Title: Mahou mo Ken
Author: Enterprise1701-d
Rating: DLP standard? PG-13ish
Genre:Action/Foreign
DLP Category: [Library category]
Pairingotentially Luna
Status:Work in Progress
Summary: When Harry cries out for help during a nightmare, halfway around the world somebody listens. Somebody that will change the way Harry looks at magic... forever.

Link: Linkage

Notes:
An upfront warning, this fic violates most of the old potter laws about using foreign influences, and in fact generally makes Japan look like the ultimate repository for magical knowledge. Or at least makes it look like Japan WAS said repository prior to WWII. This is Balanced by the fact that the author claimed that 95% of their population and knowledge was lost when the allies nuked them.

Points of interest however include a fairly Unique look at Occlemancy, a Staff that requires a Highly dangerous ritual to bind, and Harry's Mental shields getting decimated repeatedly. It borders on InsanlyFastLearner!Harry without quite going over the line. The only real sticking point for me was how quickly the Slytherns decide that Voldimort was the wrong choice.

Good fic overall, it keeps you engrossed even if some of the PL violations make you flinch on occasion. Its a smoothly written story, and if not for said violations I think it would be a high rater. As it stands... 4/5 from me.

 

Thx 4 chptr sex, Mana.

 

I have not read past half of the first chapter, and i wont continue. It has a Canon Harry, who forgives his relatives or something of that sort (I stopped after that). Who knows maybe it gets better as the story develops but it just didn't catch my interests. Unexplained OC's, Knowledge transfers = Do not want. Also, your FF link, is on Chapter 6.

 

After reading the first couple of chapters, I think it's actually pretty good.

4/5

 

Not half bad, sloggin through the 2nd chapter now, not half bad like i said before, 3.5/5 so far, maybe i might jak it up later...who knows

 

I found this to be a decently written fic with several good elements. It is a worthy read, but will probably not be one of the greats. 3.5/5 for writing and story development.

Something I found hard to stomach is the "all Eastern magical communities unite after WWII and the nuking of two magical cities in Japan" thing. Considering that the Japanese magical community was purportedly helping the Imperial forces in WWII and given the atrocities committed by the Japanese during the war, it's hard to believe that any group hugs would be forthcoming in the immediate aftermath. Even now, tensions are high between Japan and China, S. Korea, the Philippines, etc. in large part over events committed during the occupation over 60 years ago and the aftermath. One would perhaps expect more unity among the European magical communities (magical Marshall plan?) than the Asia ones.

Obviously, in any conflict of this magnitude, neither side is blameless and there was enough atrocity to pass around. But to portray the Japanese and Japanese magical community as quintessential victims is a bit too revisionist historian for my tastes.

 

If Luna plays a part and the author has unique ideas... I guess it's worth a shot. The title is really pushing me away though. "Mahou mo Ken" not only doesn't make any sense (Magical (mo; which doesn't make sense here without some context) Sword) but screams "weeaboo". I'm pretty sure he means mahou no ken, anyway; "Sword of Magic" "Magical Sword".

...

Hmm. Well in this case, mo isn't entirely wrong, but to is a much better particle I think... since mo is "too" or "also"; to fits perfectly, since its use is connecting two nouns... I guess it might be some esoteric Japanese thing; whatver.

3/5. The initial chapter isn't bad, though Harry's personality is very weak and unDLPish (he's a pussy).

edit:

This fic brings up a good question:

Has any fic ever done the east right? Any time I see people even mentioning Japan or China in their fics, they immediately launch into phoenixes or katanas or some other mythical creature and magic is never touched upon. It wouldn't be inconceivable that eastern magic and western magic are the same as eastern and western martial styles.

 

Mahou mo Ken would mean "Magic is a sword as well", "Magic is also a sword", or something along that line, and minus my inarticulate translation, is a pretty intriguing (if inappropriate given the fandom) title.

Anyway, fic gets a 3.5 from me for succeeding in entertaining me for the most part. Most being the key word.

 

Lol, Japan + Harry Potter = fail. I know this from personal experience.

 

This fic very much fails.

Spoiler

Maya smiled supportively at him. “Always. You’re my otooto now.” (a/n : otooto: Japanese way of addressing for a younger brother)

Harry returned the smile. “And that goes for me too. If you ever need me, I will be there…oneesan.” (a/n: oneesan: Japanese way of addressing an older sister.)

Not only is there a/n in the middle of a chapter, the entire thing just screams weeaboo.

Kill it with Fire.

Not to mention the shear impotence of Western Magic. I happen to think that the two should be at least somewhat equal. One trained in the Eastern styles of Martial Arts is not the be all and end all of martial combat.

 

Harry is not very skilled at eastern magics. That's why he loses to two opponents who are very skilled at western magic. It is quite simple really.

 

I haven't even read the story, but having read the reviews, I can tell I will likely dislike it. It brings back too many memories of my days spent reading Ranma 1/2 fanfics that were so chalk full of weeabooisms that it made some fics nigh incomprehensible.

Some authors were so into showing off their 1337 Japanese skillz that they would write entire sentences in Japanese, with NO translation.

Then I learned Japanese, moved to Japan, and looking back, realize how much of those were bablefished.

Anyway, kill it with fucking fire.

 

Control and brute force face off, eh?

Just for that, in my fic, whichever reaches combat first, Harry, using brute force, absolutely owns someone with control. It's like that concept of someone with control maximizing his potential, but the other guy is still better than him.

I can't even tolerate Harry calling his mentor sensei, let alone this.

 

Depends on what you mean by control. Most martial arts aren't really about being weak but fast, just using brute force more efficiently and quickly. The only exception I can think of is Aikidou, which relies upon the attacker's force and momentum to perform many of the moves, which result in the attacker on the floor, disabled, and in a lot of, albeit temporary, but intense pain (from joints being bent in the wrong direction, or from nerve clusters being poked the wrong way). Then agian, Aikidou isn't about hurting people, but getting them to STOP trying to hurt you, without doing any lasting or physical damage to them.

In Karate, kicks and punches are nothing more than controled brute force (amplified by speed).

Unfortunately, we have a lot of black-belt factories these days that hand out black-belts like candy to people who have not really, truely earned it, and that has severely diminished the quality of Karate practiced. Back when my dad got his third-dan in Karate, you could count the number of American Black-belts on your fingers and toes. At the time, you actually had to work to get it, and even now, at age sixty, and with three herniated disks, my dad is faster and more agile than some of the "black-belts" in their twenties who work under him at the office.

That said, I don't DISCOUNT the power and strength of western arts. Pancratian was fucking vicious. Literally disembowling your opponent with your bare hand would be pretty demoralizing to any observers. Even Oda Nobunaga saw the value of European weapons and armor. He abandoned Japanese armor for full french plate armor, and swords.

But you know, JAPAN! SUPER SUPERIOR JAPAN!

 

"I don't care what happens to these people."

While the other critics bring up valid point, this story did not hold my interest.
I was sorta interested in Harry's teacher, did not like Harry's new girlfriend, the action and drama in Japan lacked something.

I just re-read the chapter about going back to hogwarts. I thought the mental chit chat between harry and his lady was a drag.

I was thinking about how to add more stories to the DLP list, and how our high standards are excluding some fics that might fit well with the others we have chosen. Then something like this is recommended and I am reminded that our system of judgement, while harsh is fair.
2/5 Call if it is ever done and I will regrade.

 

Well, the fact that the author uses the recycled "Occlumency is the best thing ever" (albeit not as boldly as some authors do) really put me off. The a/n in the middle of the chapter was also a deterrent. However the moment Harry showed how big a pussy he was by subjecting himself to her within a single chapter, well that just made me want to kill the author. Sorry but 2/5 is all I can give it.

 

Some Korean arts utilize a similar style (wrist/arm/shoulder breaks/locks/takedowns) of control. Really, that's the only thing that interested me in this fic, though I admit I didn't read much of it

I've heard (second-hand) that black-belt factories are getting bigger too. They're not slowing down in the slightest.

Just the other day, I heard a story of an instructor (and his wife) who ran a rather successful blackbelt factory. Turns out the husband was raping some of the younger kids (and get this – the wife didn't mind one bit).

In a few years it'll probably be even worse.

Especially with this attitude among most Americans. Japan is an interesting subject and all – China n' Korea too; the whole area is fascinating – but some people really need to be disillusioned. Makes me want to try and write an HP East vs West ficlet.

 

What the fuck;

'Nuff said

- Harry giving ten thousand pounds to the Dursleys? Yeah, wtf.

- Harry having to explain WWII to Dumbledore? Right.

- "Nobody ever tried a Cruciatous Curse on a meditating person.”
Of course, he would know.

- Japanese + Muggle techniques > All things known to wizards.

Get it away from me.