unOrdinary

[Krym]

Spoiler

Show

Actually what's the point of the whole operation?
Can't be testing, there's better ways for that.
Is it to lure out potential vigilantes?
You know, by giving them a reason.
Like drugging some angry guy and letting them rampage playing petty tyrant completely unopposed by the authorities.

Why not both?
Refine and improve while luring them out at the same time? Sounds pretty good to me.
It could also be for propaganda purposes, making the low-tier areas seem dangerous so no sympathy is directed their way.

[Thales]

The comic is back from its hiatus, and seems to be onto its next arc. John is still definitely not mentally healthy, but he's in a better place than he was. The school seems to be operating pretty well, but we're going to be getting more of a look at at least one of the secret organizations messing around with powers.

[Taevyr]

The comic is back from its hiatus, and seems to be onto its next arc. John is still definitely not mentally healthy, but he's in a better place than he was. The school seems to be operating pretty well, but we're going to be getting more of a look at at least one of the secret organizations messing around with powers.

I like that John's mindset here seems to be "I'll just steer clear of all the hierarchy and safehouse stuff and such, like I did before". It's a lot more realistic in terms of his personal development than how many series have a heel/face-turn just immediately do better: he's essentially back to his original "stay outside the system as much as possible" self, except it's muddled because he obviously isn't seen as a cripple anymore. Might make for a slower story, but uru-chan's already shown she has a great handle on the characters' development.

[Kantaki]

New comic

Poor Arlo. Everyone's Sera and John trying to involve him in their respective troubles.
Remi cutting short the game of hot potato the two idiots were starting with the King position was great though.
Not sure Blyke will appreciate it, considering his precedessor(s) drove the cart in the mud and kept going.

[Ninja Dragon]

This new arc is pretty fun. John is back to being one of the smartest people in the cast, but nobody trusts him (for a good reason) and he still doesn't have the full picture.

So the only solution for him is to really get along with the Safe House, join the trip, and then catch the bad stuff happening when it finally does.

Sera's current behavior is pretty annoying, though. I hate when the plot depends on characters not communicating.

[Kantaki]

Yeah, while I get Sera's reasoning this sort of secret keeping tends to look like pointless drama to me.
Oh well, at least John doesn't the "jump to the worst possible conclusion and run with it" thing.
Thank the character development.

Also, Cecile and Isen continuing the game of hot potato with the "Jack" position is great.
As is Isen giving in because the only alternative is Zeke.

Who appropriately enough is only one letter away from being a tick.

[-D-]

Yeah, while I get Sera's reasoning this sort of secret keeping tends to look like pointless drama to me.
Oh well, at least John doesn't the "jump to the worst possible conclusion and run with it" thing.
Thank the character development.

Yeah, it's forced I dislike how John goes from dumbest man alive to instantly-figuring-out-everything. I mean he was angry, but anger doesn't reduce the IQ that much.

Last season John was forced to hold the idiot ball, now it seems it rest of the cast time to babysit the IQ lowering device.

Spoiler: Latest Fastpass

Show

Also, really Arlo, John who singlehandedly stopped a car and beat up several people isn't going to help? He's one of few reasons Sera wasn't kidnapped in season 1. If you are splitting your forces to keep Remi/Blyke, he could be the Ace up your sleeve.

Here's to hoping John goes camping somehow and saves the day for once. Even if not through official channels.

[Anteros]

I tried to pick it back up and just found myself skimming chapters. They need to do more to make John's redemption feel earned. He was truly despicable before. Simply not assaulting people for a bit is not enough. I don't have the fastpass, so maybe that's coming.

I think it's time to stop being cryptic about the overarching plot if there's going to be one. Being cryptic is a poor replacement for actual plot, and it's already gone on far too long. Without John's story being there to prop up the comic everything feels rather pointless.

[-D-]

They need to do more to make John's redemption feel earned. He was truly despicable before. Simply not assaulting people for a bit is not enough. I don't have the fastpass, so maybe that's coming.

That's what is happening. Albeit very slowly.

Safe house picnic, is essentially John's redemption arc.

It's good to remember, that assaulting lower ranked in unO is not just normal. But encouraged.

As long as local healers aren't complaining.

[Ninja Dragon]

I tried to pick it back up and just found myself skimming chapters. They need to do more to make John's redemption feel earned. He was truly despicable before. Simply not assaulting people for a bit is not enough. I don't have the fastpass, so maybe that's coming.

I think it's time to stop being cryptic about the overarching plot if there's going to be one. Being cryptic is a poor replacement for actual plot, and it's already gone on far too long. Without John's story being there to prop up the comic everything feels rather pointless.

I don't think anyone in the Wellston cast is redeeming John except for Sera, and she had a headstart since she started digging into his past long ago.

Possible fastpass spoilers:

Spoiler

Show

Remi is giving him a chance, but being idealistic is her whole character, and she's still waiting for John to prove himself first. Meanwhile, Blyke and Arlo won't even give him the time of the day.

[Anteros]

I don't think anyone in the Wellston cast is redeeming John except for Sera, and she had a headstart since she started digging into his past long ago.

Possible fastpass spoilers:

Spoiler

Show

Remi is giving him a chance, but being idealistic is her whole character, and she's still waiting for John to prove himself first. Meanwhile, Blyke and Arlo won't even give him the time of the day.

I meant he has to do more to redeem himself to me as a reader before I reinvest in the character. I do not like John. I do not care about his struggles or his life. He has been such a terrible person for so long, that it will take quite a bit of growth to get me to care. He's the worst character of the story, and if they're going to start centering the plot from his view again instead of the ensemble we were getting before, he's going to have to do quite a bit in a hurry to make himself more likable.

[Ninja Dragon]

I meant he has to do more to redeem himself to me as a reader before I reinvest in the character. I do not like John. I do not care about his struggles or his life. He has been such a terrible person for so long, that it will take quite a bit of growth to get me to care. He's the worst character of the story, and if they're going to start centering the plot from his view again instead of the ensemble we were getting before, he's going to have to do quite a bit in a hurry to make himself more likable.

You are entitled to feeling how you want, but I don't think the comic itself is abandoning the focus on John, nor it is accelerating his redemption so he stops having his character flaws overnight. It seems to me the goal was always to portray John as a realistic person with mental disease. They gave him a timeskip of a few weeks away from Wellston so some of the more painful parts of the recovery are gone, but he is still a broken person trying to find his way.

And if you don't enjoy watching that, then I dunno, that's the focus of the comic. Not the vigilante plot, as much as the first few chapters may have hinted to it. Even when that comes back to focus, it will likely be used be used as a vehicle for John's arc, which seems to be the current direction (John having to learn to control himself so he can protect Sera from Spectre).

I think when John fully recovers, the comic will probably end soon after. It's the John Therapy Comic all the way through.

[Anteros]

You are entitled to feeling how you want, but I don't think the comic itself is abandoning the focus on John, nor it is accelerating his redemption so he stops having his character flaws overnight. It seems to me the goal was always to portray John as a realistic person with mental disease. They gave him a timeskip of a few weeks away from Wellston so some of the more painful parts of the recovery are gone, but he is still a broken person trying to find his way.

And if you don't enjoy watching that, then I dunno, that's the focus of the comic. Not the vigilante plot, as much as the first few chapters may have hinted to it. Even when that comes back to focus, it will likely be used be used as a vehicle for John's arc, which seems to be the current direction (John having to learn to control himself so he can protect Sera from Spectre).

I think when John fully recovers, the comic will probably end soon after. It's the John Therapy Comic all the way through.

At no point did I say I wanted the character to stop having flaws overnight. Please don't put words in my mouth. However, the comic has to at least make John sympathetic enough for me to care about his progress. Right now I don't.

[-D-]

At no point did I say I wanted the character to stop having flaws overnight. Please don't put words in my mouth. However, the comic has to at least make John sympathetic enough for me to care about his progress. Right now I don't.

Seems bit lopsided. John ain't no saint, but the rest of the world is just as messed up as he is.
He's a ****ty product of a ****ty world.

[Anteros]

Seems bit lopsided. John ain't no saint, but the rest of the world is just as messed up as he is.
He's a ****ty product of a ****ty world.

The story definitely started out that way. The other characters have all grown though. Even Arlo, who I originally hated, has become a mature and reasonably good person. John's progress has been the other way. It makes sense for the story, but it does not make him a sympathetic character when the rest of the cast is all growing up and becoming better people while he's throwing temper tantrums about no one liking him and crippling people in the process.

Like I said, I don't have the fastpass so maybe this is coming...but I've yet to see him show actual remorse for his actions. He's realized that not everyone is always working against him, and he's realized that he can't just beat everyone into submission....but actual remorse for the terrible things he did? Still waiting. Even during his current redemption arc, he's very self centered. He cares more about his own issues and how it effects his relationships and his own power than the hurt that he caused. He is still not a good person. Maybe he'll get there. Maybe.

[Typewriter]

The story definitely started out that way. The other characters have all grown though. Even Arlo, who I originally hated, has become a mature and reasonably good person. John's progress has been the other way. It makes sense for the story, but it does not make him a sympathetic character when the rest of the cast is all growing up and becoming better people while he's throwing temper tantrums about no one liking him and crippling people in the process.

So, John is a victim of bullying all his life. As a result of this he becomes a villain. Once he became a villain some of the people who used to bully him started to become better people. John is struggling to accept that his lifetime of conditioning to believe that everyone is a bully is false but he is trying to do so. And you sympathize with the people who drove him to this point but not him.

[Anteros]

So, John is a victim of bullying all his life. As a result of this he becomes a villain. Once he became a villain some of the people who used to bully him started to become better people. John is struggling to accept that his lifetime of conditioning to believe that everyone is a bully is false but he is trying to do so. And you sympathize with the people who drove him to this point but not him.

Yes, I generally sympathize with good people and not bad ones. What's the point in holding a grudge against someone who has already changed for the better? Besides, the vast majority of people John tortured had nothing to do with bullying John. If he just went after people who tortured him it would be more understandable. I can sympathize with him not liking Arlo or Zeke or other people who attacked him and Sera. Most of the high tiers just went about their own business and ignored the low tiers though. Some characters like Blyke have been fairly sympathetic from the start, only fighting people on their level, or even protecting lower tiers when they see bullying, but John still went after them. He even attacked Sera when she tried to talk him down.

[Taevyr]

I've been in a similar place to John back in High School: when you make a click where you actually strike back at the bullies, it can be pretty damn attractive to led that long-simmering powerless rage spill out at everyone who didn't do anything because "they let it happen and are thus part of the problem".

That's quite understandable, but it doesn't justify sh*t. It only makes you a key part of the problem as well, and keeps the entire messed up cycle going. The realism of the situation is one of the things I'm enjoying yhe most about the series: John's not healed or anything, he's essentially back to his original state of "keep my head down and ignore the system as much as possible", unwilling to even try to integrate into the improved Wellston. And that's quite understandable: he's been burned quite a few times and feels he doesn't deserve it either. But the high-tiers have been busy making amends for their mistakes, he should do the same... but probably only as soon as his mental state's healthy enough for it to be genuine.

Which I guess won't happen quickly, as his sole motivation atm is "look out for Sera", not "try and help out Wellston". Friction's bound to come in there.

[Anteros]

Skimmed back through some of the earlier comics today. I actually enjoyed John's attempts at befriending Arlo back at the beginning of the comic. I wonder if we'll get more of that.

[Ninja Dragon]

Personally I'm on the camp that agrees John has been a complete ****bag for about half the comic's run, and yet I have enjoyed watching it all unfold. It's a psychological story, and psychology is messy.

And I'm not comfortable with labeling 3-dimensional characters like that as "good" or "bad", either. John has been more bad than good before, but that changes from time to time. Right now, John is easily a better person than Arlo or Sera.

Neither I like to position myself in the Team Royal or Team John camps that seem to make up most of the UnO fandom. I think John's points have been mostly right even if his reaction to them wasn't, just like I think the royals turning into better people is commendable and John is wrong for not recognizing that. Lately it's like lot of the fandom seems to think you have to pick a side and then refuse to acknowledge anything good the other side ever does.

I've been in a similar place to John back in High School: when you make a click where you actually strike back at the bullies, it can be pretty damn attractive to led that long-simmering powerless rage spill out at everyone who didn't do anything because "they let it happen and are thus part of the problem".

That's quite understandable, but it doesn't justify sh*t. It only makes you a key part of the problem as well, and keeps the entire messed up cycle going. The realism of the situation is one of the things I'm enjoying yhe most about the series: John's not healed or anything, he's essentially back to his original state of "keep my head down and ignore the system as much as possible", unwilling to even try to integrate into the improved Wellston. And that's quite understandable: he's been burned quite a few times and feels he doesn't deserve it either. But the high-tiers have been busy making amends for their mistakes, he should do the same... but probably only as soon as his mental state's healthy enough for it to be genuine.

Which I guess won't happen quickly, as his sole motivation atm is "look out for Sera", not "try and help out Wellston". Friction's bound to come in there.

Imo the issue is John doesn't have connections with anyone but Sera. Everyone is a former enemy he's just trying to avoid. Him joining the Safe House could be a fix for that, if John stops being so anti-social. I was hoping Sera could help him break the ice with people, but she's busy with Spectre stuff, and John isn't social enough to do that himself, so it's a stalemate.

I suspect the bonds will start to form when John goes to the trip and he inevitably has to fight to protect other students, or vice-versa. The latest chapter is a hint to that.

[Typewriter]

Yes, I generally sympathize with good people and not bad ones. What's the point in holding a grudge against someone who has already changed for the better? Besides, the vast majority of people John tortured had nothing to do with bullying John. If he just went after people who tortured him it would be more understandable. I can sympathize with him not liking Arlo or Zeke or other people who attacked him and Sera. Most of the high tiers just went about their own business and ignored the low tiers though. Some characters like Blyke have been fairly sympathetic from the start, only fighting people on their level, or even protecting lower tiers when they see bullying, but John still went after them. He even attacked Sera when she tried to talk him down.

I get what you're saying but my point is that I don't understand how that translates into an expectation of the comic. No characters are ever allowed to be wrong? John didn't lash out against people he thought were good guys - he was lashing out at 'the enemy' and it just so happens that he was wrong about who that was. We're talking about a character who has severe paranoia and PTSD from a lifetime of abuse at the hands of nearly everyone he has ever met and you don't think he deserves sympathy because he hasn't just... what - gotten over it fast enough?

[Anteros]

I get what you're saying but my point is that I don't understand how that translates into an expectation of the comic. No characters are ever allowed to be wrong? John didn't lash out against people he thought were good guys - he was lashing out at 'the enemy' and it just so happens that he was wrong about who that was. We're talking about a character who has severe paranoia and PTSD from a lifetime of abuse at the hands of nearly everyone he has ever met and you don't think he deserves sympathy because he hasn't just... what - gotten over it fast enough?

Characters can be wrong and still be sympathetic, or they can be wrong and not be intended to by sympathetic. John isn't either. He's wrong and not sympathetic, but the author still wants you to sympathize with him. And he didn't lash out at the "enemy" he lashed out at everyone because he was a whiny manchild who got angry every time he didn't get his way and didn't understand that his own actions have consequences.

We're not outside John's head. We have his viewpoint. We KNOW he doesn't really feel regret for hurting people. He doesn't like the consequences of his actions, which he's finally realized exist. He doesn't like being ostracized or being feared. He's yet to actually express regret for hurting people, even to himself.

And "a lifetime of abuse at the hands of nearly everyone he ever met"? John has been the abuser just as often as he has the abused. Per Claire they got beaten up "occasionally" before John became a monster.
You know who else that happened to? Every other character in the story except Sera and maybe Arlo.

Yeah, the point of the story is that they live in a broken society that normalizes fighting and hurting others. The other characters still managed to live in it and not become psychopaths. You can't spend 100 chapters showing me that someone is a terrible person, and expect me to immediately sympathize with them afterwards. Especially when they're not even really showing regret for what they did. It's not been that long yet, so maybe we will get there. I think I'll read the bonus chapters and see if my opinion changes any.

Edit: Ok so I read the bonus chapters:

Spoiler

Show

Standing up for those kids to Zeke without losing his **** is a big step in the right direction, so that's something. It's still frustrating how he won't just apologize for his actions, even when they're thrown in his face by Blyke or the safe house members. A simple "I was wrong and I'm trying to be better" would go so far.

[Douglas]

And he didn't lash out at the "enemy" he lashed out at everyone because he was a whiny manchild who got angry every time he didn't get his way and didn't understand that his own actions have consequences.

He lashed out at everyone because he mistakenly believed that everyone was "the enemy".

We're not outside John's head. We have his viewpoint. We KNOW he doesn't really feel regret for hurting people. He doesn't like the consequences of his actions, which he's finally realized exist. He doesn't like being ostracized or being feared. He's yet to actually express regret for hurting people, even to himself.

Yes, he has expressed regret. See his internal reflections in the fight with Sera, here.

"I'm a monster."
"Nothing I do will ever make up for what I've done!"

Fighting a mental image of his "monster" self.

"I'm still unable to control myself..."
"And I still hurt a lot of people."

And what he says to Seraphina after she breaks through.

[Anteros]

He lashed out at everyone because he mistakenly believed that everyone was "the enemy".


Yes, he has expressed regret. See his internal reflections in the fight with Sera, here.

"I'm a monster."
"Nothing I do will ever make up for what I've done!"

Fighting a mental image of his "monster" self.

"I'm still unable to control myself..."
"And I still hurt a lot of people."

And what he says to Seraphina after she breaks through.

I originally read that scene as John having those thoughts subconsciously, but not accepting them. Thus the whole "fighting with himself" metaphor that was going on. Maybe you're right though. My interpretation of the scene was probably the least charitable.

I'm still waiting on him to apologize, but I guess there wouldn't be much of a story if the characters suddenly started communicating with each other.

[Ninja Dragon]

I'm fine with John not apologizing if he can just form new bonds with everyone and start over, tbh.

John's dispute with the other students is one where both sides did horrible stuff and acknowledging that without fighting again would also be difficult. If both sides are willing to let bygones be bygones, it's good enough.

Being right is overrated. Finding a compromise even if you think the other side is wrong is awesome.

[Thales]

Huh, John is actually learning. Still struggling with his memories and instincts, but he's able to do the right thing for the right reason, at least sometimes. Still rather paranoid and controlling, but hopefully he can improve eventually there too?

[Douglas]

Huh, John is actually learning. Still struggling with his memories and instincts, but he's able to do the right thing for the right reason, at least sometimes. Still rather paranoid and controlling, but hopefully he can improve eventually there too?

Yeah, this was a very nice scene to read. He intervened in a fight that was seriously pissing him off, and he intentionally used precisely the appropriate level of force to do it - which in this case happened to be a stern angry voice and nothing more, because Zeke knows all too well how horrifically badly actually fighting him could go.

[Thales]

Spoiler

Show

Okay, I'm glad John tagging along is being discovered immediately by the main cast rather than being dragged out over the course of this. Something is definitely going to go wrong here, but I'm not sure what. I doubt it'll be a replay of the attack on Seraphine, with Specter attackers besieging our protagonists, but they definitely seem to be planning something.

[Taevyr]

Spoiler

Show

Okay, I'm glad John tagging along is being discovered immediately by the main cast rather than being dragged out over the course of this. Something is definitely going to go wrong here, but I'm not sure what. I doubt it'll be a replay of the attack on Seraphine, with Specter attackers besieging our protagonists, but they definitely seem to be planning something.

Spoiler

Show

I like how Remi's reaction to seeing John following them there is essentially "I'm not gonna put any energy in this at this hour. Let's just get him a bed and we'll deal with it tomorrow". Pretty relatable.

[Kantaki]

Everyone gives Isen odd looks for sleeping with socks.
And they're right.

Also, John and Arlo are great together. Before this story is over they'll either be best friends and/or dead by each other's hand.
Or maybe not. There will probably be a pretty entertaining team-up though.