When I read something I don't like, I tend to look at the comments to see if anyone else feels the way I do. Usually finding nothing but praise in the comments, I feel a bit alone and stupid. When I do find a negative comment, it often makes me feel better, unless that comment is just straight up hateful. In that case I think "would I sound like this to others if I left a comment of my own?". This is the reason why I try to rarely comment anything negative. Negativity also tends to spread, devolving the comment section into a worse place than it had been before.
Still, I do get a bit of an urge to comment something negative in a discussion only containing positivity. Maybe the three other people who were unable to enjoy what they read would feel less alone. Most likely, I would just come off as a bit of a
contrarian dick though.

Can anyone relate to this? Hopefully haha

I do, a lot of times... usually with series with aggressive teasing or abuse masqueraded as "tsundere" or an asshole character who constantly gets their way in a comedy yuri, they never make me laugh.

But most of the times I just try my best to walk away from the discussion and move on, others time I can't contain my anger if it is fair criticism and not just purely personal preference... Can you tell those apart ? Like when you base your take on very personal experiences or taste instead of flaws in the work.

Another reason I try to hold back is for example, a new series drop and I find something annoying... If I write how much I don't like it and as you said, it spreads, then the scanlator group will be discouraged, sometimes is just not worth it.

last edited at Sep 7, 2022 9:56AM

When I don't like something, I will try to leave a comment explaining why, especially when it's something that's getting effusive praise. The biggest reason is exactly because I want others who feel similarly to not feel like they are alone or that there's something wrong with them for not liking it. (Admittedly, I do that more for anime than on Dynasty.)

That said, experience (sometimes from handling things the wrong way) has taught me some rules:
1. Likes and dislikes are subjective. It's never, "This story sucks!" It should always be, "I didn't like this because..."
1a. Even if it is subjective, do try to provide a reason or two.
2. Own your feelings. Recognize that your opinion is driven by your personal experiences and views, which some others will almost undoubtedly share. Never criticize how someone else feels about a story; this effectively criticizes their experiences and identity, which is never constructive.
3. Don't comment on something that simply isn't your type of story, For Dynasty, it's kind of an extension of Rule 10: if you're reading something and decide it isn't your thing, just recognize that there is no way you can judge it on merit and walk away.
3a. But if you're reading something that isn't usually your thing and you are enjoying it, go ahead and leave a positive note. :-)

Edit: 3b. Say your piece and move on. Returning to complain every time a new chapter/episode drops is the same as commenting on an objectionable tag, IMO, and is totally rude to the fans and scanlators.

Admittedly, it can feel rather vindicating to criticize something on chapter one, get totally torched for it, then check back a few years later to find many of the comments complaining about the very things you predicted. (No, totally hypothetical! Why do you ask?)

last edited at Sep 7, 2022 12:03PM

I think I tend to leave more negative comments than positive ones, because another comment saying "kyaa how cute" usually doesn't bring much to the discussion when there's already like 10 people saying that (even though I probably feel the same).
I do try not to be mean while doing that though, hopefully I'm more or less succesful at it :P

I leave negative comments all the time.

Feel free to give your real opinion about the manga here. And argue with people.

It's more interesting than gushing about the Nth cute girl doing cute thing.

Critical feedback is a must. Trashing a media product is one thing, but if you don't like something and would like to see if others think the same or why others maybe disagree with you, posting critical comments is perfectly fine.
Exchange of information and such. It shouldn't be so much about poking holes in a story but to relay your experience and order your own thoughts.

Problems only really ensue from that if it becomes a missionary affair. "I don't like it so you're wrong if you do! // How could you possibly like this? // Stop liking things I don't like! // Stop having fun!"
Likewise you can't really make someone enjoy something they don't. In rare cases they might find a different perspective and thus be able to enjoy it after all, but that's probably not the rule.

Also if you like something that someone else dislikes, so be it. I feel sorry for people who don't get the same amount of enjoyment from something as me, since for them it was time way less well spent than for me. If someone enjoys something I don't, I sometimes feel a bit envious, particularly if I can see/be made to see the appeal, but it just won't click.

It kind of feels different when everyone else is gushing about something that you dislike as compared to joining a mix of positive and negative comments.

Then it's worth considering if your response is based on something personal to you, at which point voicing the opinion is fine as long as you don't expect others to change their opinions based on yours.

In some cases readers will wildly praise a yuri story just because it "comes out right"--the MCs have a happily ever after, there's a poly ending for poly fans, whatever--but the story doesn't really do the work of achieving that ending. That's where I sometimes end up a lone negative voice.

But as the poster above says, give your opinion and give reasons for it.

last edited at Sep 7, 2022 8:22PM

i love negative comments! It makes things more interesting. There's not much discussion to be had if it's only positive comments especially since most positive comments don't actually go in depth into why it's good, and I don't blame people since it's often times harder to explain why you like something than why you hate something. It's kinda why lots of VERY good manga like https://dynasty-scans.com/series/ikoku_nikki don't have many comnments because there's not a lot to add that the manga itself hasn't already said perfectly.

Nothing much to add to what's already been said, but yeah as long as negative comments are actually constructive criticism and not just purely shitting on the media it's all good. Or shitting on the manga for morality sake when the tags were clearly labeled. I think the only other time I dislike negative comments is when the discussion turns into an argument and just goes on and on and on in circles since neither side wants to give in or walk away. But usually by then a mod steps in anyway.

[...] as long as negative comments are actually constructive criticism [...]

See, to me, constructive criticism isn't negative at all. It's a great starting point for discussion or disagreement, but it's positive because you can build on it. I see negative comments as the ones that don't leave room to build.

[...] as long as negative comments are actually constructive criticism [...]

See, to me, constructive criticism isn't negative at all. It's a great starting point for discussion or disagreement, but it's positive because you can build on it. I see negative comments as the ones that don't leave room to build.

Well constructive criticism mostly doesn't really make sense in this context, since we're not giving the authors recommendations on things they've done well or can improve. We're stating our opinions to other readers and maybe the occasional translator. Those can receive constructive criticism (ob boy did I fail at that when I first landed here) by us, but that's less criticism of the work itself but rather the post-processing done to it. It doesn't really pertain to the content of the story.

As such it's more an exchange of opinions with the aim of refining our own and others' perspectives rather than giving criticism to a creator.

I like a lot of the rules folks laid out here. On the rare occasion I leave any kind of post beyond a line or two, they're most often a means of distilling my thoughts so as to better understand them. It makes sense (to me) to share those thoughts, good or bad, to encourage others to expand my perspective (and hopefully do the same in return). On the flip side, I guess I'm rarely bothered by critical or dismissive comments toward stories I like. If something doesn't work for you, well, that's just how it is. Not really my business.

Edit: Though, I can definitely relate to OP. In general when I run into a fandom that has a deep love for something I do not, I'd rather keep quiet and find other folks to talk to about it. It's kinda rude to interrupt people having fun to rain on their parade, ya know?

[...] as long as negative comments are actually constructive criticism [...]

See, to me, constructive criticism isn't negative at all. It's a great starting point for discussion or disagreement, but it's positive because you can build on it. I see negative comments as the ones that don't leave room to build.

That's interesting. Personally I adopted the word "productive" a couple years ago to capture that difference. I think your definition "don't leave room to build" is a very good one.

last edited at Sep 8, 2022 3:54PM

in a message board I go to, there was a topic about 'Favorite breakfast food from McDonalds'. People would post their own favorites, combos, etc.

And one person went 'I don't eat at McDonalds'. That was the whole post. And it pissed me off.

Who was that post for? Does that help the conversation at all? Will anyone be intrigued that the poster DOESN'T go to McDonalds? Will the poster even come back, since there's nothing relevant to go with from there??

I was just cranky that day, tbh, but I still think about it, because I come to a dead stop when I wonder 'Why did that poster post 'I don't like (subject)' on a discussion regarding said subject?!'

So, I tend to think of that context regarding negative comments. I agree with what a lot of people said above and it can be summed up like: Put a reason behind your post. In particular: make it compelling or give someone a reason to give a damn.

In some cases, for me, negative comments can be helpful. I will learn things like 'This mangaka did [x]/tends to do (these dumb tropes) for stories, so I'll pass!', or 'This looks nice, but thanks to the LN (or other material) that it's just yuri bait', etc etc. They can be good warning signs!

Inversely, there was one series i REALLY wanted to like but the artist kept doing a visual thing that I truly, viscerally hated. I commented on it twice, generally liking it, but saying 'if they keep doing (trope), then I'm gonna have to drop this :(', even though I don't want to. That post got me cursed out by someone.

So I think, overall, negative comments aren't bad if you have more to say than a 'me no likey' non-sequitur.

last edited at Sep 7, 2022 7:09PM

[...] as long as negative comments are actually constructive criticism [...]

See, to me, constructive criticism isn't negative at all. It's a great starting point for discussion or disagreement, but it's positive because you can build on it. I see negative comments as the ones that don't leave room to build.

Well constructive criticism mostly doesn't really make sense in this context, since we're not giving the authors recommendations on things they've done well or can improve. We're stating our opinions to other readers and maybe the occasional translator. Those can receive constructive criticism (ob boy did I fail at that when I first landed here) by us, but that's less criticism of the work itself but rather the post-processing done to it. It doesn't really pertain to the content of the story.

As such it's more an exchange of opinions with the aim of refining our own and others' perspectives rather than giving criticism to a creator.

That's interesting. Personally I adopted the word "productive" a couple years ago to capture that difference. I think your definition "don't leave room to build" is a very good one.

Good points! It was my bad and "constructive criticism" was a poor choice of words to explain what I meant. Never really thought about it in that way before, but I like the word "productive" to differentiate what I mean haha.

last edited at Sep 7, 2022 8:02PM