Forum - View topic

EP. REVIEW: Ascendance of a Bookworm [2019-10-26]

whiskeyii wrote:

So, uh, definitely didn't expect a rape subplot to be tacked onto the end, though I guess this confirms my lingering suspicion that this is definitely a heavily patriarchal society with a rigid class system in place.

I'm going to wait until more details get spilled next episode before I make any judgments. "Gave her flower up" was said (at least in the translation) rather than "took her flower," which suggests to me that she was seduced rather than raped. Could be more a case of her being played than her being compelled into it (which wouldn't at all be out of character for nobles, either). But we'll see next episode.

While I don't remember exactly what the anime says about it, the LNs state it was a purge. I imagine a number of the nobles backed the wrong side in a political dispute, although no details are given. Maybe when Myne moves further into noble society we'll learn more. As for infant mortality, I think in the Middle Ages it was around 50%.

And that 1.5% is a per-birth rate, not an overall figure, so a woman who carried seven pregnancies to term was running a net 10% risk.

whiskeyii wrote:

I think it's lacking a sense of catharsis for me that I've come to expect in other, male-oriented isekai.

Could you give an example of the catharsis your'e talking about? Because if its what i think you mean then Main not getting back at others or given them their comeuppance is because of how tenuous her authority is in the setting, not just because she's female but also because she's a child. The only isekai examples i can think of where child MCs as young as her have this much or more authority is Tanya the Evil and Knights & Magic and even in those shows there are limits plus they are action shows so authority equals asskicking ability

HAL14 wrote:

whiskeyii wrote: I think it's lacking a sense of catharsis for me that I've come to expect in other, male-oriented isekai. Could you give an example of the catharsis your'e talking about? Because if its what i think you mean then Main not getting back at others or given them their comeuppance is because of how tenuous her authority is in the setting, not just because she's female but also because she's a child. The only isekai examples i can think of where child MCs as young as her have this much or more authority is Tanya the Evil and Knights & Magic and even in those shows there are limits plus they are action shows so authority equals asskicking ability

Oh no, I get that. My disappointment at seeing a world so heavily influenced by ours in a female-oriented isekai is a little separate from my catharsis issue, though I am disappointed by it because there doesn’t seem to be much reason for that setting to have been picked beyond the illiteracy premise. But mostly it’s that I don’t really delight in Myne’s successes; for such a bookworm, she doesn’t seem intent on sharing her love of books with others very often, which might in turn lead to at least bettering their lot in lives. Rather, it feels like Myne’s successes are mostly used as vehicles for more world-building, which isn’t a bad thing, but I’m not getting a real sense of accomplishment from Myne’s inventions or ideas. I don’t know if it’s because the anime’s viewpoint is limited pretty squarely to Myne, but I guess it feels like everything she does is largely just in service of her own self-interests or her wealth.

But mostly it’s that I don’t really delight in Myne’s successes; for such a bookworm, she doesn’t seem intent on sharing her love of books with others very often, which might in turn lead to at least bettering their lot in lives. Rather, it feels like Myne’s successes are mostly used as vehicles for more world-building, which isn’t a bad thing, but I’m not getting a real sense of accomplishment from Myne’s inventions or ideas. I don’t know if it’s because the anime’s viewpoint is limited pretty squarely to Myne, but I guess it feels like everything she does is largely just in service of her own self-interests or her wealth.

Actually it's a bit higher. The chance that a women will not die in each pregnancy is 0.985, so over ten pregnancies the cumulative probability of survival is 0.985^10, or about 0.86. That makes the chance of dying in one of those pregnancies 1-0.86, or about 14%. It's the same calculation as appears in the "birthday paradox."

(Wearing my hat as a former teacher of probability and statistics.)

But mostly it’s that I don’t really delight in Myne’s successes; for such a bookworm, she doesn’t seem intent on sharing her love of books with others very often, which might in turn lead to at least bettering their lot in lives.

Ferdinand has observed that Myne seems quite self-absorbed, and upon reflection, that's been a pretty consistent portrayal throughout. I don't think she was at all making excuses when she said she was concerned about the orphans because their situation distracted her from her book; I think she really did mean that.

In fact, in a broader context, that may be the most universal of traits among isekai protagonists: being self-absorbed. Honestly, I'm trying to think of one from an isekai series who isn't, even going back to the pre-boom days; even Yoko from The Twelve Kingdoms took a long time to finally accept that she was part of a bigger picture and couldn't just dwell on her own immediate concerns.

...I am disappointed by it because there doesn’t seem to be much reason for that setting to have been picked beyond the illiteracy premise. But mostly it’s that I don’t really delight in Myne’s successes; for such a bookworm, she doesn’t seem intent on sharing her love of books with others very often, which might in turn lead to at least bettering their lot in lives.

Myne helps those in her immediate surroundings, but she doesn't feel obligated to make the whole world a better place.

You may say she wants to spread literacy so that others will write books for her to read, but that doesn't negate the fact that doing so will lead to a better world, although she knows it can take centuries.

Anyone else feel like this show has veered wildly off course? It used to be a fun slice of life about quirky Myne and her quest for literature, accompanied by friends and family.

But, since season 2, it feels more like a drama about Saint Myne and her army of followers leading a reform of the social economic culture.

Don't get me wrong. S1 had some deeper emotional stuff but, by this point, I had expected Myne to make progress towards the first printing press and Cheesecake factory, not saving orphans from the tyranny of the church and state.