[Report This]Date: September 15 2023 11:15 PM Title: Meet the New Boss
Having seen Chloe's more or less master English over the course of three chapters, I again have to say brilliant developing a language barrier for the Mika and her to overcome was. Not only did that show off how intelligent Chloe is (as Mika notes himself), but I feel like the way this was handled in the first two chapters has helped the man-eating naga maintain a sense of innocence that I don't think could have been pulled off if she could have simply communicated with him from the start.
It just feels more natural when she doesn't understand certain things about the human world, given that she didn't even speak any human languages just weeks before. And the cuteness that came from her gradually learning the language is still reflected when she forgets certain words (such as "legs"), and that puts a softer tone to her discussion on eating humans and "friend privileges." I think Mika's assumption that her ethics haven't developed yet is right on the mark.
On the subject on her ethics, it was interesting to see Chole feel "uncomfortable" after eating those three mercenaries. I think, on some level (although maybe not a conscious one), she understands that her eating habits scare Mika, which clearly isn't what she wants. And the fact that she can now actually understand what her prey is screaming from her stomach probably doesn't help much either. I'm really curious to see wear this goes, as her simple logic of "eat bad humans, don't eat my friend" might get a bit more complicated as the story moves forward.
I love how creative Chloe is getting with these fruit visions. I also believe that's the first time she has intentionally gotten Mika off. That ties in well with the ongoing theme of MIka being surprised that someone finds him attractive (or at least hinting that nobody back home does). The scene with Chloe manipulating him in her mouth to climax, then exposing him to the fruit reflects that the naga not only finds him attractive but also feels a deeper connection with him and wants to keep him safe, matching her other actions as well. I just like the intense feelings Chloe seems to have for him matched with the backdrop of a dude with zero confidence in himself.
And again, that constant conflict Mika has between wanting to escape, wanting to stay with Chloe, and wanting to be food is great! His need to uncover his past is really engaging, but the internal struggle he's having regarding Chloe is driving the story just as much.
Yukia and Emilia brought a lot more questions with them when they arrived. I certainly didn't expect Ouroboros to send in the catgirls. Shit must be getting real.
Yukia's shrinking power adds another element to the fetishy side of this story for sure, but I'm interested to see how useful it turns out to be plot wise. And my first thought on Emilia is that she's secretly working against Ouroboros, but she could just as easily be planning on just cutting out Yukia to move herself up in the organization. She adds another element of intrigue for sure.
Oklahoma's back! You said she'd be back, and now she's back! It seems Emilia has some specific plans for her, even if the pilot isn't able to remember them. In any case, I'm looking forward to the sarcastic pilot lady's reunion with Mika and introduction to Chloe. That should be really interesting.
And you left us on that little cliffhanger with Chloe and Mika, implying that Mika was the one that found her egg (apparently) 19 years ago. That of course leaves us wondering where Mika and his parents were when the egg hatched. I'm sure she would have appreciated their help against that villainous frog!
But yeah, I'm a big fan of how this little mystery is unfolding. The pacing is nice; I feel like we've learned a lot in just three chapters, yet there are still so many questions waiting to be answered. I'm pretty well locked in to this one!
Author's Response:
Yeah we've got more mystery boxes set up, I think you will like how they end though.
Mika's problems with girls are probably more related to his confidence than any real shortcomings, so there's a bit of irony in the fact that a giant snake girl ends up being the one girl he's able to talk to.
Chloe's ethics are developing slower than her language skills, but they are coming along. Whether that happens as fast as Mika would like is up in the air, like you mentioned at some point "just eat the bad guys" isn't going to cut it.
Our catgirls do bring more mysteries with them, the forces at play at Ouroboros are not entirely human.