Great chapter. Runa with her dislocated/broken jaw was even more terrifying than in the novel. Can't wait till the manga gets to the part in the novel where Sorawo admits her feelings for Toriko and they make love.

My imagination of the Runa scene was a much more realistic and bloody image. In the manga she's strangely... okay looking? Like clearly fucked up but it's not like her cheeks were torn, she's not covered in a ton of blood. It's like she was "modified" in some way rather than "injured". Very different to the brutality with which Uruma treated her mother. It's unsettling in a completely different way from straightforward violence.

I had a premonition that the anime would be bad right from the opening scene, which cuts out Sorawo's narration of what the Kunekune is doing to her head in favor of a couple seconds of visual glitches. This premonition proved correct lol. What even is the point of Otherside Picnic without the psychological aspect of what the Otherside does to Sorawo or Toriko? If they're not going to feel the Otherside why bother even including the scenes of them going there, might as well cut it down even more to be a yuri about socially awkward college girls lol.

While I get what you mean, and the anime was definitely very bad, both as an adaptation and as a stand-alone work, I actually appreciated the effort to replace some of the monologue with visuals. I honestly feel like the manga is too heavy on the inner monologue/narration. If I wanted to read all of the Sorawo's thoughts, I would read the novel (and I do!). When it comes to media like manga or anime I expect to see the character's feelings on their faces, not have them narrated to me. The problem is that the anime failed to convey those thoughts properly, which I don't think is an indication that it would have been impossible to do so, only that the writing was rather subpar.

My imagination of the Runa scene was a much more realistic and bloody image. In the manga she's strangely... okay looking? Like clearly fucked up but it's not like her cheeks were torn, she's not covered in a ton of blood. It's like she was "modified" in some way rather than "injured". Very different to the brutality with which Uruma treated her mother. It's unsettling in a completely different way from straightforward violence.

I had always imagined her face was brutalised too, but as soon as I saw her face in this chapter, I was like, oh right, she's become more of a Fourth Kind, that Satsuki did more of an otherside melt on her face than she did physical harm.

When it comes to media like manga or anime I expect to see the character's feelings on their faces, not have them narrated to me. The problem is that the anime failed to convey those thoughts properly, which I don't think is an indication that it would have been impossible to do so, only that the writing was rather subpar.

Agreed. The anime didn't utilize the benefits of its medium well at all. We lost the inner thoughts and got nothing to replace it because they were seemingly focused on highlighting everything else besides what makes the series itself. They really wanted to force it to be as moe and CGDCT as they could possibly get it.

If they're not going to feel the Otherside why bother even including the scenes of them going there, might as well cut it down even more to be a yuri about socially awkward college girls lol.

Yeah as I said above: they tried to, that's for sure lol

last edited at Nov 22, 2023 11:45AM

I had a premonition that the anime would be bad right from the opening scene, which cuts out Sorawo's narration of what the Kunekune is doing to her head in favor of a couple seconds of visual glitches. This premonition proved correct lol. What even is the point of Otherside Picnic without the psychological aspect of what the Otherside does to Sorawo or Toriko? If they're not going to feel the Otherside why bother even including the scenes of them going there, might as well cut it down even more to be a yuri about socially awkward college girls lol.

While I get what you mean, and the anime was definitely very bad, both as an adaptation and as a stand-alone work, I actually appreciated the effort to replace some of the monologue with visuals. I honestly feel like the manga is too heavy on the inner monologue/narration. If I wanted to read all of the Sorawo's thoughts, I would read the novel (and I do!). When it comes to media like manga or anime I expect to see the character's feelings on their faces, not have them narrated to me. The problem is that the anime failed to convey those thoughts properly, which I don't think is an indication that it would have been impossible to do so, only that the writing was rather subpar.

Oh I totally agree you could hypothetically pull off replacing overt monologue with really good visual direction and metaphor to convey those same feelings. The anime just does not even come close to succeeding there. The digital glitch effects make it look like the kunekune is affecting our "camera" rather than the characters lol.
Remember the opening scene to "The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask" when Link gets turned into a deku shrub? How his vision gets dominated more and more exclusively by hostile plant people until he turns into a plant person himself? That scene conveys a feeling like Sorawo describes feeling looking at the kunekune far better than the anime does.

Edit: that just reminded me, in one of the novel end notes the author points of the similarity between the Japanese term we're translating as "Otherside", and the Japanese term for the "Dark World" in Zelda (and apparently that's the same word used for secret levels in Mario iirc?). I think it might be that they're both "urasekai". Maybe this connection between Zelda and Otherside Picnic goes deeper than I thought...

last edited at Nov 23, 2023 5:44AM

My imagination of the Runa scene was a much more realistic and bloody image. In the manga she's strangely... okay looking? Like clearly fucked up but it's not like her cheeks were torn, she's not covered in a ton of blood. It's like she was "modified" in some way rather than "injured". Very different to the brutality with which Uruma treated her mother. It's unsettling in a completely different way from straightforward violence.

I had always imagined her face was brutalised too, but as soon as I saw her face in this chapter, I was like, oh right, she's become more of a Fourth Kind, that Satsuki did more of an otherside melt on her face than she did physical harm.

I feel like the book definitely indicated a brutalization, rather than a transformation. She had stitches and scars afterwards from the doctors' attempts to repair the damage.

My imagination of the Runa scene was a much more realistic and bloody image. In the manga she's strangely... okay looking? Like clearly fucked up but it's not like her cheeks were torn, she's not covered in a ton of blood. It's like she was "modified" in some way rather than "injured". Very different to the brutality with which Uruma treated her mother. It's unsettling in a completely different way from straightforward violence.

I had always imagined her face was brutalised too, but as soon as I saw her face in this chapter, I was like, oh right, she's become more of a Fourth Kind, that Satsuki did more of an otherside melt on her face than she did physical harm.

I feel like the book definitely indicated a brutalization, rather than a transformation. She had stitches and scars afterwards from the doctors' attempts to repair the damage.

Counterpoint (um, is this a spoiler, oh well) You can have scars from surgery that was trying to fix something, not just repair damage.
I'd need to go back and read the story section to get it straight in my head, but I had always imagined it was a bloody scene of actually pulling the face apart. Even if it's not the same as the LN, though, I like the disturbing image of her becoming fourth-kind-ier.

Edit because I actually went to the LN to look. Here's the quote:

When I saw her face, I gulped. Her mouth was open wider than I had ever seen. Her lower jaw had fallen, and her tongue lolled out of it. That face, drooling, with her eyes rolled back into her head, had lost all sanity.

Sounds very much like what was on display in this chapter, though I hadn't originally read it that way myself.

last edited at Nov 26, 2023 5:56AM

They won't even talk about the "I love you"? Not even ackowladge it? Sorry, but I feel this chapter was not worth the wait.

Of course, Sorawo refuses to adress Toriko's confession. She's clearly aware of the elephant in the room, but keeps trying to give it the widest berth possible.
So, novel readers, how long do you think it'll be in manga chapters until that changes?

Of course, Sorawo refuses to adress Toriko's confession. She's clearly aware of the elephant in the room, but keeps trying to give it the widest berth possible.
So, novel readers, how long do you think it'll be in manga chapters until that changes?

As a light novel reader (not yet read column 8 tho), I have 0 hope for Sorawo to address Toriko's confession. Well at least for another 60 chapters, but we will get bread crumb along the way TvT

This is the end of volume 3 and the start of volume 4, the manga is such a good adaption of the LN so far. Can't wait until that silly hotel chapter where they all get wasted.

last edited at Dec 24, 2023 12:58PM

Of course, Sorawo refuses to adress Toriko's confession. She's clearly aware of the elephant in the room, but keeps trying to give it the widest berth possible.
So, novel readers, how long do you think it'll be in manga chapters until that changes?

As a light novel reader (not yet read column 8 tho), I have 0 hope for Sorawo to address Toriko's confession. Well at least for another 60 chapters, but we will get bread crumb along the way TvT

This is the end of volume 3 and the start of volume 4, the manga is such a good adaption of the LN so far. Can't wait until that silly hotel chapter where they all get wasted.

Well volume 8 is [LN Romance Spoiler] entirely about them addressing, thinking about and discussing their feelings for each other, then coming to an answer together. That whole volume is about their romance because it's a point of rest in the series, when they can actually worry about that stuff They are kind of busy right now. Not much time to worry about a crush, or love. So It'll be a bit before we get there. The series has romance but isn't a romance, anyway and there's so much other great stuff to happen besides that.

last edited at Dec 24, 2023 2:06PM

You're going to have to wait until the last story of this novel volume for more tangible progress in the romance aspect, which is three short stories away from now including the one that's currently being adapted. It's a long-term process since Sorawo herself has huge issues opening up to the idea of romance, but I assure you it's worth it.

Of course, Sorawo refuses to adress Toriko's confession. She's clearly aware of the elephant in the room, but keeps trying to give it the widest berth possible.
So, novel readers, how long do you think it'll be in manga chapters until that changes?

This story marks the start of Volume 4 in the LN, I believe. You will see bits of progress here and there but they do not actually fully address their relationship and start talking about what they actually are to each other until volume 8 of the LN.

You're going to have to wait until the last story of this novel volume for more tangible progress in the romance aspect, which is three short stories away from now including the one that's currently being adapted. It's a long-term process since Sorawo herself has huge issues opening up to the idea of romance, but I assure you it's worth it.

I agree with this. Even without reading the LNs y'all should know Sorawo by now. Do you really think she's up to the task of seriously opening up about such a vulnerable topic? Just this chapter she was once again thinking about the last people she loved and how they got corrupted by a cult and betrayed her. And given the nature of the Otherside it isn't like it's impossible to imagine that happening to Toriko on a supernatural level, especially with Satsuki still out there and clearly capable of being a corrupting cult leader herself. There's a lot for Sorawo to be afraid of! You're gonna have to wait for her to slowly work through things no matter how forward and DTF Toriko might be.

last edited at Dec 24, 2023 4:29PM

Well volume 8 is [LN Romance Spoiler] entirely about them addressing, thinking about and discussing their feelings for each other, then coming to an answer together. That whole volume is about their romance because it's a point of rest in the series, when they can actually worry about that stuff They are kind of busy right now. Not much time to worry about a crush, or love. So It'll be a bit before we get there. The series has romance but isn't a romance, anyway and there's so much other great stuff to happen besides that.

Dang I am excited to read volumn 8 then. Way to make me spend more money in the holiday season you XD

But yeah I also enjoy how romance is just a sweet treat along with all the serious, hefty horror mystery out there. Really wish the anime did better to grab new fans because this is such a good series

Just read the first chapter of volume 8 where they discuss about love. Love it. Did not expect the author to go that in-depth and have such a progressive view about love, and the differences between the conventional/traditional love incomparasion to the more details and complicated side. I was half ass wanting to roll my eye when that discussion come up since I expected it to be like the normal rom-com convo but the author did not disappointed. Always nice to see the recognition of ace spec and all those since I have thought about these things since a bubbling teenager

last edited at Dec 28, 2023 10:38AM

I have to agree that the anime wasn't that good but at least I do think that it does its job of being an advertisement well enough since it was what got me into Urasekai Picnic.
In a few chapters things are going to get pretty fun but I do recommend just reading the novel to anyone that hasn't read it yet, it's so good.

Novel spoiler in the link, please be careful, only open it after reading at least volume 7.
https://twitter.com/walkeri/status/1757702242227089583
Volume 9 is currently being worked on.

I have no idea who the characters in that image are supposed to be lol. It's a good drawing of a kitchen though

I have no idea who the characters in that image are supposed to be lol. It's a good drawing of a kitchen though

Novel spoilers, volume 7
From left to right, Kozakura, Urumi Runa and Kasumi

Chapter 68 spoilers and very minor 4th volume novel spoiler
It's finally started, Sorawo looks really cute under a blanket while pointing a gun at the door. I can't wait to see a jealous Toriko and some Kozakura treats in the following chapters.
It's gonna take a while, but it will be fun to see the rest of the 4th volume's manga adaptation alongside a treat for all the good girls and boys waiting for some progress between Sorawo and Toriko. If you're still not sure about reading the novel... just do it. I recommend reading from the start since, while the manga adaptation is really good, you really do miss out quite a bit on Sorawo's thoughts so if you like her it's worth it. Besides, it's cool to see the more messed up parts directly from her point of view.

I am so excited for this arc! It's definitely one of my favourites. (I almost want to say my favourite, but I'm sure I'm forgetting other equally incredible parts of the story at the moment). I absolutely love the creepiness, to me it was one of the most terrifyingly intense arcs in the novels. And I'm happy to see that the manga absolutely delivers, once again.

Watching the Otherside creep into Sorawo's mind and take advantage of the vulnerabilities that she normally conceals, even from herself, is both horrifying and, in a —perhaps twisted— way, sort of satisfying. Sorawo has buried all this past trauma, not even recognising it for what it is, so it takes a supernatural event for her to show how much it truly affects her.

Not gonna say more, because I don't want to spoil things for people who haven't read the novels. Just, the built-up of this arc was amazing and I'm looking forward to reading it once again.

I've been waiting to see more perspective of her family trauma so really glad they're addressing it a bit now. It definitely surprised me seeing sorawos dad and grandma being shown in a creepy way. Probably gutted me because she's always so collected about most stuff that it makes sense when she's confronted with her family trauma it's heavy for her.

The thing about Sorawo being collected is that she's not lol. She's just super not aware of herself. Since we're locked to her perspective most of the time, we don't get a description of her reactions to things because she doesn't notice herself reacting: what we get far more often is seeing Toriko reacting to Sorawo making a face or saying something odd, and Sorawo thinking "huh, was I making a face? Did I say something weird?"
Sometimes though something hits her in a way that she can't not notice, can't not viscerally feel in a way that directly bleeds into our perspective through her.

Volume 9 coming next month
https://books.rakuten.co.jp/rb/17815454/

I picked the manga up on a whim last week and was blown away. I just had to have more, so I grabbed the novels and read all those too. I was shocked how quickly and deeply the series resonated with me. I feel like I've been walking around with a hole in my heart ever since catching up. Can't wait for the next volume.