I just started the manga and I am at chapter 42 now (quite early).

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I just have some things that I like and some that I dont and I am curious in what direction the story goes, to decide whether I should read on or not.

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I like:

- The beautiful art and focus on medieval style armor and the "band of mercs" feeling

- The dark fantasy setting with some magical elements but mostly human factors

- The fight scenes especially how impactful weapons feel

- the "lore" where some grand events are implied

- Zodd, only fight with some amount of suspense

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I dont like:

- the absurd contradiction of guts being so withdrawn and dark yet always winning every fight eventually even after sustaining multiple lethal wounds. I always know that he will win fight x because he always does. Really takes away the suspense. He doesnt need cleverness or tactics just cleaves everything apart

- the very vague motivation of griffith to "get a kingdom". Is this a metaphor or is he really murdering thousands just to rule some random piece of land, while at the same time not seeming interested in fame or riches?

- The very underdeveloped female characters being reduced to damsels in distress or casca which needs guts to survive and always is so weak and vulnerable. She is a warrior yet still she is portrayed as the mentally weakest among them. Quite wasted

- The troubling amount of very young looking characters being nude (especially puck at the start, some of the band of the hawks buddies that look like 12 year old boys and charlotte as well). Its really weird, why not draw adult people if you want nudity? I get the shock value of some of it but yeah

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