It kept striking me reading it that Agents is much like Violet Evergarden, except that it just doesn’t work as well. VE was a sort of unusual genre mix too, but because it was slower paced overall, the melodrama fit in fine, and the whole thing came together well.
There are other books in the overall series - another duology that follows the agent(s) of summer and a separate story of the agents of dawn and twilight, and I’ll undoubtedly read them sooner or later, just to see if they work better. The author has obviously shown that she can tell a good story, and particularly a melodramatic one, and Dance of Spring does have some great moments to it (for example - after Hinagiku - the Agent of Spring - returns after being held captive by insurgents for eight years, she speaks slowly and awkwardly and refers to herself in the third person. That’s not an affectation - it’s extremely plot-relevant). It’s just that, with this one, she apparently reached to create an unusual genre combination, and unfortunately it just didn’t work out. Sort of like the cookies I made last week - I’m still convinced that I’m on to something, but they just… weren’t good.
But meanwhile, So I’m a Spider is already sucking me in, as I was sure it would - I loved the anime, and was only disappointed that it ended so soon.
Spider was really great for my taste in the beginning, but then there was some sort of shift in the plot (just keeping it vague here, but you will know what I mean once you reach that point), after which I lost interest completely. But those initial Kumoko getting stronger volumes were 10/10.
I think that I will skip Agents of the Four Seasons for now. I liked Violet Evergarden well enough, but the Agents anime didn’t really click with me.
It kept striking me reading it that Agents is much like Violet Evergarden, except that it just doesn’t work as well. VE was a sort of unusual genre mix too, but because it was slower paced overall, the melodrama fit in fine, and the whole thing came together well.
There are other books in the overall series - another duology that follows the agent(s) of summer and a separate story of the agents of dawn and twilight, and I’ll undoubtedly read them sooner or later, just to see if they work better. The author has obviously shown that she can tell a good story, and particularly a melodramatic one, and Dance of Spring does have some great moments to it (for example - after Hinagiku - the Agent of Spring - returns after being held captive by insurgents for eight years, she speaks slowly and awkwardly and refers to herself in the third person. That’s not an affectation - it’s extremely plot-relevant). It’s just that, with this one, she apparently reached to create an unusual genre combination, and unfortunately it just didn’t work out. Sort of like the cookies I made last week - I’m still convinced that I’m on to something, but they just… weren’t good.
But meanwhile, So I’m a Spider is already sucking me in, as I was sure it would - I loved the anime, and was only disappointed that it ended so soon.
Spider was really great for my taste in the beginning, but then there was some sort of shift in the plot (just keeping it vague here, but you will know what I mean once you reach that point), after which I lost interest completely. But those initial Kumoko getting stronger volumes were 10/10.
Fixed that for you.
But yes it does shift, and there is that volume…
I still love the series though, I was actually thinking of rereading it. I just can’t get enough of white.
Let me ask this way: Who do you like better? Kumoko or White?
How could you ask that? Making me choose! It’s like asking Myne or Rozemyne?
Anyway…
1st - The Happy go lucky - Kumoko
2nd - The dream team - White + Ariel
3rd - Loner White
Rozemyne. Easy.
See? The early volumes are clearly the best.