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EP. REVIEW: The Faraway Paladin


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Eric Bone



Joined: 25 Oct 2021
Posts: 3
PostPosted: Tue Oct 26, 2021 2:33 pm Reply with quote
Dang, my initial apprehension, when I hear the word "Isekai" might be keeping me from some really good shows. This all sounds genuinely interesting. Hope it stays good.
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meiam



Joined: 23 Jun 2013
Posts: 3442
PostPosted: Tue Oct 26, 2021 3:46 pm Reply with quote
I enjoy the slow pace of it and the fact that it, for now, doesn't do any of the worse aspect of isekai (stupidly OP main lead, slave girl and so on). I find the lead a bit boring, he live to adulthood in normal world, died, reborn as baby in new world and raised by three undead and somehow never manged to pick a personality in all that, but he's so much better than most isekai lead that I can accept it.

I'm not quite sure why blood is just casually giving the lead the demon sword, seems pretty irresponsible. Even if the lead doesn't abuse it, there's no telling who's going to get his hand on it. I'm also guessing the super evil king was another person who was Isekai previously.
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Sinsekihokimchiansu



Joined: 02 Aug 2021
Posts: 159
PostPosted: Tue Oct 26, 2021 4:52 pm Reply with quote
For an Isekai (and also quite similar to Mushoku) this actually got a pretty good story and development Smile
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Nordhmmer



Joined: 11 Feb 2017
Posts: 1028
PostPosted: Tue Oct 26, 2021 5:06 pm Reply with quote
meiam wrote:
I enjoy the slow pace of it and the fact that it, for now, doesn't do any of the worse aspect of isekai (stupidly OP main lead, slave girl and so on). I find the lead a bit boring, he live to adulthood in normal world, died, reborn as baby in new world and raised by three undead and somehow never manged to pick a personality in all that, but he's so much better than most isekai lead that I can accept it.

I'm not quite sure why blood is just casually giving the lead the demon sword, seems pretty irresponsible. Even if the lead doesn't abuse it, there's no telling who's going to get his hand on it. I'm also guessing the super evil king was another person who was Isekai previously.


....this adaption is barreling along at full speed- easily could've spent 10 episodes getting to climax being presented in episodes 3 & 4.

Isekai is a term one should use very loosely in regards with this story, it's more of a literary hook the author uses to handwave a few things.
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strawberry_milk



Joined: 28 Feb 2020
Posts: 87
PostPosted: Tue Oct 26, 2021 6:05 pm Reply with quote
Quote:
the old three-episode-test (is that still a thing?)


Why not. Three episodes to decide if a show is your thing. Six episodes to make sure.
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Aerodynamic41



Joined: 20 Oct 2015
Posts: 223
PostPosted: Tue Oct 26, 2021 7:10 pm Reply with quote
Nordhmmer wrote:
....this adaption is barreling along at full speed- easily could've spent 10 episodes getting to climax being presented in episodes 3 & 4.


I've read the LN and they're adapting the content at a rate of about one chapter per episode which I found to be ok. Of course there are some minor differences but all the important stuff are there. Surprisingly when I watched the first episode it did felt like the pacing was too fast compared to the LN though maybe that's because reading is lot slower than watching.
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Agent355



Joined: 12 Dec 2008
Posts: 5113
Location: Crackberry in hand, thumbs at the ready...
PostPosted: Wed Oct 27, 2021 12:51 am Reply with quote
I like the show but it has so much exposition. I feel like there’s a history lesson every episode and find myself rewinding during the lecture monologues to try to keep track of which god does what. Will had 15 years to learn this world’s lore; we get 3 episodes and those scenes are as dry as Blood’s bones. I’m hoping the pace picks up and the classes become less necessary after Will sets out on his adventure.

I was a bit creeped out at Blood pushing Will to peep on Mary (want to make it clear that that incident was entirely Blood’s fault, and he deserved to be slapped more than Will), but Will’s conflicted, embarrassed reaction to puberty was so grounded and well done, and so much better than a certain isekai in which a reborn baby leers at his mother’s chest without shame. It shows me that even though this is a fantasy story, the emotions will be grounded and handled with sensitivity, which bodes well.
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Big Green Mean Man



Joined: 14 Oct 2020
Posts: 28
PostPosted: Wed Oct 27, 2021 11:44 pm Reply with quote
This sounds like a version of Mushoku Tensei where the main protagonist isn't a degenerate scumbag.
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jdnation



Joined: 15 May 2007
Posts: 1994
PostPosted: Fri Oct 29, 2021 6:50 pm Reply with quote
This show's pretty dang great so far! I love the mystery and the slow pace. Great start, and I'm eager to see where it's going! It's like a bit of Mushoku Tensei mixed with Grimgar of Fantasy & Ash. But with all of their strengths and none of their weaknesses! A bit too exposition heavy early on, but it also makes sense as he is learning about the world outside which he has not ventured into yet so it fits, and there's just enough myth and mystery to it that it doesn't just lecture you, leaving you with plenty of incentive to want to learn more as he ventures out there.
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meiam



Joined: 23 Jun 2013
Posts: 3442
PostPosted: Mon Nov 01, 2021 2:38 pm Reply with quote
Not too crazy about this episode.

Having will make a variation of the "life isn't worth living without death" is pretty astounding considering he's someone whose already cheated death once, has been raised by undead parents and is now asking for a Goddess to either prevent his death or straight up revive him (not sure if his conversation with the goddess was literally in the afterlife). This stink of the "rule for thee but not for me" mentality.

Stagnate also came off really weak this episode which really deflate any future tension. Will is apparently able to go toe to toe with a god now that he has the goddess protection, how's the show going to raise tension? Or was this just a once deal and the Goddess is just going to leave him to die in the future? And why is the Goddess intervening here for Will, who's a nobody in both of his life, rather than when Mary, Blood and Gus were facing the tyrant and dealing with Stagnate? And why was Stagnate even interested in Will, to the point of wanting him to be a general, when he did literally nothing? And what was Will plan anyway, did he just count on the Goddess saving his ass or did he really think he could just stab a God and kill him (despite him literally showing that he has backup plan even if he's killed)? I suppose their could be a good explanation next week, but it just feel like Will got a copy of the script and realize a literal "deux ex" will show up and save his ass, multiple time at that.

And what was up with the "attachment to the high king" part of the deal? How does raising a kid mean that undead parent lost their "attachment"?
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Sven Viking



Joined: 09 May 2005
Posts: 1034
PostPosted: Mon Nov 01, 2021 4:26 pm Reply with quote
I haven't seen the episode yet, so not sure if the explanation is just still coming, but many of these things were explained in the original story. Hope they're not skipping that.
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Aerodynamic41



Joined: 20 Oct 2015
Posts: 223
PostPosted: Mon Nov 01, 2021 7:04 pm Reply with quote
The author wrote a commentary about Stagnate's behavior. Long story short: "Stagnate is a cunning god who likes heroes."
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Agent355



Joined: 12 Dec 2008
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Location: Crackberry in hand, thumbs at the ready...
PostPosted: Mon Nov 01, 2021 9:11 pm Reply with quote
Will’s conversation with Gracefeel really bothered me, because it seemed to reinforce very common stigmatizing attitudes about mental health struggles. Will’s description of himself in his previous life paints a picture of a person who was probably depressed and/or had anxiety and little social support. He frames it as a personal failing and a life not much different than being dead. That’s a very common belief that even people struggling with these conditions believe about themselves. I think the author’s heart is in the right place, but it’s not a helpful way of characterizing people struggling with depression, anxiety, or who are Hikkikomori

There’s also what meiam brings up: Will was raised by 3 undead adults, without whom he would have been killed as a baby.

That said, the story gives other good reasons for Will to reject Stagnate’s offer and dedicate himself to Gracefeel—his parents regrets about being undead. Mary felt like she betrayed her faith; Blood regrets not being able to grow stronger, and Gus complained about missing pleasures in life like money.

He could have said “in my previous life I was unhappy and didn’t make strong connections, but in this life my parents gave me strong support and helped me grow. My parents regret being undead and wouldn’t want me to share their regrets, they would want me to continue to grow and find happiness.”
That would be in line with the story’s depictions and values while not conflating his previous life with personal failure and shame for what looks like mental health issues.


meiam wrote:
Not too crazy about this episode.
Having will make a variation of the "life isn't worth living without death" is pretty astounding considering he's someone whose already cheated death once, has been raised by undead parents and is now asking for a Goddess to either prevent his death or straight up revive him (not sure if his conversation with the goddess was literally in the afterlife). This stink of the "rule for thee but not for me" mentality.
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Covnam



Joined: 31 May 2005
Posts: 3627
PostPosted: Mon Nov 01, 2021 10:43 pm Reply with quote
I don't think the power up will be as effective fighting regular monsters. It just seems like Gracefeel is the perfect counter to the undead.
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meiam



Joined: 23 Jun 2013
Posts: 3442
PostPosted: Mon Nov 01, 2021 11:54 pm Reply with quote
Aerodynamic41 wrote:
The author wrote a commentary about Stagnate's behavior. Long story short: "Stagnate is a cunning god who likes heroes."


That... makes 0 sense, unless Stagnate also has a copy of the script and know Will will become a hero. But Stagnate start getting interest in Will before he does anything even remotely heroic. "Gee this kids that scared and cowering behind my undead soon-to-be minion sure looks heroic, let me recruit him, in fact let me give him 24 hours to let him decide even though I could just tell him that by agreeing to join my army he would stay with his undead parent, mwhaha I'm so cunning". And why not just fly in the air and just use some high level spell to kill him, worse that can happen is that Will somehow kill Stagnate... who care, he can just split himself up again.
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