What does 良いところだったりする mean in this sentence?

Question

ちなみに今は２３巻で、これからが良いところだったりする。

I'm having trouble understanding ところだったりする in this sentence. From what I know ところ can mean 'place, spot, area etc.', 'just about to do something' or describe a state when modified by another word. たりする is usually used to list inexhaustive example.

With just these definitions it doesn't seem to make sense to me, so I searched around for だったりする and found that it could mean 'to happen to be' (from this question here) or 'probably'.

I think it's likely to mean something like this: "By the way, right now I'm at volume 23 and after this (it happens to be / it's probably) a good spot." but I'm really not sure about that.

For more context this was said previously: "全３０巻もある漫画を読んで、つい徹夜をしてしまったってことか。"

Thank you for the help!

Answer 1

全30巻もある漫画を読んで、つい徹夜をしてしまったってことか。
So, looks like [he] ended up spending all night reading the manga with 30 volumes.

ちなみに今は23巻で、これからが良いところだったりする。
By the way, [he]'s at volume 23, and it's just after this that the great part comes.

You translated these sentences as "I am at volume 23," but is the subject really correct? I think these sentences mean "I" already know the story after the 23rd volume, and just saw someone who has fallen asleep while reading the manga.

良いところ in this context means "the good part (of the entire series)" or simply "climax".

This colloquial usage of たり is not well described in some dictionaries. (At least デジタル大辞泉 does not explain this usage.) In short, this type of たり makes the sentence sound mild, unimportant or less certain. This たり is similar to "kinda", "something like", "maybe", "perhaps", "if that tells you anything", "by any chance", "happens to be", etc.

• フランス語が話せたりしますか？ Do you speak French, maybe / by any chance?
• 彼、怒ってたりして…。 Well, he may be kinda angary...
• 私は彼の友達だったりします。 Well, I happen to be his friend.

• What is the meaning of 〜たりして?

If you're interested, here is a long article regarding this usage of たり: 副助詞タリの用法 本多啓