that sounds about right. I want to say it was in the early 20s.

Ideally, I'd like the physical volumes to complete my collection, but if nothing else, I can read it online.

Thinking back, I THINK I did finish the series, but I read it online? Back in the days when OneManga existed, iirc. Because I remember the ending...

Now that I'm older with a job and can splurge a bit, I'd love to get them and complete my collection. But I'd need to find my old volumes first (in storage). One of these days, I'll give that series the proper read it deserves

Basara is one of my all timers! It's so fucking good, omg. I rarely reread series, but this is one I want to give a proper reread to sometime. I actually think I only read up to volume 20 or so. Back in the late 2000s, there were one or two volumes that were stupidly expensive and I never got them.

I am looking forward to reading it, too, but I gotta read volume 1, like I said. The reviews on MAL were middling, and both written reviews compared it to Kusuriya. I wonder if it got low ratings for not being *enough* like Kusuriya, actually...

The not-Maomao girl is actually cute, which I know is, like, real-Maomao's whole THING (she wants to be ugly), but it's nice having a pretty MC for once! And not-Jinshi looks so much like Jinshi that it becomes that meme "Corporate needs you to find the difference in these images" "they're the same"

The other one I got is technically a volume 2, but I will get volume 1 online. It's called The Eccentric Doctor of the Moon Flower Kingdom. looks like a blatant ripoff of The Apothecary Diaries, and I say that affectionately because I love Kusuriya and why would I not want more of it???

The fact that it has a 6.something rating on MAL makes me lol. It doesn't have any written reviews, so why do people hate it? Does something happen later on? Is it a bunch of Korean incels angry that their country produced a manhua about a powerful woman getting lots of D? I GOTTA KNOW.

I find that HOT AS HELL. The story is also taking its time and surprisingly political. I thought it would get to the romance right away, but we've only even met two of the harem members so far (we've been promised 5). And I am chomping at the bit to see the political intrigue that will happen.

Technically a manhua, and one of those that reads left-to-right and has full color pages. I liked it! Or at least, the first volume! The female MC is so relatable, imo, at least to me LOL. She's brutal and vengeful and a total take-charge girlboss. Plus, she is called the Emperor, not Empress, and

The one from the 90s is Red River. It was always compared to Basara and Kanata Kara, which I loved (especially Basara which is an all-time favorite of mine). Very excited to read it!

The two blind buys were:
-Men of the Harem, which is obviously reverse harem (a guilty pleasure of mine).

I just adored the hell out of this scene in Ep 9, when Yoshiki made a grave for the human Hikaru who really did die. Man, that was so touching. This anime hits me in the feels every time. I fucking love it.

Oh, but speaking of the reveal that Hikaru's family has been taking care of the heads... damn, Hikaru's dad is FOINE. Absolute DILF).

Uhh, to talk about a much more serious topic... (and boy does this whiplash make ME look like an asshole)...

Gods, I love this ridiculous, goofy boy so much.

I think it's SUCH cool worldbuilding to have the towns arranged like a body, with each town's name reflecting that body part. And that was where they buried peoples' bodies (except for the skulls that went missing ooooo.

GET DECAPITAED. And yes, I had seen the line across his neck in the ED. I didn't think anything of it 😭 Like, legit, I thought it was just some artsy thing they decided to do like his blood and gore being artsy.

I also liked how silly he was about the whole thing afterward.

-high wisdom/int/cha so I can get through the game with minimal fights
-taunt the Dusties so I have to fight all of them and their zombies🤣

Well, so much for that plan

And then:
-murdered by giant skeleton

Welp, back to square one.

On a side note, I don't remember Deionarra being so nice??

The one thing I remember about this game is that you get more lore and interesting dialogue by having high wisdom and/or intelligence. I cranked both those up, but I didn't want to abandon charisma either, and a little constitution never hurt anyone