lb_lee: A happy little brain with a bandage on it, enclosed within a circle with the words LB Lee. (Default)
[personal profile] lb_lee2024-08-31 06:37 pm

Byzantine Generals by SunsetAgain (sci-fi digital comic, 2018-2023)

This one is submitted by a friendly anon! Thank you, anon!

"I wanna say, that your value is much higher than your assessment. It shouldn't be measured in terms of data..."

Blurb: An android, subject to horrific experiments, finds himself part of a network of clones. He fights to set them free along with the other victims of experimentation, and succeeds--at the cost of his life. Those 7 clones find new life together with their human partner, but the threats to their existence are far from over...

Why is it worth your time?: Season 1 is a set-up for the bulk of the plural content in Season 2, "Eclipse of Sybil", in which the androids act as an external system connected via their own network. (Yes, the title is partly a reference to that Sybil, whose name was used for the computer term 'Sybil attack'.) Although they each have their own body, the way they cooperate, share memories, and talk about each other is nevertheless very plural. It's cool seeing what a system could look and act like on the outside.

A particular heartwarming scene: one member tells the system's partner how each of them have their own unique thoughts, but laments that they must be indistinguishable due to being the same model of android. The partner, upset, responds with, 'of course I can differentiate all of you!' Just like how a system might feel as though only the body is known to others, but a loved one can tell the difference between members.

Also, the artwork is gorgeous.

Plural Tags: nonswitching, switching, setting-specific, on purpose, teamwork, nonhumans [robots], enmity, memory work, bodyhopping, otherworld [cyberspace], copies, realitymashing

Content Warnings: abuse (adults and children), blood, death (dismemberment, decapitation, shooting, falling, fire, car accidents...), experimentation, gore (machine), graphic violence, strong language, suicide (attempts and one who chooses to shut down), trauma (flashbacks, anxiety attacks), hospital/surgery scene

Accessibility Notes: Lots of translations! The entirety can be read in Chinese, English, French, Portuguese, and Russian. Season 1 can also be read in German, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Polish, and Spanish.
There are plain text scripts in English, but they don't distinguish between who is speaking.

Available to read on Archive Of Our Own
Also available for free download by the creator (where all the translations can also be found)

Misc. Notes (if any): This is a Detroit: Become Human fan comic that goes off the rails with the artwork being a main draw (heh). Massive spoilers for the game, of course, but since most of the story is its own thing, it can (probably) be read without any knowledge of the source. Midjourney was used for a little of the art, which is clearly notated by page.

(Cataloger's note: oh jeez this is very large, I made a local copy of the English translation but don't have it in me to back up all the translations, sorry folks.)

lb_lee: A happy little brain with a bandage on it, enclosed within a circle with the words LB Lee. (Default)
[personal profile] lb_lee2024-08-14 10:14 pm

The One Within the Villainess/悪役令嬢の中の人, by Makiburo & Shiraume Nazuna (isekai manga, 2021-)

"What happened to the girl whose body this was...? I wonder if she's okay..."

Blurb: Neglected by her family, Remilia is destined to become the villainess of her world, but when a young woman from our world, Emi, is suddenly reincarnated into her body, suddenly Remilia is cherished and sheltered for the first time. For 11 years, Emi builds a life for Remilia's happiness, but when the treacherous court turns on softhearted Emi, it's Remilia's turn to build a life for her... and make all those jerks sorry!

Why is it worth your time?: Iron-fisted Remilia is a glory to watch in action. Lacking morals herself, she nevertheless embarks on a campaign to revolutionize the world around her for the better, from protecting the oppressed to farm reform to murdering corrupt gods, all for the sake of Emi, whose own moral code is extremely strict and who Remilia loves above all else. All of this is to bring about the downfall of those who wronged her, BY BUILDING A WORD SO GOOD THEY CAN'T SUCCEED IN IT. Give it a shot!

Plural Tags: abuse intermediate focus, the dead, intimate relationships, setting-specific, switching

Content Warnings: contain spoilers; see comments

Access Notes: Not officially licensed in English, but the English fan translation is pretty good! Google the title and pick the one of your choice; scanlators are working on it in Indonesian, Vietnamese, traditional Chinese and Brazilian Portuguese. Not screenreadable.

Misc Notes: In progress; 22 chapters scanlated at time of posting.