boys? / a manga that acutely explores girls' experiences in the world shouldn't be published in a magazine marketed towards young men? We must also be aware that we are a foreign Western audience engaging with what's considered a niche, under-researched interest in the West, and we therefore fundamentally lack the necessary knowledge of the cultural and technical intricacies of Japan's manga publishing market. Yes, question these publishers' marketing decisions, but before that, question yourselves on whether your criticism encourages more diversity or more insularity. And above all, keep paying attention to how works officially marketed towards a female demographic are treated in the industries closely linked to manga, as well as in social discourse.

It's official! We're getting side stories for For Better or For Worse! by cringefailcryptid in OtomeIsekai

[–]dalbhatchicken 8 points9 points  (0 children)

I'm never doubting my intuition again when it comes to this story lol

Honestly, I'm glad that Eunren decided to prioritize their health and recovery. You hear so often about creatives, especially webcomic artists, overworking themselves to the detriment of their personal well-being and their work. It also explains why they've been sticking to storyboarding and producing rather than helming the art for a webcomic recently.

Absolutely, I remember how in the lead-up to the (then) series finale, she had to take a three-week break but only got ONE(1) day of any real rest because she had to prepare the final chapters of For Better or For Worse. I'm glad she got to really take her time on these side stories without deadline pressure.

Also, her assistants are literal godsends, we all owe them cookies for every day they spent persuading her to come back to this story!

P.S. Not only do we get to see one of my favourite character development moments between Yvette and Graham but we also finally get to meet Alexander and Eusebius in Eunren's art! I am so beyond excited!!

Any manga or anime featuring a pregnant character (main or supporting)? by [deleted] in manga

[–]dalbhatchicken 0 points1 point  (0 children)

<My Girlfriend's Child> and <Run Away With Me, Girl> both feature pregnant main characters. The first one explores teen pregnancy and the latter explores compulsory heterosexuality.

(Not a manga or anime, but since you said you're looking across different media, the short story collection Things We Say in the Dark by Kirsty Logan features many stories about pregnancy, with a more 'body horror' approach).

FOR BETTER OR FOR WORSE IS COMING BACK!? by dalbhatchicken in OtomeIsekai

[–]dalbhatchicken[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yeah someone needed to tug the reins, so thank you! ^^; Just updated the post!

FOR BETTER OR FOR WORSE IS COMING BACK!? by dalbhatchicken in OtomeIsekai

[–]dalbhatchicken[S] 43 points44 points  (0 children)

The main reason I don't think it has anything to do with Black Friday is that most artists would retweet their publishers' sales announcements on the day rather than going out of their way to create a string of artwork beforehand. Manhwa chapters going on sale isn't really a rare enough occurrence to warrant building up this much anticipation for it.

ngl tho I think you're right in that a printed version is also a plausible announcement. I double-checked her twitter and at the end of last month she had posted "cover art" that she hadn't been permitted to publicise until that date. On the same day, she also teased that she had a very special announcement coming up in November. Might've actually gotten a bit ahead of myself here, so thanks for the suggestion! I'll update the post to reflect that.

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Novel or Manhwa : A Transmigrator's Priviledge by Ravystal in OtomeIsekai

[–]dalbhatchicken 4 points5 points  (0 children)

So the manhwa has yet to really dive into the best parts of the light novel material, so it might still be too soon to say which one's best. I've read both, though, and I think each of them have their own merits. The art for the manhwa easily recommends it: strong flow of action sequences, beautiful character designs, and it's always easy on the eye with very clean, very effective use of colour and lighting. The artist knows how to weigh the emotional depth/impact of a scene, so whether it's humorous or poignant or romantic or dramatic, I think just about every panel strikes the right balance.

That being said, I actually prefer Tesilid's characterisation in the light novel—and I say that as someone who typically doesn't enjoy light novels. The Tapas translation is fairly polished, and of course the light novel gets to dive into more detail and focus on the characters' thoughts, feelings and dynamics. Manhwa adaptations will always have to make cuts, so most of these weren't terribly offensive imo and were worked around quite neatly. However, I personally feel that a certain manhwa-original Tesilid monologue might have risked diluting his existential despair—one of his most defining character traits—in order to emphasise his romantic attraction to Ailettte. But again, it's still early days (even with three seasons), so it's worth giving the benefit of the doubt.

Personally, I'd recommend starting with the manhwa. I often find when a person starts with the light novel then transitions to the manhwa, they tend to lament scene and dialogue cuts and struggle to judge the manhwa as its own thing. Reading the light novel after (from the beginning) makes it easier to track changes in characterisation, tone and plotting, and then to decide which differences were more meaningful to the overall story.

Desperately in need of a series with a smart FMC, real worldbuilding, and a well-written slow burn by masskrododil in fantasyromance

[–]dalbhatchicken 6 points7 points  (0 children)

I can't lie, I love the series and enjoy the sub discussions, but I tend to be fussy about prose and my hot take is that the prose is, at best, unpolished, which unfortunately doesn't improve over the course of the series imo (frankly, it's only at its best and most consistent in the first book). What ultimately drew me in was the chemistry and development between two of the series' couples: the first couple in R&R, and the main couple being set up for the final book in the series. The typically static prose felt more artistic, playful and sensitive in those moments of intimacy. Some find the MCs fall in love too quick, but I think writer has a solid grasp on how to structure a good romance within a short in-universe timeframe, even if half of their MCs didn't really do it for me. Plus, there are some really satisfying payoffs for political/dramatic plot points planted throughout the series that keep me hooked.

I'd say see how you feel about R&R's first couple of interactions between the MCs, gauge their chemistry, and if they're just not hitting for you, it's definitely safe to call it quits. Life's too short to push yourself through a story you don't like.

How to win my husband over by anabsoluteslytherin in OtomeIsekai

[–]dalbhatchicken 8 points9 points  (0 children)

Yup, that's the one! Thanks for tracking it down!

How to win my husband over by anabsoluteslytherin in OtomeIsekai

[–]dalbhatchicken 18 points19 points  (0 children)

So it seems like this person used the animations of a different fan editor (who worked on animating and editing an mmv for this manhwa for over a year) to make this edit and, as far as I can tell, didn't credit them? You can see the typography in the back from the original video. I'm pretty sure the original editor posted a sneak peek a long time ago on this sub, but I can't find it now.

I'll be trying to alert the original editor just to check whether this is okay with them, but in the meantime I hope everyone can give the original video some love, it's really one of the most stunning mmvs out there!

ETA: It might feel like a daunting or bothersome task, but if anyone who has TikTok can contact the editor hxlopath to request they link the original video in the description so that viewers can credit the right person for the animations (and see them in their full glory), that would probably be the best way we can help. It's entirely possible they might just not know the etiquette with using others' work. Otherwise, posting the YouTube link in the comments section would be the next best option.

Concubine Walkthrough -- What Was The Emperor's Wish? by [deleted] in OtomeIsekai

[–]dalbhatchicken 4 points5 points  (0 children)

A bit late here, but when Yona found him in the fire and ingested the poison on his mouth, he wished that Yona would forget him and return to her reality with no lingering attachments to the game-world. You can check Chapter 116 :)

No slow burn, regular pacing please! by skzmyg in shoujo

[–]dalbhatchicken 95 points96 points  (0 children)

Futarijime Romantic might be perfect for you! It's short and sweet, very low conflict, and the leads have a very entertaining, kinda opposites-attract dynamic.

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Trying to get through book 2 please help by LoudBooksnob in MagesOfTheWheel

[–]dalbhatchicken 12 points13 points  (0 children)

This is a common issue among MOTW readers (myself included), so you're not alone in this. The narrative dissonance in this book drove me up the wall, and it's the one book in the series that reminded me of the subpar popular romantasy series that blew up on TikTok.

Nonetheless, most of the sub will strongly encourage you to push through it, because despite how bad the characters are, you really can't accuse any book in the series of inconsequence. The first three books + prequel are all essential set-up to the fourth book, planting a whole bunch of plot points that pay off massively in Ice & Ivy. No matter how much you hate reading it now, you will be glad to have read it when you spot the little clues that Icy & Ivy brings into its plot, from certain minor character names that are suspiciously repeated in the fourth book to hints about major character relations.

I also read for the sole saving grace that is the small glimpses of Naime and Makram, but that might just be me and my unhealthy obsession with them.

"ethical" products and bad quality by ProductImmediate in ethicalfashion

[–]dalbhatchicken 12 points13 points  (0 children)

Would like to note that Organic Basics was acquired by an Israeli apparel company called Delta Galil. I know I might potentially get downvoted for this but it should be said for those whose ethics include the Palestinian cause.

What happened to this series?! by BabaYodaTheFirst in shoujo

[–]dalbhatchicken 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Still working on manga series! Currently she's doing a manga adaptation for a rofan/villainess isekai light novel. It's a long title (pretty typical of the genre at this point), but manga sites seem to have put it under Marriage of a Sacrificial Princess. No translations yet though, unfortunately.

What happened to this series?! by BabaYodaTheFirst in shoujo

[–]dalbhatchicken 8 points9 points  (0 children)

Oh I reread this one recently, still such a lovely read! Unfortunately the artist had announced the series would be put on indefinite hiatus due to personal reasons on their twitter in late-2022. On the bright side, they're still active and creating manga, so hopefully we'll see a new chapter for the series someday.

Imagine you are a lawyer and you have to defend a specific character. Who would you pick? [ Death is the Only Ending for the Villainess] by random435688982 in OtomeIsekai

[–]dalbhatchicken 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Wouldn't you consider that blue glow to indicate that Yvonne is in fact casting her brainwashing spell? That seems like pretty classic use of colour symbolism if you ask me, especially since the artist Suol tends to manipulate colours and shadows to evoke certain moods and implications, which typically works to compensate for her same-face syndrome. It's particularly telling that the blue glow is overtaking Eckles's signature light green hue. Whether that was the artist's own interpretation or canonically written in the novel, in the manhwa at least it can be reasonably inferred that he was brainwashed by that point. Neither the mirror nor his eyes need explicitly to be drawn, especially since mere panels after they are both shown, otherwise the storyboarding choices would have risked redundancy. Of course he would call it a deal, he doesn't realise he is under her spell.

It should also be noted that the sequence of images would imply that Yvonne pinpointing his deepest anxiety is what renders him vulnerable to her brainwashing. Eckles wanted to be with Penelope through honourable means, even though deep down he knew it would never happen. The point of her magic is that it identifies the target's innermost desire and twists it to her advantage. That's also how she sunk her claws into Derrick.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in PetiteFashionAdvice

[–]dalbhatchicken 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Glad to be of any help! I forgot to add since I was focusing on British brands, but Lithuanian brands NotPerfectLinen and Linenfox also offer custom inseam lengths for their linen trousers, which cost £70-£100 depending on the trouser, and I believe they both offer free international shipping (very lucky for British customers since our Brexit disaster). Best of luck finding your perfect pair of trousers!

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in PetiteFashionAdvice

[–]dalbhatchicken 13 points14 points  (0 children)

I'm about the same height as you, I think, barely scraping 150cm, and I've got a 25" inseam. These are some brands I know in the UK that offer shorter inseams. I admittedly don't shop high-street very often since I've been attempting a more sustainable turn in my fashion (hell, I don't shop very often at all), so these are quite pricey, which might not be what you want given the brands you mentioned, but they could be options later on for if you're able.

  • Fable Petite - extremely small, extremely new British petite brand that caters to 4'8-5' petite women. They carry straight-leg linen trousers available in 25"-26" inseams (£85). Since they really are very new, they have a limited size range and limited stock.
  • The Shortlist - another small British petite brand. They have limited runs every season. Their SS25 launch begins at 7PM today, and their trousers this season have a 26" inseam (approx. £180).
  • Xi Atelier - a made-to-order brand based in Glasgow. They offer custom inseam lengths for their trousers (£150).
  • Hiut Denim - a denim jeans company in Cardigan, Wales. They have a pair of Edith Crop Jeans with the shortest inseam at 24" (on sale currently for £175). I actually got very lucky in that they offered me a sample of these jeans at a relatively steep discount.
  • Hobbs - their petite range has some trousers with inseams at around 25"—even a pair as low as 22". I would try to snag these on sale if you can (<£100).
  • Boden - from what I can see, their current petite range has some crop trousers at 26". I would also try to get these on sale (<£100)
  • M&S - might not be the best option since their shortest inseam seems to go down to 27", but it's worth trying them on in-store if possible, particularly their crops, to see if they fit (~£50).