ahill reading Kingdom

[ahill1]

So, I'm up to chapter 370. The Coalition arc was one of the best ones, I think in terms of overall tension and unpredictably it surpassed the Wei 2nd war enjoyment wise. I was so stuck reading it, that I legit had read for 5 hours straight yesterday. It was huge, battles all very well written and strategically, the Kai bandit and potentially-to-be one of the great generals interested me a lot too, he's a character with huge potential. Karin is also an intriguing character, though she has a personality, that unstable one, that doesn't attract me that much, like, in comparison to Riboku, the most interesting one thus far.

The part with Duke Hyou, and his last battle, being shown he had the potential to be one of the Qin Six Generals but always chose not to was huge too... And the thing with Mougoku, his hatred at the massacre in which their parents and friends were all burned alive in a very brutal and inhumane way (by one of Qin's six generals if I'm not mistaken), making him a fueled by hatred and possessed individual, but being pointed out he has done the same thing and horrible acts he condemned and distanced himself from humanity, carried a lot of emotional weight too, and I feel Shin changed after that. He doesn't seem so carefree and cheerful from up to now, he seems more serious and matured. The talk about how hatred will only give room for more hatred in an endless cycle was also a very valid reflection... It had powerful nuances.

And the Sai battle was also very intense, though I still think the impact of the king was a little ehh, dunno if exaggerated, but that charisma to pull up ppl to fight on the edge of their energies seemed like a little bit forced I think, for more that he's the king, I don't know if realistically the boost of content among those people from someone who they had never seen before, although he was the king, would be sufficient. Though yeah, granted that the king seems to have a powerful energy that gives people confidence whether they have seen him or not, it seems an ability of high charisma that goes way beyond the fact he's a king. I think it may have been a little forced that, although they had their morale boosted, non-combatants would be able to hold that long against actual elite trained soldiers, but eh, it was still a very intense culmination of the Coalition arc, which is still the best one from the manga imo. I think my main gripe though was with the Mountain people and Houken. The mountain ppl didn't seem to have been that explored yet, first appearing in the first war in which Sei tool control of Qin under his brother's command... But to have that loyalty to risk in a battle at the last minute against Riboku, all then ready to die... I think the former ties of the mountain people to the hundred years ago king of Qin was still somewhat of a shaky and convenient reason for the Mountain habitants to risk them that much and serve as a last time turn the table unpredictability. I didn't sense a huge connection being portrayed yet for all this loyalty. And Houken is still a mystery, hope they dig up his circumstances and backstory a little more, a God like figure dedicated to seek for the strongest, being the natural, or so I understood, enemy from Kyoukai's tribe still lacks more depth to be explored besides his existence there just happening.

Ryofui is still kinda mysterious, I'm really eager to see if his only power resides with his political knowledge or if he has a vast amount of power in melee battle as well, which seems the case considering upon his first appearance, Shin singled him out as an outstanding presence.

Where I am right now, Kyoukai has finished enacting her vengeance and is back to the Hi Shin Unit... Gonna read some more tonight.

But so far, very good stuff. It has managed to keep my interest a whole lot, more so than then first 200 chapters tbh.

 

[Warmmedown]

Damn you read 370 in one go

 

[ahill1]

Nah, there's more than a month I've been reading it haha. I just created the thread now because... Uhh idk

 

[Future Warrior]

I still have Bayou arc a little higher than the following two war arcs, but that’s mostly because I just really like Ouki.

In terms of narrative and drama, Sanyou and Coalition are probably superior though objectively. I only read through the series once so on a reread I’ll probably change my ranking.

I’ve rarely seen many long term manga out there where there was consistently high quality arcs back to back in such a long stretch.

 

[ahill1]

I'm in the civil war against Ryofui now. Seikyou has been killed, which was a shame as I'd have liked to see more of his character progression. I'm mostly intrigued now about whether Ryofui has only politics and scheme knowledge or if he can fight as well. Shin sensed an overwhelming presence in him from the moment he was introduced and even now, when Shin confronted him about justice not being in his side, Shin said Ryo is still big to him. Idk if it could be something other than strength, like his relentless ambitions and antics making that presence stand out, but I think it relates to strength too. He's likely very powerful fighting but that's strange as he was never seen with a sword.

 

[ahill1]

It's weird as fuck that the queen Harem just became so passionate with that dude Ryofui sent to free him of her. They said he was a male prostitute with a big ***** that was a master of sex pleasing... he had no charisma at all, seems afraid, insecure and I've barely seen him talking... Sounded kinda too convenient and weird for the Harem Queen to become so in love with him, unless it's pretending and she's still planning something against Ryofui. She is already a character that seems a little weird to me, it can be understandable that she beared a grudge to her child, it's a twisted and fucked up way of thinking to totally look down upon Sei, though she was in depths of despair and was tortured and abused constantly so she was traumatized and saw Sei as also responsible, indirectly. I don't know though why she is seeking pleasure like this, that just isn't realistic with women who have gone through that sort of mental and physical torture... She seemed intriguing upon her introduction but choosing to have sex with Ryofui despite hating him as the true (not Sei) responsible for all she went through, but still having him because he was the only one she felt "that flame" and then staying with this male prostitute just sounds very unrealistic.

 

[Future Warrior]

I don't know though why she is seeking pleasure like this, that just isn't realistic with women who have gone through that sort of mental and physical torture... She seemed intriguing upon her introduction but choosing to have sex with Ryofui despite hating him as the true (not Sei) responsible for all she went through, but still having him because he was the only one she felt "that flame" and then staying with this male prostitute just sounds very unrealistic.

Pleasure from sex is the only thing that gives her some semblance of emotion aside from despair and emptiness.

I’m not sure if you’re up to it, but it’s explained that the male prostitute was the only person that saw her for what she was as an individual and genuinely wanted the best for her happiness.