nathandouglasdavis

For some reason, I had subconsciously hoped that this story would be centered around insects. But it's not that type of bug that the title (Bug Player) is referring to. It's referring to glitches in a video game, though several of these "bugs" are more about hidden information based on Jared's encyclopedic knowledge of the game and less about exploiting loopholes in the structure of the world (though some of them certainly are the latter). Unlike Kono Sekai ga Game dato Ore dake ga Shitte Iru, which uses a similar premise, none of the bugs are over-the-top or funny or exciting. In fact, they are presented in almost off-handed, tangential ways--more as a means to an end than a central hook. Similarly, Jared's "Mind's Eye" ability is claimed to be vital to much of feir success, but as you actually read through the story, the author barely focuses on Jared viewing people's stats or what feir decision-making process looks like as fe decides how to make use of such stats. We just know that fe does use it and that it's totally important. After all, there's no way fe could've gathered such a throng of uninteresting students and subordinates without feir "Mind's Eye" to guide fem.

I also found it unclear as to who was making these quests which Jared is clearing. It wouldn't make sense for them to be quests from the original game, because in an actual video game, quests aren't aimed at or available to NPCs such as Jared's character. So does that mean that there is some sort of admin or god creating these quests specifically for Jared? Or do quests just auto-generate? Do other people get quests as well? And if so, are they just invisible to most people? Or since Jared was able to see feir own stats even before fe got the "Mind's Eye," does that mean everybody in this world can see their own stats and, by extension, their own quest screens? And if people can see their own quest screens, why does nobody talk about it? And if people can't see their own quest screens, then why could Jared (or why is fe the only one getting quests, if that's the case)? Obviously, fe's the protagonist, so fe can just do it, but that's a shitty non-reason.

I really felt the shallowness of battle-oriented comics when reading this. Jared is quick to attack, and even kill, those who do wrong. Fe doesn't give a second thought about taking another human's life. Fe doesn't show any sense of remorse or internal struggle. Fe doesn't feel human. Or, I guess I should say, fe seems like the most callous and self-righteous type of human. On that note, why does this manhwa act as though fe needs a tragic backstory to want to save someone's life (ch. 8)? If fe knows fe's the only one who can save this person and it would only cost fem a few hours out of his day, it would be stranger for fem to turn feir back. But apparently, this manwha artist believes the default position for a hero is cruel disinterest and that fe should need a compelling motive to shake off that disregard for others.

[Reviewed at chapter 20]