i was right, that school is a warzone, crawling with monsters and controlled by a homicidal cult....but god this is peak literature. the art direction is really nice, eerie but colorful. really beautiful but unsettling to look at while pulling you in—perfectly matching the genre of the story! speaking of, i just LOOOVE the tropes here; hunterverse (cmon, awakened and gates? thats hunterverse), horror and mystery (they practically go hand in hand), regression and Bl ヾ(☆▽☆)
another thing thats really well done is the story progression and characterisation. at first the timeline was a little confusing with the different regressions but the 11th/current regression really ties the plot together satisfyingly especially with the way our MC gajun logically pieces together information from his previous regressions. however, the plot doesnt become dull since inevitably there will be anomalies or unforeseen variables, such as the discovery of the basement, which keeps them (and us!) all on our toes.
the characters feel really alive and the comedic quips in between serious action bits reminds us that theyre just highschoolers on a day trip, and not the cold hearted SSS hunters were all used to. their relationships and little squabbles are endearing, and the rivalry between gajun and the student council leader adds tension in an already high-stakes environment. the lucky girl and the speedy dudes little arguments and side comments are hilarious to read (p.s. am i the only one who kinda ships them? (=・ω・=)
but my fav character is defo sunwoo, hes an absolute cutiepie and golden retriever incarnate (≧∀≦) its so funny seeing him perplexed and shy when gajun acts all overbearing out of fear he'll die and the whole cycle will restart. him falling for gajun is lowkey relatable tho because if i had a raven haired, blue eyed, brooding and blunt-talker glasses wearing classmate whos no 1 priority is me and hes always checking up on me and is constantly trying to keep me safe and protects me always.... yeah its over ⁄(⁄ ⁄·⁄ω⁄·⁄ ⁄)⁄
also him asking to hold hands with gajun under the guise that he'll will be able to monitor him better fried me, like bby just admit you wanna hold hands with your crush (>▽<)
now i have some reservations about the quiet twink that joined the group. he was kinda sus at first but so far he doesnt seem like a threat and actually is a useful teammate to gajun. no spoilers please but im praying he doesnt turn out to be a bad guy (￣ε(#￣)Σ
anyways TLDR: really recommend but beware theres a lot of blood and monsters! so far it isnt *too* angsty (theres defo some in season 1) but i think it'll really pick up in season 2 ╥﹏╥ (my heart isnt ready huhu;;) a good read especially if you like survival horror & mystery. it isnt that much alike to hunterverse aside from awakening and talks about gates and monsters, but its not like theyre clearing gates every chap lol. overall 10/10 from me! (▰˘◡˘▰)
just started chap 3 nd biggest red flag is that the training school is called "Hope retreat" If Danganronpa has taught me anything, its that schools with "Hope" in their name CANNOT be good