Why would anyone be attracted to or fall in love with someone willing to murder children? It’s beyond me.
The one page we got from the blacksmith sisters backstory/perspective was more interesting and in-depth from anything we’ve gotten from the protagonist. All of her bonds and motivations feel incredibly shallow, as well as her personality. People are loyal to her because (checks notes) she’s a cute little girl. That’s pretty much it. She has had literally zero genuine bonding moments with anyone, like she said ‘I’ll always be by your side’ to the ML: bro we have not seen a single scene where you have a true connection with him, it’s just shallow conversations.
I really want to like this story because the art is so good and it seems more feminist than the majority of stories, but it’s just so lacking in any substance.
Plus, the ML keeps calling the guy from the desert an ‘underdeveloped primate’. Yea, racism is sooo attractive.
In this chapter you can really see the subtle misogyny that’s prevalent in this genre. How the ML’s friend feels free to insert himself into her personal space (forcing her to lean back) upon first meeting her. How the ML feels free to physically stop her from speaking when she’s about to say something he doesn’t want her to say. It’s these small physical acts that say a lot when we pay attention.