Slave to the Darkness

chapter 192... my brain hurts... this translation... hays i don't know if it is the author doing or the translator cause u should have a good brain to understand this novel....

I liked it …… ( the story in general, I did not pay attention to grammar and stuff )

What do you want ? Watch him stand there billion of years

You mean after training?

I love reading this book..

lovely I enjoy it

finally an.update...hopefully there will be a daily updates & more chapters on it

Created with the historical fairy-tale of 'Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs' in mind, Pretear turns out to be a rather average and somewhat shallow tale of one schoolgirl's quest to save the world, aided by seven undeniably charming magical young men.

Set in the contemporary world, where magic and special powers are merely fascinating components of fantasy novels, the main character, sixteen-year-old Himeno, is initially portrayed as an ordinary girl with her own set of problems. However, almost as soon as she is introduced, it becomes evident that there is more to Himeno than meets the eye.

The story starts off at a fast pace, not lingering on introductions to all the characters, complete with their backgrounds and personality overviews. The plot is largely revealed in the first few chapters, making it glaringly obvious that while a few unique aspects are present, the storyline lacks depth. A catastrophic event threatens the world, and to prevent it, seven mythical beings must find Himeno, who will fight alongside them to combat an evil force and secure the fate of the world. It's quite standard, featuring the typical 'à la Sailor Moon' transformations as Himeno physically merges with her newfound friends to harness and utilize their combined powers for battle.

While the seven magical beings, appearing as human boys of varying ages, are accustomed to their powers and the battles to preserve life in the world, Himeno is entirely new to this role and struggles to adapt. Moreover, as if daily battles against evil aren't challenging enough, she must get used to her "Seven Knights" while dealing with a new family that offers anything but warmth and comfort. Himeno's domestic conflicts significantly impact her, prompting her to question her self-worth and abilities, thus leading to a rocky journey as she strives to eradicate evil.

As the narrative progresses, it becomes overly saturated with repetitiveness, primarily concerning Himeno's emotions, making it quite irritating and burdensome to read. The brisk pace seen in the initial chapters disappears midway, only to re-emerge near the end, resulting in a rushed and unsatisfying conclusion.

The artwork is commendable but not particularly outstanding. The character designs are consistent, facial expressions are clear, and the backgrounds are solid. Given the story's focus on nature, there are numerous depictions of trees, flowers, landscapes, etc. These are averagely rendered, which is underwhelming, especially for a fantasy tale where such elements are usually exaggerated and more detailed. The most significant disappointment lies in the battle panels, which are rather difficult to interpret. However, this doesn't detract much from the story since Himeno and her Knights are usually battling seeds and vines without any sort of inventive moves or skills.

Character-wise, the princely traits displayed by the knights make them fairly likable. It's unfortunate that there's hardly any development with them. The younger boys are depicted as simply adorable, the preteen grapples with his intermediate position where he's no longer very young but not yet old enough, and the older ones are handsome, caring, skilled, and potential heartthrobs for the heroine.

Regarding the heroine, it's impossible to label her as a "kind-hearted and warm" individual because she vacillates between being selfish and seemingly understanding, then back to selfish and annoying on nearly every page. This is particularly frustrating as it's evident that the author wants her to be perceived as a kind-hearted girl who genuinely cares about others above all else. When she speaks with what is supposed to be sincerity, it's hard not to notice her selfishness. She makes every situation about herself, and it's challenging to believe that she truly learns anything from the lessons presented.

Another character that is difficult to appreciate is Himeno's younger stepsister, Mawata. The author clearly intends for readers to feel pity for Mawata, but it's hard to do so when the story doesn't demonstrate that she really "needs" to be pitied or has faced situations that warrant such an emotion.

The other characters, such as Himeno's dad, stepmother, second stepsister, and best friend, are fairly well-developed.

Overall, the story was unenjoyable. The heroine began with a positive light but came across as very flawed until the tale concluded. Each volume of the manga seemed to squander its pages, ink, and the reader's time (in this case, mine) by repeatedly recounting the union of the heroine and her knights, as well as her indecisive emotions that dominated every other page. The battles are monotonous and uninspired. To top it off, when the final—and only—confrontation with the true evil source occurs, I, for one, was disappointed because the brief moment shared between 'it' and the heroine was so utterly uneventful that it's indeed possible to overlook.

The only enjoyable aspect of Pretear is the character design for the seven knights. They are pleasing to look at, and the relationship between them is the sole highlight and intriguing element in the entire series.

My advice—watch the anime as it performs far better than its original counterpart.

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