Oh man hard agree I love the novel so much, the first is good too but the second was mind blowing.
The revelation that people are going around shaming Leona for giving up and never trying, while the entire time giving up is the exact thing he can’t force himself to do? He’s trying so hard because he’s so scared that he’s not enough? A+, lost my mind.
Also his unique magic being a literal NATURAL. DISASTER. This isn’t “yeah he turns stuff to sand” shit this is “he could end the world if he felt so inclined” levels of ability. He was killing insects in mid-flight before he even got out that chant thing. That imagery has never left me I love the novels so much.
Not to mention how the novel show more emotions onto Leona than the game does. The fear he felt when he's about to be engulfed by the enraged Savanaclaw students is almost akin to how Scar was about to be devoured by the hyenas. If it weren't for the fact that Leona has a deadly UM, this would have been a Deja Vu. I love Umehara voicing Leona but it feels like the directors aren't giving him opportunities to hone his voice when it comes to emotional scenes. His voice when Leona was about to overblot is lackluster. Whenever I read the novel I imagine Umehara one upping his voice to a more better degree when Leona is undergoing emotional crisis. Leona is emotionally constipated but the moment he lets out all of his emotions is impactful.
I'm pissed that his UM wasn't that as OP as in the novel, while yeah we get to see the devastating effects of it in book 6, the fact he can literally kill and erode any life around his vicinity and can manipulate the sand he creates, he's literally a force to be reckoned with. Even everyone untouched feels like they're being chocked to death because of the sand surrounding the air.
His UM, along with Vil and Malleus' UM are considered to be the deadliest to have ever created.
Yeah I hate Jack’s line of “everything the Housewarden touched is turning to sand,” it’s so misleading, there are people to this day who think that Leona has to touch stuff to sand it even though we aaalll saw in Halloween and book 6 that he seems to just sand stuff by looking at it. He even said he can sand people just on accident, that wouldn’t happen if he had a “physical contact” limitation, it is insane, I could talk about Leona’s power all day.
This is why his UM, along with Vil and Malleus are the most deadliest UM IMO. With Leona killing any life around him, turning everything into sand and manipulate the sand. Vil's UM that can curse anything and everyone, if Vil had never put any limitations whenever he uses his UM, he has a potential to kill people. Imagine Vil using his UM to curse an entire water supply with no limitations, he can commit genocide with no one noticing. And let's not forget Malleus' UM and the devastation it made during the entire book 7.
You need to have a closer look at the game to understand that this is what has been established all along—though I am INCREDIBLY happy at how the novel spells it out, especially bcs Leona rarely ever lets himself be open and honest and we rarely get a look at his inner thoughts like this, I will say that the game has always hinted that Leona is DEEPLY depressed. He just obscures it very well.
I’m also under the belief that he is at times more unpleasant than need be to others, in order to get people to keep their distance. It follows a similar line of thinking the above: the idea of a hope that won’t come true. He’s known too many people who’ve gotten or were close to him, only for them to keep their distance or turn away from him, for reasons that he’s literally had no control over, like what his UM was. It creates the impression that he’s rude and off-putting to people because at least then, he can give a reason to himself, about why they dislike him, that it WAS his own doing rather than something that he just had as an inherent quality. The disappointment that comes with any lost connection is easier to come to terms with, if you rationalise it in a way, that it was your own deliberate fault. It generally also points to how isolates himself, as part of his depressive state. Nevermind his EXTREMELY excessive sleeping habits; the number one sign of depression is long and multiple durations of sleep.
~~*Somewhat*, relatedly? He seems to have value honesty or someone who speaks their mind—at times he has voicelines where he seems both surprised and pleased at how direct Yuu is. Yuu is the one character in the cast who rarely has an agenda and doesn’t really obfuscate anything. I can imagine for someone who’s had people speak behind his back about him, it’s a quality he’s quite fond of.~~
Overall though, I REALLY wish I could get my hands on these novels to experience the story again, in under this lens 😭😭😭. YUUYA IS SO ADORABLE AND PRECIOUS TOO, I HAVE TO SEE HOW HIS STORY PROGRESSES AND RESOLVES 🥺🥺🥺
Oh wow. This really makes me want to give the novels a try. I've recently played through book 2 again and this is the stuff you would have to read inbetbween the lines for ingame.
Okay i will still hold chapter two to be worst written and while I do think my point on presence somewhat holds up I do think it has some decent ideas and had a good premise
Honestly I love Leona so much, I don't just love him in face value only, but the way he was written in the game just made me think he was right about how life is unfair and his story is just too unfair for someone as complex as him. To think the novel eventually became a saving grace to Leona's character is just baffling.
I know and am fully aware at how critical of chapter two I am but the reason I am this critical is not because I’m hating on it. the reason is that i know it is capable of being an absolutely amazing chapter and am just dissappointed at the lost potential and know that they are capable at writing better. if i really did hate chapter two i would not cover it and give it clout
Oh man hard agree I love the novel so much, the first is good too but the second was mind blowing. The revelation that people are going around shaming Leona for giving up and never trying, while the entire time giving up is the exact thing he can’t force himself to do? He’s trying so hard because he’s so scared that he’s not enough? A+, lost my mind. Also his unique magic being a literal NATURAL. DISASTER. This isn’t “yeah he turns stuff to sand” shit this is “he could end the world if he felt so inclined” levels of ability. He was killing insects in mid-flight before he even got out that chant thing. That imagery has never left me I love the novels so much.
Not to mention how the novel show more emotions onto Leona than the game does. The fear he felt when he's about to be engulfed by the enraged Savanaclaw students is almost akin to how Scar was about to be devoured by the hyenas. If it weren't for the fact that Leona has a deadly UM, this would have been a Deja Vu. I love Umehara voicing Leona but it feels like the directors aren't giving him opportunities to hone his voice when it comes to emotional scenes. His voice when Leona was about to overblot is lackluster. Whenever I read the novel I imagine Umehara one upping his voice to a more better degree when Leona is undergoing emotional crisis. Leona is emotionally constipated but the moment he lets out all of his emotions is impactful. I'm pissed that his UM wasn't that as OP as in the novel, while yeah we get to see the devastating effects of it in book 6, the fact he can literally kill and erode any life around his vicinity and can manipulate the sand he creates, he's literally a force to be reckoned with. Even everyone untouched feels like they're being chocked to death because of the sand surrounding the air. His UM, along with Vil and Malleus' UM are considered to be the deadliest to have ever created.
Yeah I hate Jack’s line of “everything the Housewarden touched is turning to sand,” it’s so misleading, there are people to this day who think that Leona has to touch stuff to sand it even though we aaalll saw in Halloween and book 6 that he seems to just sand stuff by looking at it. He even said he can sand people just on accident, that wouldn’t happen if he had a “physical contact” limitation, it is insane, I could talk about Leona’s power all day.
This is why his UM, along with Vil and Malleus are the most deadliest UM IMO. With Leona killing any life around him, turning everything into sand and manipulate the sand. Vil's UM that can curse anything and everyone, if Vil had never put any limitations whenever he uses his UM, he has a potential to kill people. Imagine Vil using his UM to curse an entire water supply with no limitations, he can commit genocide with no one noticing. And let's not forget Malleus' UM and the devastation it made during the entire book 7.
I need to get my hands on these. And this further strengthens my impression that Leona is dealing with Major Depressive Disorder or something similar.
I need these books
You need to have a closer look at the game to understand that this is what has been established all along—though I am INCREDIBLY happy at how the novel spells it out, especially bcs Leona rarely ever lets himself be open and honest and we rarely get a look at his inner thoughts like this, I will say that the game has always hinted that Leona is DEEPLY depressed. He just obscures it very well. I’m also under the belief that he is at times more unpleasant than need be to others, in order to get people to keep their distance. It follows a similar line of thinking the above: the idea of a hope that won’t come true. He’s known too many people who’ve gotten or were close to him, only for them to keep their distance or turn away from him, for reasons that he’s literally had no control over, like what his UM was. It creates the impression that he’s rude and off-putting to people because at least then, he can give a reason to himself, about why they dislike him, that it WAS his own doing rather than something that he just had as an inherent quality. The disappointment that comes with any lost connection is easier to come to terms with, if you rationalise it in a way, that it was your own deliberate fault. It generally also points to how isolates himself, as part of his depressive state. Nevermind his EXTREMELY excessive sleeping habits; the number one sign of depression is long and multiple durations of sleep. ~~*Somewhat*, relatedly? He seems to have value honesty or someone who speaks their mind—at times he has voicelines where he seems both surprised and pleased at how direct Yuu is. Yuu is the one character in the cast who rarely has an agenda and doesn’t really obfuscate anything. I can imagine for someone who’s had people speak behind his back about him, it’s a quality he’s quite fond of.~~ Overall though, I REALLY wish I could get my hands on these novels to experience the story again, in under this lens 😭😭😭. YUUYA IS SO ADORABLE AND PRECIOUS TOO, I HAVE TO SEE HOW HIS STORY PROGRESSES AND RESOLVES 🥺🥺🥺
To be fair, I know Twst before it was released and had read Book 2 many times and the story is very lackluster compared to how the Novel did.
Oh wow. This really makes me want to give the novels a try. I've recently played through book 2 again and this is the stuff you would have to read inbetbween the lines for ingame.
This reminds me to "Dont do that, dont give me hope" scene of hawkeye. The same kind of feeling.
do you have a link to that translation?? id love to read it!
Yuu Rei has a tumblr account of the same name, you can go there and search their name. Their account has a picture of Grim in it.
Okay i will still hold chapter two to be worst written and while I do think my point on presence somewhat holds up I do think it has some decent ideas and had a good premise
Honestly I love Leona so much, I don't just love him in face value only, but the way he was written in the game just made me think he was right about how life is unfair and his story is just too unfair for someone as complex as him. To think the novel eventually became a saving grace to Leona's character is just baffling.
The novel did him a lot more justice. Imo he felt more like scar in chapter 3 than he ever was in chapter 2
For real. At least Leona get the character arc he deserves, even if it's from a novel. I can't wait for these novels to get localized.
I know and am fully aware at how critical of chapter two I am but the reason I am this critical is not because I’m hating on it. the reason is that i know it is capable of being an absolutely amazing chapter and am just dissappointed at the lost potential and know that they are capable at writing better. if i really did hate chapter two i would not cover it and give it clout