Archive for the Light Novel Category


Yuusha ni Naritai Shoujo To, Yuusha Narubeki Kanojo (勇者になりたい少女と、勇者になるべき彼女)

January 1st, 2024

In front of a fantasy landscape with large building and mountains, a small girl  with black hair in a ponytail, wearing a halter top connected to a short skirt by belt garters runs joyously in front of a long-silver-haired girl, who stands self-deprecatingly behind, wearing a kind of military inspired school uniform.It seems very appropriate to start our happy New Year with some happy new Yuri, so today we’re going to take a look at Yuusha ni Naritai Shoujo To, Yuusha Narubeki Kanojo (勇者になりたい少女と、勇者になるべき彼女), written by inori., illustrated by Akamoku.

The English translation used by inori.-sensei for this is, “Me The Wannabe Hero and You Who Oughta Be A Hero” and is  shortened to BokuKimi in Japanese. This is the story of two girls at Yuusha Academy and their struggle against bias and expectation, as well as the power of simply not giving a shit what people think.

It was a lot of fun. Everything I want in a Dengeki Bunko read – a “light” novel in the broadest sense. It’s small, quickly paced, not entirely predictable and ends just where you want it to.

The story begins with Ruchika, a demon girl who has come to the capital to enter Yuusha Academy and meets a human girl Leonie.

Please let me stop here and digress into translation notes. (One sentence into the synopsis, wow, Erica. ^_^)  I’m sticking with Yuusha because neither “Brave” Academy or “Hero” Academy is working for me, but you do you. Likewise, I am using Ruchika entirely for the aesthetics of the R, because otherwise the leads are Luchika and Leonie and that…annoys me somehow? ^_^;  But really, Luchika is easier to say than Ruchika, so use whichever works for you, as you read.)

The wars between demons and humans are over and the two races are at peace. Demon girl Ruchika wants to be a Hero, because she thinks it would be neat. Leonie, the daughter of the most famous Hero of the world, who slayed the Demon Ruler, is expected to become a great Hero. They meet as  Ruchika collapses from being hungry. Leonie and her childhood friend Noor (or Noru, choose your poison) see Ruchika and Leonie buys her some food. At which Ruchika asks Leonie to marry her.

Students at Yuusha Acadamy use AI collars around their necks called Gear. Ruchika learns pretty quickly that Gear do not work for her demony-fighting style, so against all student norms, she tosses her gear, Proto, off and kicks ass in her test mock battle. Leonie, the daughter of the most famous Hero of the world, who slayed the Demon Ruler, is not that great at fighting.

Together they will fight the prejudices – both societal and individual – to become a great partnership.

And the girl gets the girl, but you probably already guessed that. ^_^

This story is not as deeply embedded in issues of queer identity as I’m In Love With The Villainess is, but it’s not not there, either. Ruchika states that it simply doesn’t matter to demons, and Leonie protests that it kind of does to humans, but that is not the main conflict here. Also not the main point, but given time and attention, is issues of how society treats “other.”

So what is the main point? The main point is that Leonie is fighting from the first page against the expectations heaped on her by having a famous mother. Some people are disappointed in her, others enraged by her. The antagonist sees her as a barrier that must be removed. Ruchika, as a demon, simply does not care at all about what she is “expected” to do and she eventually frees Leonie from her own burden, redefining the way everyone in the story sees Heroes… which was a really excellent moment that was not at all what I expected.

What did I expect? Well, something happens early on that was either a plot point that slipped away, or will be used in a sequel…or was one of the best MacGuffins I’ve ever encountered. I spent the entire volume looking in that direction, while the real story was right under my nose the whole time. If it turns out that that plot point comes back around, it could make for an intriguing delve into the history of Yuusha Academy and how it trains Heroes.

Akamoku’s art both good and I didn’t much like it. It is not to my personal taste – once again, everyone looks just way too young for the story. I know that’s just how it is light novels, but I’ll never stop hoping that we get characters who look their stated age once again. On the other hand, the illustrations actually illustrate the scene one is reading, rather than just being a character image – I appreciate that very much.

One other note before I wrap this up. Leonie’s friend Noor, in another book might have become a rival, a plot complication or a handwave. I thought the way Ruchika handled the question of what Noor and she would be to one another was absolutely brilliant. I’d love to also talk about one other character, but after trying three times, I realize that everything I say would necessarily be at least partially a spoiler, so I’ll confine myself to say, I hope we get more of them in a way that suits the overall tone of the story.

Ratings:

Art – 7
Story – 8
Characters – 9
Service – 0
Yuri – 9

Overall  – 9

This was a fun and fast read and everything I hoped for from both inori.-sensei and Dengeki. I look forward to the sequel.

I purchased this at Melonbooks (this was one of two things I absolutely wanted to get while I was in Japan this past time,), so got an acrylic standee of the protagonists, which really is quite adorable. So often standees have the title of the series either baked into the stand or on the plastic that one throws out. In this case, the title is an active part of the standee display. It’s really grown on me. ^_^

 

And it came with a bonus book cover which was the closest thing to service in the story. ^_^ It comes with a bonus story on the inside.





Otherside Picnic, Volume 8

August 27th, 2023

Otherside Picnic, Volume 8 was a mind-blowing, fabulous “wow.”

In this horror/scifi Yuri series by Iori Miyazawa, there have been two key mysteries; The true nature of the UBL, aka, the Otherside….and Sorawo. Because Sorawo is our narrator and protagonist the story has allowed her the time and space to be unaware that she even is a mystery, or to have any real insight to the mystery that is her.

Volume 8 begins with the mystery of Sorawo. She is, as they say in the biz, an unreliable narrator. Or…is she? We – and Toriko – have assumed as much because surely a person with her past cannot have made it to adulthood without some unaddressed trauma.  One of the deep leitmotifs of this series is communication – or the lack of it. Sorawo doesn’t understand people and isn’t great at understanding herself. This has and will come back again and again in the series. She is as much a mystery to herself as she is to anyone else. And having confronted the inescapable fact that she is – probably for the first time in her life – loved unconditionally – Sorawo wanders around her own small, but growing, group of confidants order to find the answer in herself…as she has always done for answers about the Otherside. This allows the narrative to revisit some old characters, meet some new ones, to clear up old puzzles and create new ones.

 We meet one of Sorawo’s classmates – a representative of normality – and Sorawo finds some assistance in that quarter. Reality has never been Sorawo’s ally before and it opens up new possibilities.  She speaks to Natsume and they finally communicate past the huge gap in understanding between them. This is an amusing scene, but unlike my esteemed colleague Sean Gaffney who laughed at Natsume’s description of Sorawo as a “raging lesbian,” I found it far more amusing that Natsume’s response to Sorawo’s cluelessness (denial?) about Toriko was to flatly respond, “That pisses me off.” I mean… I feel ya Natsume. ^_^ Of course Sorawo darkens Kozakura’s doorstep once again and again, Kozakura spoke like the adult she is supposed to be. It feels like her character, having been abandoned a few volumes ago, is being reformed as the grown-up in the room. I like it.

Sorawo meets and has an experience with a new character, Tsuji, a woman who was clearly written for me, personally. ^_^ I look forward to whatever develops with this fascinating new character.

All of this peripatetic musing must come to an end and in this series, what precipitates that end is..terror. Sorawo at last comes face to that which she fears most – and finds the will to confront it. It’s time to talk to Toriko.

What we get, then, is one of the most extraordinary explorations of physical, emotional and psychic boundaries that I have ever read. Toriko and Sorawo do not find a satisfying physical relationship on our plane. It’s only when they accept that they are now of the Otherside and the Otherside is of them that they find one another.  This was an outstanding scene that was consistent with the characters as we know them, the series’ premise as it has been given to us, and the deeper themes of communication and the mystery of both the Otherside and Sorawo.

The arc that has been building since Volume 5 has come to an incredible climax (and yeah, put every possible spin on that word) but the journey is not over. What will this pair find in the Otherside or themselves next time? I have no idea, but I am absolutely tuning in and finding out, since the addition of a new character leads one to assume a next volume.  ^_^

Ratings:

Story – 10
Character – 10
Service – Amazingly, not very much. Let’s give it a 3. It’s less “service” and more “grown-up.”
Yuri – 10

Overall – 10

Another outstanding volume, building on the last outstanding volume. Miyazawa-sensei is on top of his form right now and I am perfectly willing to wait a little while to get volumes of this high quality writing.

 





The Executioner and Her Way of Life, Volume 6

May 1st, 2023

Girl in a blue and yellow reaches out towards us, through water.We just had the pleasure of reviewing The Magical Revolution of the Reincarnated Princess and the Genius Young Lady, Vol. 4, a Light Novel that did every thing right. So it only seems fair that we look at how similar elements can be put together in a way that doesn’t work all that well. And it comes down to one thing. So, today we’re looking at The Executioner and Her Way of Life, Vol. 6: A Casket of Salt.

When we left the cast at the end of Volume 5, Menou was about to have a showdown with her mentor, Flare. But before that happens, we have a lot of random things that occur. Plot points that have been set up wiffle and fade, as new characters wander in and make themselves important, and all the characters we currently have and know, just do things that may or may not have meaning.

When the climatic battle does occur, it ends up as it had to and we feel…not much. Then we meet The Lord of this world…and if I felt anything, it was a vague sense of annoyance for introducing another plot complication without resolving any of the existing plot complications first. And that is the main problem with this series. It’s a dogpile of miseries, with no end in sight. Well, not entirely true – we know the series will end, but is any of this worth it?  I’m still on the fence. I’m still reading, but still on the fence.

What has kept me reading this series has been the unique form of magics created and used by the various groups in the world, but as all of them are corrupt and evil, it becomes a much of a muchness. There are no good people here, and probably no good ends.

There is also, undoubtedly, Yuri. Menou and Akari are bound in two planes of existence, Momo is obsessively in love with Menou. There’s still room for something to happen with Momo and Ashuna, as well, which I have to assume will happen when whatever is going to occur between Akari and Menou occurs. 

Ratings:

Art – 6 It has improved this volume
Story – 5
Characters – 7
Service – Less than usual
Yuri – Akari loves Menou, Momo loves Menou…

Overall – 6

In the meantime, I find myself tired of Human Errors and wishing that a few of the floating plot points would be resolved before author Mato Sato added more. This story desperately needs a rest in between intensities.





The Magical Revolution of the Reincarnated Princess and the Genius Young Lady, Vol. 4

April 30th, 2023

I’ve talked about the problems with “happily-ever-after” many times on Okazu. And I’ve frequently mentioned that I love media that looks beyond it – “after-happily-ever-after.” And I’ve addressed the fact that looking past the princesses riding off together on the flying horse or whatever leads to a complicated series of questions and answers, most of which are about human society and politics and not at all romantic, so it’s mostly always handwaved away for “and they lived happily-ever-after.”

So, while the climax of Volume 3 (and/or the anime) left us with hope that Euphyllia and Anisphia would be able to achieve something together, it was a bit thin on details.

The Magical Revolution of the Reincarnated Princess and the Genius Young Lady, Vol. 4 not only digs deep into the practical matters of “happily-ever-after” and after that, it addresses all the actual political issues that lead to the bigger social problems and the smaller issues that made Princess Anis’ life a misery. Piero Karasu took time to address the rather large and complex issue of just how can magicology help people…but also took time to figure out how magicology could bring the Ministry of the Arcane together with Anis and Euphie. This is a major plot point and was handled thoughtfully. A pile of new characters (and therefore new future plot complication) were introduced, as well.

But best of all, this series really got into the weeds of addressing Anis’ and Euphie’s relationship. I heard that some folks were unhappy with them being formally made sisters. In Japan in 2023, where same-sex relationships have no national legal status, adoption is still a common method to give people a legal bond. So that was not unexpected. What happened in Volume 4 as Euphie is crowned – that was unexpected. And very welcome. So if you were among the disappointed, I recommend reading this volume. ^_^

In fact, so much happens in this volume, it’s easy to not see any of it actually *happening* as the modus operandi for most of it is people having much-needed conversations…like people do. What an actual pleasure. ^_^

Ratings:

Art – 7 Kisaragi’s art is better and more relevant this volume
Story – 10 Does everything it needed to
Characters – 9 Euphie finally steps up and we have two Queens to bring revolution to the world
Service – 6 Euphie’s “feeding” is not heavily veiled and we get an actual sex scene, mostly
Yuri – 10

Overall – 10

I can’t wait for Volume 5 which should be headed our way in August. ^_^





Yuri Bungei Shousetsu Contest Selection 3 (百合文芸小説 コンテスト セレクション)

March 21st, 2023

Once again, today’s review requires a bit of context. In 2019, Pixiv and Comic Yuri Hime ran a Literary Yuri Short Story contest. I finally managed to read and review the first collection in 2021, Yuri Bungei Shousetsu Contest Selection 2019 (百合文芸小説 コンテスト セレクション). I found the first collection to be a delightful mix of stories.  Of course I ran out and got the second volume, the 2020 collection which I did my very best to read, but I have to tell you….I hated it. I hated that second volume so much from the first story to the last. So many of the stories were traumatizing and awful, others were just not readable by my standards. It was such an unpleasant reading experience that I waffled over getting Volume 3. But I did get it. And then I spent more than a year avoiding reading it. ^_^;

Yuri Bungei Shousetsu Contest Selection 3 (百合文芸小説 コンテスト セレクション) was quite wonderful. Quirky, energetic, weird, with great writing and once again, things I haven’t seen before. The sponsors this time have expanded, with Comic Yuri Hime, Pixiv, Hayakawa Publishing’s SF Magazine and GAGAGA (Shogakukan’s light novel imprint.) It is still available from the Animate Online Shop, which you can purchase from using a buying or shipping service, like Buyee/Tenso.) Or you can read all the stories on Pixiv.

Right off the bat, this collection captured my attention with a story so off-kilter and so beautifully written that I was hooked. “Denshibashira Yori” (電信柱より) by Sakazaki Kaoru is a completely unironic and indescribably beautiful story about a woman who cuts down telegraph poles for a job, who falls for a telegraph pole.

The collection has been a great mix of sci-fi, historical, real life and that specific kind of quirky/ magical realism that seems to gain my attention. A fantasy set in Iron Age Japan, a story about a woman who meets someone she’d only ever made up in her imagination. “Stainless Sanagi” (ステンレスのサナ) by Kazuga is a poignant story about vampire  and a robot maid in a post-apocalyptic landscape. Entries also include a speculative story about a girl who grows and mutates physically  because of love for her classmate, and a nice little story about a tradeswoman who meets a fashionable hair stylist. I particularly liked that this collection had  two stories about tradeswomen. It’s not something we see that often. We also had several salon-based stories, which makes sense as beauty salon are an established “women’s world.”

The final stories were a sobering discussion of war and memory and another robot story that had a pleasant ending. Overall, this was the best collection of the first three. I think I only stopped reading one story. This collection was not only full of good reads, it was inspiring! I have an idea for a short story now. ^_^

Ratings:

Overall – 8

The 4th Yuri Bungei Competition ended in 2022, and again, you can read some of the winners for free on Pixiv, It will take me another year to get to those stories. But I have read several so far in Comic Yuri Hime magazine and the prevailing wind seemed to be historical fiction, a nice change of pace for me, so I will probably pick this collection up, as well. A 5th contest just wrapped up applications, so we should see a 5th collection in the works soon: Notable applications have been linked to on the Pixiv page for the contest.