The Girl from the Other Side: Siúil A Rún - Nagabe

[last plinth]

From <t:1721433600:D> to <t:1724976000:D> | Leader(s): @gritty jewel

Book Link
Cover: https://cdn.thestorygraph.com/dssgev5mp7iws6qcjopxy42kocaf

ID: 66905668bf9a7dec629e3c90
Announcement: #buddy-reads message

[hot glen]

This BR is for Volume one! But if more volumes are going to be read as buddy reads, they will be announced here as well

[last plinth]

Announced BuddyRead

The Girl from the Other Side: Siúil, a Rún Vol. 1 - Nagabe

Description

This is a manga which I've watch the anime and movie of, and really liked it. I want to read the whole story, and I've heard a lot of good things about this manga too. So thought, why not give it a read already?

In a world split between the Inside and the Outside, those living in both realms are told never to cross over to the other side, lest they be cursed. A young girl named Shiva lives on the other side, in a vacant village with a demonic guardian known only as "Teacher." Although the two are forbidden to touch, they seem to share a bond that transcends their disparate appearances. But when Shiva leaves Teacher's care to seek out her grandmother, the secret behind her mysterious living arrangement comes to light.

Start Date

<t:1721433600:D>

End Date

<t:1724976000:D>

Thread(s)

#1263106971624669194

Requested By

@gritty jewel

Leader(s)

@gritty jewel(0)

Interested (12)

@gritty jewel,@unborn hill,@torpid sentinel,@steep perch,@icy wolf,@north hinge,@silent spire,@halcyon timber,@frail urchin,@urban zephyr,@clear crystal,@chilly loom

Event ID: 66905668bf9a7dec629e3c90

[charred ledge]

Peak Manga, literally one of the best ever written imo

Im convinced anyone who reads the first volume through will want to read more, good time for me to start reading it myself again

[halcyon timber]

and a beautiful art style too!

[torpid sentinel]

I tried to find it at a bookstore, but they only had the first volume as part of the deluxe set so I found just the first volume on Internet Archive. If I like it enough, I’m gonna go back for the deluxe Book 1

[steep perch]

im so exited to read this

[charred ledge]

Oh yeah, I have the standard volumes. The deluxe versions are absolutely gorgeous and fit the manga so well!

As a person who owns all three of Nagabe‘s internationally released mangas I honestly still have to say Siúil a Rún is his best

Nivawa and Saito and Monotone Blue are both also great but Siúil a Rún is just entirely different. In an interview Nagabe said he was influenced from the beauty and the beast, which does to an extent show, but Siúil a Rún is a wildly different story than the beauty and the beast

Also, Im a huuuuuge Nagabe geek, he’s one of my favorite authors of all time

I loved Siúil a Rún so much I tried to build my own box for it to put the mangas inside of but in the end I prefer leaving them outside of it

[icy wolf]

I just bought the delix version

[steep perch]

same i cant wait for it to arrive

[halcyon timber]

Ooh can I ask- where did you order them? I guess the answer also depends on where you live

[charred ledge]

Just from my local bookstore. I ordered the normal, softcover German versions of the mangas, not the deluxe version

[torpid sentinel]

Ngl I started this one a day early. ||Her aunt’s not gonna come get her, poor thing||

Okay yeah I’m sold. I’m gonna go back for the deluxe edition

[terse oar]

Okay yeah I’m sold.
I’m gonna go back for the
deluxe edition

- ctrlaltmerdel

[torpid sentinel]

Thanks HaikuBot

[spice harness]

I’m so excited to reread this manga, it’s one of my favorites

[charred ledge]

Same!!

[charred ledge]

Weird, it’s granny in german
But enough of that

[torpid sentinel]

I managed to finish it during my lunch break (forgot my headphones so I just Borrowed from Internet Archive), I’ll post my thoughts tomorrow so it’s within the BR range

[steep perch]

I'm still not sure you will count towards br points since you read it all before the start date

[torpid sentinel]

So I’ll read it again in a nice physical copy instead of having to go “down three pages and up one page online” ¯_(ツ)_/¯

[charred ledge]

By the way

What volumes does the deluxe edition volume 1 cover?

3 original volumes?

[charred ledge]

By the way, it’s honestly sad how the deluxe version got rid of the genius story telling of the manga volumes covers. The covers of the original manga actually told the entire story of the 11 volumes by themselves and you truly understood once you finished reading that volume specifically

Every little thing on the covers of the manga has a meaning to something happening inside the volume

And I loved checking and analysing, thinking „Hm, what will come next? What will happen?“

But the spring-summer-autumn-winter themed covers of the Deluxe Editions look gorgeous too no doubt

PS, the backsides of the volumes are just as important, as they create the full picture by opening it up completely

Seriously, trust me, the cover artworks of the original Siúil a Rún Mangas are if not the best manga cover arts of all time

Anywayssss that’s enough of me gushing over the Coverart of the Siúil a Rún Mangas

Seriously though. I recommend checking out every single one separately, before (because you won’t understand the context) and especially after (since you will understand the context)

[urban zephyr]

Hello! This is the first buddy reads I’ve ever joined and I’m very excited about it :) This series has been in my tbr for so long. Nice to meet you all!

[ruby cosmos]

Hello everyone, i just maked myself as Interested, never read these books, and my first buddy read in the existence of ever!

I also will be not participating, sorry!

[halcyon timber]

Awe enjoy!!

[halcyon timber]

Wdym

[ruby cosmos]

Its because i have nowhere to access the book 😦

[charred ledge]

You can pull the classic Internat Archive Move

[ruby cosmos]

Thanks, i actually have the book.

So I will be able to Join

[charred ledge]

Wait how did you get the book now or do you mean the IA copy?

[terse oar]

Wait how did you get
the book now or do you mean
the IA copy?

- Lii

[charred ledge]

Wow

[ruby cosmos]

Look.

[charred ledge]

Yeah that’s what I meant nice

Try to still support the mangaka though!

By for example buying the manga once you can

[ruby cosmos]

I have all 4 books that I am going to read.

Including this one,

[ruby cosmos]

Hey Lil, does this start today?

[charred ledge]

How come everyone calls me Lil, no, it starts on the 20th as you can see if you scroll up to the top

[steep perch]

Or check the pins

It technically starts in 8 hours

[frail urchin]

Sooo. Is this BR officially for vol 1 or the whole set?

[charred ledge]

Im assuming volume 1 deluxe edition

As it said this BR is only for volume 1

I don’t know if the actual volumes are even sold in English?

[torpid sentinel]

They are 💀

[charred ledge]

I see, then no clue

[frail urchin]

I have 12 separate volumes in English

[charred ledge]

That’s the whole series but the DX version is volume 1-3

Also the actual series is volume 1-11, 12 is just the bonus volume „dear“ which is also in the DX versions

[frail urchin]

Ok. So this BR for that? Vol 1-3?

[charred ledge]

I think so, but I’m not quite sure

[frail urchin]

Ok Ty!

[charred ledge]

It wasn’t specified whether it’s vol. 1 of the DX or the normal one, but we will see

[icy wolf]

I dont think it should be the deluc version?

[frail urchin]

Looks like Manouk said at the top this is just for vol 1, but if we continue it’ll be in the same thread? Idk if that means we need to do separate requests for each?

[icy wolf]

Maybe it like people get points if they stop after vokume 1?

[frail urchin]

Each vol is pretty short

Won’t take long to read at all

[icy wolf]

It was only a theiry

[frail urchin]

But I know other manga have been BR requested by volume before

[charred ledge]

Yeah, less than usual

150 pages each with not a lot of text

[icy wolf]

I know there was one not long ago

[charred ledge]

Which one?

[icy wolf]

I think it was One piece but I cant remeber 100%

[charred ledge]

Making seperate volume One Piece BR would clog up the thread very quickly lmao-

[small sapphire]

I'm actually 5 volumns in this manga series, but very excited to join this.

[frail urchin]

I feel like I'm gonna want to binge read this whole thing, so I kinda wish I knew how it was going to be handled before I jump in. @gritty jewel Are you planning to request these 1 at a time?

[steep perch]

@gritty jewel no pressure but the br started 3 days ago

[charred ledge]

Yeah lmao-

[chilly loom]

lol I was just wondering why this hadn’t started yet

I need to engage with the threads as soon as they’re posted now or I’ll forget them

[gritty jewel]

I. Am. So. Sorry.

My country has been going through... stuff. And there wasn't any internet connection for almost a week

[steep perch]

dont worry i just wanted to remind you in case you forgot

[last plinth]

@gritty jewel,@unborn hill,@torpid sentinel,@steep perch,@icy wolf,@north hinge,@silent spire,@halcyon timber,@frail urchin,@urban zephyr,@queen fractal,@chilly loom,@small sapphire,@charred ledge,@spice harness,@placid void,@ruby cosmos,@sudden swan,@hardy orchid

[gritty jewel]

The Girl from the Other Side: Siúil, a Rún Vol. 1 (chapters 1-5) - Nagabe

Welcome to this buddy read. First and foremost, I'm terribly sorry for the delay in announcing this BR. I will try my best not to make delays like this again. Anyhow. This is a manga I've been meaning to read for a long time. I've watched its movie adaptation and OVA, and liked it a lot. Hope you guys enjoy the read!

💡 Fun Fact:
The series has received widespread critical acclaim for its storytelling and art. It was nominated for the Eisner Award for Best U.S. Edition of International Material—Asia in 2018. It won the 2020 Sense of Gender Award in the Best Comic category, recognizing its unique approach to storytelling and gender representation.

💡 2nd Fun Fact:
Nagabe has shared in interviews that the story was initially inspired by a simple image of a small girl holding hands with a tall, dark figure. This image became the cornerstone of the entire series.

💡 3rd Fun Fact:
The story draws heavily from European folklore and fairy tales, with influences from the Brothers Grimm and Hans Christian Andersen. This blend of cultural folklore helps create a timeless, otherworldly feel. The character design for the Outsider, or Teacher, was inspired by various mythical creatures, including the Wendigo from Native American folklore and the Japanese Tengu, both of which are often depicted with dark, imposing appearances.

※ Some questions to start the BR with:

1. What made you want to read this manga?
2. How much do you think influence do you think a manga/comic has over an artstyle?
3. Do you have any expectations from this manga?
4. Have you read any other manga by Nagabe? If so, what are your thoughts on them?

[charred ledge]

1. I wanted to start reading this manga back then because the art and theme of the story just really spoke to me. I also saw the anime teaser back when it was new and thought „Hey, this looks gorgeous. I wanna read this“ and so it began. And at first I only bought volume 1-3 (which is basically the DX edition, just the normal covers and all) and fell so in love I immediately bought the next ones and binge read it

2. I think it has a very heavy influence. The style needs to be contrasty and clear for the (usually) small pages, and, with how dark Nagabe usually draws and how much ink he uses, and the black and white of mangas, it needs to be precisely controlled. Nagabe is a master at it though and created scenes where everything is readable, even in almost pitch black scenes, keeping sharp silhouettes, even with thick lines. It reminds me of how Tatsuki Fujimoto (mangaka of Chainsaw Man) uses so many „messy“ lines to create art that just can’t be replicated that way, at all, and that at such a steady tempo as weekly.

3. When I first read it, I hoped for a wholesome yet tragic story.

4. Yes, both of his internationally released mangas, Nivawa and Saito and Monotone Blue. I sadly don’t really remember Nivawa and Saito that clearly, but Monotone Blue I reread recently and.. I loved it. Seriously. It’s by far one of the best Oneshot-mangas I’ve ever read, and it’s MUCH worth a read, Nagabe‘s art still shines in it, even if in a more different way than it did in the raw nature and rustic feel of Siúil A Rún

I removed some bits from the third part as I realized they did delve a bit into spoiler-ish territory

[small sapphire]

1. I saw my favourite youtuber recommend this in a video, and I loved the edition and the art style, and then ofcc when I read the synopsis, I was in.

2. I'm not really sure as I'm still pretty new to manga reading, but I think a lot, art style takes hand in deciding the vibe of the story for the reader, it also depends on the art style that how engaged the reader is, in my opinion.

3. Not really, I'm just almost blindly going in (I just almost blindly went in), looking forward for a cozy sweet story, that would make me a bit sad, which is exactly what I'm getting.

4. No I have not, I don't even know they had any other mangas.

[chilly loom]

1. I've been wanting to read some manga and this one seemed interesting!
2. I think quite a lot? I feel art style really affects the storyline and themes and vice versa
3. Not really
4. Nope

[steep perch]

got my edition its so pretty

[hardy orchid]

※ Some questions to start the BR with:

1. What made you want to read this manga?
   I have just finished a manga and I've been a long time fan of jinjo ito and in general like reading them. Knew about this but saw the opportunity on this BR.

2. How much do you think influence do you think a manga/comic has over an artstyle?
   I really believe it's a lot. I think Jinjo Ito again is a great example there. Without his surreal art the mangas wouldn't be as messed up and creepy.

3. Do you have any expectations from this manga?

Not much. But I'm ready to be surprised.

4. Have you read any other manga by Nagabe? If so, what are your thoughts on them?
   No I haven't yet.

[torpid sentinel]

1. What made you want to read this manga?
   I’ve seen it here and there and the cover looked pretty. I literally knew nothing about it.

2. How much do you think influence do you think a manga/comic has over an artstyle?
   Art style makes or breaks the manga/comic. Unless you mean a big-name one impacting others?

3. Do you have any expectations from this manga?
   Not really, since I had been going in blind.

4. Have you read any other manga by Nagabe? If so, what are your thoughts on them?
   I actually read this one a day before the BR officially started, and I’m going to go get either a paperback copy of Vol 1 OR the deluxe edition, depending on what’s available (last time there was no Vol 1, just deluxe) and read it again.

My thoughts-
||I’m weak for ‘monster adopts small child’ and ‘fantasy plague’ so it checked a lot of my boxes right off the bat. It’s also pretty clear to the reader that the (aunt or granny, depends on translation?) isn’t coming back. The ending set me on edge.||

[icy wolf]

Me toooo

Did we agree this the entire manga?

[steep perch]

no just volume 1 #1263106971624669194 message

[chilly loom]

I’d love it if we could BR the entire manga too

[icy wolf]

Hopefully if we like it we cn keep going?

[chilly loom]

I have just started it and honestly, it’s feeling like it’s going to be a really good one

[chilly loom]

I’m like 80% in now and enjoying it so much
||The outsider is just so sweet with Shiva and the way they take all the arrows for her like
As an aunt myself, I was initially so upset that she left poor Shiva all by herself but like finding out the reason why makes sense but like I still feel quite upset ||

I’m done
||That was fun ig why must they end like that I’m hoping the ‘humans’ are wrong and it doesn’t just take a ‘touch’ to get someone cursed ||

[icy wolf]

So fast

[chilly loom]

It’s short-ish and fast!

[icy wolf]

I am trying to wait for starting this as I have the entire set

[chilly loom]

Also
My library only has 6 volumes of the manga so far

[terse oar]

Also My library
only has 6 volumes of
the manga so far

- hanzyyyy

[chilly loom]

That’s actually smart cuz you won’t have to wait and just keep munching on the whole series together

If we end up doing Volume 2, I might just reread this then

[unborn hill]

1. I've actually already read it!! it's one of, if not my fave manga of all time nd this is just a good excuse to reread it

2. art style really makes or breaks a manga for me, like for this one it really makes it! if I don't like an art style, I won't read a manga usually (unless I'm really interested in reading it anyway)

3. it's gonna cure my depression, clear my skin, water my crops, feed my family

4. nope but I want to!

[icy wolf]

Nooooo.
I have to asmit that I used money on the delux set

[steep perch]

I dont think the deluxe edition is more expensive than just bying the volumes separately
Especially if you also have to pay shipping

[icy wolf]

No O dont think so eather. Think they cheaper actually

[chilly loom]

I might end up buying the whole deluxe set too

[frail urchin]

1. Fantasy manga/comics are a favorite genre
2. Art style really impacts us on a subconscious level and directly affects us emotionally
3. No, going in blind
4. Not yet

Also - hoping to read this in a day or so. I have all 12 volumes checked out

[placid void]

Thx for all the fun facts Coffee!!

1. A glimpse at the artwork made me interested to read what it was about 😯
2. hmm, i dont read too much manga/comics but i imagine it has a significant influence since tone might impact shading, linework, etc?
3. not too much, but from the artwork and fun facts, I expect it to be like a fairy tale, mystical vibes??
4. nope

[queen fractal]

1. ive not read many mangas
2. writing a whole story on art is so awesome plus the amount of volumes some has is crazy 💀
3. idk anything about this but im hoping it to be good
4. nope i havent

[gritty jewel]

I'd request the other volumes but I'm quite sure there won't be enough people interested

[frail urchin]

You don’t think others here will want to continue? Is each volume a complete story then? Or is it an ongoing arc?

[charred ledge]

It’s one extremely tight and compact story

It’s basically impossible to stop after a volume because no volume has a „clear ending“

It’s usually all cliff hangers

And especially volume 1 lmao

Wait let me check what the ending of volume 3 was

Yeah no even the DX Version has a sort of cliffhanger

That’s the Nagabe as I love and know him

[gritty jewel]

@everyone

Hey everyone, I made BR requests for the next two volumes for this manga so do check #br-requests if you're interested. Would be great if we could continue reading the series together.

That aside, anyone else started reading yet? If so, don't forget to share your thoughts!

this one's mainly for lemondrop, wan't going to do it because didn't know if enough people would be interested, but thanks for the push

[frail urchin]

I’m so excited!!! I knew I’d want to keep talking about it! Thank you!!

[gritty jewel]

You're welcome

[frail urchin]

Oh, the end date for the vol 2 request is the same as the start

[gritty jewel]

Yeah ik, I sent a modmail about, it'll get fixed soon

[charred ledge]

Thanks lemondrop

And thanks Coffee too!

[frail urchin]

I’m probably going to read vol 1 very soon

[gritty jewel]

I'll read it right now (I did in fact not read it right then)

[charred ledge]

Volume 1 was, in my opinion, one of the best introductions into a series that could’ve been made, and the cliffhanger at the end of Volume 1, ||where Shiva was touched by an outsider, was just absolutely perfect. It caused a surge of panic because, with how it was always shown, being touched by an outsider is basically the worst thing that could happen. And the emotions of the teacher, feeling conflicted about telling Shiva that her auntie won’t be coming back, is honestly really well made and captures the feeling of guilt so so well. ||
The story gets better and better from here, volume 1 was truly just the beginning of a REALLY intricate storyline with so, so so so many twists and turns

[charred ledge]

Don’t read the spoiler if you haven’t read yet

[placid void]

Vol 1 Ch. 1 really enjoy the art style! its definitely unique! still not too sure where the storyline is heading but im interested so far about what the || curse entails || and about how || Shiva is abandoned|| 🤔

|| Now that I gave you flowers you won't be lonely even if you're alone. ||

[placid void]

Volume 1 Finished Very interesting story Its definitely mysterious, but also kinda lonely and sentimental || Hearing the story about the Black and White God made me think that the teacher was the Black God but that they weren't as evil and cruel as made it out to be but that ending happened so ig there are other outsiders?? and Shiva is somehow resistant to the curse is what it seems?? || my theory is ||it might be because of her innocence and not having prejudice against outsiders (i.e. empathetic to all) maybe kindness to all is the definition of a soul since thats the requirement to not getting cursed?? very curious!||

[hardy orchid]

Going to start the Volume 1 Soon. Will update after work

[chilly loom]

Oooh I love this theory!

[hot glen]

**From <t:1722643200:D> to <t:1726790400:D> | Leader(s): @gritty jewel **

Book Link

ID: 66a6bb10bf9a7dec629e63a4
Announcement: #buddy-reads message

[chilly loom]

[hot glen]

also to reply to this (only just saw this, sorry): yeah we typically commemorate manga volumes in one thread to not clog up #1057460348392833065 with forum posts. But each volume can be a separate br for points individually. So also make sure to mark your spoilers with the correct volume

[hardy orchid]

Just finished reading the Volume 1. I loved the art work.|| The innocence of the girl is so wonderfully drawn. Her kneeling on the bench asking for the outsider to read was beautiful. Just puts across her innocence so well. And yet there is this mischievous image of Shiva that remains.|| Would love to continue this for further volumes, especially because of the cliffhanger at the end. ||It seems to me that the big outsider might be the dark god in the story because he seems to be saying your sould should have been mine, or it could also be that the curse implies an absoprtion of a person's soul by the person that touches. Unlikely though.||

[hardy orchid]

So that means, we use this forum for discussing each volume, even though they will be unique BR?

[hot glen]

correct!

You just have to keep in mind to tag your spoilers with the right volume and to read the correct volume in the right time, but everything can be written here for the entire series

[hardy orchid]

I clicked a picture of that quote. So sad and heartbreaking

[hardy orchid]

Cool thanks. So Volume 2 begins from 3rd August. I need to figure out how to get my hands on it. I read the archive copy for volume 1 that was shared above.

[steep perch]

#br-requests message
We only need 1 more for volume 3

[hardy orchid]

I don't see it on requests. Has it been updated

[torpid sentinel]

It got pushed to being a full BR

Not the most recent Official BR announcement, but the one before that

[frail urchin]

oh, I'm so excited now! I'm gonna binge this real soon

[small sapphire]

We cannot do like the whole series as one buddy-read?

[hardy orchid]

Is the whole series even out in english?

[small sapphire]

No idea

[gritty jewel]

The first three volumes have been confirmed, there are a total of 15 volumes if I'm not mistakes. I'll do as many of the volumes as possible. In hindsight, the best action would've been requesting a bunch of the volume at once

[hot glen]

**From <t:1722643200:D> to <t:1726790400:D> | Leader(s): @gritty jewel **

Book Link

ID: 66a6bbe8bf9a7dec629e63b9
Announcement: #buddy-reads message

[small sapphire]

yeshhhh

[torpid sentinel]

I just picked up the deluxe hardcover so I’ll probably read all three in one go (thoughts properly labeled of course)

[cobalt goblet]

I'm a bit late but I'm excited to join this BR

To answer the questions -

1. Definitely the cover artwork, and then the interesting premise.
2. I think a lot. When it comes to visually telling a story, the art style is crucial, imo, and it can make or break a story.
3. I expect to enjoy it a lot. I expect to read something serious, yet fun, broken down through the prism of a child.
4. No, I haven't read anything else by Nagabe.

[cobalt goblet]

Okay, I finished volume 1. I love the main characters' design and the panels' art style. The world building was done well enough for these introductory chapters, and I like the interactions between Shiva and Teacher. I'll definitely be picking up the next volume, especially with that ||cliffhanger||

[last plinth]

@gritty jewel,@torpid sentinel,@icy wolf,@frail urchin,@charred ledge,@unborn hill,@spice harness,@steep perch,@small sapphire,@hardy orchid,@chilly loom,@halcyon timber,@queen fractal,@queen fractal,@cobalt goblet

[gritty jewel]

Volume 2 and 3 has officially started

So for anyone who was waiting like me, you can binge the first three volumes now

[gritty jewel]

Same, I really liked the cover art too

I would like to collect the volumes someday just for the cover art

[frail urchin]

Volume 1 “Once Upon a Time”
Ch 1 || Shiva is so light and carefree. And the being is so dark and imposing but also obviously cares about her safety and well-being very much. The flower crown was very sweet and a tiny bit silly. I like the shadow play of the art style, and the deserted village seems nicely creepy||
Ch 2 ||aw the hope about the auntie, and how the being couldn’t disappoint Shiva. The myth about the Kingdoms of Light and Dark reminded me of Zelda lore lol! But who the heck are these soldiers and why are they creating a mass grave? Are they bodies all cursed? Please don’t kill small children. Seriously ||
Ch 3 || oh yikes. Shit got real. I can’t imagine the strength it would take to abandon a child in the hopes of saving the child. This whole protect the village from the cursed hits differently after Covid ||
Ch 4 ||ok the “us vs them” theme is solidly established. I’m sure the metaphor will become stronger, and I’m wondering who the author is using the outsiders to symbolize. I like the imagery of the rain contrasting with the arrows, and I’m glad that Teacher seems to be ok. (Glad they have a name now). The stark height difference is powerful on some of these panels fr||
Ch 5 || lol the apple pie! But aw the love teacher feels is so clear. Uh oh. She’s been touched, but also this doesn’t seem to be the first time? Since she’s expected to be cursed? So curious!!! ||
done with vol 1

[cobalt goblet]

Yeah, I'm considering getting the Omnibus for the first 3 volumes for my birthday

Volume 2 - I'm enjoying the progression of this story! We got a little bit more background information about Teacher and Shiva, both, and I love seeing them interact! I have to say that I was surprised at the ||casual violence Teacher showed by chopping off the head of the Outsider, lol|| but also glad to see the lengths he's willing to go to. I also found it curious that the ||Insiders pray to a God, and the Outsiders worship a Mother, yet the story in Shiva's book had a Goddess as the good one, and a God as the evil one. I wonder if things are not as they seem 👀 Also, the symptoms about the curse reminded me a bit of how one might feel if they're depressed. Maybe it's one of the reasons Shiva is a pure soul and can't get cursed?|| Lots of speculations, hopefully some of them will be answered in the third volume, hehe.

[torpid sentinel]

Had to scroll back to find this, but I cracked open my deluxe copy and am pleased to announce that the individual volume covers are included

They mark the start of the individual volumes, like this for volume 2

[torpid sentinel]

Re-reading Volume 1: This is much more pleasant with a physical copy

||On re-read, it’s giving Nausica of the Valley of the Wind||

||on a re-read, it seems easier to read Teacher’s facial expressions.
Also I wonder what makes him different from the other Outsiders?||

Finished Vol 1! No new thoughts from last time

Also in the hardcover there are the odd colored pages, which are a nice surprise

Starting Vol 2- ||Mayhaps Teacher is different because he’s young for an Outsider? Much to ponder||

||I DID NOT EXPECT A DECAPITATION||

||Also, if Shiva can grab his clothes with no problem, why can’t Teacher wear welder’s (or blacksmith, since this is fantasy) gloves and touch her?||

Finished Vol 2!
||I wonder if Shiva was born partially with a curse and that’s why everyone’s after her. Like, her mom got it when she was pregnant with Shiva.

Also, with regards to the ‘granny in the German translation, auntie in the English translation’, she definitely looks more like a Granny.||

There’s a page at the end of Volume 2 that I’m sorely tempted to turn into a charcoal drawing

Vol 3 ||WOW the plot picked up fast||

Did NOT expect ||that the aunt had found Shiva on the outside herself||

[terse oar]

Did NOT expect ||that
the aunt had found Shiva on
the outside herself||

- ctrlaltmerdel

[torpid sentinel]

Thanks HaikuBot

Having finished the first three volumes, I’m definitely hooked and will finish the series, even if it’s on my own

[frail urchin]

Vol 2 “Untouchable”
Ch 6 || How does this new outsider know teacher? Or Shiva? Yikes! Chop chop, but it still keeps fighting back. Ok. Teacher is bringing Shiva’s pure soul to… his mother?||
Ch 7 ||hmmm ok. I guess they are forgiven for chipping off heads? Oooh big creepy lake. Why does teacher just trust that this outsider will actually share knowledge? I don’t know if following that head into the lake is such a great idea. Cool imagery tho ||
Ch 8 || it’s eating him up, he really should tell her what he knows imo… but I guess it’s a protection of innocence kind of thing?||
Ch 9 ||aw she’s so sweet in caring about him and trying to mend his clothes. Oof - there’s a religious angle on this. Not surprising really||
Ch 10 || the church using old women as bait hmmm. And it happens to be her auntie? And they definitely touched hands, so are they both “expendable” now? Poor Teacher||

Love everyone’s ideas on why Shiva ||is not cursed, and what that means about our souls||

[torpid sentinel]

Re: Chp 8- ||It really feels like a ‘damned now if he does, damned later if he doesn’t||

[frail urchin]

Vol 2’s title|| I’m thinking about all the implications of “untouchable” too and how it means physically, but also emotionally. But also being above reproach in a way||

[gritty jewel]

Starting now

[frail urchin]

Volume 3 “Homecoming”
Ch 11 || nooooooooooooooo||
Ch 12 ||where are all the people of this village? This is so wrong. Oof no Shiva, don’t listen to her. And Teacher shouldn’t listen to the headless one either||
Ch 13 ||well, I guess there are people there after all, but that page of panels where auntie has her hand on Shiva’s head is so menacing. And welp now she’s cursed too, or lost her glamour disguise||
Ch 14 || ok, I can get behind public safety, but murder is not the answer. And why do they think Shiva is the source of the curse? I never trust civic government that’s hand in hand with religion. Ever.||
Ch 15 ||what? Auntie found her after she’d been abandoned? Teacher is clearly very concerned and careful and demonstrates trustworthiness. I hope she’ll be ok on the floor. Her foot was just injured from the glass right? Not cursed?||
Done with 3

[gritty jewel]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XpsS3YzLSmg

I've been listening to this while reading

[halcyon timber]

Volume 1 final review - Literally couldn’t stop reading it and just finished it at the local bookstore- strong start to a magical (and I bet heartbreaking) story🫠😭. This is more like 4.5 because I haven’t read enough to justify 5 but it IS a great start and it ain’t that deep to skim on a 5*

[hardy orchid]

Beginning Volume 2 now 🙂

Chapter 6: ||I wonder who the mother is, as I thought, there is a difference between the teacher and this new outsider. And they don't die!!! The outsider called teacher a child. interesting||
Chatper 7: ||Is it just me, or the stranger diving into the lake with the outsiders is a silly thing to do. Leaving the child behind. Have we forgotten the soldeirs in the forest already?||

[hardy orchid]

Chapter 8: ||Okay, the skip of the discussion is so frustrating. Also he really should tell her about the aunt. Also I just noticed teacher has a tail, was quite clear in the lake xD||
Chapter 9: ||The sewing part was so sweet. So, let me guess, Is mother just Mother Nature? And the opposite is the Human God? Humans are giving me the bad feeling||
Chapter 10: || Wow, using the Aunt-or is it jus tanother old lady- by father was a dirty move, Not really giving me holier than thou vibes here. The bonus outsider part was funny. ||

[hardy orchid]

Volume 3 "Homecoming"
Chapter 11: ||Will teacher follow the child inside? Somehow I don't think he will be able to manage inside the wall. I hope the curse spreads around the village, she might just be a carrier and not be symptomatic. I don't trust Aunt||
Chapter 12: ||Yesss let's go, the outsiders are uniting against the people. But I still do not trust the others. Also classic gaslighting going on with Shiva and Aunt||
Chapter 13: || Predictable fate of Aunty, although what is interesting is the fact that she was arrested for the claim that she was infected. Must have met an outsider when she left the child in the town. Makes sense with the note as welll.||
Chapter 14: ||The soldiers calling the child source of the curse gave me an idea that she might be the patient zero. Where the curse started. But then I think the timeline does not make sense with that theory. Also i wonder what revelations are the father getting? Finally, how is the animal decided for each outsider after transformation?||

Chapter 15: || Ooh she has been abandoned twice. Could my theory of her being the origin of curse really be true. An asymptomatic patient zero. I am excited to see where the story leads to.||

@gritty jewel I hope there are plans for other volumes now. I am enjoying it.

[hardy orchid]

About Last Chapter : || I don't think she is showing symptoms of being cursed. That must have been the glass. I think this way it is more fun. I wonder how she got the original infection.||

[steep perch]

i started this

i need something good to keep me from dying while reading #1255063089599086642

chapter 1 ||i wonder if all the outsiders used to look like regular humans ||

end of chapter 1 ||poor shiva ||

end of chapter 2 ||oh no ||

ended chapter 3 ||the world is really begining to come together but it dosent look good ||

chapter 4 ||not teacher taking the arrows for shiva im not crying you are crying ||

finished volume 1 ||the was i actually gasped when i saw the hand on shivas face ||

[hardy orchid]

Oh I read this when the movie came out. Was so confused and traumatised. This is a good palette cleanser

[steep perch]

Finished vol 2 ||Im really loving this story so far my only annoyance is that it's sometimes hard to tell who is talking and if a character is voicing out loud or thinking something||

Chapter 11 ||The whole part with teacher trying to get to Sguva while being shot by arrows is so heartbreaking ||

[steep perch]

Finished chapter 12 ||I love these little illustrations in between chapters ||

Finished chapter 13 ||Oh no I had my suspicions after she said her hand felt weak but I hoped I was wrong I wonder if she got the curse from Shiva or something else ||

Finished volume 3 ||noooooo I need to know more it can't leave me on a cliffhanger like this it is so good and hit me straight in the feels ||

[frail urchin]

Ikr? I want to keep going too!

[steep perch]

@gritty jewel are you gonna do br's for the rest of the series?
If you aren't up for it then I can do it

[steep perch]

My wallet says I shouldn't but when did I ever listen to it

[frail urchin]

I have library copies, so I’m all set. But I totally get it. My wallet has opinions too

[gritty jewel]

Hey sorry for the late reply

Honestly go for it

I've been leading way too many BRs recently and want a break after all of them end

I'd rather not start any new ones, so yea, go for it

[icy wolf]

So I have the delux version so I am unsure if I have diffrent volumes in it?…… but I starting now. Honestly I am SO EXITED

Like page 34? || SO CUTE||

Chapter 2: || They better not kill her. Ahe is just a child||

[icy wolf]

So dod I. Now lets start volume 2

Chapter 6: || Ok just why does the other outsider need the soul. Also this got a slight viplent.||

[icy wolf]

End of volume 2 || Whm Auntie just took her away? WHY. And is tjis even actually auntie?||

Chapter 11: || I am not crying. You are crying||

Finnished vomume 3: || OMG!!! So she is from the outside in the first place?||

I gotta read next volume now. Will there be a new br or should I just read

[steep perch]

i have posted the br requests for the next 3 volumes

[icy wolf]

I joined

[last plinth]

@gritty jewel,@unborn hill,@torpid sentinel,@steep perch,@icy wolf,@north hinge,@silent spire,@halcyon timber,@frail urchin,@urban zephyr,@queen fractal,@chilly loom,@small sapphire,@charred ledge,@spice harness,@placid void,@ruby cosmos,@hardy orchid,@cobalt goblet

Hellow dear readers, have you guys been enjoying the manga? For those who are reading, what do you think about the art? Any thoughts about the bond/relationship between the main characters? Which character do you like the most?

Note: if you want want continue reading this series don't forget to check #br-requests message and join the BRs for the next three volumes!!

[icy wolf]

IT WAS AMAZING.
The art, well honestly || So I give this a 4.75 stars and the reason is as the art at times gets to black for me. Sometimes I struggeled to actually see on the pages what was happening.
But when I can properly see it? The art is so pretty. So extrenly pretty||

I want the bond to last. || Teacher is so caring and really seem like a parant to her. She is just loving Teacher aswell so much. The bond really made me cry at times||
Fav caracther? Easy || TEACHER||

[gritty jewel]

Ch 12 - The character I hate the most so far ||is this fucking Auntie||

[gritty jewel]

Finished reading the first three volumes

I'll give my thoughts on each chapter later

[halcyon timber]

yes it has been a very easy light read (despite some of its themes and plots) I adore the two too

[steep perch]

remember that to get the br points you will have to dicuss the book/books

[halcyon timber]

is leaving review per each volume enough?

also what are the br points for again?

[frail urchin]

It is, but you can also answer prompt questions or comment on things that others have said. You get points toward roles in the server. Higher roles give you more perks. It’s in the #faq

[gritty jewel]

Yes, that's enough, but I think Amanda was telling you that since you gave only a few lines of your thoughts on the volumes you read

[gritty jewel]

It's just a fun thing, you get points for reading books and discussing them, and roles and some perks for it in exchange as lemondrop mentioned, but mostly just for enjoyment

Volume 1 ~ 3
Overall thoughts: ||This manga felt like a feeling you might have, which you can't quite put your finger on or clearly express with words, drawn and put into the form of a story||

[small sapphire]

Yeppp love itt, and ofcc i love Teacher the besttt!!!

[gritty jewel]

Volume 1 “Once Upon a Time”
Ch 1 ||This was a good first chapter. It made me think of questions that I don't have answers to from the start. Who's this massive black thing? What's his relation with this child? Oh, they seem friendly with each other, but something's off. What's a curse and why does it exist? The scene where Shiva says that she made that tiara of flower for Teacher so that he won't be alone was interesting. Teacher goes quiet, and seems somewhat sad. At first I thought it was because of his dependence on her, but by the end another reason surfaced, which is that Shiva was abandoned and her Aunt probably don't ever come to get her.||
Ch 2 ||I see the bond between Shiva and the Teacher as the bond of a good big brother and a little sister. In this chapter Teacher first showed how troubled he truly was by if he should tell Shiva the truth or not.||
Ch 3 ||My first impression of the Insiders was that they're undoubtedly the bad ones. People who who wouldn't even stop to think if they're doing the right thing or not and only follow what's been ordered and told.||
Ch 4 ||The one soldier who showed even a little sense of morality and did the least when they were thing to kill a child, if what they're doing is really the right thing to do, he was immediately shut down by the others, ignorant and blind. Teacher tried to reason with them but they wouldn't even listen, so Teacher had no choice but to simply scare them off. I can understand that they're scared for their lives, but they should also think beyond simply trying to kill whatever looks not human (though they were already trying to kill a kid who looks very human), especially when you're being offered a chance to talk.||
Ch 5 ||This other dark thing has been lurking around from chapter one, and now it says things which bring up even more questions. Also I love the page that's simply the Teacher's eye and the reflection of Shiva and the other Outsider on it. My favorite drawing in this volume.||

I'll give my thoughts of the other volumes later again

[torpid sentinel]

I’ve been loving it! Same as Avialia, in that it can be too physically dark tho.

||I’m weak for Monster Takes Care of Small Child||, and Teacher is my fav.

[steep perch]

sometimes since it depends on how much you write in that final review
but mostly i just wanted to remind you to write thoughts on each volume seperatly since it is 3 different br's
if you arent sure what exactly to say then you can write a smaller review but answer the questions being posted instead

[frail urchin]

We just need 2 more for vol 4-6!

[icy wolf]

We can do it. Hopefully Abi join.

[jagged summit]

1. Amanda made me do it
2. Art style is hugely important. It helps set the tone and as it takes up the majority of the page it has to be compelling for a reader to get them initially hooked but also match the time of the story and be complimentary with the text.
3. I'm gonna be honest, I'm going into this entirely blind. I haven't even looked at the blurb or art style or anything so I don't really have any expectations other than I hope I enjoy it. I don't really read manga so I'm try to branch out a little and try something new.
4. I couldn't tell you the last manga I even sampled but I don't think I've even heard of Nagabe.

Volume 1
Chapter 1: ||Okay so the first page has kind of hooked me already||

Having to remember that I'm reading right to left instead of left to right in the frames

||This is such an interesting dynamic but how did they come to be?||

||So basically the adult is cursed which is why he looks like that and he's trying to protect the child but I still don't get why she's with him? Is it his daughter or did he find her or something?||

||Getting the curse just by touching someone with it is interesting too, and very very lonely.||

||Omg is she putting a flower crown on him? that's so cute||

||Shiva giving him the flower crown so that he won't be alone when her auntie comes to get her 😭||

||Well the ending of that chapter was ominous af||

Chapter 2: ||The sound effects are so funny.||

||Just thinking about this frame still and how much definition and detail there is in it without colour||

||The text changing for the story ||

||I love lore, especially when I was just thinking that we don't really know much about this world yet.||

||No, don't lie to her about her auntie and give her false hope 😭||

||Also the very clear difference in colours used for Shiva and Teacher is where she clearly represents the light and innocence and he's dark because of the curse. I think there is lightness to him though because he's clearly cut up about disappointing and upsetting Shiva.||

Chapter 3: ||Shiva, don't go out by yourself when those soldiers are about!||

||They were out there dumping a body? ||

||Did they kill Shiva???||

||His little girl? I knew it ||

Chapter 4: ||Yes, they didn't kill her ||

||Teacher saved her but got hit by arrows himself? Please 😭||

Chapter 5: ||I feel like he's lied to her so much to cover up their relationship that he doesn't even remember his own lies now||

||....uh, what the hell is he protecting her from?||

Finished. ||To say I'd never heard of this before I absolutely loved it. No notes. I just want to read more I think the relationship between Shiva and Teacher is really lovely and it's clear that they care a lot about each other even though he's keeping a ton of secrets from her. We got a bit of worldbuilding but omg there's still so much that's unanswered and I'm intrigued to see where it goes next. Obviously something bad happened with her aunt but I want to know what's up. And where in the world is everyone else?|| 5 ⭐

[jagged summit]

I joined the other requests

[icy wolf]

Yay

[jagged summit]

Is it 5 points per volume for this one? Just out of curiosity

[gritty jewel]

Yes, it's the same as normal books

[gritty jewel]

Just one more person needed for Vol 4-6 😭

#br-requests message

[charred ledge]

And the manga‘s art was called mediocre because it’s „far too simplistic“ by many people

Insane

[charred ledge]

Did it

[gritty jewel]

[jagged summit]

I thought so but wasn’t sure if it was different for books that are grouped together

[frail urchin]

Yay!!! Vol 4-6 have 12 of us!

[hot glen]

From <t:1723680000:D> to <t:1728950400:D> | Leader(s): @steep perch

Book Link

ID: 66b79f0683c7672177470fd1
Announcement: #buddy-reads message

[hot glen]

From <t:1723680000:D> to <t:1728950400:D> | Leader(s): @steep perch

Book Link

ID: 66b79f6c83c7672177470fdc
Announcement: #buddy-reads message

[hot glen]

From <t:1723680000:D> to <t:1728950400:D> | Leader(s): @steep perch

Book Link

ID: 66b79fc083c7672177470fe7
Announcement: #buddy-reads message

[icy wolf]

Yay I can start the next volume now whenever I am home in ages

[jagged summit]

[icy wolf]

I mean it is HOURS untill

[hot glen]

I also wanted to add a small request for future volume BR's, whether those are requested by @gritty jewel or @steep perch or someone else.

For these three volumes it was my mistake for not noticing earlier so I announced them like normal, but for the next volumes could you please just request them one volume at the time as you go and not multiple ones at the same time? Realistically people who are interested in volume 6 don't even know if they will even reach volume 6 in the BR or still be interested in the series and we want to make sure buddy reads are actively engaged with and not just requested because people think they'll get there. If you get what I mean.

Again, for now it's really a-okay. I really do hope y'all can read the entire series together

[icy wolf]

I belive the thought was that since a few of us has the delux versions they are three volumes at a time

[hot glen]

Ah yeah like an omnibus version. That makes sense

I'm not sure if that's the case for everybody here though, we just wanna make sure the 6th volume is actually read by everyone or at least as many people as possible who reacted

[jagged summit]

I’m doing the single volumes but I’ll definitely read all six

[halcyon timber]

I thought I answered these but guess I have not so ill answer these now:

1. What made you want to read this manga?
   I was browsing through the manga and visual novel section at my local bookstore and got captivated by its artstyle TT
2. How much do you think influence do you think a manga/comic has over an artstyle?
   Considering I decide if I wanna read a certain visual novel by its cover art and art style - a lot. Especially considering its art IS the story telling and is what separates it from normal books
3. Do you have any expectations from this manga?
   I actually had low expectations for it as I thought it would follow a typical trope that I had imagine din my head but it had its own quirks and twists that I did not expect so :D
4. Have you read any other manga by Nagabe? If so, what are your thoughts on them?
   This is my first series by him

[halcyon timber]

^^same!

[hardy orchid]

I am doing the single volumes too. And I'm for all of it. I understand why doing it one volume at a time is better though. Keeps it more engaging.

Perhaps we could informally divide the three BRs in three time slots. And that could be a time for discussing each of the three volumes.

Everyone won't need to follow it. But it would just keep it more interesting and engaging as most people who have read the three volumes would read 4th together.

Just throwing this idea out there

[hot glen]

I don't speak on behalf of every staff member but I appreciate the ideas and feedback. Let's just see then how it goes, and if it goes well then we can look for the next volumes if there's enough interest

[jagged summit]

The way I’ve just checked and there are 12 volumes

I totally get that it’s a big commitment for people though and well over 2k pages so doing single requests for them rather than batches makes sense

[steep perch]

I will make sure to do that next time

[steep perch]

Yeah but luckily it's a quick read
I think it took me maybe 4-5 hours to read the first deluxe volume which is about 500 pages and im a slow reader

[gritty jewel]

Volume 2 "Untouchable"
Ch 6 ||At first I thought all Outsiders are harmless and the Insiders simply demonized them. This is when I became quite sure that even though Teacher was an outsider, he was different, and that not all Outsiders are harmless.||
Ch 7 ||The scene at the start of the chapter where Shiva says the harsh truth, which teacher couldn't, herself, and the moments silence following it. I love how well emotions are drawn in this manga. I had this feeling for when reading that she actually hadn't been cursed. I didn't have any reason or theory behind it, just felt like she wasn't.||
Ch 8 ||Teacher seem to have different moral values from the other Outsiders. Don't have much to say about this chapter, just a lot of questions.||
Ch 9 ||This is just a theory with nothing to base it on, but I think times flows faster for Teacher when he's not occupied by Shiva. I also like how this manga bounces between the sweet lighter moment and the thoughts of Teacher who's confused and looking for answers.||
Ch 10 ||I didn't know why, but I was certain that Auntie didn't come back for Shiva for Shiva's sake. I felt like there was ulterior motive behind her coming back and that she was actually doing this just for herself.||

[gritty jewel]

Volume 3 "Homecoming"
Ch 11 ||When Shiva was taken away in this chapter, it was clearly shown that Teacher depended on Shiva to get through his otherwise mundane and perpetual life||
Ch 12 ||It's astounding to me how Auntie can think that even though Shiva had been safe with Teacher for all that time, after she herself abandoned her. As I've said before, I don't like her.||
Ch 13 ||I'm glad she turned into an Outsider, that's all||
Ch 14 ||Her surprise and smile after seeing Teacher again. T-T||
Ch 15 ||It was one hell of a day for a small child like Shiva. A new element of mystery just go revealed too. What I want to know most is, if she's truly as caring as she acts to be, why did she leave Shiva on the Outside to begin with.||

Also I love the art. There are many panels where you have to stare at it and take your time to understand what's going on. At times it just looks a jumble of black and white but after focusing more a figure might present itself, or you might see a perspective different from what you first thought the panel showed.

Rating: 8.5/10 so far

[hardy orchid]

Ch 14 ||Her surprise and smile after seeing Teacher again. T-T||
This was the highlight for the whole 3 volumes for me.

[charred ledge]

Same!

[charred ledge]

Technically 11, the 12th is a bonus, and not in any way connected to the main story

[halcyon timber]

for me its the way ||the teacher looks at Shiva TT though he barely has a face hahah I can still feel the way he looks yunno- his gaze||

[hardy orchid]

Yeah I know. You really can feel it . And that's testament to the artist tbh

[halcyon timber]

for sure

[jagged summit]

Okay! I was just going off how many books were on Amazon but I'll probably read them all anyway

[charred ledge]

Definitely worth it, volume 12 is awesome

Even if not connected to the plot, it’s still a great addition imo

And, even if a bonus, should never be read before the main story

[gritty jewel]

Samee, this panel in particular was my favorite from volume 3

[icy wolf]

That one is so prwtty

[gritty jewel]

I know exactly what you're talking about

I love his eyes

His gaze has something special in it, I keep saying this but gosh the art is amazing

I like this panel from chapter 11, enough to remember it

[gritty jewel]

Here is a list of who has finished reading and discussed which volumes so far:

Vol. Ended: 1, 2, 3

lemondrop: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8
Haze: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8
abi: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8
ahri: 8 and (1, 2, 3)

Avialia: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7

ctrl-altmer-del: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

Zander: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
AZ: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Hanzy: 1, 2, 3, 4

Amanda: 1, 2, 3
Coffee: 1, 2, 3
ahri: 1, 2, 3 and (8)

amhren: 1?, 2

Pea: 1
tink: 1

Reader points will be given out for each volume, for which sufficient engagement and discussion will be needed. The highlighted volume numbers with ? mark beside them means that the particular volume was discussed very little. I'm sorry to ask this, but please expand on what you think about those volumes in particular, otherwise I cannot guarantee that you will receive points for those highlighted volumes.

@icy wolf Please share more about your thoughts volume 1-3 (done)
@steep perch Loved your thoughts on volume one and three, but it'd be good if you expanded on what you think about volume 2 (done)
@cobalt goblet I think it'd be good if you told what you think about volume 1 in a little more detail

(please don't hate me for this T-T)

[steep perch]

I completely understand
I got so absorbed while reading that I didn't discuss much
When I get home tomorrow I will look through my copy and find some panels I can talk about

[gritty jewel]

Really appreciate it

[icy wolf]

Ye kinda same as Amanda here. But I was actuallynplnning to start volume 4 now after I cleane a bit here.
So will sit down and look over my thoughts for the volums first before starting again

[gritty jewel]

Thank you, that'd be really nice

[icy wolf]

But I did take this picture from volume 1. And honestly it is such an asoreble panel. || I love how she just looks up at teacher. I can honestly feel just how much she looks up at him. And how she seems to trust him and just. It is so adoreble||

I SWEAR I SPOILERED THAT

[gritty jewel]

You did lol

It's spoilered

[icy wolf]

When I sent it it didnt seem like kt was. Ok all good

[gritty jewel]

Ik what you're talking about, ||I actually got kind of scared here, thinking that she was going to touch him||

||Their height difference is also kind of mesmerizing in an odd way, it's just cozy to look at||

[icy wolf]

||OMG NOOOO. I honestly just loved that panel. Like sure I get what you mean with the setting. But for me it was ment as a picture only thing||

[icy wolf]

Honestlt for me these books have almost just been || Cozy. Like in a weird way. I feel somewhat comforted by this book||

[gritty jewel]

I gave my thoughts a few days after I read the volumes, and in my head the story was ||very nice and cozy, but when I went through the chapters again I realized how it was also quite dark. One moment it's a very wholesome moment and then we'd know what Teacher is going through in his head and it'd get depresso||

[icy wolf]

Plus then we also get the entire parts of just in volume 3 || In the end when we relise she was left here as a newborn aswell. Or maybe she is from outside in the firstplace||

[steep perch]

I'm thinking of maybe doing a week between the 7-9 volumes so both the people reading one volumes at a time can do that while the people reading the omnibus still have a chance to binge 3 volumes at a time
But I dont know if that's enough time between them or not

[icy wolf]

I mean personslly rn i am considering judt reading volume 4-12 tonight and then retead if the rest become a br

[gritty jewel]

Oh yeah that

I really wanted to continue reading after volume 3 but I'm waiting till tomorrow

I watched the anime

But as far as I remember the anime (movie) covered the story till vol 3 only

[icy wolf]

I already waited now so I gotta read 4-6 atleast today.
After I weite mlre comments for volume 1-3

[steep perch]

I think I will ask what people would prefer in terms of time between br'ing the volumes when I do my announcement tomorrow

[gritty jewel]

That sounds like a good idea

[icy wolf]

Also just general note from Volume 1: || I love how quickly we get pulled in to the universe and the relationship between Teacher and Shiva. Like it took me one panel to relise jow close they were
Also just how Teacher actually follows what have been asked by Shivas auntie and hells her as best he can||

Chapter 5: || Ok this, THIS SCARED ME||

Volume 2: || Honestly I will have to say that this volume is honestly my keast favorite if them all. Just cause bolume 1, even tho kinda scary at times was mostly just cozy. And here it suddenly got so violent (atlwast the first few panels).
Plus I am wanting to know how the other ousider does not need his head.
PLUS WHO IS TEACHER. He is obviosuly not really annoustider fully? So who is he.
I also need to know this mother thing.

Plus just teying to imagain how sad he must be when Shiva runs away and towards Auntie||

Chapter 11: || Ok but Auntie is in such a rush. Like this chaoter alone leaves me blt not trust her at all.||

Chaoter 12 start ||It so so extremly clear here how diffrent the ‘outsiders’ and Shiva is potraued. Like he is so black and dark. It is inpossible to see any details at all.
Almost like people just wiev them all the same and do not need to see anything other than ‘colour’ aka that they outsiders.
While Shiva being an insider gets way more details cause they get to have personalities and their own desisons since they dont habe all these negative steorotypes||

I still however need a clearing that I feel I should have figured out. || What the curse, like really what is it?||

[icy wolf]

Chapter 16: || My eyes actually teared up just now when Auntie said how they can not die once the curse take over. Just imgain that life. Of having to kill those you love so they can live ||

[torpid sentinel]

I finished 1, 2, and 3. Just didn’t have much to say about Vol 3 other than this message and “WOW the plot picked up fast”

[torpid sentinel]

I finished all 3, replied to myself above because it could’ve been missed

[gritty jewel]

Oh, sorry, I was going to tell you to share more about what you thought about volume 3 at least

[torpid sentinel]

In that case, the rest of what I thought of Vol 3 (even tho it’s been more than a week since I’ve read it)-

||I had not expected that the aunt would’ve shown up so soon, and that it would lead to Shiva being captured, then the town being razed. I thought it was going to be more of a slow-burn than that, I guess? I’m a little surprised at the extremes the soldiers went to, but knowing what some Italian cities did during The Black Plague I’m not too surprised. I still think that Shiva is an asymptomatic carrier, be it that she was born with it because her mom caught it when she was pregnant or some other method. To put what I think about Teacher’s relationship with the outsider condition, it’s like a resistance in Dungeons and Dragons in that it’s doing half damage to him compared to the others. That or it’s like a different strain of the same virus which is why he didn’t/doesn’t know as much as the others.

Also, she and Teacher could so hold hands if one or both wore gloves||

[chilly loom]

I’ve read the first vol. too!

[chilly loom]

Here
But yeah, I plan to reread it when I’m binging the other volumes cuz it’s been a while

[halcyon timber]

I don’t have much to say about volume 2 as ||this felt slower than volume 1 which makes sense considering it’s setting up the scene still and building up our familiarity with the characters. I was mildly confused with this volume but smiling throughout so ig it’s happy confusion ||

NOWW volume 3 man- ||even with the cover change I KNEW we are getting somewhere and was so excited to read it!! And I was right- the story is seeming to be a bit grimmer and I love it! Low-key was tearing up a little because this story and characters are hitting me in my feels real hard ||

[icy wolf]

I mean I have cried so much already with this story

[last plinth]

@steep perch,@icy wolf,@queen fractal,@torpid sentinel,@chilly loom,@unborn hill,@frail urchin,@gritty jewel,@hardy orchid,@halcyon timber,@jagged summit,@charred ledge,@cobalt goblet,@spice harness

The br for The girl from the other side volume 4-6 has started today

From now on there will be a time between the start of each volume but im not sure what would be best

1. we do a new volume every 2 weeks?
2. we do one every week and then have a month break every 3 volumes
   3.any suggestions for something else that i havent thought of?

i really hope we can read all the volumes together since its a short manga and im really loving it so far

for these 3 volumes im just gonna do 1 announcement as to not bombard you all with 3 announcements at once so i hope thats okay

okay so here are some questions
1.Are you reading the omnibus or one volume at a time?
2. who is your favourite character so far?
3. what is your favourite manga/mangas?
3. which volume cover is your favourite?

[steep perch]

oops ignore question 2

[jagged summit]

I think doing it every two weeks would work better but having overlap between dates so if people wanted to read multiple volumes at once then they’d be able to

[torpid sentinel]

If we have to change, I vote “one every two weeks”. A month is enough time to forget the events of the previous volume.

[torpid sentinel]

1. Omnibus/Deluxe
2. Probably Teacher?
3. the only serialized manga I’ve read before this one are Way of the Househusband and Dragon Goes Househunting, so I don’t really have enough data to claim a favorite series, but my favorite one-off is I Married My Best Friend To Shut My Parents Up
4. From Vol 1-3, 3. I don’t have the others yet so I can’t make a call

[steep perch]

chapter 6 ||seeing how far teacher was willing to go in protecting Shiva was so touching like if he had to kill or die himself he would do it||
general thoughts on volume 2 ||im curious on what makes teacher different maybe its time after getting cursed or maybe there is something else also what makes some of the outsiders more humanoid while others are like animals im also wondering what it actually takes to kill an outsider since decapitating it dosent but at the same time what is the healing abilities of them? since the head hasnt reattached would that mean that if you chopped up an outsider into tiny pieces then it would still be alive but unable to reform? what then if you blended it? does the brain have to stay intact? do they even have a brain?||

^||im aware that alot of these questions probably arent going to be answered since that would turn real macabre||

[halcyon timber]

I would prefer to do a new volume every 2 weeks since each of the volumes read really fast and its harder to keep yourself engaged when there is a month break in between.

for the questions:

1. one volume at a time
2. It has to be the teacher, he is one of those fictional characters that I would wanna show around in our current world (all limitations and restrainments ignored ) cause I empathise so much with them
3. I dont usually read mangas, but from the ones I read I really enjoyed 'Love is Hard for Otaku' it has an anime adaptation for the first few volumes and thats how I discovered it actually
4. any of the deluxe editions, they are stunning

[icy wolf]

I did start this today. Ok it was midnight but it was today….. anyways

1. Omnibus ones
2. Maybe alice in borderland
3. I cant remeber rn how the covers look

[unborn hill]

started!!! im on chapter 2 of vol 1 currently nd honestly ||i forgot how much loved teacher nd shivas relationship. like i remembered that it was cute but i forgot how cute my heart cant help but break for shiva, knowing her auntie wont be coming back to get her. || i probably wont be doing chapter by chapter updates but ill try lol

[jagged summit]

Volume 2
Chapter 6: ||Now why are they calling her black child? 🤔 ||

||Know all about what?? omg the tension||

[unborn hill]

chapter 5 vol 1: ||i would kill to try teachers black pie theyre trying so hard for shiva to make her happy, its adorable. im a total sucker for unlikely parental figures||

[jagged summit]

Chapter 6: ||Why did Teacher listen to Shiva earlier? ||

I have no idea what's going on.

Chapter 7: ||I don't think leaving Shiva alone is a good idea tbh||

Chapter 8: ||Has Teacher lost his memories or something?||

||I have more questions than answers at this point.||

Chapter 9: ||Shiva is so cute. I just want to protect her.||

||This seems like a bit of a segue but I guess we're expanding the world a bit.||

Chapter 10: ||Why is Teacher so sure that she's cursed though if she's displaying no symptoms? There's clearly something special about her.||

||I'm starting to have theories about who the auntie might be 🤔 ||

[unborn hill]

ill spoiler the image though it doesnt have anything really in it, just shivas face, but i love the her expressions through all of this, its so funny nd she looks adorable

[jagged summit]

Chapter 10: ||Shiva girl, this is clearly a trap. Don't run off from Teacher||

||Wait, her auntie came back for her? I don't trust this at all.||

||Shiva teaching Teacher how to sew ||

[jagged summit]

||So it's the old woman that the soldiers had right? But they clearly captured her for a reason and it won't be a good one.||

Finished. ||I didn't like this one as much as the first volume but I'm still intrigued on where things are going to go. It's fishy that Teacher supposedly has all the answers he needs but he can't remember them. I'm figuring that he knows some of the other outsiders but isn't sure what they are and his memory might have been messed with. I'll be starting volume 3 now || 4 ⭐

[jagged summit]

||Yes, I also thought it was interesting that some are more human like and some are more wolf-like and there must be a reason for it but I'm not sure what it is yet. If it's a soul that makes people vulnerable I could kind of get why the outsider that Teacher chopped didn't die and if they don't feel pain then that might contribute to it but it's very curious.||

Volume 3
Chapter 11: ||Shiva trying to protect Teacher 😭||

[terse oar]

Volume 3 Chapter
11: ||Shiva trying
to protect Teacher 😭||

- abi(g egg)

[jagged summit]

||Don't shoot at him though!! Honestly if he somehow turns out to secretly be a baddie I'll be devastated.||

||I'm genuinely so upset that they've been separated though||

||Why are they doing this to me? ||

Chapter 12: ||Auntie, why are you being so vague?||

[unborn hill]

volume 1 done! ||I knew an outsider would touch her but it still hit just as hard seeing it happen shiva poor baby girl||

[jagged summit]

Chapter 12: ||Teacher is asking the real questions here because I have no idea who to trust and who is telling the truth either.||

[unborn hill]

chap 1 vol 2: ||this is such a funny panel oh my god LMAOO||

[terse oar]

chap 1 vol 2: ||this
is such a funny panel
oh my god LMAOO||

- Zander || 45/50

[jagged summit]

Chapter 12: ||I don't like how weird everyone is with Shiva in this.||

Chapter 13: ||Uh, what do you mean sacrifice?||

[unborn hill]

vol 2 chap 1: ||YESSS GET ITS ASS TEACHER the panels of the teacher attacking the other outsider is SO fire i love it||

[jagged summit]

Chapter 13: ||Yeah, just casually talking about wiping out an entire village, no biggie. This is one reason why I hate people in power who feel entitled because how can you just decide to kill people like that and be okay with it?||

||I'm just curious as to how she ended up with Teacher in the first place in a completely different part of this universe||

[unborn hill]

vol 2 chapter 2: ||teacher is both terrifying nd not terrifying at the same time LMAOO like i dont think they realise how unthreatening "i will not be responsible for my actions" is i respect it though like hell yeah, you tell em teacher ||

[jagged summit]

Chapter 13: ||Nah these soldiers have clearly done something to auntie.||

||Hang on a second...||

[unborn hill]

vol 2 chapter 3: ||this is such a fire panel, probably one of my favourites so far||

[jagged summit]

Chapter 14: ||So is her auntie actually an outsider and somehow looked like a human, because if outsiders actually have that ability then that's super impressive. It's more likely that her auntie has disappeared somewhere again and another outsider was hunting Shiva down though. In a hamlet where everyone seems to be an insider why is Shiva still so special? So many questions.||

||Bro, have they concocted this whole plan just to have an excuse to kill everyone (and take Shiva)? That's just cold.||

||Is she genuinely back with Teacher or is this a dream?||

Chapter 15: ||Why can't Shiva get up from the floor? What's wrong with her?||

[terse oar]

Chapter 15: ||Why
can't Shiva get up from the
floor? What's wrong with her?||

- abi(g egg)

[unborn hill]

vol 2 chap 10: ||teacher if anyone can figure out how to break the curse its you besides that though, the height difference will never stop being funny nd cute to me, like she is TINY compared to teacher||

[jagged summit]

Chapter 15: ||omg no, she has a black mark on her foot?||

||what the hell did Teacher show auntie to get her to believe him? omg I need answers||

The way every volume ends so I just want to read the next one

[terse oar]

The way every
volume ends so I just want
to read the next one

- abi(g egg)

[jagged summit]

||Shiva and Teacher playing hide and seek. Please, they're so cute.||

[unborn hill]

vol 2 chap 5: ||he's trying his best shiva leave him be ||

[unborn hill]

fr too, i cant help just immediately picking up the next volume

vol 2 chap 10: ||LMFAOO||

[unborn hill]

forgot to spoiler the image oops so im resending it, but this is the panel i was talking about

onto volume 3

after i make dinner actually i just realised the time nd how hungry i am LOL

vol 3 chap 1: ||ok this is fuckin adorable||

[jagged summit]

Finished Volume 3. ||I just want answers on everything!! I hate the soldiers and who they work for. I don't really like auntie atm but she's definitely been taken advantage of so I do have some sympathy for her. I just want Shiva and Teacher to be safe and happy and I'm glad they're together again. I hope Shiva is going to be okay even though they're threatening that she's gonna become an outsider because she's burning up and has a black mark || 4 ⭐

I might take a little bit of a break before Volume 4 but this series is addictive

[jagged summit]

Okay let me answer the rest of these questions.

1. I'm reading one volume at a time! I only have up to volume 6 so far but I'll get copies of the rest soon.
2. Teacher is probably my favourite but Shiva is super cute too.
3. I don't have any! So if people have recs then let me know
4. Out of the three I've read so far I love the colours on volume 3.

[icy wolf]

Chapter 18: || Ok this panel seems like auntie is just yhreatheing and she is just being nice (in words) like these looks and her keepikg to say Shiva need away from her is one of the reasons I do not trust auntie||

Chapter 19: || SHIVA IS NOT HER REAL NAME? Or did I read weong||

End of Volume 4: I mean EXUSE ME BUT || WHAT JUST HAPPENED?!!!!!
Auntie is now dead?
And what is ACTUALLY diffrent with teacher (my beloved)
Plus, the curse also make tjem forget. And how extremly sad how Auntie just knew that Shiva was a something fammiliar but did not know what.
Also. WHAT IS THE MOTHERS OVSESSION WITH SHIVA?!!!!|| There is so many questions.

So I feel it can be safe to say that || This one is my favorite of them all. There was so much more twists and turns in this.
Like I am AMAZED at this. It is just so great.
The art is so pretty. And we can see Shiva trusting teacher and how she kept auntie so they went back to the house were teacher was. We can see just jow much she cares for teacher.||

Now on to next

Chapter 20-22: Love the front here.
Also the || CURSE AND THE DUTY STUFF. Like come on this is just cruel.
Also apperntly auntie was nice and I was wrong

WHAT JUST HAPPENED TO TEACHER IN THE END NOW||

Chapter 23: This is getting real dark || Just…… Shiva is a pure sould that can maybe rescuse from the curse. And they all want her.
Both sides

This stuff is daark now||

[icy wolf]

Yes, like I will probely struggle to wait after volume 6

[gritty jewel]

Sorryyy, I missed your msg

[gritty jewel]

Can this be pinned please? I wouldn't have to scroll back up every time then

[charred ledge]

I honestly struggle so much to put my thoughts into words I’ve been trying to write something that makes sense with wht I’m thinking for a few days but can’t really think of much, I hope I’ll be able to write something good this week still

(Doesnt really make it easier that I know what happens exactly already )

Considering I read the whole thing a few months ago already

[terse oar]

Considering I
read the whole thing a few months
ago already

- Lii

[unborn hill]

vol 3 chapter 14: ||this is such a heartbreaking panel omfg but also so disturbing, her aunt looks genuinely terrifying||

just finished vol 3 ||amazing as always, im so hooked I was suspicious about shivas aunt tbh, nd still am a little so teacher has a lot more patience than me LMAOO I would've kicked her ass to timbuktu for abandoning shiva. ALSO TEACHERS FACE WHEN SHIVA WAS TAKEN I WAS SOBBING IT WAS SO SAD||

vol 4 time

vol 4 chapter 16: ||I'm loving these little extra art works nd the mini comics at the end, they're so cute ||

[unborn hill]

vol 4 done! ||absolutely on the floor, that was so cute but also so emotionl. shivas aunt slowly forgetting things, but also just being a total asshole to teacher... home girl is gonna catch. these. HANDS. like after you abandoned your child, he took care of her. fuck off with your bs||

vol 5 tomorrow I'm tired now lmao

[frail urchin]

1. I’m reading one at a time, but I have all 12 checked out from the library - sooner for each is better for me than waiting too long in between in case I can’t renew them
2. Teacher- hands down
3. Um. Idk? I haven’t read many
4. Vol 5? Or 10

[torpid sentinel]

https://www.instagram.com/reel/C-nsY9mNj1V/?igsh=MW85MjVmOWw3bmJsYg==

travellingmanuk

It’s so underrated and the deluxe editions are so pretty!!! Available online now!

#mangarecommendation #manga #anime #deliciousindungeon #frieren

Likes

21273

Instagram

[torpid sentinel]

Also, question for anyone who has read the series before- is there any tie to the Gaelic song Siúil a Rúin, or is it totally unrelated?

It just feels a little too specific a phrase to add to the title, y’know?

[frail urchin]

I was wondering about that too. Didn’t know it was Gaelic tho

[terse oar]

I was wondering
about that too. Didn’t know
it was Gaelic tho

- lemony droplet

[frail urchin]

Vol 4 “A Fate Worse Than Death”
Ch 16 || aw that scene with baby Shiva is heartbreaking, and she looks so resigned. I would have scooped her right up too no matter where I found her. Immortality as a curse? Is interesting since in western culture, it’s often the goal. So killing off loved ones to avoid it sounds really … idk cruel? I’m really impressed by the shadow play on these panels, especially the ones where we’re looking down through the trees||
Ch 17 || omg so many emotions. Shiva feeling guilty, auntie feeling scared and then she lashes out at Teacher? Nah. Not ok. Why does she think Teacher wasn’t human once too like she was? She thinks she’s being protective but she’s just being dumb||
Ch 18 ||ah no… she can’t just make Shiva disappear like that! I feel so connected to Teacher’s self-doubt here. Parenting is so hard! And you don’t really know what the right choices are sometimes. Shiva is so sweet making them make up tho||
Ch 19 ||cooking time with Shiva & co. Lmao! But uh oh, she doesn’t remember her? That can’t be good ||
Ch 20 || oh that panel with the 3 flowers next to the wall with one tilting away… poor auntie’s gone and literally lost her head. Love the sweet drawing Shiva made of the 3 of them too. Wth is the deal with this other outsider tho???||

[frail urchin]

Vol 4 - ||actually I think losing your memory is the “fate worse than death” not immortality ||

[halcyon timber]

||it was so unexpected when I read it for the first time!! like I did not expect it to happen this soon when the tension was just introduced (to the touch cursing you etc)||

[icy wolf]

Yesssss

I forgot this book at home so now I have to read something else😭

[gritty jewel]

@hot glen (hope you don't mind the ping)

[hot glen]

done! and no i don't mind pings ❤️

[unborn hill]

fr!!! ||I think that's one thing this manga does really well, the pacing is nice nd fast, but still with plenty of slower, nicer moments with teacher nd shiva!||

[unborn hill]

100% agree with this ||seeing her aunt forget her is really hard to watch, I can't imagine how shiva is feeling||

[torpid sentinel]

Y’all I just got lucky as hell- stopped at a B&N while on my road trip back to grad school, and the only Girl from the Other Side they had were Vol 1&2, and Deluxe/Omnibus 2,3, and 4 (which were EXACTLY what I needed)

[icy wolf]

Every time I pick up this book I get so sad and happy at the same time

[icy wolf]

Volume 5: OMG just... ||dies This is so cute and also sad and adorble.

Like Shiva and Teacher arguing when Shiva was upset. Felt like two kids arguing. Oe ho Teacher is always worying so much. Omg my heart is melting||

[torpid sentinel]

Volume 4 (Chapter 16)-

Awww, the flower crown is hanging up

||Interesting that Shiva was just left next to a covered body. If they thought she really was infected, wouldn’t she be wrapped up too? Or did she just wriggle out from the sheet over (what I assume is) her mother?

Can’t really say I’m surprised about not being able to die once the curse fully sets in.||

Vol 4 Chp 17-

||I like the texture difference to show it’s a dream, but that must have been a terrifying nightmare.

Based on what Shiva said, I’m leaning into my Cursed-Typhoid-Mary theory.||

Vol 4 Chp 20- ||big yikes||

Vol 5 Chp 21- ||I don’t like that Shiva’s not in the wide shot panel with the speech bubble “Come to Mother’s lake later”.||

Vol 5 Chp 22- ||Nvm my note on 21. Also, ||

Vol 5 Chp 23,24 - ||what a fascinating descent on behalf of the soldiers.

Big fan of the Big Outsider Fish.

Wish Teacher would’ve kept the sword, even if just to lock it away. Glad he made up with Shiva tho :) ||

Vol 5 Chp 25- ||I don’t know if I believe Teacher’s claim that it’s only been a month.||

Vol 6- This one looks longer than 4 and 5, but that might just be the dark pages from Vol 5 tricking my brain into thinking that

[torpid sentinel]

Vol 6 Chp 26- ||Ah yes the four humors six parts of the soul.

WOAH HANG ON THAT END||

[torpid sentinel]

Vol 6 Chp 27- ||man, poor everyone. If you were careful you could still hug herrrrrr.||

Vol 6 Chp 28- ||the double fake-out 🔥🔥🔥. The exposition conversation is interesting. Still thinking that Teacher (Albert?) is a different strain of the same virus.||

Vol 6 Chp 29- || YES HUG :DDDD. Also I wanna know what Shiva asked the bird outsider. what if Shiva’s his actual child?||

Vol 6 Chp 30- ||I thought for sure Shiva was going to fall through a pond during the snowball fight. I feel like I should be more concerned about the soldier at the door, but I also think that the Mother’s Children have a watch on the house so the danger isn’t necessarily fatal, y’know?||

[hardy orchid]

Oooooh imma reading another BR. I'll read volume 4 in a couple of days. Can't wait

[icy wolf]

Chapter 26, the start of it|| I just hate all the insider parts. It pisses me off. Like Shiva and Teacher is so cute and then they come and ruin the mood||

Chapter 26 done|| OK YES I KNEW IT. HE IS HUMAN||

[icy wolf]

Chapter 28: || ALBERT!!!! Thats his name? Also have ri agree with Ctrl that Teacher may have a diffrenr strand if same virus.
Expecially if he comes from that tiny locked out place in the middel there||

[icy wolf]

Volume 6: || EXUSE ME?!!!!!!!
First of that ending scared me so much. Like….. fuuuuuc she be taken away now.

This was scary||

But overall I still think volume 4 is the best volume I have read so far. But this one also had manymany great moments.
|| There were oarts that scared me, like when Shiva fell on teacher. Even thonkt turned out nice and sweet with now they touching

There was also so many nice moments. Like with essentially all the Shiva and teacher (Albert?) moments.

This story builds up so niceley and is so lovley. I looooove this manga on so many levels||

How am I supose to wait ages for nr 7?

[jagged summit]

Volume 4
Chapter 16: ||Okay but imagine that you do come across a baby all by itself in the woods whilst it's raining. I wouldn't really know where to start other than getting it somewhere safe.||

||Ooh at least they're explaining some of the questions I had before about how that outsider that Teacher attacked was okay after being assaulted like that. Outsiders simply can't die.||

||It's nice that they're all going to live together.||

Chapter 17: ||What a horrible dream for Shiva to have.||

[terse oar]

Chapter 17:
||What a horrible dream for
Shiva to have.||

- abi(g egg)

[jagged summit]

||She's blaming herself for everything but she's just a baby 😭||

||And then Auntie putting a sheet over her to hug her please they're like my family.||

||Teacher losing it because he thinks Shiva doesn't need him anymore. I'm gonna cry.||

||Auntie, he's not a monster!||

Chapter 18: ||He's so sad over Shiva bonding with her aunt and feeling like he's only causing her pain. I just want to hug them all.||

[icy wolf]

||I just wanted to pull him out ||

[jagged summit]

||I just want them to all be happy together and live in peace||

Chapter 18: ||Auntie, don't run away with Shiva and leave Teacher behind. You should all be together keeping each other safe.||

[icy wolf]

||they just be a family||

[jagged summit]

||Teacher is not a thing or a beast and he's only ever put Shiva first! Watch your words Auntie||

||He's so in his head about all of this but it's super relatable.||

Chapter 19: ||They're just a goofy lil family||

||If he's actually experiencing heartache though...I just wanna give him a hug||

||Okay but I do want answers on why outsiders seem to forget random things||

||She's so adorable!!||

Chapter 20: ||Omg how this volume ends??||

Finished. ||Okay so this one seemed like more of an emotional and character-based volume rather than doing a lot to advance the plot but I really liked it! I think it was good for getting us even more emotionally invested in the characters because you can tell that even though Auntie and Teacher are not best buds they both have good intentions when it comes to Shiva and just want to protect her. I'm really worried about how much the curse seems to have affected Auntie in a couple of days and what happened to her at the end of the chapter. Once again I just want to read the next volume straight away.|| 5 ⭐

[gritty jewel]

I read volumes 4 and 5 but still need to read 6

I'll share my thoughts after that

[jagged summit]

Volume 5
||Them eating pie together as a family 😭||

Chapter 21: ||Okay but it must be terrifying for someone to just present you with your auntie's head though.||

||If their heads just drop off after a certain amount of time though....NOPE||

||They lose their memories and then turn into trees?? I wasn't expecting that.||

||I agree, I want to know what's different with Teacher as well.||

||I know it probably won't happen soon but I want to know why the king is so obsessed with Shiva as well and how she's different.||

||It's also kind of destined that the only two people who are different managed to find each other....or maybe it was planned.||

||Also the fact that the king is completely okay with killing 30 people and destroying an entire village just to get Shiva is diabolical||

[icy wolf]

The way I read and understood || They do not need to be turned into a tree.
It is more a case of turn back to the earth whather that is a tree, flower, stone, or bush||

[icy wolf]

He sucks

[jagged summit]

yeah that would make sense 🙂

Chapter 22: ||Ooh hello Shiva and Auntie backstory||

||"Maybe they were just being big meanies!" I agree||

[icy wolf]

That was so cute

[jagged summit]

||Shiva don't be upset with Teacher||

||I like that we get to see Teacher's internal monologues tbh||

Chapter 23: ||I kind of figured that at least some of the soldiers were outsiders as well. I wonder if Teacher was a soldier that defected or something. We don't really know much of his backstory yet.||

||This is absolutely terrifying||

||I agree with Teacher that her soul is just hers and shouldn't be used as part of some greater plan||

||Teacher is clearly more than a beast! Don't stab him 😭||

||What in the world is this outsider?||

I wanna keep reading but I have to go to work 😦

[icy wolf]

Worst deeling ever

[icy wolf]

YESSSSSSS || Ans teacher just wanting to protect||

[jagged summit]

it's horrible 😦 if only I could read all day

[icy wolf]

Would be ao muvh better

[jagged summit]

Chapter 24: ||Teacher, arguing with a child is not going to get you anywhere. Shiva's going to be even less likely to listen to you now.||

[jagged summit]

||Them insulting each other and then laughing. They really are my family ||

[jagged summit]

||Oh no, are they going to go to the village that was just destroyed? I hope not||

Chapter 25: ||Oh, what's the locket? 👀 ||

||I can't believe the timeline of this series so far has been a month (or even less than that) either. It feels like so much has happened in such a short amount of time.||

||Shiva hiding in his coat so she doesn't get wet 🥺 ||

||It's sad that we've spent five volumes with this cottage and it's been a focal location and now we might not see it again||

mood

||It's so convenient how we're being interrupted just as we're about to get key information/revelations.||

||Him being worried and her trying to make him laugh. I love their relationship.||

Finished. ||There are still so many unanswered questions but even so we're being drip fed information and it's still engaging. It's going to be interesting now that Shiva and Teacher are essentially on the run and are in unfamiliar territory. I'm expecting that in the next volume we might get some more answers and information on the secondary characters involved which is going to be interesting. I hope we get to see Auntie again and that they manage to come up with a cure for the curse at some point down the line.|| 4 ⭐

Okay I can't help myself. Volume 6 here we go

The cover for this one is so pretty

Volume 6
Chapter 26: ||She's just excited after walking so much to finally be there||

||What kind of name for a house is 'Uncle Longlegs'? Now I'm worried it's going to be sentient or something||

||I love how they're essentially squatters everywhere as well||

||So do they think Shiva is somewhat holy then if she has a soul? If they do think she's linked to God and they hold God in high regard then it doesn't surprise me that they're after her as much as they are||

||I thought we already knew that Teacher was human? I'm hoping the best for his family but I doubt they're okay seeing as they're not around in present day||

Chapter 27: ||It's sad that he can't remember them but not surprising considering what we know about outsiders.||

||The way that he's trying to hug her the best that he can||

Chapter 28: ||How were they tracked down so quickly by someone?||

||Yeah, I didn't think it would've been the soldiers because that would have seemed too obvious.||

||It's creepy and sad what's going on with the other outsiders.||

||Okay the lore behind the creation of the outsiders is way different than we've been led to believe so far||

||It must be horrible to be created solely for one purpose and when you no longer have that you're destroyed and remade and the cycle starts all over again.||

||Don't experiment on Shiva! She needs to be kept safe||

||If Teacher is a certain type of outsider then wouldn't someone be aware of it. it sounds like he's an anomoly so far.||

||Possible Teacher name drop? ||

Chapter 29: ||Imagine if Teacher was always an outsider though and has either been led to believe he was an insider who was turned or he was made to believe that. it's just so interesting how twisty this is.||

||Genuinely if Teacher does end up stealing Shiva's soul, consciously or not, I'll be devastated||

||He's touched her?? What if he's mistaken about the fact that she's protected though? He's going to blame himself so much if anything bad ever happens to her.||

Chapter 30: ||Aww it snowed ||

||Snow is probably my least favourite weather and I hate how cold it makes you when you touch it. I don't like wearing gloves either so I don't do things like snowball fights||

||They are super cute though and I do wonder if Teacher and Shiva are biologically related 🤔 ||

||Don't leave the locked outside because it could possibly be used as a clue for the soldiers finding you||

||Uhhhh, someone at the door and Shiva is all alone? Please let her be safe.||

[jagged summit]

Finished. ||This cliffhanger when I have no idea when I'm reading the next volume!! We got some interesting lore in this one and hints that there's something going on with Teacher. I hope these aren't red herrings and that Teacher and Shiva are destined to meet and be good togerher. I'm super worried for their fates though after what happened in this volume. It seems like everyone is just hunting them down and they can't run or fight forever. I just want to know if they're going to be okay.|| 4 ⭐

[hardy orchid]

Volume 4:
Chapter 16: ||Eternal life cannot be the only bad thing about the curse. I hope there is more to come. Aunty is here to stay though. Yay||
Chapter 17: ||WTF they dropped the girl in the pond ||NOOOO || oh it was just a nightmare. The outsider thinks he's not needed anymore :(||

[hardy orchid]

Chapter 18: ||Aah the teacher is in pain. I hope he realises soon that he is needed by the girl more than anyone. Aunty is quite judgemental :/ . I don't like her one bit.|| ||Awww Shiva saying I am home while teacher dies of worry. SO ADORABLE||

[hardy orchid]

Chapter 19: ||Haha classic slapstick comedy with the flour. WHAT SHE IS FORGETTING!!!||
Chapter 20:|| Wait what happened to aunty? I really liked the character dynamics that Aunty and shiva had. I wish they had spent some more time on it. I liked this volume, but I think the pace of the story is a bit too slow. I guess this was the case for Volume 1 to 3 too, Vlume 3 had the most story covered.||

Volume 5:

Chapter 21: || Oh she became a tree. How beautiful the idea. Wonderful thought. Does it imply that teacher's purpose is still not finished. I wonder what his purpose is. Is it to save the girl from danger? Is it her survival? Will he turn into a tree or "die" if the child heaven forbids,die? So interesting.. I am curious now.||

||This was so beautifully drawn, the tree banch acting as the umbilical cord with the black child in the womb position.|| Genius.

[hardy orchid]

Chapter 22: ||Oh Shiva and teacher are fighting! And he left her alone once again. Dude just can't stop making wrong decisions||

Chapter 23: ||I am glad the story is moving now. I wonder what they mean by consecrating the soul. ANd who is this heavenly father? Was that just a human being? A cult leader? How far down the religion rabut hole does this story goto?||

[hardy orchid]

Chapter 24: ||oh, the fight between shiva and teacher was so cute and funny. I wish Shiva was slightly more patient though. BUt then again she is just a child.||

Chapter 25: || What a lovely caring child Shiva is. I hope nothing goes wrong untill they reach the new place :)||

[steep perch]

#br-requests message posted the br request for volume 7

btw @gritty jewel i really love how you keep track of who have read each volume it makes my job much easier but dont feel pressured to do it if you dont want to
also if you really want to host the brs for any future volume then dont hesitate to tell me

[frail urchin]

Vol 5 “The Accursed Child”
Ch 21 || wow that was quick! But ngl, when I die I wouldn’t mind becoming a tree. I’m still not understanding why Teacher is so different, but I guess they’re not either. Uh oh. More soldiers||
Ch 22 || aw poor teacher. I totally relate. So much parenting doubt. I like how when they are at odds emotionally the size difference seems more pronounced in the images. But yikes! The soldier!||
Ch 23 || ok really ramping up the action again. This soldier dude needs to stop. I’m pretty confused still about the mother lake and brings with souls and without. Teacher doesn’t have anything from the mother, and that’s why he’s not affected like auntie? But he’s still cursed?||
Ch 24 ||oh the build up and blow up of emotions is perfect! And then they can reconnect. In my experience, you can only get really angry when you really care. But I’m not very good at expressing my “negative” emotions in general, either here or irl. As a kid I wasn’t allowed to be either sad or angry without ridicule from my parents||
Ch 25 ||aw that sequence about letting worries fly away hit hard. I definitely spend a lot of time trying to be prepared for the worst outcome, and it’s not easy to just let it go. I try to live in the “now” like Shiva, but I’m much more like Teacher||

[gritty jewel]

Not at all, as a chronically online person it's fun for me to do this stuff lol

And nope, if it's possible please keep hosting them, I'm gonna take a nice break

[gritty jewel]

@chilly loom @cobalt goblet @queen fractal @ruby cosmos @surreal garnet @charred ledge @small sapphire @silent spire @unborn hill @urban zephyr @spice harness

This is to everyone who haven't started yet or haven't finished reading the first three volumes yet. There's still time so please do join usss. The first volume ends this month but if anyone needs an extension please feel free to ask, I will extend it till Sep 20th.

[queen fractal]

yeah lol ill read it soon

[unborn hill]

i have finished the first 3, im on vol 5 i sent my thoughts on them 4-5 days ago iirc

[surreal garnet]

I started today! I'm on Vol. 1 and already on Ch 4 and didn't realize how quickly it reads! I'm really loving it so far. Stopped where I was so I could answer some of the discussion questions before I finished the whole Vol. 1 without realizing it 😂

[surreal garnet]

1. Amanda's post about it #book-talk message got me. She had me at "found family". I cannot resist found family stories 😭

2. I don't know. I never really thought about it but definitely curious now to see what everyone else thinks.

3. Well, I expect "found family" because it was what's promised. I would be very unhappy if I didn't get it

4. I have never heard of Nagabe! I'm very excited for this BR and reading through what everyone else thinks because I suspect I've been missing out!

I also really love all the fun facts you included @gritty jewel They make me even more excited about the books!

[surreal garnet]

Ooohh great answer with Jinjo Ito. I've read a couple of his mangas and agree they're pretty creepy and awesome!

[icy wolf]

THEY ARE!! I back that

[surreal garnet]

Finished Vol 1! I love it!! Some thoughts:

||I feel so sad about the no touching thing. I'm a very touchy person and I can't imagine not being able to touch someone you care about in case you curse them. Not being able to tend to Shiva's injury, or carry her if she couldn't walk, that's just so sad to me. I love how much Teacher cares about her though. I'm wondering if Teacher is actually Auntie, but cursed. I feel like that's very possible, plus the note could be from her uncursed self to her cursed self, because it looks like they forget their memories? It looks like Shiva might not be affected by the curse, I wonder why! ||

On to Vol. 2 to find out more!!! I'm loving this! Thanks so much for posting about it @steep perch and getting me interested!

[surreal garnet]

I love your take and I agree! ||I was just as emotionally invested and conflicted when Teacher didn't tell Shiva the truth about her auntie. I didn't like that because in trying to spare Shiva's feelings, it gave her so much hope and might make her even more sad in the long run, but I love the tension it gave to the story and potential conflicts in the future.||

I'm seriously so excited by your comments about the story getting better from here. I'm just itching to pick up the next one!

[surreal garnet]

I love your thoughts! I'm getting a lot from them. ||That "us vs them" theme is such great insight, and especially as you said, it all hits differently after Covid because "us vs them" came into play quite prominently then too||

[frail urchin]

Thanks! I’m usually just yapping about whatever strikes me as I read, but I’m glad you liked them

[surreal garnet]

Finished Vol. 2!

||I am very confused with everything the Outsiders are telling/not telling Teacher. They are being so mysterious and taking up so much space to build suspense and not giving us a single concrete detail! 😩 Also, I find it kinda funny that Teacher says the Outsider is lying about Shiva's auntie when Teacher is also lying about auntie side eye Still enjoying the story but so impatiently wanting to know what's going on! I'm scared for what happens next since it ended on that cliffhanger! ||

[surreal garnet]

Oooh yes! ||You're right, I totally forgot to take into account all that violence from Teacher towards the Outsider! Goes to show how normalized I've become to violence in media 😭 So interesting what you said about the God vs Mother, and Goddess as the good and God as the evil. I didn't even think of that, but I think you might have something there! Maybe we've got it backwards and it's the other way around! || Love the speculations!

[surreal garnet]

I'm trying to avoid spoilers for the later volumes as I scroll through the comments on Vol 2 so I might have missed some discussions, but in general I agree with a lot of you about ||not liking this volume as much, so far, and also that I came away with a lot more questions than answers. || I do really like what @cobalt goblet said about ||the God/Mother, Good/Evil thing, and I feel like that could potentially be very important information that we'll come back to later. I love that amhren noticed it because it feels so very subtle amidst all the excitement of discovering the secrets of the Outsiders and Mother, and the danger Shiva is in with the humans wanting to capture her||

[surreal garnet]

Finished Vol. 3! Oh, my heart!

||This one got me bad. 😭 That scene where Teacher is running after Shiva is so intense! I was so heartbroken when he lost her and couldn't run after her anymore. I love that the other Outsiders decided to help him get her back, but at this point, I'm still suspicious about their motives. Still, the Outsiders definitely seem the lesser of two evils compared to the Insiders. Later on when Auntie turned into an Outsider too, and followed them all the way home was another heartbreaking scene. I'm so glad it looks like Auntie really cares about Shiva too, but at this point there's still so much we don't know. I also kinda wonder what would happen if Shiva had told Auntie that she had actually touched an Outsider. Auntie already touched Shiva, and it's not like there can be any takebacks even if Shiva told the truth. Arrghhh, I'm so impatient for more!!!||

It's late so I might not go through everyone else's comments for Vol. 3 tonight, but I just want to say that I loved Vol. 1-3 so far. I'm totally invested in the story and I really want to know what happens next, but also just what is going on! I didn't expect to binge through Vol 1-3 today, but I just couldn't stop reading. Luckily/unluckily, Vol. 4 is not ready for me yet and I'm going to have to wait for my library, otherwise I'm not sure I could stop reading all the way through 😅 I hope I get it soon! I want more!!!

[surreal garnet]

Ooohh interesting about ||Shiva being patient zero. Did they mention the timeline of the curse? I'm so confused because there's still so much information we don't have yet. Also, good point about the Outsider's animal forms. I wonder what that's about and how that works. I have no idea about the revelations the Father is getting too, I do feel a bit frustrated with how miserly the author is being about giving us information! 😩 ||

[surreal garnet]

Don't call me out like that! 😭

[surreal garnet]

I'm loving it so much, except I hate having to be patient with finding out more! I love the art too, it gives me such cozy vibes yet at the same time dark, moody ones! I don't know how that works, but it's how it feels! On the relationships ||I love Teacher most, and I love how protective Teacher is of Shiva. He's such an interesting character and I really want to know more about him. Why is he so different from the other Outsiders? What do they mean when they call him Black Child? Who was he before he was an Outsider? So curious!||

[surreal garnet]

Omg, I love the way you put it! It feels exactly that way!

[terse oar]

Omg, I love
the way you put it! It feels
exactly that way!

- hazethe

[frail urchin]

I’m loving following you on your journey

[surreal garnet]

I am loving this journey and reading everyone's comments who've walked before me!!! 😭

[jagged summit]

Just seen that there's an OVA/adaptation for this. Has anyone seen it and know which volumes it covers or am I best leaving it until I've read all 12?

[steep perch]

#br-requests message we only need 1 more for vol 7

[charred ledge]

At last I have been the last one once again

[charred ledge]

It covers
cough cough
Volume 1, then it goes to parts of volume 10, then 6, then 7, then 2, and then it ends

Its almost entirely original and doesn’t cover 99% of the manga

It’s more like a 60 minute advertisement for the manga lmao

It also has parts of 5 tho iirc

[jagged summit]

That sounds so messy but I'll watch it after I've read all the volumes

[terse oar]

That sounds so messy
but I'll watch it after I've
read all the volumes

- abi(g egg)

[charred ledge]

It also has its own ending

That is entirely different to the original

I heavily recommend not watching the OVA before the manga tho cuz it spoils one heavy thing about the story

[jagged summit]

yeah I don't tend to watch adaptations until I've read the thing it's based on

[charred ledge]

It’s, in my opinion though, a nice original OVA to Siúil a Rún

It just threw the word „faithful“ out the window

Oh yeah it doesn’t even cover all of volume 1

Nor does it cover all of volume 6, 7, 10 or 2

But to be granted some of volume 2 is also included inbetween volume 1 and the parts from 10 to 6 and 7

If you haven’t noticed, it’s a mess

Wait I realized that’s a spoiler for the OVA lmao

But yeah it’s pretty cool and I’d recommend watching it once you read volume 1-11

[jagged summit]

Volume 7 has enough people

[full garnet]

I have entered the fray

Vol 1: this little child looks like a precious moments statuette

[terse oar]

Vol 1: this little
child looks like a precious
moments statuette

- tink

[full garnet]

Thank you haikubot

[jagged summit]

hi tink! I hope you enjoy

[full garnet]

Thank you. I only have 1 and 3 so far

But I’m excited my library has all 7

Or the first 7 at least

[full garnet]

Vol 1 ch 1 ||so far I’m pulled into the story. I love manga/graphic novels that start in the middle of the story. I have a lot of questions, but I love the vibe and aesthetic of the sweet little girl and her dark/spooky guardian||
Ch 2 ||I liked the tea party. I wonder if Shiva’s name has an my significance. I think she’s the light one in disguise||
Ch 4 ||Glad Shiva’s ok. Waiting for more information about why this is happening||

[frail urchin]

Vol 6 “Far From Home”
Ch 26 || This whole area is so deserted, and I’m guessed they’ve all been cursed, or they’re all in hiding on the inside? I like that when Shiva and Teacher are on the same emotional plane, their height difference reduces significantly. Not sure about this concept of souls and the 6 emotions. Curious about which 6||
Ch 27 || I always assumed that Teacher was human, so that wasn’t unexpected, but the locket is pretty heartbreaking. Shiva is putting on such a brave face, and I think it’s symbolic that she breaks down while they are gathering firewood, since her auntie is now a tree||
Ch 28||aha!! I knew they’d be at 2 different houses! It’s too soon for them to be found. This being that keeps following them around is odd, and idk if I trust it. I like the reincarnation of souls but tho. Nature always recycles. Oooh. Is Teacher this Doctor Albert?||
Ch 29 || oh no, Shiva let that creature on the roof touch her in the hopes of joining the cursed to be like them. Human nature really pushes us to want to belong with the majority even when it might not be the best thing for us. Aw they finally touched, and it feels a bit odd ngl. Hope she’ll be ok.||
Ch 30 || this chapter is playful but also ominous at the same time. I love the snow but it makes it so difficult to hide. And it’s sweet that she’s insistent that he find the locket, but we all know something is gonna happen while he’s away ||

[full garnet]

Finished vol 1 and I liked it! The art style is very simple but effective. Something about the little girl and the way ||the soldiers are drawn reminds me of Zelda. I have a lot of questions, but I’m excited to read the next one and eventually find out what’s going on, if there’s something deeper going on that is ||

[hot glen]

From <t:1724889600:D> to <t:1730160000:D> | Leader(s): @steep perch

Book Link

ID: 66c53c2e83c767217747241e
Announcement: #buddy-reads message

[surreal garnet]

I just got the next books up to Vol. 11!! I only worry that I won't stop reading once I get started Luckily Vol 7 has been announced, so I can at least read up to there (in 4 days?)

[surreal garnet]

Finished Vol. 4

||So interesting about Auntie finding Shiva when she was a baby. Someone (I forgot who, I'll try to find it again later) mentioned above about the possibility that Shiva's mother might have been pregnant with her in the womb when the mother got infected, that seems more likely now! I also love when Auntie wrapped Shiva in the blanket so she could hug her. I do that all the time with my cats. Burrito cats! ((((CATS)))) 😂 ||

||I didn't like when Auntie blamed Teacher for cursing Shiva, and I even more disliked Shiva being the one to tell Teacher that Auntie was sorry. Auntie was right there and could've spoken up. This is such a toxic trait and I hate when adults can't say sorry because of ego. I'm wondering about Teacher's heartache, is it a "feelings" thing, or is it a "heart attack" thing, because they are very different and rn I can't tell what the author meant to convey. I'm surprised Auntie lost her memory so quickly, and whoa, that ending! But we already know that the Outsiders can't die even if they lose their heads, so... what's next?! ||

[frail urchin]

Yeah, just don’t start vol 7 before the 28th and you’re all good for points

[gritty jewel]

I think it did a great job, I remember almost nothing but I do remember thinking that it was very well animated and that the vibe was very much like the manga

I like knowing the fact that it's its own thing, and doesn't really follow the manga

[charred ledge]

Yeah, animation peak and vibe and atmosphere peak

It was great as it’s own thing

But as I said before, it didn’t try to be faithful and that’s okay

[surreal garnet]

Finished Vol. 5

||Wow, so Auntie did kinda "die" after all. I didn't expect that, and I feel like the story is twisting and turning so fast I can't keep up! Why is it that with every question they "answer" we get more questions? 😭 Obviously Shiva is important, but it's still very confusing to me what they all want with her soul. It looks like the Insiders think her soul will save them from the curse, but I'm still not sure what the Outsiders and Mother want with her. They keep talking about bringing souls back to the Mother, and it looks like Auntie had a bit of soul left before turning into a tree and they brought that soul back to Mother. But I'm not sure, it's confusing!||

||The soldier going after Teacher and Shiva is scary and I really hope they turn into a tree before they find Shiva, or forget their memories. Shiva and Teacher calling each other names was funny. I mean, it was sad at first, but funny at the end, "cream puff" and "ink pot" 😂 In a way, I feel like it's good because Shiva being mad at Teacher means she feels secure enough with him, and then later she says she loves him (and Auntie). But my heart totally melted 😭 ||

I haven't looked at previous comments of Vol 4 and 5 yet. I have stuff going on tonight so might have to come back to this tomorrow or later.

[surreal garnet]

Oh I just saw these questions, sorry for missing them earlier.

1. I'm reading one volume at a time but I also just found out that you can read the individual chapters one at a time from the official website. I'm still reading it from my library copies so that I can keep track of the volumes, but the website is convenient for when I can't bring the books around with me.
2. Teacher is my favorite so far!
3. I don't know if I have favorites but I really enjoy One Piece. I'm not good with long-running series though, one of the reasons I don't read a lot of manga, so I usually just read the first books and then stop following them.
4. So far I like Volume 1's cover best.

[surreal garnet]

Yeah I was thinking the same thing about ||immortality. I would love to live forever! But like, as a vampire 😂 I think I wouldn't like to be immortal as an Outsider because you could never touch the people you love and I wouldn't want to live that way. And yes, losing your memory too, I love your take on that. To live forever but never remember anything, never have meaning in your life 😭 Killing off your loved ones before they show signs of being cursed is so risky though! What if they weren't cursed and you just murdered them for nothing?! ||

[surreal garnet]

Oh I never thought ||we'd be able to see Auntie again. It'd be nice if we did! You've given me hope! I also hope we find a cure sooner rather than later. It's funny coz I feel like the story is moving so fast with actual scenes and movement, but so slow with information and letting us know what's actually going on. I wonder if there will be a cure that doesn't involve stealing Shiva's soul, and I wonder if any of the Outsiders will turn back to their original(?) forms||

[surreal garnet]

Such an interesting thought! ||It never occurred to me that it might be related to unfulfilled purpose!||

[jagged summit]

||I think there’s so much still unknown that it has to be a possibility that we’ll see her again right? I’m wondering the same things as you though and I’m scared of what the sacrifice is going to be to get any possible cure. I have a feeling Teacher is going to do something brave and heartbreaking to protect Shiva||

[surreal garnet]

||Definitely a possibility and a hope! It just didn't occur to me at the time because I was quite surprised that Auntie turned into a tree. My last comment when we saw Auntie's head in the final pages of Vol 4 was that we already knew they were immortal, so I definitely didn't expect the tree! But the fact that she turned into a tree means that she's actually still a living being, so who knows what's going to happen! I love Teacher and I believe he'd do anything to protect Shiva, but I'd be heartbroken if anything happened to him 😭 ||

[surreal garnet]

Finished Vol. 6!

||Whoa, we finally see something of Teacher's background! Do you think it's possible Shiva could be his child? 🤔 What if?? I'm still really confused about the whole, maybe he's a Black Child, maybe he's a Child of Mother, thing. They're not being very clear about what either/or can do, and I still don't understand why Teacher is different at this point. I do love that Teacher and Shiva finally touched each other! My heart went tha-thump when that happened, and I love that Shiva was so happy to be able to hold Teacher's hand, and hug him! I have all the feels! But that ending, guys! I don't know how those of you who read Vol. 6 ages ago manage to wait so long before reading Vol. 7! It's killing me! What happened to Teacher? What's going to happen to Shiva?! ||

[surreal garnet]

I recently read Daddy-Long-Legs by Jean Webster and wonder if it's a translation thing. ||But in reference to Daddy-Long-Legs, the first thing I thought when finding out the house's name was comfort and shelter and I loved that! ||

[surreal garnet]

I'm wondering the same thing!

[surreal garnet]

||There was a panel early on when they just moved into that Uncle Longlegs house where it showed smoke coming out of the chimney, and I was like 🤨 isn't that a dead giveaway?||

[surreal garnet]

||I'm curious about the 6 emotions too! I recently read Atlas of the Heart where all the emotions are listed and it's way more than 6. I'm curious about which 6 emotions are important enough to be noted in this story! 😂 And omg, I didn't even think of that, that Shiva cried when she was collecting firewood and Auntie is now a tree! Totally puts into my mind burning Auntie's branches! 😅 ||

[jagged summit]

||It could be a translation thing. I think the person who does it is American but I thought Daddy Longlegs is a thing over there?||

[frail urchin]

Idk if you mean the classic book or the critter, but yeah we can claim both over here lmao

[frail urchin]

|| joy, sadness, anger, disgust, fear and surprise… are the main 6 from a western perspective. But idk if that will be the case here since it’s not ||

[jagged summit]

I hadn't even heard of the classic book until today

[surreal garnet]

Lol omg, I didn't remember mentioning the book here too! What a way to manifest it into a BR

[surreal garnet]

That reminds me, I have to watch Inside Out 2 😂

[frail urchin]

It’s pretty obscure, so I’m not surprised. I knew about it, but I haven’t read it yet

OMG THRE’S A BR REQUEST! Lmaoooooo

[jagged summit]

yeah we were literally just talking about it

[queen fractal]

im gonna drop out but still keep an eye

jk only if theres something to pin or anything

[jagged summit]

Volume 8 BR request #br-requests message

[icy wolf]

I heard a rumour that I can read this tomorrow

Volume 7 I mean

[unborn hill]

I'm gonna catch up to vol 6 so I can get to vol 7 ASAP

[jagged summit]

I heard a rumour that volume 8 is 1 person off being approved

[unborn hill]

whoever hasn't voted go do that

[icy wolf]

Oooooo this rumour I like

[jagged summit]

Volume 7
Chapter 31: ||Oh wow, he's looking pretty tree-like. I wonder how soon people can turn because it seemed pretty quick for Auntie? If it's related to completing a goal then if people turn slowly is it because they're slowly accomplishing what they need to? 🤔 I want more lore info||

||I feel like because this dude thinks he's Albert that he's going to turn out not to be Albert now||

||Now how is he managing to control his arm like that? It is a neat trick but that doesn't mean I want him to use it.||

||The crows saving Teacher!||

||They bit off his arm?? ||

||Please don't capture Shiva 😭||

Chapter 32: ||She must be terrified if she thinks Teacher really has died/been chopped up into lil pieces||

||I know we can't see his face but he looks so confused.||

||She's going to be freezing running in the snow barefoot but it was a clever way to get away from that soldier.||

||EXCUSE ME???||

||Okay this volume is definitely the darkest one yet||

||See this is why I need more tree lore because why did he turn into a tree before he could kill Shiva? I'm glad so he couldn't do it but it's still very interesting||

||Oh no, she's got a big mark on her. What happened to her supposedly being immune to the curse?||

Chapter 33: ||Teacher please stop blaming yourself for something someone else did||

||tbh I'm surprised she's still alive after being slashed like that. How awful to do that to a child.||

||Wait, they've never been successful in retrieving a soul even though that's what Mother has told them to do? Genuinely what do they think they're going to accomplish other than killing Shiva?||

||See if they take her soul and somehow manage to give her a new one then will she even be the same person?||

||Don't leave her alone again. She's just a baby.||

||Teacher vowing to get monstrous to protect Shiva, oh hello.||

Chapter 34: ||The way the soldiers have been given warning/are somewhat aware of what Teacher is going to do. I doubt that's going to be enough to protect them especially if he has the element of surprise.||

||that fight scene was so intense and dark||

Chapter 35: ||Well I'm glad Teacher is aware that he could be completely off-base with what he's going to do but it does genuinely seem that now he's going to stop at nothing to protect Shiva out of guilt/overprotectiveness.||

||His foot's been chopped off???||

||Is he really trying to argue with himself over having a conscience? ||

||Now where has Shiva gone? I hope that soldier hasn't captured her whilst Teacher was on his way back. Fingers crossed she's just hiding somewhere and hasn't heard Teacher yet.||

||The bonus page where she's calling him stinky. They're both so precious.||

[terse oar]

||The bonus page where
she's calling him stinky. They're
both so precious.||

- abi(g egg)

[jagged summit]

Finished. ||This volume was definitely the darkest one yet. It seems like Teacher is really struggling with what he thinks he needs to do in order to protect Shiva and what he's actually willing to do. I'm scared for what's going to happen to her if she is susceptible to the curse and with how the soldiers seem to be ramping up their efforts to capture her/kill Teacher. I have no idea where this is going to go but considering how this volume went, it wouldn't surprise me if one of them died. Why can't we go back to the cosy vibes of the beginning? /hj|| 4 ⭐

now what do I do for another two weeks?

[steep perch]

You could reac all the volumes now and them kust reread them when the br hits
But you better not drop out of this br before we have done all the volumes or else /j

[jagged summit]

I'll be good and wait! At least I have a ton of other BRs to read that I've overloaded myself with.
But please, as if I'd ever drop out of this

[jagged summit]

Also I guess friendly reminder that the BR for volume 1 ends tomorrow?

[icy wolf]

Wait?

I mean I start mine volume 7 hopefully tonight

[jagged summit]

and then it'll be 2 more weeks until volume 8 starts

[icy wolf]

I knoooow

[icy wolf]

|| SHIVA BE SAFE||

Chapter 31: || Ok so….. I feel like this treelike suse just wanna put thoughts and ideas inti Twachers head. Ans also ours. Making us unsure || But also just || The outaiders protectibf Teacher and Shive over and over but also being bad is kinda a vibe ngl||

Middel of chapter 32: ||NO THIS IS NO FAIR. Why is Shive hurt|| I am 💔
||oh…. Tree at perfect time I see||

Ehm I seem to have missed when chapter 33 started cause I now at chapter 34?

[icy wolf]

But anyways || I agree with Abi her. Him saying he will just be a monsyer then…. Omg so honestly cute||

[jagged summit]

So you didn't see ||Shiva outside in the snow?||

[icy wolf]

Yes I did. But I disnt see that it was a chapter new there

[jagged summit]

Okay you might not have missed anything but you can check my messages to see if you want?

[icy wolf]

Indid. Everything you said I have already read

[jagged summit]

[icy wolf]

||Like the pain in my heart when I saw Shiva having dark spot|| Spoiler for 33 I THINK

[jagged summit]

I think that's the end of 32/start of 33 iirc

[icy wolf]

But I read the entire || Soul swap thing||

Chapter 34; || Teacher standing there in the end with a swird ar hand||

SORRY BUT WHAT WAS THIS ENDINF?!!!

|| WHERE IS SHIVA?!!!||

[icy wolf]

Now I am with you here

My thoughts will come soon ish. Just let me get over this

[surreal garnet]

Finished Vol 7
||Whoa, that scene where Shiva is hiding from that guard is so tense! I can feel her fear, poor thing! The whole being quiet, and then trying to run away, and him catching her by the boots, and later catching her outside! Arrgghhh!! I was like, Teacher, where are you!! Shiva needs you!!! It's so cool that the guard changed into a tree midway though, I would love to see an animation of that||

||I'm so sad that Shiva looks like she's showing signs of being cursed. I thought she was immune, why is she not anymore?! Why does the author keep changing the lore and messing up my feelings?! I still don't get the stealing souls thing, I haven't seen one case of soul stealing (I might have missed it?). That snowball as a visual aid helps a bit, but I want to see it in action 😂 Really wonder if Teacher will be able to find a new soul for her. I'm curious how that would work too, will Shiva still be Shiva if her soul is made up of other broken up bits of souls? ||

||Seriously, the author playing with our feelings with these kind of cliffhangers Where is Shiva?! ||

[icy wolf]

Ok now my final thoughts. || I have to admit that I am not sure what to even say for this one. I am just in a somewhat of a shock.
So much of the darker details of how the world works was revealed now and it kinda amkes this series a little more scary.
Shive being gone, just CLIFFHANGER MUCH?!!!!!

I have to say that the snow helps ALOT againt the darkness in the earlier boojs. Like physical dark not theme|| 4.25/5⭐️

[surreal garnet]

Right?! ||I'm really upset because in earlier volumes, Auntie said they were immortal, and then in the next volume she got turned into a tree. Then they said Shiva is immune, and now she's not! LIES! ALL LIES!! NO ONE IS SAFE!!!||

[unborn hill]

gonna read through volume 5-7 before I sleep I think

[torpid sentinel]

I’m gonna wait for the Vol 9 BR to start and just burn through all 3 in one sitting

[unborn hill]

I reread the last couple chapters of vol 4 just because I realised I'd forgotten what happened vol 4 spoilers ||that ending hits HARD, shiva's little face when the other cursed one throws the skull onto the floor. in front of her nd teacher. it's an absolutely sick looking frame, the detail in the skull is so cool||

~~let's try again nd actually spoiler the image this time ~~ vol 5 chap 4 ||I love how expressive shiva is, despite how simplistically she's drawn||

[unborn hill]

chap 1 vol 5 ||this has to be my favourite few panels, it's so... disturbing? the branch coming out of her eye, her clothes still hanging from the tree... rest in peace auntie, I didn't really like you when you were around but I'm sad for what this means for shiva||

[unborn hill]

chap 2 vol 5 ||wow that was so sad. shiva nd teachers fight man I can understand why shiva is angry that teacher didn't tell her that her auntie would forget her eventually, but also he didn't know it would happen that quickly or that she would turn into a literal fucking tree (still so crazy to me lmfao I love it). I'm so scared smth is gonna happen to teacher next LMFAO please I need my emotional support cursed one ||

[unborn hill]

up to chapter 4: ||first of all, this outsider looks fucking SICK, I love it, probably my second favourite design of an outsider besides the headless one we've been seeing. also in chapter 4 I was low-key worried for shiva nd teachers relationship nd then they started calling each other names nd I couldn't help but laugh HAHAHA I'm glad they sorted their shit out but GOD was I scared for a sec there ||

ok I'm just gonna finish vol 5 tonight nd then read 6 nd 7 later because I'm tired

[unborn hill]

volume 5 done!! ||that was an intense one but also such a cute one! I actually adore the cute little moments between shiva nd teacher, like after they fought, her calling him a big inkpot nd him calling her a cream puff, that was so cute nd funny the prophecy stuff with Shiva is weird nd I'm looking forward to seeing more about that, I don't really understand what most of it means tbh LMAOO ik it means that shivas soul could potentially turn every outsider who was originally a human back into a human and obliterate the curse from the world for good. the knights who got turned into outsiders are definitely gonna catch up with them soon though, I'm assuming in vol 6 which I'm mildly scared about HAHA but I'm still looking forward to finding out more! nd then attached I've put in a couple more pages/panels that I liked a lot ||

[last plinth]

@steep perch,@torpid sentinel,@frail urchin,@surreal garnet,@jagged summit,@chilly loom,@halcyon timber,@icy wolf,@gritty jewel,@hardy orchid,@unborn hill,@full garnet,@charred ledge,@small sapphire

Hi everyone sorry for the late announcement but volume 7 started yesterday so feel free to start it if you havent yet

we are also 2 weeks into the brs for volume 4,5 and 6 and i can see that alot of you have already read those

I also posted the br request for volume 8 so make sure to join that so we can continue this manga through to the end
i will continue to do a volume every 2 weeks and give them 2 months so you can binge a couple of volumes if you want

Here are some questions that can apply for whatever volume that you are at but remember to say where you are in your answer and spoiler them if neccesary

1. If you could meet the author is there any question you would like to ask? if so which one?
2. Are there any particular pages that you like?
3. Do you prefer manga/comics or novels? for what reasons?

[jagged summit]

1. I would ask him why he wanted to make me so emotional when he wrote this
2. The pages with Shiva being are adorable and ||I like some of the character design for the outsiders.||
3. I like them for different reasons so it's hard to compare but I do love illustrations and they always make novels better when they're included. Probably GNs because I love the fact that they combine art with story but only if the art is good. If I don't like the style then it obviously ruins the entire work for me. Basically both though

[icy wolf]

1. Have to agree with Abi there. Why did he plan to make me cry and just be thinking about this series randomly all the time.
2. I love all the pages where || Teacher ans Shivas relationship is being potrayed so beautiful ||
3. Hmmm that is hard. I think maybe novels. I can imagen by myself so much more. But mangas and grafic nivels are real nice when I have just finnished real thick and heavy books. Like give me a peace of mind

[torpid sentinel]

1. I'd ask what his favorite panels/pages are.
2. My Omnibus 1 and 2 are buried in the 'finished' stack so I can't go back to those rn, but I thought the 'Teacher's Memory/Shiva's Memory' pages (they look like paper dolls with some accessories/extra clothing) in the Omnibuses were a nice addition.
3. It depends? Like as examples, Monstress would not work near as well as a novel, but the King In Yellow comic adaptation doesn't do it for me compared to the actual novel

[steep perch]

@cobalt goblet if you look at coffees message here #1263106971624669194 messagethen you can see that there is a question mark after volume one so you should comment a little more on that volume to make sure to get the points
you could for example find your favourite page from that volume or any moments that stood out to you

[last plinth]

@gritty jewel,@unborn hill,@torpid sentinel,@steep perch,@icy wolf,@north hinge,@silent spire,@halcyon timber,@frail urchin,@urban zephyr,@chilly loom,@small sapphire,@charred ledge,@spice harness,@placid void,@ruby cosmos,@hardy orchid,@cobalt goblet,@jagged summit,@surreal garnet

Hey everyone, volume 1 of this manga has finally come to an end! I can still have it extended if anyone needs more time to read, so do tell me if that's the case. Thank you for joining in and showing interest. Sorry if you couldn't read it, I'm sure there will be another BR in the future.

Here's everyone who finished reading so far:

Finished: Coffee, amhren, Pea, Hanzy, tink, Amanda, ahri, AZ, ctrl-altmer-del, lemondrop, Zander, Avialia, Haze, abi
Notes: Amhren didn't discuss much even after being notified about it, points up to the mods

Please tell me if I missed anyone, I'll wait for some time to see if anyone asks an extension. Have a good day.

[gritty jewel]

I forgot to remove the notes lol

[cobalt goblet]

I don't really have much to say about it, so it's okay if I don't get any points, I'm just here to have fun reading 🙂

[charred ledge]

Yeah this pretty much
I read volume 1 already, but all the things I wanted to say have been said already/I have said already, I don’t really care too much about the points and more to just enjoy the manga, even if I know it already

[surreal garnet]

1. I'd ask if there was a child in his life that he based Shiva on, or that helped him develop Shiva's character.
2. One of my favorite parts so far is (Vol 5 spoiler) ||when Shiva and Teacher were arguing and called each other big ink pot and little cream puff. We have a term in Cantonese "saa faa cheong" that sort of translates to "shooting flower bullets" and it's when two people argue but it's peppered with cutesy love stuff. Like this emoji lol ||
3. I don't prefer one or the other in terms of the format itself, but what is difficult for me with manga/comics is that I can't do long-running series and most manga/comics go long. I can't do long-running series with novels either, but there are a lot more standalones and short series in novels so I read more of them.

[unborn hill]

w q 2 that was one of my fave parts too!! i also love the little fact there ||thats adorable that really does sum up all their name calling in that section, like they are angry but its clear that they both still care about each other a lot ||

[jagged summit]

WE GOT 12 #br-requests message

[gritty jewel]

This might just become the first manga series BR to have been hosted on OBC from start to end

Also can someone please bully me into giving my thoughts on volume 4-7 if I don't do it soon

[icy wolf]

We will

[unborn hill]

that reminds me i need to give some more thoughts on vol 4 actually i keep forgetting

thoughts on vol 4 but more fleshed out on
||ok i still think number 5 is my fave volume so far but this is a close second! the explanation about outsiders nd how they live forever, seeing more of the memory loss nd also learning a bit about teacher. hes clearly different from other outsiders, like i think we know he was originally human at this point nd was given the curse, he isnt an original outsider (as far as im aware, anyway. this is more my assumption, i cant remember if its ever explicitly stated). id love to learn even more about teacher in future volumes nd how he ended up as an outsider!! i really loved learning more about how shiva came into aunties care too, i thought that was interesting! i really wish auntie had lived longer to learn more about their relationship and also see auntie and teacher bond more! i really hope we do find out how shiva kinda came to be out there in the outside, like what happened to her parents (its assumed theyre dead but still i want more confirmed lmao) ||

[hot glen]

From <t:1726050600:D> to <t:1731321000:D> | Leader(s): @steep perch

Book Link

ID: 66ce961583c7672177473a5c
Announcement: #buddy-reads message

[jagged summit]

10 more days

[icy wolf]

Cant wait untill I can start

[jagged summit]

me either

[small sapphire]

So we r like doing them all in one, this forum, cool!

[frail urchin]

Vol 7 “Of Monsters and Men”
Ch 31 || Ok, that got genuinely scary, even though it’s a bit cliche to have her knock something over in the closet. Having the soldiers be semi-transformed into trees is a nice touch, especially with that being the reason for the lack of vision||
Ch 32 || well, as mid point in the series, I was expecting a big push in the plot, but ooof. This was a rough chapter. The panel with the reflection of the attack on the sword in the snow was well done. The whole concept of her being held responsible for the state of everything is troubling. And yikes! Did he get her heart? Or is she starting to turn too?||
Ch 33 || oh the shadows showing Teacher’s anguish and guilt are effective. Idk what he’s about to go and to find her a new soul, but I’m not sure it’s going to work. Also, won’t a new soul change her significantly? I feel like her innocence is going to be gone now||
Ch 34 || quite the battle. So many outsiders down, but yikes a wildfire is not going to be safe for anyone Teacher is not backing down tho, and is clearly willing to sacrifice himself. But then who will care for Shiva if he isn’t successful? It’s a complicated choice for sure ||
Ch 35 || oh, I’m kinda glad that he couldn’t follow through with the murder. But oh no, his foot! Ah, so he is thinking of sacrificing himself for her, but I’m glad he’s not quite there yet. Uh oh tho. That cliffhanger! ack! This series is so difficult to read slowly! ||

[small sapphire]

Vol 7 finished!

Started Vol 8.

chap 37: ||my heart is breaking noooooooooo||

[jagged summit]

Volume 8 BR doesn't start until the 11th

You're not on the list for any of the previous volumes either. Have you been reading them with us?

Just thinking for BR points

[small sapphire]

I'm notttt on the list ?? 😭
Oh I am reading with the br.
And got it!

[jagged summit]

In the pins Coffee has been keeping track of who's read/shared their thoughts and I can't see you on there for any of the volumes we've read so far 😦

[small sapphire]

Ohh okay got it

[steep perch]

i cant see you having discussed any of the other volumes
think of every volume as its own br with its own br points
so you have to discuss each volume seperatly within its own timeframe which is in the pins

[small sapphire]

Ahhh I see, didn't know that, gotcha

[halcyon timber]

1. thats a good question. I would ask for their inspiration behind it and especially shiva's design. Is it inspired by any children they personally know? From another fictional world etc
2. I enjoyed the bonuses at the end of every volume, sometimes would lift the atmosphere up if it was a tense/heavy volume lmao
3. I dont have a preference, they are both great. Though I am pickier on visual novels, since it has something visual throughout which (unfortunately) has to be somewhat pleasant to the eye

I also wanted to mention that I have not been texting as much since I read them all in one go (up to volume 7) kind of like one big novel so I just didnt have much to write about. However with the upcoming volume 8 I would like to text a bit more since its coming to an end

[last plinth]

@frail urchin,@steep perch,@icy wolf,@jagged summit,@surreal garnet,@halcyon timber,@gritty jewel,@chilly loom,@unborn hill,@full garnet,@torpid sentinel,@hardy orchid,@small sapphire

Volume 8 starts in 3 hours so that means we are now almost 2 weeks into the br for for volume 7 i kinda fucked up with the dates on this one and that we are 4 weeks into volume 4-6

so far this is the people who has been marked as having read and discussed the various volumes
Volume 4 - Az, Zander, ctrl-altmer-delete, Abi, Haze, Avialia, lemondrop

volume 5 - Az, Zander, ctrl-altmer-delete, Abi, Haze, Avialia, lemondrop

volume 6 - ctrl-altmer-delete, Abi, Haze, Avialia, lemondrop

volume 7 - Abi, Haze, Avialia, lemondrop

Make sure to tell me if you are missing from the list and happy reading

hopefully we can read the rest of the manga together

[full garnet]

We still have a week left for 2-3 right? My hold still isn’t in for 2

[steep perch]

yep they end <t:1726790400:D>

[jagged summit]

Volume 8 time baby

||Teacher, your swag is out of this world||

Chapter 36: ||Shiva, come home 😭||

||"Without you, I..." you what teacher?? How was that sentence going to end?||

||Her hand?? oh no poor baby||

||Shiva's so optimistic and it's adorable||

||Uh, Teacher....why are you stabbing yourself??||

wtf...

Chapter 37: ||No, is he slipping away even more?||

||He has no memories at all? Thanks, I hate it||

||Is he now going to be completely lost because he gave the last of his soul to Shiva? Also I knew he was different if he somehow even had part of a soul in the first place to give to her||

Chapter 38: ||I refuse to believe that he's just going to be an empty vessel||

||These panels with him giving Shiva his soul are so pretty but also I hate them||

||For a second I thought she was gonna use his leg for the table ||

[terse oar]

||For a second I
thought she was gonna use his
leg for the table ||

- abi(g egg)

[jagged summit]

||Can these soldiers just leave them alone already?||

||Teacher has been stabbed way too many times for my liking in this volume||

[steep perch]

is this a bad wtf?

[jagged summit]

||REAL||

||I wanna fight them so bad. It just seemed too easy for them to take her away but I get that Teacher is in a very compromised state right now without his soul||

Chapter 39: ||Please, I want to protect her so bad. She's locked away in a dungeon thinking that Teacher never cared about her. This is breaking my heart so much||

||Yes, I'm sure your 'heavenly father' was the one to give you instructions on how to remove the soul of a child. Ew ew ew||

||Tomorrow is way too soon. I'm so worried for her.||

||Where are you Teacher??? Someone needs to save Shiva.||

||Not her remembering Teacher in what she thinks are her last moments ||

Chapter 40: ||Good, I'm glad that crusty old bitch collapsed before he could murder an innocent girl||

||He's gone into a coma? Call that some divine karma||

||Shiva is a lot nicer than I am ||

||He engraved the locket? ||

||Okay but who has she even been talking to?||

||Girl, I want you to be with Teacher too but I don't think it's going to be that simple||

[jagged summit]

I'll add my thoughts in the morning when I'm more awake

[jagged summit]

Vol 8. thoughts - ||Okay so this chapter was also super emotional. I genuinely thing it was the one that tugged on my heartstrings the most so far. Teacher giving Shiva his soul is 100% believable because he really would do anything to protect her but I hate that he lost himself because of it. I hope they figure out a way to give both of them a happy ending somehow. Their bond just makes me so it really is the crux of the story and I love how it's developed over time and how they depend on each other. I need them to reunite in the next chapter and then probably figure out how to get people to stop killing her/put an end to the curse. Ugh I just need them both safe.||4.5 ⭐

[gritty jewel]

@charred ledge @spice harness @small sapphire

Just a friendly reminder that the BRs for volume 2 and 3 end on Sep 20

[jagged summit]

Vol. 9 BR request soon?

[steep perch]

yes but it will be 2 weeks untill it starts
i would do it once a week but im not sure enough people would join and then i would ping everyone every week

[jagged summit]

Yeah, I thought it would be but hopefully it'll give people enough time to get through some earlier volumes/sign up as well ❤️

[icy wolf]

I need to read volume 8 now soon

[jagged summit]

yes! join me

[halcyon timber]

starting this tomorrow!! I amh having a day off finally from my work so I cant wait to read volume 8 in the morning

[icy wolf]

Think I will read it after I finnish making dinner and weiting some book rewievs

[halcyon timber]

https://tenor.com/view/tea-hot-not-tasty-unappetizing-gif-27200294

[jagged summit]

she's so tiny!!

[halcyon timber]

I didnt even know there were animated gifs hahaha

rly cute

[jagged summit]

https://tenor.com/view/shiva-teacher-gif-25435085

[icy wolf]

I am way to exited to start this

https://tenor.com/view/totsukuni-no-shoujo-anime-manga-gif-22111631

[jagged summit]

stop this is the absolute cutest

[icy wolf]

Chapter 36: || Ok but why are they so cute toegther.
Shiva not wanting to tell cause Teacher always wanting to help. And she looking for the locket||

Cjaoter 36 ending || EXUSE ME WHAT||

Chapter 37: ABI YOU SHOULD HAVE WARNED ME || JE HAS NO MEMORIES||

38: || I cant, why is… noe she is being taken away and Teacher does nlt care. I am crying here. This is not ok.|| THERE SHOULD HAVE BEEN WANRINGS!!!!

Chaoter 39||Child marrige vibes… ||

|| These pictures of the memories from the earlier chaoters…. Way too cute||

I finnished. And just…. Rhoughts come soon

[jagged summit]

how was I meant to warn you without spoilers??

[icy wolf]

I dont know. But I am blaming you

[jagged summit]

It's okay, I'll take the blame because ||it was heartbreaking||

[icy wolf]

Ye, it was

[chilly loom]

I’m going to get to these soooon!

[jagged summit]

I hope you enjoy them Hanzy

[chilly loom]

thanks abi

[surreal garnet]

Gonna start vol 8 later today!

[surreal garnet]

Vol 8
Ch 36 ||Omg that last scene with Teacher wanting to give her his soul! 😭 ||

Ch 37 ||But oh no! At what cost? Teacher has forgotten her! Maybe they just need to exchange their souls back and forth? I don't see how he'd have much time left before he too turns into a tree, but that can't be it right, it can't be the end of Teacher!||

Ch 38 ||The scene with Teacher falling on his leg stump would be funny if the story wasn't so tragic right now. It's like Shiva has become the teacher, guiding him and telling him what to do. Interestingly, the fact that Teacher's soul is now merged with her own may have given her some of Teacher's characteristics? And the soldiers found them during their most vulnerable time! That scene with her in the cage and Teacher just looking without caring, such a big contrast from the first time it happened and no less heartbreaking but for totally different reasons! ||

Ch 39 ||Oh poor Shiva, feeling so alone and knowing that with Teacher's memory loss, he's probably not coming for her. I'm scared for her! She has no one left to save her. OMG, what's going to happen to her? Will the king take pity on her? ||

Ch 40 ||Who is this mysterious figure all of a sudden?!! And is Teacher really going to turn into a tree? Stop it! I can't bear it! Please stop this nonsense, Nagabe! Make everything okay again!||

Finished! Why oh why do I have to wait so long to read the next volumes!! 😭

I get why we're doing these books slowly and waiting for more people to join the BRs, but it's also such a particularly slow form of torture

[icy wolf]

Yesss. We having to wait

[frail urchin]

I’m waiting to read vol 8 until vol 9 starts so I can read them quickly. I think we need 1 more for vol 9?

[full garnet]

I still don’t know what’s going on with my hold, I’ve been hold #1 on 2 copies for a few weeks now

[jagged summit]

I wonder if whoever has them now keeps extending their loan

[frail urchin]

They shouldn’t be able to do that. They’re just keeping them overdue (which is obnoxious and frustrating) or maybe the copies got damaged or something and need replacement. You could call and they should be able to tell you Tink

[jagged summit]

One more for Vol. 9 #br-requests message

[full garnet]

Ok it’s finally in transit, so hopefully it will be in today or tomorrow

[chilly loom]

I’m starting Vol.2 today!

[chilly loom]

I just finished a quick reread of Vol.1 cuz it’s been a while. Starting vol.2

Ch.6

||Black child??? I thought it was an adult ||

||That’s scary it’s headless now yet standing ||

||No waaay no pls don’t go exploring now Is Shiva really cursed now? How does one know? ||

Ch.7
||No don’t go, Idk what awaits you there but I don’t trust anyone ||

|| Awww Shiva ||

Ch.10
||Wait noooo Who issss that?? Are there creatures who can replicate humans?? ||

I’m done with Vol.2 and I’m starting Vol 3 now
Not much to say as thoughts but I found the little diagnosis that teacher do||es interesting. I’m getting bad vibes from the ending and hope Shiva gets saved somehow. The fact that her aunt was sent as bait shows how the others knew of Shiva’s existence ||

Vol.3
Ch.11
||Okay like I know this might just be the art style but auntie looks OLD like granny almost and I wonder if she’s really Shiva’s relation. Also Shiva being a smart little kid asking the right questions ||

||Noooooooooo ||

Ch.12
||Is the aunt brainwashing her or does she truly believe it ||

Ch.13
||Awww they’ve reunited
I feel sad for the aunt and all those innocents being killed off ||

And done

[chilly loom]

Starting Vol.4

[chilly loom]

Ch.16
||Oh no Auntie
YOU were the one who abandoned her in the first place. You don’t get to do this

Poor teacher ||

[chilly loom]

I finished this a while ago but forgot to update here. These panels here were so ||saaad Auntie slowly forgetting despite trying her best not to forget and then that last panel ||

[frail urchin]

We still need 1 more person for vol 9: #br-requests message is it you?

[jagged summit]

somebody please

[full garnet]

Hey just realized I ordered volume 2 the deluxe version, which is actually parts 4-7 or something. So not only did I spoil myself but I won’t get the right version in time to finish, so don’t wait on my account, I’m probably going to DNF the series

[chilly loom]

I’m on Vol.5 now
Starting it!

Ch.22
||Shiva’s little outburst
Poor girl has really been through too much . I wish I could just hug her and wrap her up in a safe bubble||

[last plinth]

@gritty jewel,@torpid sentinel,@icy wolf,@frail urchin,@charred ledge,@unborn hill,@spice harness,@steep perch,@small sapphire,@hardy orchid,@chilly loom,@cobalt goblet,@serene prism,@jagged summit,@surreal garnet

The BRs for volume 2 and 3 end today! Thanks a lot for your participation. Here are those who've been marked as having read and discussed the volumes:

Volume 2: abi, lemondrop, Availia, ctrl-almer-del, Zander, AZ, Hanzy, Amanda, ahri, amhren, Coffee
Volume 3: abi, lemondrop, Availia, ctrl-almer-del, Zander, AZ, Hanzy, Amanda, ahri, Coffee

I will wait a day before submitting the report so that anyone who still wants to read can quickly do so

[surreal garnet]

I've read them, don't forget me!!

[gritty jewel]

I didn'tttt

Idk how I forgot to write your name

[chilly loom]

Thanks for hosting the first 3 Volumes and introducing me to this series, Coffee!

[chilly loom]

I've finished this btw. Have some panels that I'd like to share and hopefully will get to doing that soon-ish

[frail urchin]

Vol 8 “When All Hope Is Lost”
Ch 36 || this whole self sacrifice, without even really knowing if it will help, or if she even wants it feels noble… but also I’m frustrated by his lack of communication about it and his… assumptions, I guess? It could just be the age dynamic, but feels off a bit to me somehow||
Ch 37 ||well, I guess she doesn’t remember taking his soul? Makes sense that he’d forget the things he cares about. I hope she finds a way to return it||
Ch 38 ||oh she thought it was all a dream. But he actually had her eat his soul. (Reminds me of “sin eaters” from Celtic areas, but the opposite I guess). You scold those soldiers Shiva lol (so cute) aw we get they’re meeting moment. I knew she’d try to give the soul back to him||
Ch 39 || I get so uncomfortable with the overarching religious side of this. How can these adults justify this? It’s all just so wrong||
Ch 40 ||this whole quarantining everyone to separate the “cursed” from the innocent feels so different now after the pandemic. But I really want to understand better what the author is using this to say metaphorically about society. Glad that the king was too weak to harm Shiva. That panel with her reflection in the puddle in the cell was nice. But that ending!! Noooo 😭||

[gritty jewel]

The BR reports for Vol 2 and 3 have been submitted

[jagged summit]

Still hoping the vol. 9 BR goes through

but thank you for hosting all the volumes so far!

[halcyon timber]

starting volume 8 right now!!

omg I dont even remember what happened in volume 7 ahhhh

ch.36 - ||oh my god my poor girl - I didnt expect the curse to actually spread. I think it was just copium lmao but oh well. Also the fact that she didnt just go out to find the pendant but she FOUND it? what a cutie patootie ||

seeing them ||properly hug is so heartwarming but also bittersweet aghhh ||

ch.37 - ||oh jesus how is the story going to progress now with the teacher losing his memory?|| dont make me cry

ch.38 - ||well shit. Shiva got taken away and the teacher did nothing. Lets be real tho- bro is gonna wake up sooner or later and save her so I am not too sad about it idk about you guys ||

[halcyon timber]

Finished volume 8- can’t wait to see what happens next and ||how the teacher gains his memories back (cope) ||

[hot glen]

From <t:1727308800:D> to <t:1732579200:D> | Leader(s): @steep perch

Book Link

ID: 66e2ebb9188387f684997a78
Announcement: #buddy-reads message

[jagged summit]

AHHHHH

[icy wolf]

ONLY 2 days of waiting!!!

[halcyon timber]

https://tenor.com/view/anime-happy-cute-excited-gif-14576733

[gritty jewel]

I'll binge read from volume 4 to 9 tomorrow

Already read 4 and 5 but kinda forgot what happened

[gritty jewel]

Here is a list of who has finished reading and discussed which volumes so far:

Vol. Ended: 1, 2, 3

jpuzzle: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10
abi: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10
ahri: 8, 9, 10

ctrl-altmer-del: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9
lemondrop: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9
Avialia: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9
Haze: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9

Amanda: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
Zander: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

AZ: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Hanzy: 1, 2, 3, 4
Coffee: 1, 2, 3
ahri: 1, 2, 3

amhren: 1, 2

Pea: 1
tink: 1

Sending this again, just to bump it down a bit

[torpid sentinel]

I’ll be doing 7-9 in one sitting when the BR for 9 starts up :)

[jagged summit]

Vol 9
The cover

Chapter 41: ||Seriously, can this dude just stop already? But honestly this conversation.... I don't think I'm wrong to still suspect that Teacher and Shiva are related||

||The curse had to have come from somewhere though so I wonder if we're ever actually going to find out||

||I don't like this whole 'mysterious people using Shiva for info' thing that's happening rn||

Chapter 42: The sound effects are so

[jagged summit]

||It's all very suspicious what's going on with these forbidden texts||

[icy wolf]

Have I not discussed volume 8? I see my comments and such

[jagged summit]

did you leave your final thoughts?

Chapter 42: ||I need answers now!! ||

[icy wolf]

Ye no I see I forgot to share them. I know I wrote them tho. Will find them as soon as I have rime

[jagged summit]

Chapter 43: ||Of course it was the holy father who caused the curse and summoned the outsiders in the first place but I bet they'll just accept that and try to carry out his wishes||

||Of course he stole something from a woman ||

||Well it sounds like he deserves not to have a body after everything he did to the heavenly mother||

||God, I'm glad you're calling him out on his 'these things happen'. Absolutely wild that someone can justify thousands of people dying by basically going ||

||He killed him to protect the secrets of the books?? How can he not see he's in the wrong?||

Chapter 44: ||I'm glad we finally have more people in the king's inner circle questioning how bananas some of these shenanigans are||

||Can Teacher appear and save Shiva already?||

||The love Shiva has for Teacher is so ||

[jagged summit]

Chapter 45: ||Get his ass!! I hope they believe that it is an unsanctioned ceremony and put a stop to it.||

||I'm actually shocked he's fessing up to it that easily||

||There it is. He's painting the king as delusional so either he's made it up and convinced the king that it's real or it is real but he wants to keep it a secret so is convincing everyone else that the king is lying and making them doubt what is the actual truth||

[icy wolf]

Me now needing to read this volume so I can read Abi notes

[jagged summit]

||Yay, it was also a distraction for Shiva to get away!||

[jagged summit]

I totally think you should read it now

Chapter 45: ||I'm glad they have somewhat of an ally in this soldier but it's still very much Teacher and Shiva against everyone else. If Teacher is someone that they used to know that they thought died then I can understand why they've been so deadset on killing him. At the end of the day they've just been following orders but I'm glad some people are deviating from those and realising how bizarre it is that killing the kid is the answer to breaking a curse.||

||NOOOOO he can't be a tree, I won't allow it||

||EXCUSE ME??? HOLY SHIT||

wdym I can't read volume 10 immediately after that???

help

[icy wolf]

Volume 8: ||To be honest I am somewhat lost for words after reading this. This is for sure the best volume of them all. The colours have been better balamced out (in terms of visebility of the frames) after the snow. So since that was my only thing leaving from 5 star this one deserves 5stars in all it's right. I will also just add... THAT THIS BROKE ME.|| 5/5

[icy wolf]

I will. But I hope that it is not as bad as last time

I am still blaming you. I dont know why but it is your fault

[jagged summit]

I want to say something so I don't get blamed again but I'm saying nothing

[icy wolf]

Now I am scared. I have my tea ready and tissues at hand. I can do this

[jagged summit]

Finished Vol. 9. ||Okay so for the vast majority of this it was probably my least favourite volume so far. I understand that we needed a bit more of the lore building and seeing what was going to happen to Shiva, but the heart of this story is the relationship between Shiva and Teacher which we didn't get much of. A new big bad was set up and the king was betrayed which was interesting but not completely surprising. Then the last chapter happened. HOLY MOLY. The king enlisting his most trusted soldier to rescue Shiva which paid off, the king probably dying, Shiva reuniting with Teacher, Shiva being taken over by the curse??? WHAT? So much happened and it almost broke me when Shiva was talking to Teacher and trying to turn him more human-like again. I'm just thinking about what's going to happen in the last two volumes|| 4.5 ⭐

[jagged summit]

you've got this ❤️

[icy wolf]

chapter 41: ||Shiva be trying so hard to get out. And her bragging that she ate her dinner, she is so innocent rn.|| Then a little later in the chapter ||The person explaining the curse and how it broke the castle city. It i kinda hard to hear about. Even tho I will admit I do not like the humans at all. They are evil.||

[icy wolf]

Thank you for beliving

Chapter 42: ||Ok... the king is thinkning. Maybe this will end well?|| ||Why is there a hidden door.... oh. They are written down words of god|| Then we have Shiva || She is so bored. So cute|| ||NO WAY. I mean I did think this. But now we have to agree it is confirmed that Teacher came from that city 6 yers ago||

Chapter 43: ||FINNALY WE ARE ADMITING THAT HOLY FATHER IS STEALING. I know he was bad and god of darkness (mother of earth) wasnt all mean|| This priest... || I hate him|| talking about Shiva and how||the fact that she a child makes her easy to control. Gods I just wanna....|| Now we are back to Shiva ||She is just wanting the locket, and yet he dosnt give it. And now they taking her||

[icy wolf]

Cause || He belives in the holy father. Aka he sees nothing than his own wishes||

[jagged summit]

||I know but it really annoys me when people are so narrow-minded like that||

[icy wolf]

💯

Chapter 44: ||Just the exitence of this priest pisses me off rn|| And Shiva ||Just running off and away|| Priest ||GET YOUR WORDS AWAY. Do NOT speak to my Shiva like this. You better belive I will protect her with my life|| Teacher.. ||He looks dangerously alot like a tree|| atleast Shiva is ||Fighting for her life||

[jagged summit]