Of the several things I have been slowly making my way through, the Yuri-ish Light Novel Adachi to Shimamura (安達としまむら) is the first I’ve finished. While reading it (slowly, so very very slowly) I ran a little contest with myself to create similes with which I could describe this book . Here’s the winner:
Adachi to Shimamura is like a trifle made from chocolate, limes and mayonnaise, with a red bean filling. What might have otherwise been a pleasant, if sugary, Yuri narrative is made unpalatable by combining infinite inconsequentials with utterly meaningless distractions.
***
Shimamura and Adachi are two second-years in high school. They blow off class and meet nearly daily to play ping pong in the rec room on the second floor above the gym. That fact is well-established in the first third of the book, then dropped and only briefly referred to again.
Shimamura and Adachi spend hours together every day and know nothing at all about one another. They have no conversations about their likes, dislikes, dreams, thoughts…or anything. When they are not playing ping pong, they sit in mostly silence. One of Shimamura’s friends points out that that is strange – then it is never mentioned again.
That same friend, Hino, likes to go fishing. Hino takes Shimamura fishing and introduces her to the alien.
Adachi has a dream in which she kisses Shimamura. After an uncomfortable encounter with the alien (who appears to be a child, but insists she is an alien from the future) Adachi tells Shimamura she likes her. This is about oh, 190 pages into the 240 page novel. She’s shown no sign of liking her, except randomly thinking that Shimamura’s hair looks soft 90 pages previously, so its like jellybeans on the top of the chocolate, lime and mayo trifle – random, and it doesn’t make it better.
Having established that Adachi likes Shimamura, the fact is trotted out periodically. The only tension in the entire book is when Adachi visits Shimamura’s house and finds herself wanting to kiss Shimamura, so she runs away. This is naturally followed by an extended scene with the alien, in which they take her around a mall, get her donuts and go bowling. And then the book ends.
The entire book had the feel of something written about an emotion by someone who was wholly, vastly unfamiliar with it. At no point did Adachi or Shimamura give the slightest sense of connection. In fact, the only way to make the book work was to presume the point was that neither Adachi nor Shimamura (but Adachi more) had any comfort level making connections with people. If we read it as if Adachi is disaffected and relatively emotionless, the book can sort of be seen as being about her shifting to care for Shimamura and learning to be friends with Hino and Nagafuji. But it’s not worth it. And it doesn’t explain the alien, the fishing, the ping pong, the Chinese restaurant or the bowling.
Ratings:
Overall – 4
I’m sticking with the simile. The individual parts are bland if used badly, yummy if used well, but merely perplexing in this combination.
Did I not explain the point of the alien? Oh well, the book doesn’t either.
I guess you speak japanese, right?
Not very well. ^_^
Apparently, well enough to read these light novels. I wish I knew that much at least xD.
Don’t “wish” – practice. Start by learning the Hiragana and Katakana syllabaries. There are tons of free tolls online to help you get started. Don’t wait for the magic chip – learn one new thing a day. Start now. I’m even linking to good free tools and apps on the Yuri Network News report, so there’s no real reason to not try. ^_^
Where are the links?
In the last few Yuri Network News Reports. I file those on Saturdays and have been recently adding a few links to help people learn.
Heh. There must have been a mistake in the translation. I could have sworn you said there was an alien. But that wouldn’t make any sense at all! ^_^
Well, she herself insists that she’s an “alien from the future”, and when she’s first introduced in the story, she’s wearing a space suit, claiming that she thought “this is what humans wear”. My guess as to the point of the character (other than of course to introduce someone else that Shimamura gets close to so that Adachi could start getting jealous) would be that it is probably a reference to some other work by Iruma Hitoma, presumably Denki Onna.
Or there could very well be some point to it; there’s a sequel coming out in less than two months after all, so the story isn’t done yet.
It’s done for me. Please, by all means, feel free to write up a review if you read it. I found this book as stimulating as paint drying.
Tis’ unfortunate no one has yet to take up a review of the second volume. Although JPN websites told me little,and regardless of Okazu’s strict tastes on Girls Love, I still feel that the small heart on volume 2’s cover tells me a climax is near.
I haven’t begun to read it yet. The prospect fills me with no real sense of urgency as this first volume was mostly random filler and inexplicable digressions.
I don’t have strict tastes on Yuri, but I do have a rather high bar for “good writing.”
I found that you’d make more sense of the story if you’re familiar with the author’s other works, because he has a bit peculiar writing style. And by the way, his main genre is harem. So as far as I know, this is his first try on Yuri. And I think this is fairly good as an unconventional, slow Yuri.
I think the alien girl is just a plot driver.
His style isn’t particularly difficult. His story-telling is just not great. The alien would be a “plot driver” if there was a plot. This was a short story’s worth of plot strung out into a novel length, with two sequels. ^_^
Yeah, I agree that Adachi Question is the only interesting part.
Well, I guess the alien is related to the author’ previous serious called 電波女と青春男. And if you continue reading, you’ll find these little weird girl really did a lot!
By the way can you tell me how to read her name 知我麻社 by Hiragana plz? I read the book in Taiwan translated version and I can’t find how to spell it anywhere XD
Having not read this other book, I don’t know what Hiragana is used, sorry.
ちかまやしろ
Chikama Yashiro
It’s in the furigana.
Are you dumb?? AdaShima is one of the best yuri works actually, man your taste sucks
Thanks for taking time out of your busy day to offer us your insight.
Seven years later, it’s still relevant. It’s been licensed in English and there are two separate manga adaptations and an anime coming up this fall. Anyone going here to Okazu, if you’re surprised, should keep in mind that it’s Volume 1 where very little happens. Also you shouldn’t make this your first YA novel series to read in Japanese because it jumps POVs all over the place and Japanese writers aren’t very direct in pointing out whose POV it is or even whose dialog it is. If you want a taste of that read Japanese fan-fiction, which reads like a manga script. For those of you unfamiliar with Adachi to Shimamura, the little “alien” girl is initially there to ruin Adachi’s dates with Shimamura. It’s got a little in common with Citrus that way, but all on Shimamura’s side, Adachi is a loner. IF you identify with Adachi you will probably like this series but it takes forever for her to make progress.
Hi Marion, I have not yet reviewed Volume 1 in English, but I stand by this review. It is a dull, dragging book. The role of the alien is not explicated within the book, which makes her a bizarre intrusion (one that is apparently from another of the author’s series.)
Well, its volume 1, i should not work as an standalone work, but its ok, if vol1 didnt get you to like it and continue reading, then dont
That is not “books” work. There is no requirement for a book to have to read in a group over a period of years for it to become good. This was a boring book. When I read it, it was not the first in a series of 8, it was the first of two and it was not good enough for me to read the second one. That is how books work. You read it, you decide if you like it. It’s an absolute absurdity to demand brand loyalty from a mediocre book.