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I keep plugging away, trying to catch up with this, and it keeps moving forward almost as fast as I do.
Part of the problem is that it’s relatively complex - there’s so much going on that the plot is complex, plus there’s another whole layer of allegorical philosophical commentary on top of that, so there’s a lot of detail and nuance to catch. But most of it is that it’s so often so emotionally draining that I have to keep taking breaks from it.
It’s very, very good, but it’s neither pleasant nor light.
We’re almost caught up to the official release (volume 8 ends with chapter 72) so things should slow down significantly soon, if that’s any consolation.
I completely agree about the story. I was actually surprised how directly some of its rawest aspects are depicted (especially the more “down to earth” ones, these hit me the most so far). It can be rough but I really appreciate that it doesn’t try to downplay or mask what’s going on just because it might make readers feel bad.
That said, breaks are fine. Not everyone has enough self-control for that but it’s important to know when to pause so things don’t negatively affect you in real life. Congrats on knowing when to step back and take care of yourself!
Yeah - I’ve been figuring that even if I don’t catch up by the time that the scanlations catch up to the current releases, it’ll likely settle down to the magazine’s semimonthly schedule, so I’ll be able to catch up then.
And yeah - it doesn’t pull its punches.
Yesterday, I made it through three or four chapters, and then got to the introduction of Hikasa Ken - the leader of the Anti-transfloration movement - and his men methodically murdering the entire family of a recalcitrant politician. And that was enough for me. Later, when the edge had worn off, I went back to it, only to see the girl whose name I forget at her work in Austercity, pruning rotting human body parts off of warehoused transfloration subjects who are destined to be made into rich people’s furniture. That demanded another break. And so on.
It’s weirdly compelling, just because it’s so intense, but only in relatively small doses.