[0648] - "please Stop", i wonder...

I think Largo is attracted to strong Women who can stand on their own. This is probably due to his time spent with Pirogoeth on the Endgames server. Speaking of which, I'd say Pirogoeth and Erika have similar personalities - it might be ironic if Piro's avatar actually influenced Largo's romantic inclinations.

Or maybe Largo actually has a crush on Piro's feminine side....

On second thought, let's not think about that - I can suddenly empathize with Piro's expression. (apologies to any LargoxPiro 'shippers out there - lack of sleep can cause some strange thought-associations...)

This post has been edited by Initial B on Dec 17 2004, 01:02 AM

Yay! Seraphim's finally adding what I've been saying repeatedly into canon... and a few things I wish I'd said, but didn't. Plus, not a single post from Knighty yet in this thread.

Now... will there be an actual Friday strip or was this it? I'm confused.

I'd complain if not for the fact that I have postponed starting my own online comic for an entire year and there is still no sign of it coming to the Internet. Oh, well. Time management and attention span are virtues.

Now, I want to see more of this conversation between Largo and Erika. It was just getting interesting before a decision was inexplicably made to cut away. That's not suspenseful. If this strip followed a coherent script, it would be a poor pacing decision. In this case, I don't know what to call it. Just when one scene is starting to get interesting, the comic cuts away to something else. Bah.

I'll give this strip 100 billion out of a googolplex stars. That's a very low rating... I think.

I've tagged these sorts of cuts as indications of Fred's latent sadistic tendencies ... torturing the reader just as something interesting is about to happen. I'd poke at him more thoroughly if I didn't see that tactic used in a lot of my as-yet brief dive into manga and anime.

Its Fred's revenge... he's just lying there listening to the sound of countless voices crying out and then silenced... o wait, wrong script.

I believe Fred is still planning on doing a strip tomorrow (assuming he hasn't inhaled too much pencil lead...).

I wouldn't consider that too outrageous. Pirogoeth is a strong ally and yet ....not a Barbie doll puff -- forces Largo to think about women in multiple dimensions.... they might actually do more than look r4ck3d and buy b33r.

This post has been edited by Vexx on Dec 17 2004, 01:31 AM

I have but one thing to say, after seeing the last panel of 648:

"Let the Piro-Torture commence!"

About the only way this is going to get worse for Piro is Kimiko suddenly decides she has an interest in Largo-san, and Yuki does the same... which has about as much a likelihood of happening as Piro speaking l33+ and stripping down in public.

I'm not sure that Piro is shocked with the fact that Largo can like any girl. Ooops, sory - "any female" (we speak 'bout Largo afterall)...

It's just he lived in a "shounen to shounen no shoujo-tachi" reality (a la so much mentioned on the forum Love Hina). And now he discovers that he's not the only main male character in the comic... Even more, see: he's a fan of Erika. Life-sized poster, a pillow... She's his idol. Moreover, it's just the day after one when he managed to discover (at last) that Erika is the idol he used to worship. And the next day - she seems to have some ralationship with... WHOM? Largo!!! "stop-drooling-take-shotgun-have-zombies-to-kill-where's-my-b33r" Largo!
This must be awful for a complete "quite. otaku. nice guy. loser"...

Moreover, his own conscious tells him... discussing... OOOH NOO! Schrecklich!

That's the idea...

P.S.: ExL? i'd like it...

Gotta say, that expression is priceless.

Buried in that rich dialect is a cogent point -- this is a definite skewering of what is probably Piro's not quite self-aware "harem anime" thought process...

Much laughter.... excellent point.

Good on you Fred, enjoy the weekend! See you Monday

edit: Although I hope for ExL my heart lies with PxK....I hope this doesn't screw that up

This post has been edited by Tiramisu on Dec 17 2004, 01:48 AM

This ended up being friday's comic. Sometimes you just have to cry uncle and deal with reality ^^;; Now that the book is done, this comic is done (which i have been working on for two days >_< sad that it doesn't look it, huh?) i should be back on pace monday.

as for the cutting around - the problem is that there was a week delay between this and the last story comic. thats where the pacing flaw is. From a timing perspective, i felt that this was the best place for this cut. Cuts are not just about pacing, but juxtipisition, contrast.

oh, and the whole evil thing. that too.

piro

Hey Fred, I've been wondering. You've just finished Book 3.

Why not celebrate? Go out and have fun with Sera, and ask someone to upload some guest strips for a week. Seems like you solve the rampaging Vagrant and Eiffel Fans' desires to do so.

Plus, I remember that you said you were married on New Year's Eve or something? (I believe I read it in your rant.) There's another good reason.

And hey, you've done weeks of guest strips before. It's your time for rest . I can hear Erika and Largo fans squealing pure joy the world over.

~Chun

This post has been edited by Chun on Dec 17 2004, 01:53 AM

2Vexx
Sorry - still poor are my English skills...
But there were two points: one that you (thanks) explained in a better way, than i did - and another one: fan - idol relationship.

Mean i think, if Piro weren't aware of Erika being his idol, he wouldn't react THAT painfully... (errrm... now you made me to doubt each of my phrases! )

Interesting pace. Fred? Please go sleep if you can.

I - for one - don't see how the "conscience insects" fit into the story at this point - but I like how the chapter started.

Oh thanks by the way!

- Sparky

PS Explored fredart and read "envelop(e)" - that was rather heart warming ...

I personally love how after ages of all parties being terminally dense Sera comes up and says what we've all been thinking. MT's personal reality check and I think her last line is great, especially since I've said it myself a couple of times.

"please. . .please stop"

absolutely great!!

Fred gave Piro "Mike the Vagrant's" Luke Skywalker look in the last panel.

It hit me as I saw some folk's new avatar.

Off to put noses on Mt: Characters!

Moo Ha Ha! - Sparky

I think someone just raised a question of what of Erika is actually attracting Largo, if Largo indeed has 'feelings'-I really don't think Largo considering Erika as a mere 'possible alliance with status that may be advatageous to Largo'...or maybe...but no way...

Someone just said it's Erika's strength to stand on their own. She certainly appears to be strong...but it maybe just me, but I feel she's not strong but in fact a very fragile woman. She has a painful past...when her devotion to the boy he liked was utterly rejected...and she couldn't be happy for a very long time...at least that's what I see from Erika's dull expressions...compared to that cheerful and bright smile in the flashback...now she can't find a strength to be brightful in her life but instead, embraced that utterly ridiculous ideal 'all fanboys are losers...just like my old boyfriend'(I dearly hope this is right) to become a woman who is strong in terms of some things which we have been witnessing throughout the comic.

So I'm just guessing that Largo with his 'tingling intuition', saw this part of Erika. Maybe from this, he felt sympathy for her and wanted to help her by opening her eyes to her 'weakness'...that is...I don't know...
But I don't like this sympathy. I think maybe it's more than sympathy. Maybe Largo actually sensed such a tremendous kind and cheerful girl she used to be, imprisoned by her newly embraced ideals, Largo may wish to meet this girl that he saw...but then again, I can't really see how Largo can be this sensitive...

So...I don't know...these are some of the things I've been thinking of...maybe they've been already said in the forum, damn, I wrote this without even searching...too late for apology anyway...

Arora

great strip... well worth the wait.

"Please... please stop." - love it

i love how piro deals with confronting situations!!! always so entertaining!

I second what Piro (the character, not the artist) said. Erika can't possbilt be considering that.... freak of nature....

Yay - Wake up for Piro. Why was he so worried though, he should be thinking of Kimiko...

So - Fred drew the clues - now Fred points them out to Piro through Sera.

Is Fred double bluffing to wind us all up?

Yeah, right. To all those who have trouble refreshing, here are some easy solutions. Pick your favorite - none of these require angsty postings to the forum and help from co-forumites to get you to see your cherished strip:

a) force a refresh by hitting Shift-Refresh or Ctrl-Refresh (depending on browser)
b ) empty your browser cache, while looking at another page, then go back
c) tell your browser to look for new versions of the page "every time", not automatically, as is the default
d) use a different browser than normal to load the same URL
e) use a different computer, if available

Paul Simon, in his "&Garfunkel" days. Beautiful song, and such a whistful feeling

Christmas cookie! (around here: Spekulaas -- where am I?)

Izuko

Actually I think Largo is the perfect guy for Erika; He looks out for her without trying to smother her, he views her as an equal and shows her respect, yet he's honest enough to point out her weak points.

Plus of course, he's highly unlikely to dump her because he doesn't consider himself worthy of her...

This post has been edited by Lurconis on Dec 17 2004, 04:46 AM

Just an average one...

More rather that Largo is clueless about that...

me confused again...
when did Largo ever consider himself not worthy of Erika? Further, didn't you say Largo treated Erika as equals?

I don't think that ever came up in the comic, but i remember it in Hibiki's Grey Series

MAXKOOL999, Arora

I was referring to Erika's fiance, who dumped her because he thought she was so much better than him that being in a relationship wasn't fair to her. Read back about twenty strips or so. Sorry if I made it sound like it was Largo who didn't consider himself worthy, which obviously isn't the case. Whatever flaws Largo may have, an excess of humility is not amongst them.

This post has been edited by Lurconis on Dec 17 2004, 05:20 AM