Ancient's Smashing Reviews

Night and Gale

Outside of the normal items I review, I do want to say that I quite like the name and art. The name is an intelligent use of their character names and comes across just punny enough to be funny but also doesn't come across as if the story isn't taking itself seriously. The art also takes itself seriously with the simplicity of the style, the contrasting, and doesn't get full of weird distractions adding in a ton of details.

I read 15 chapters, I think just over half, before calling it.

TLDR; A couple of demon-possessed guys and a girl go after a coin.

Plot - Why? - The plot in and of itself is simple. Normally I quite like simplicity as it gives the most freedom for characters and world building to flourish. This is no exception to that, but the plot still needs to stand on its own feet with an answer to at least one question.

Question of 'why?'

So the story starts off with an air-plane hijacking. You got a rich dude, Night, as the target, and it starts off nicely. They seem to be terrorists or mercenaries, but then you learn they are actually government agents. Then you learn they arent actually terrorists-agents, but actually terrorists-mercenaries again or something for a boss whose 'why' is utterly braindead and ruins any tension. basically she is a joke. Then you got a sudden new villain in an absolute dumbass trying to run down the plane for about 10 seconds. Dont know how that ends. But all of this is meant to show that Night is considered a rather valuable person because he has powers.

Despite how much of a joke his opponents were, it still manages to introduce us well to Night. It doesnt introduce us to the world or plot, just who Night is. It also shows a tiny bit of Gale, enough to get the impression they know each other and he is a worrier, but nothing else. It has enough good things that the start isn't bad, but it isn't good either. Its average.

Then you meet Gale more and his sister. Good characters when properly introduced with well-rounded personalities, values, and clear desires. The chemistry is nice. However even the way they are introduced over the first arc it needs work. We are told things about them, not shown it. We are told the sister is awkward around people her own age, while she is sitting in a car watching them play instead of answering the question of 'why?'. Why is she awkward? Why cant she hide her powers? Why does Gale choose to prioritize isolation over mental health and social needs? Has there been bad experiences in the past? Are his reasons valid and real and tangible or is he meant to represent some kind of male woke-controlling-hierarchy? Dont know! Nothing in answered, nothing is asked. There are no scenes of her with kids where bad shit happens. We are just told its a thing and to take it at face value.

Then a monster appears and this was well done. Spooky, gives minimal information, but poses a clear mystery of origin and questions are asked and looked into. Not much of a threat, but something is happening.

Then we have something about a Lazerus Coin, and at this point the story falls apart. We had been introduced somewhat to the characters, but not enough to know their motivations. Why are they villains who do good things? Dont need a backstory but at least SOMETHING. Are the rival factions fighting over the coin any threat? No. Why are we after the Lazerus Coin? Well... because reasons. Why are there other villains after the coin? Because they are stupid. (basically that is what is expressed almost verbatim, not even by me. The characters think their rivals are stupid.) Why is the church after it? Because... uh... reasons. So basically its a bullshit mcguffin device that everyone wants because they dont have a reason and those with a reason are stupid. This is what the story tells us.

The lack of motivation of the main characters to be involved in the story or anything that is happening, and the lack of tangible reasons for anyone to give a damn about the Bullshit-McGuffin-Device, really leaves me with the constant thought of "Why???" If the bad bad guys who want the coin are stupid, then 'why' not let them be stupid? If you have no reason to get the coin to begin with, then 'why' bother? If the church want it, for no reason, then 'why' give a damn? The Bullshit-McGuffin-Device has nothing to do with the limited character motivations, it has nothing to do with their personal problems and tribulations and flaws, it has nothing to do with whatever redemption or survival they seek, it has nothing to do with any truth they are trying to grasp onto to have better lives, it has nothing to do with anything.