/jp/ - Otaku Culture

>>41698557
I've read that quite a long time ago so specifics are a bit hazy but yeah, it is really good. But not sure if to recommend it if you are looking for more sci-fi. It's more of a story about emotions.

If you want some solid sci-fi that does allocate a lot of time to exploration of its setting and does crazy things with it I wholeheartedly recommend 筺底のエルピス. Oxi is turning the world and the story on its head multiple times and often it is leaving me in awe, especially the scope he tries to deal with.

Always have been wondering why 筺底のエルピス never really caught on in the West not even with people who read untranslated media. It's fabulous superpower SF where the powers are directly tied to various physical and chemical concepts. The battles are really varied and insane. It's really fast paced and has high-stakes right from the first book. The world and its development is superbly done, arguably to the point that the characters feels a bit sidelined and aloof at points but it comes together really well. The plot twists and use of foreshadowing are quite superb (the author mentioned that he usually constructs plot from the ending going back to the beginning, so he can ensure the conclusion he wants to arrive at, themes and world are tight and coherent). Only final chapter (planned to be split into two books) remains to be told (will probably take Okishi another three years to write or so).

Also, next Ryuuou in April. This time the special edition will be Shirabi's first artbook collecting his drawings for the series from the official ones to the rakugaki he posts on twitter. Cannot wait. Frankly, in the current ranobe landscape there isn't (at least to my knowledge) a series that would use the very format of its media so well. Ryuuou has been coming out for seven years or so and still each volume surprises me with how playful na inventive at times it can get with its writing, formatting and illustrations. Not to mention the characters and story which take you on a roller-coaster of emotion every volume. Considering this is Shiratori's magnum opus I really wonder what he will tackle after Ryuuou is done and if he'll manage to keep his drive he got with this series.