Bookmark c100 – honestly this may be a close to flawless series. A hidden gem.
Usually I'd give a thorough review but I'll keep it light
plot is immaculate. in broad strokes, a barbarian leaves in the pursuit of exploration and becomes a mercenary, it's fun and I can't flaw it's execution. Plots and schemes but MC always shines as he stays true to his barbarian ways👍
Whether you love or hate them, all characters are impeccably written; complex character arcs, dynamic personalities and realistic grounded behaviour… and no bitches. This is about brothers, real Nígga shit
Art is up there with the greats, seriously, considering it's coloured as well, I'm amazed. Fights are a spectacle. Hype is real.
the complexity comes from the heavily religious overtones and the character development it invokes. To some degree it's a historical piece and something I realised later is how character arcs are allegories to poetically to represent grander concepts like transitions of era's.
on the surface it's cool barbarian shit but everything is done for a metaphorical reason if you're willing to pay attention. There's barely any waste in this series everything is tight and concise.
ill leave it there, this is seriously a 9.5/10, it's a rare series that made me question a lot of things, you'll see my ramblings on almost every chapter.
p.s. also if you've seen vikings, this is very similar in terms of the religious overtones that affect every facette of the story and the MC is quite similar to Ragnar but without any of the greed
Basically there was some wierdo talking about how he wants the imaginary harem to include more flat chested characters, then posted a picture of that child dragon girl from that one anime…
I do it because you randomly downvoted a comment of mine that had no reason to be. Now when ever some one upvotes that comment it reminds me to see if you have any new ones to downvote!~
he's already had visions of the serpent god and ulgaro. On top of that Sven started he was offered grace by sol, which he declined.
this is fiction where the author has creative liberties, no need to compare to reality so strictly.
Wow… I just realised svens character is essentially an allegory for "the old ways". He represents traditional way of thinking and believes in a faith which is fading away and him being sick and dying represents the changing of the times and how his way of thinking doesn't fit in with the world anymore.
so basically, Sven meeting his grandson and then dying shortly after will mark the end of an era and the start of the new 'modern' era.
Wow. They really did show Sven coughing in a background panels in previous chapters ages ago and I ignored it at the time. Didn't realise it was going to be fatal
This is why royalty and fighting wars is a fucking joke.
you'll fight tooth and nail, live and die for the cause, but the man at the top will sell out the second things get hard.
he essentially admitted they all died for nothing and now he gets to forget it all and live on an island somewhere away from hardship
he originally struggled to fight 10 men successfully when he used the environment and fear tactics to his advantage. That's already unrealistic but it's understandable
now he can cut thick steel chains with a sword while fighting a group of people with ease. This has taken a turn for the worse
Oh snap, it just occured to me that he never intended to snitch on Ulrich in the first place, it was just a threat so he could fight to the death.
if he really wanted to do it he would have spread the word. Like a sort of extended respect, since he came to respect the northerners, I think he had a lot of respect for Ulrich and his family too, enough to not wish them death because he considered himself one of them. Which is why he prayed to ulgaro
he a warrior and killer who's never dealt with compassion, he realised the hypocrisy of ru and turned to ulgaro as he thought himself a warrior and wanted to die as one. That's… Unique
on top of that it enforces what Sven said about the wrath of an angry God. Implying his death could have been due to the wavering commitment to sol.
because he was no longer devoted, the wrath he faced was to be struck down.
Donovan is an interesting guy as well. He's had a solid character arc. Ups and down. He was so varied, you didn't know what to expect from him, like a real person.
What I find impressive about this series is Donovan, a side character, had more development in this series than some MCs have in two or three times the chapters in their own series
Sven is such a cool character. His understanding of other and undying loyalty is the best.
and the fact he just said that means that even though he doesn't believe in the gods he believes if the other person values their gods as much as he does his god then both gods should be treated at the same level.
thats some really open minded thinking. Needs understanding and empathy of other religions rather than laser focus on your own.
its like a christian telling a hindu to not curse the skies because it's offensive to Vishnu, NOT because it's offensive to god/jesus. A loose comparison but still
like Spartans of old, real warriors, revered the elderly because if they have lived as warriors and managed to make it to old age, they have earned the unquestionable respect of the younger generation.
i reckon barbarian tribes would have a very similar mindset and that would inevitably bleed over to non-barbarian elders as well, especially other warriors like Santa here.
but maybe it's hubris from being a hormonal teenager? He's bound to be arrogant if he's never taken an L
He just a bit pushy but honestly I don't think he's a good or bad guy. And I think that's what makes this series good, he's "complex", not a 1 dimensional character
he's pushy but doesn't react poorly to getting threatened because he understands he's crossing the line.
Even though I 100% agree with you, I feel everything can be troped. By being the main vilain, I mean the Main antagonist, the central person who Antagonizes the main protagonist.
The characterization in this chapter was mwah perfection.
literally beautiful, nothing was wasted. From Ulrich defusing the situation, to the mutual understanding of religions and when to hold back from forcing it unto others to Ulrich justifying not intervening the bandits and how that's just another group doing a job to them
Oh snap. You know what? I take it back.
that porridge she gave him made him hallucinate a giant snake. Completely unprompted with religious words. Meaning she wasn't a con artist.
that means as far as we're concerned, it implies the authenticity of their religion as it actually did save his life in a way that is exclusive to them. It's not like he dreamed it coincidentally without even knowing their religion.
the irony of the serpent religion being true is interesting. (That said it doesn't exclude the fact there could be multiple gods in their universe)
I love how open minded he is, there's no hostility. He didn't get jealous, he put aside his ego and requested lessons from that little shit.
which implies he never thinks of himself as better than anyone just because he fights well or is the leader.
thats a mentality I strive for as well. Best way is to take a step back when and remind yourself the same way sven explained the situation. People have different strengths.
that said, there are people where my dislike of them means I'll never ask them for help at my own detriment even if I acknowledge their skills.. But that's neither here nor there.
This is the main aspect as to why he's better then Ragnar, he stays 100% loyal to his squad with no selfishness.
iirc, Ragnar started doing things for selfish gain and his schemes always meant he personally gained FIRST and his squad benefitted SECOND… but he didn't explain his intentions to the loyal followers that followed him to battle. So he was loyal to himself, they were just tools
the risk that comes with this is astronomical. Even if they succeed they'll either be pulled into political strife, targeted, or even executed. Realistically, being heroes would be extremely short-lived.
the MC is open minded, he accepted sol because he saw the determination and steadfast belief of the monk right?
but to see the 110% from the viking lads to Valhalla, should sway his belief. Why are those guys so damn sure it exists to begin with, enough to throw their lives away.
coincidentally that's the exact same realisation floki has when he sees the Muslims not flinch when they're killed during prayers. How can they be so unscared of death. He stops and thinks… How is their belief so much stronger than everyone else's? Maybe HE is the one that's wrong?
That's fúcking clever.
he asked about the lands to the far east and heard they don't exist, so he asked about the land to the far west and heard that doesn't exist either
but since he came from the far west, he extrapolated that the myth about the world's edge is likely false and that the land to the east likely does exist.
i know it sounds obvious to us, but to make that kind of deduction without any world knowledge isn't easy.
he gave up his own beliefs because he was swayed by the intensity of the commitment of the guy he has with… Which is basically the first arc of vikings when Ragnar finds that Christian monk lol
The MC from the show vikings has a similar religious journey where he questions his gods, turns to Christianity out of intrigue and ends up atheist by the end.
looks like this MC is taking a similar path but with fictional religions
Holy shiz, that was a grim death. Like a lot of people die in a lot of series's… but this felt grounded in reality. We see his life fade away just as the MC promises revenge; not emotionally, but with 100% self confidence that it'll get done.
also the religious naivety paired with the brutal honestly of the MC fit his character super perfectly.
I love the primitive thinking. It's quite fitting, vikings are inquisitive and explore via the sea so it makes sense he's the most open minded while the barbarian who hasn't even seen the sea doesn't care.
Interesting. Did he actually forgive him and concede or is he gonna start digging in the background and snitch on the MC when he finds out he stole the sword from a knight?
Ajuzzi
Oh damn, so the baby mentioned that disappeared was what she put in the porridge to restore Urich's vitality…
Chemon
Ah thats pretty damn suspect.
Fuck that guy
Chemon
Bookmark c100 – honestly this may be a close to flawless series. A hidden gem.
Usually I'd give a thorough review but I'll keep it light
plot is immaculate. in broad strokes, a barbarian leaves in the pursuit of exploration and becomes a mercenary, it's fun and I can't flaw it's execution. Plots and schemes but MC always shines as he stays true to his barbarian ways👍
Whether you love or hate them, all characters are impeccably written; complex character arcs, dynamic personalities and realistic grounded behaviour… and no bitches. This is about brothers, real Nígga shit
Art is up there with the greats, seriously, considering it's coloured as well, I'm amazed. Fights are a spectacle. Hype is real.
the complexity comes from the heavily religious overtones and the character development it invokes. To some degree it's a historical piece and something I realised later is how character arcs are allegories to poetically to represent grander concepts like transitions of era's.
on the surface it's cool barbarian shit but everything is done for a metaphorical reason if you're willing to pay attention. There's barely any waste in this series everything is tight and concise.
ill leave it there, this is seriously a 9.5/10, it's a rare series that made me question a lot of things, you'll see my ramblings on almost every chapter.
p.s. also if you've seen vikings, this is very similar in terms of the religious overtones that affect every facette of the story and the MC is quite similar to Ragnar but without any of the greed
Chemon
Lol 4 downvotes is crazy when all you did was compliment the series
Zyphon
Someone got mad at one of my comments a few months back and got their friends to downvote all of my comments 😭😭😭
Chemon
Jesus… On manga?
That’s pretty pathetic lol
…Unless you said something really fucked up lol
You ain’t a racist or a pedo are ya?
Zyphon
Hell no.
Basically there was some wierdo talking about how he wants the imaginary harem to include more flat chested characters, then posted a picture of that child dragon girl from that one anime…
Sven Stevenson
I do it because you randomly downvoted a comment of mine that had no reason to be. Now when ever some one upvotes that comment it reminds me to see if you have any new ones to downvote!~
Chemon
I don't think that applies here.
they've already implied multiple gods coexist.
he's already had visions of the serpent god and ulgaro. On top of that Sven started he was offered grace by sol, which he declined.
this is fiction where the author has creative liberties, no need to compare to reality so strictly.
Chemon
Oh fuck that's the geezer he was having visions of this whole time ain't it
also he's about to become Ulrich the giant slayer
Chemon
Honestly I think in this universe all the gods coexist. There's no rules that say they can't. This is fiction
hes now had sight of ulgaro AND the serpent god who saved his life. Both before he even knew what they looked like. That's reason enough for me
Chemon
That's the first time he's gone against his gut instinct which is why he had a nightmare.
he did it so he could get a pass to give his friend a proper send off but his heart knows he did wrong
Chemon
Who does he fight for😂
Chemon
Oof. That cut me harder than anything they've shown in this series so far. I could hear the heart of a dying man crack right at the end there
that's fucking rough
Chemon
Wow… I just realised svens character is essentially an allegory for "the old ways". He represents traditional way of thinking and believes in a faith which is fading away and him being sick and dying represents the changing of the times and how his way of thinking doesn't fit in with the world anymore.
so basically, Sven meeting his grandson and then dying shortly after will mark the end of an era and the start of the new 'modern' era.
thats deep.
Chemon
Wow. They really did show Sven coughing in a background panels in previous chapters ages ago and I ignored it at the time. Didn't realise it was going to be fatal
Chemon
Oh fuck off you entitled bitch.
"ohhh pity me who was born a princess with everything in the world, I want more"
go die
that's strike one for this series for not killing her
Chemon
Good if he doesn't kill her decisively for icing his day one Nígga, he deserves everything bad that comes to him
Chemon
That's what fucking pisses me off.
no loyalty to the guy who gave up everything for you. Dumb fucking kid. Hope he dies to his sister as well. At least she's ruthless
Chemon
Yep I hate that little shit again. Stupid mf.
Chemon
Begone T H O T
Chemon
Bahaha I called it right from the start.
he's left the religion, just like Ragnar did in vikings.
It was to easy to see he didn't align with a compassionate god
Chemon
This is why royalty and fighting wars is a fucking joke.
you'll fight tooth and nail, live and die for the cause, but the man at the top will sell out the second things get hard.
he essentially admitted they all died for nothing and now he gets to forget it all and live on an island somewhere away from hardship
Chemon
This has lost its realistic edge
he originally struggled to fight 10 men successfully when he used the environment and fear tactics to his advantage. That's already unrealistic but it's understandable
now he can cut thick steel chains with a sword while fighting a group of people with ease. This has taken a turn for the worse
Chemon
dont read it
Chemon
Lol she figuratively and literally ate shit😂
Chemon
All the women look the same.
stunning
… But generic since they are all clones of eachother
also is it wrong that the prostitute girl from earlier looked better than all of these girls? Lol
Chemon
Oh snap, it just occured to me that he never intended to snitch on Ulrich in the first place, it was just a threat so he could fight to the death.
if he really wanted to do it he would have spread the word. Like a sort of extended respect, since he came to respect the northerners, I think he had a lot of respect for Ulrich and his family too, enough to not wish them death because he considered himself one of them. Which is why he prayed to ulgaro
Chemon
Goddamn. That was a rollercoaster.
he a warrior and killer who's never dealt with compassion, he realised the hypocrisy of ru and turned to ulgaro as he thought himself a warrior and wanted to die as one. That's… Unique
on top of that it enforces what Sven said about the wrath of an angry God. Implying his death could have been due to the wavering commitment to sol.
because he was no longer devoted, the wrath he faced was to be struck down.
Chemon
Donovan is an interesting guy as well. He's had a solid character arc. Ups and down. He was so varied, you didn't know what to expect from him, like a real person.
What I find impressive about this series is Donovan, a side character, had more development in this series than some MCs have in two or three times the chapters in their own series
Chemon
Hey that's a similar character arc to Ragnar at the end when he became disillusioned with religion once he had experienced enough extreme situations
Chemon
I honestly didn't understand that interaction.
how did he imply he knew?
i know he knows, but I don't really get the subtext of that dialogue without the explanation of his thoughts
Chemon
Sven is such a cool character. His understanding of other and undying loyalty is the best.
and the fact he just said that means that even though he doesn't believe in the gods he believes if the other person values their gods as much as he does his god then both gods should be treated at the same level.
thats some really open minded thinking. Needs understanding and empathy of other religions rather than laser focus on your own.
its like a christian telling a hindu to not curse the skies because it's offensive to Vishnu, NOT because it's offensive to god/jesus. A loose comparison but still
Chemon
Man… They really know how to make a death scene painful.
rest in peace my dawg
Chemon
Aw fuck I knew it he raised the flag ever since his speech. I forgot to comment because I hit the next button to quickly lol
Chemon
Damn, didn't know Santa was gangsta like that
i guess it's true, he wears red to hide the blood of his slain enemies
Chemon
Ah that's not good.
that's a flag for a million chapters later. Probably the finale, he'll lose everything, kill everything and become king.
well obviously not, but finding that out is definitely a plot point for later
Chemon
Wait that's the king?
he looks like a bitch Nígga. General Santa claus had infinitely more screen presence, the aura of a leader.
This guy just seems forgettable. I wasn't even sure if he was the actual king until he had his conversation with the prince lol
he seems more like a discount yujiro but with none of the charisma
Chemon
Honestly I don't think he would act like that
like Spartans of old, real warriors, revered the elderly because if they have lived as warriors and managed to make it to old age, they have earned the unquestionable respect of the younger generation.
i reckon barbarian tribes would have a very similar mindset and that would inevitably bleed over to non-barbarian elders as well, especially other warriors like Santa here.
but maybe it's hubris from being a hormonal teenager? He's bound to be arrogant if he's never taken an L
Chemon
Holy shit it's Santa claus.
show respect, Ulrich. Or your future kids won't get any Christmas presents!
Chemon
He right man, can't sell out your own people. And they doesn't necessarily mean people from the same set or race, just anyone you consider family.
it's different for him because his tribe are all loyal, we don't get that a lot nowadays so repay those who are with equal loyalty
Chemon
He just a bit pushy but honestly I don't think he's a good or bad guy. And I think that's what makes this series good, he's "complex", not a 1 dimensional character
he's pushy but doesn't react poorly to getting threatened because he understands he's crossing the line.
but he is definitely an irrational fanatic lol.
Lordkangora
Even though I 100% agree with you, I feel everything can be troped. By being the main vilain, I mean the Main antagonist, the central person who Antagonizes the main protagonist.
Chemon
Yeah that’s fair. That said we both know the answer now since I’m assuming you’ve likely read up to the latest chapter like I have.
(Trying to avoid spoilers lol)
Chemon
I'm calling him Mr 17 year old. Nigga looks 35
Chemon
Yeeeeeeeeeeeaaaahhh. That's my dawg
also I was hoping he threw the axe like he did against the first knight lol
Chemon
The thing I love about the MC, when he joked about murdering everyone involved and fleeing… He wasn't joking.
thats real nigga shit right there, you ride out for family regardless
Chemon
Few things,
I like that he was pointing his knife at him while he wasn't paying attention, made me giggle.
also what was the dead knights name, the one MC killed and took his sword?
and lastly. Oh boy, they're super fucked now. They touched one of the MCs crew. That's certifiable by death
Chemon
Mr 17 year old is right, can't be crying about killing when all this time you've just had other people doing it for you.
Chemon
The characterization in this chapter was mwah perfection.
literally beautiful, nothing was wasted. From Ulrich defusing the situation, to the mutual understanding of religions and when to hold back from forcing it unto others to Ulrich justifying not intervening the bandits and how that's just another group doing a job to them
everything was spot on
Chemon
Oh snap. You know what? I take it back.
that porridge she gave him made him hallucinate a giant snake. Completely unprompted with religious words. Meaning she wasn't a con artist.
that means as far as we're concerned, it implies the authenticity of their religion as it actually did save his life in a way that is exclusive to them. It's not like he dreamed it coincidentally without even knowing their religion.
the irony of the serpent religion being true is interesting. (That said it doesn't exclude the fact there could be multiple gods in their universe)
Chemon
Lol, that's a solid set up. Well played Donovan
Chemon
Damn he just got conned. She knows he'll recover but she made the prince promise money lol
look at that smirk at the end
Chemon
The art is absolutely stunning
but she still a Thot
Chemon
Bahaha Ulrich playing by prison rules.
you never give out any details about any girls in your life because someone will use the description to jack off. 😂
Chemon
Lol.
Chemon
What a fúcking gigachad
I've heard of no man left behind, but this guy doesn't even leave a horse.
that's real Nígga shit right there
Chemon
I like that the villain is sharp as well. Good deduction. Makes it feel more balanced.
Chemon
I love how open minded he is, there's no hostility. He didn't get jealous, he put aside his ego and requested lessons from that little shit.
which implies he never thinks of himself as better than anyone just because he fights well or is the leader.
thats a mentality I strive for as well. Best way is to take a step back when and remind yourself the same way sven explained the situation. People have different strengths.
that said, there are people where my dislike of them means I'll never ask them for help at my own detriment even if I acknowledge their skills.. But that's neither here nor there.
Chemon
This is the main aspect as to why he's better then Ragnar, he stays 100% loyal to his squad with no selfishness.
iirc, Ragnar started doing things for selfish gain and his schemes always meant he personally gained FIRST and his squad benefitted SECOND… but he didn't explain his intentions to the loyal followers that followed him to battle. So he was loyal to himself, they were just tools
Chemon
Honestly I'd vote to kill them and leave.
the risk that comes with this is astronomical. Even if they succeed they'll either be pulled into political strife, targeted, or even executed. Realistically, being heroes would be extremely short-lived.
Chemon
This is where the authors bias plays a part
the MC is open minded, he accepted sol because he saw the determination and steadfast belief of the monk right?
but to see the 110% from the viking lads to Valhalla, should sway his belief. Why are those guys so damn sure it exists to begin with, enough to throw their lives away.
coincidentally that's the exact same realisation floki has when he sees the Muslims not flinch when they're killed during prayers. How can they be so unscared of death. He stops and thinks… How is their belief so much stronger than everyone else's? Maybe HE is the one that's wrong?
Chemon
That's fúcking clever.
he asked about the lands to the far east and heard they don't exist, so he asked about the land to the far west and heard that doesn't exist either
but since he came from the far west, he extrapolated that the myth about the world's edge is likely false and that the land to the east likely does exist.
i know it sounds obvious to us, but to make that kind of deduction without any world knowledge isn't easy.
Chemon
Bahaha, I feel sorry for the horse but that was funny lol
that's one way to get the lil bitch to walk, eat his damn horse for dinner
Chemon
Lol
Chemon
Yeah it's an allegory for him converting to Christianity, this character development is basically 90% similar to Ragnar's from vikings the show.
Chemon
Fúcking gaaaaay, stop asking him to become a pússy that shows mercy n stuff
Chemon
This basically is vikings lol
he gave up his own beliefs because he was swayed by the intensity of the commitment of the guy he has with… Which is basically the first arc of vikings when Ragnar finds that Christian monk lol
Chemon
Aw fuck I was gonna have a laugh about how the MC stopped him from raising a death flag and that's hilarious… But he died anyway 🙁
Chemon
Wow, not often do I see a character go through a legitimate existential crisis. Well
Chemon
Sven is such a real Nígga. First thought as a free man is to search for any of his bros and free them of their shackles as well.
what a giga chad. Complete selflessness
Chemon
Lol
Chemon
Nice, they win the war but get disease and die
Chemon
Brutal but I'm peeved some people escaped
Chemon
The MC from the show vikings has a similar religious journey where he questions his gods, turns to Christianity out of intrigue and ends up atheist by the end.
looks like this MC is taking a similar path but with fictional religions
Chemon
Holy shiz, that was a grim death. Like a lot of people die in a lot of series's… but this felt grounded in reality. We see his life fade away just as the MC promises revenge; not emotionally, but with 100% self confidence that it'll get done.
also the religious naivety paired with the brutal honestly of the MC fit his character super perfectly.
This is like… really well written, ain't it?
Chemon
Man… The idea of someone physically owning another person and making them do inhumane shit against their will physically makes me sick with anger.
i know it's a bit of a "duh, of course it should" kind of statement, but it reeeeeally gets me agitated. I want to see them die a horrible death
Chemon
I love the primitive thinking. It's quite fitting, vikings are inquisitive and explore via the sea so it makes sense he's the most open minded while the barbarian who hasn't even seen the sea doesn't care.
…And the last guy is a flat earther. Ugh…
Chemon
Interesting. Did he actually forgive him and concede or is he gonna start digging in the background and snitch on the MC when he finds out he stole the sword from a knight?
Chemon
Looking badass.
Ngl, i had a problem with him looking too much like a pretty boy rather than a savage but it looks like he fixed up
Chemon
A barbarian and a Viking eh?
Lit
Chemon
Bucktooth was trying to pull a fast one and sell mc for a high price as a slave.
but MC has learnt enough of the language to figure out what was happening and murdered bucktooth
then MC bartered a gladiator role on his own terms as a free man
Chemon
Understandable, he got kneed in a clinch. Overeem would be proud
Chemon
Get fucked, ya cocky knight díckhead. That axe through the visor was badass
Chemon
Damn Tarzan, you didn't have to merk him like that.
also that's what I love about barbarians, they have a strong "by any means necessary" mentality and they're super blunt and straight forward.
Sugma Ligma
Deus Vult. May he find the one true god.