r/EightySix

As the title says I want to read them, but I m somehow afraid that my parents would start checking them and they may have fanservice or cringe moments, should I risk or I wait until we get a next season? (sr for my english, it s not my first language)

I just finished volume 10 and it make me tears up for this series once again.

Volume 10 is such a weird book in this series, that is a combination of small chapters mostly about Shin. And Asato know exactly what's she doing.

Like, you read the whole book, see so many depressing thing that happen. And Asato decide that it would a good idea to followed that by the imaginary world that every bad thing that happen to the characters you love never happen and they just lived a normal life they deserved. The worst part is just a small change in the story that imagination might actully happen.

I mean I shouldn't care to much about that imaginary world, because even Shin doesn't seem to care too much either. But this is show that Asato writing skill is insanely good to make me engaged this much to the story.

Right now I just want to read Operation high school so bad, because it's the closest we have got to that imaginary world. And I'm definitely gonna try to catch up before the volume 15 came out, so we can see the end together!

SPOILER DISCUSSION

Edit: lotta focus on my dissatisfaction with the romance aspect, specifically between Lena and Shin. I really don’t want that being the main takeaway but I’m going to leave it in because I do think it’s worth critiquing. I love this series and it’s incredible with one glaring flaw, which is better than I can say for 90% of any media out there

WOW. I was pretty bummed I’d have to wait months for the next volume, but I honestly do think I needed a breather. I had to rewatch the Spearhead/Lena reunion a couple times as a cleanser.

I’ll be honest, I’m feeling pretty hopeless for their situation, this definitely is the Empire Strikes Back of the series, our team is in rooooough shape.

10/10 Characters/Themes: Amazing.

What a journey with the Actaeon. I’m curious about the name, I don’t see many parallels with the Greek myth except maybe being transformed? I was and still sort of am frustrated with how many characters are being added, especially with how the paragraphs are organized (lots of jumping around and hard to track sometimes). But they were an incredible addition.

Why couldn’t any of them just get home? It was beautifully sad, I’m curious if Asato has experience with watching someone wither while trying and “failing” to make their last days beautiful. I related to it, and needed the reminder that trying really is enough.

It made me terribly angry, which not a lot of media is able to do. I’m ashamed at how much I hated the Alba even more, like if I could hit a button that would kill them all I’d do it.

But then Asato beautifully demonstrates through Shin how dangerous the words ‘them’ and ‘they’ are. How easy it is to hate a group even when there are amazing people like Lena and Anju. Oh my dear sweet Anju, what a ride she’s been on, thank god for a happy reunification.

I’ll still say Ernst’s rampage was somewhat cathartic, but I’m glad ‘dad’ snapped out of it.

8/10 military/action:

I’ve posted before how much I appreciate Asato’s attention to detail with the military aspects (so many, from using ammo/ranks correctly to applying real doctrine like Combined Arms Effects & Clausewitz). But not too much stood out in this novel other than maybe mine tactics. if anything constantly telling us the ammo type is getting a little annoying

6/10 Romance:

I have one gripe: I think Lena has been on the back burner way too much in the last few volumes, and Shin and her relationship post-confession is without a doubt the worst part of the series. There’s zero intimacy, and yes that includes sex. No, I don’t want a play by play, but for god sakes they’ve kissed maybe twice? And they’ve barely been in physical proximity since confessing. I straight up thought they were going to make out in the Feldraß after she got in his after her speech. It’s insane for how Asato is a self admitted horn dog that she refuses to make them even hug.

BUT, still a fantastic series

Finishing Vol. 9 right now, and I keep asking myself why Asato wrote the Shin/Lena arc this way. We had an (extremely) slow burn from Vols. 4-7, which was great - awkward and funny at times, heartfelt at others. But it was clear in Vol. 7 that everyone, Lena and Shin finally included, were painfully aware of their feelings and desperately wanted them to confess. There was so much setup done, both by the author and all of Shin/Lena's friends, to set the two up. And, after a few awkward near-misses, the stars finally aligned on their final night on leave. FINALLY it felt like our two main characters were in step with one another. I loved how Lena waited for Shin to express what she meant to him - from basically the beginning of their relationship - before their first kiss. All fantastic - well set up, drawn out, and a great way to begin their time as a couple. And then... the afterword.

Why? Lena had already had so many awkward moments where she felt unsure about her feelings, or whether or not Shin would reject her, or whether she deserved to be by his side, etc. etc. But that night, it seemed like both had finally worked up the courage to express how they truly felt. And then we get "no, this is wrong...Goodnightsweetdreamsgoodbye!" Why?

Then I think "okay, Asato's doing this as a sort of cliffhanger that'll be resolved likely at the beginning of Vol. 8." Nope - forget the beginning, there was no confession in the entire volume! I'm not criticizing Vol. 8 as a whole, just the omission of this specific event. Even though Lena did clearly love Shin, kissed him of her own accord, and everything in her character development indicated she was more than ready for it - she was about to tell him herself!

Forget the torture of waiting months for someone to return your first-ever confession of love - what if Shin really had died in the final battle? What was all that stuff everyone told Lena about getting her feelings out? Because once someone's gone, the only thing you'll be left with is regret.

Then we get to Vol. 9 and Lena's confession early on. I still enjoyed the scene, but felt the timing was off - far less buildup and a much more somber atmosphere, with Shin having just visited Theo, who can no longer fight after losing his hand. Didn't feel nearly as meaningful as it would have had she returned his love at the end of Vol. 7. I genuinely believed Asato included the afterword to show Lena returning Shin's confession, but ended up completely baffled after such an amazing initial payoff.

Would love to hear others' takes on the benefits of this approach, because I'm really trying to see the positives of this (beyond just keeping readers hooked as they continue waiting for Lena/Shin to get together after 7 whole volumes lmao).

In short - Vol. 7's 'Afterword' scene made no sense, especially considering that Lena only confesses two volumes later, when the timing, buildup, and payoff were nowhere near as good.

I might want to get an 86 tattoo! However, I want it to be subtle. So not an actual character or anything. I thought about the Undertaker mark, but I think that I don't necessarily want a skeleton on my body. I also thought about a spider lily, but thats also kind of basic...

Does anyone have some ideas? They'd be appreciated!