Archive for the Light Novel Category


Otherside Picnic, Volume 5

August 22nd, 2021

Otherside Picnic, Volume 5 begins in the middle of a story and for the rest of the book, that is pretty much where we stay. A scenario occurs, but it does not feel particularly resolved by the end of the section when it stops. Nonetheless, this novel covers a fair amount of ground, much the same way Sorawo and Toriko travel the UBL – a mapping of the story, rather than the story itself.

The first scenario begins with the continuation of the Love Hotel Girl’s Party set-up from the end of Volume 4. Clearly, in the real world a love hotel girl’s party is meant as a bachlorette /stag party for women. One might expect alcohol and a male stripper and other straight-women misbehaving nonsense. But because Toriko won’t say things and Sorawo was never socialized normally and will avoid all things unless they are said, and often even then, the two of them are joined by Akari, Natsumi and Kozakura. Then…something happens. What happens is interesting, but not for the thing itself. I’ll come back to this in a second.

Before I forget, I want to note that Miyazawa is losing his grasp on Kozakura. She started out as a point of contact for DS, but at this point is merely a grumpy, scared nobody in the story. I feel bad for her.

Following this was definitely the strongest section as Sorawo tracks down Toriko at university to have some stuff out with her. Toriko is, understandably, feeling endlessly rejected by Sorawo. Sorawo even understands that, but just is not capable of returning the feelings. When Toriko accidentally pushes Sorawo into interstitial space, Sorawo finds herself understanding, finally, what she has not been able to look at head-on. Toriko is in love with her. She acknowledges this – and recognizes that it makes her panic.

The third scenario puts Sorawo back in her happy place – investigating the Otherside with Toriko. Planning, traveling, thinking about getting new equipment…this is what she loves. And she loves doing it with Toriko. This is her love language. So, when they meet another person, how will Sorawo react? Not at all the way you’d expect. Todate doesn’t need their help. She and her dog, Hana, are suited to one another, as Sorawo and Toriko are. Todate teaches the two how to spot animals in this world. Her skills add a new tool to their bag and the hunt shows them that the Otherside may well have a logic of it’s own, if the animals have evolved to not be driven mad by it.

By this time, Sorawo and Toriko are starting to think about how lucky they were when they first met. And they are beginning to understand that the UBL has clearly changed them, and not just physically. This becomes part of the conversation in the fourth scenario as the story circles back to the first person the met on the Otherside. Abbarato comes back into the story like a reflection, through what may or may not be his missing wife. Sorawo admit she was always looking for proof of the existence of the paranormal in stories and now, Sorawo’s eye and Toriko’s hand are actual relics of that very thing…but what does any of it mean?

In this final scenario, the two encounter a feral child and again, this triggers Sorawo’s memory of her own, entirely abnormal childhood. This, along with several conversations about disassociative behavior is very clearly meant to remind us that Sorawo is not *just* being dense about her emotions. She had a shocklingly traumatic upbringing and, as I say, has never been socialized. This was pounded on us so many ways in this novel, I wonder if the fandom was being kinda dense themselves and Miyazawa felt he had to be like, “Dudes. WTF? Do you not remember this important thing?”

Which brings me to my point. Her family was part of a cult, she’s always been obsessed by the paranormal. Even Sorawo can see that the Otherside seems to focus on her, but what if it’s not that the Otherside focuses on her, but that she is, in a sense, creating it for us. At the very least, she is an interpreter. A phenomenon occurs and, with her experience of the paranormal, Sorawo tells us what to understand it as. Because of this, we have a way to comprehend those experiences. In a sense, she is telling us how to not go mad. And, in that sense, she is creating the Otherside for us. We’ve seen what it does to people with no point of reference. We can avoid that fate, because Sorawo tells us what we see.

There are two more things I want to note. One was the appearance of more typical Yokai and Tales of Tono in this volume. Up to now, the stories have been rooted in modern netlore, most specifically scary stories on 2chan. Tono Monogatari is a 1910 manuscript by Yanagata Kunio and Sasaki Kizen, which collected a series of folklore and Yokai stories from a town that, to this day, considers itself the home of the strange and paranormal in Japan. Famously, Gegege no Kitarou creator Mizuki Shigeru did a comic of this – which was translated into English by Zack Davisson and published by Drawn & Quarterly. The chapter with Todate is based on a tale from Tono.

And I hope you all noticed the traditional Yokai that appeared at the beginning of the story! Kuchisake–onna is a well-known tale that involves a woman with a face that has split mouth. She is known to ask strangers if she is beautiful…and if they say, no proceed to kill them. I was quite pleased at this scene. We’re big fans of contemporary Yokai here and the use of the story was perfectly done.

The Otherside is, in this story, a reflection, a sight out of the corner of one’s eyes, a unfocused thing you sometimes see. As my old martial arts teacher used to say, it’s all the “Yin” side. We can perceive it and some of us interact with it. It inhabits the same space we are in, at the same time. The use of mirrors and reflections really highlight that in this book.

Lastly, but not at all least, I would like to note the art. The series began with blandly moe-stye art that I did not think accurately portrayed the characters in the least. But now, we’re getting gorgeous, evocative woodblock print-like black and white images that are vastly superior. These images are so much better, I had to check that we had the same artist. So yay for shirakaba being able to give us art that suits the tone and feel of the story much more suitably than one more shitty moe pinup. The art in this book was outstanding.

The book ends a bit abruptly, which makes it feel like a set-up for the next volume. Fortunately Otherside Picnic, Volume 6 will be hitting your electronic devices in November, so there’s not too long to wait. Based on the synopsis however, we’re going to get more questions than answers…again. But that’s why we read this series, after all. ^_^

Ratings:

Art – 9
Story – 9
Character – 9
Service – 7 – Love hotel and stupid
Yuri – 8

Overall – 9

Otherside Picnic weaves contemporary folklore, psychological horror and romance into a compelling adventure.





End Blue ( エンドブルー)

August 8th, 2021

Today we continue on our “choose your own adventure” of reading books by creators you know and about whom you were cautiously optimistic.

Path #1 was high hopes lead to success! Path #2 was low expectations lead to success! Today we are on Path #3. So let’s get set the storyline.

Iruma Hitoma has had some significant success with his novels. In 2013 I read Adachi and Shimamura (安達としまむら), Volume 1 in Japanese and was not impressed. Since then I have read several other of his books with varying opinions. Of those, I only found one worth reviewing, Shoujo Mousouchuu (少女妄想中。) Overall, I consider him an inconsistent writer. So when he was picked for the Bloom Into You novel series about Sayaka, I was not well pleased. Trust me, this is relevant.

In the end, the three Sayaka volumes were excellent. I have reviewed all three here in English and Japanese and consider them a fantastic spin-off to a decent series. But this did not stop me from considering Iruma inconsistent. Because Sayaka was not his character and he was working with an already-established storyline and character and with that character’s creator. In the end, the series was fantastic and it had a full measure of everything I felt that Iruma’s writing lacks.

So, when Iruma and Nakatani said they were teaming up again, I was cautiously optimistic. Can Nakatani bring something to the project that will fill that deep void in Iruma’s writing?

So here we are at Path #4. Bad End.


I tried, I really did, but the problem with Iruma’s writing is that as much as in, say Adachi and Shimamura, we’re locked inside the heads of two girls, and have to listen to their thoughts, they never thing about anything, they just think. “What is this, I don’t know,” is not interiority, it’s fluff.

In End Blue, written by Iruma Hitoma and illustrated by Nakatani Nio, each scenario appears to be about someone returning to “that town” again for the first time in a long time. Kana meets up with Miyabi, whom she met that once. Seri runs into her old lover Ao, but ends up with her younger cousin, Mei, in a not-really-okay ending.

Every story I finished wondering what was it about. The writing feels like an RPG – she does this, she does that. No one has any interior life. No motivations, no anything, unless it fits the action. And they don’t think about things, they just think.

What are reviews for, she wondered as she wrote a review.  Then she shrugged and guessed someone else needs reviews or they wouldn’t be written.

I can cope with that kind of writing a little bit, but at some point I give it up as a bad job. It’s a sucking vortex of ennui. The illustrations for the books are pleasant and, if the characters has any personality, might fill in details, but if I told you the book took place at an airport and these people were strangers who met and parted, you’d find them to be as accurate as they are for people coming back to “that town” and seeing people they know.

I was really looking forward to this book and I hope that, if you read it and enjoyed it, you’ll let us know, but for me, it’s a bad end.

Ratings:

Art – 7 Nice, but since the characters have no personality, it’s just nice pictures
Story – 4 A murderer shows up. I still don’t know why. No one is murdered. I’m not joking.
Characters – 4 They could have been one character because they all talked/thought the same way, except for Kana, who I hope ends up okay. Miyabi doesn’t seem that good for her.
Yuri – 9 We are told that people are lovers and they sometime admit to it
Service – 7 Sadly, yes, the entire first story. “Can I touch it?” For fuck’s sake Miyabi.

Overall – 4, maybe 5.

By the point of the book where I gave up, the only character I could sympathize with was the bird.

Path #4, I died of dystentery, or boredom. Either way, I’m dead. This book was disappointing.





ROLL OVER AND DIE: I Will Fight With My Love and My Cursed Sword, Volume 3

July 2nd, 2021

There were two surprises for me by the end of this light novel by Kiki, illustrated by Kinta. One was that I made it to the end of this light novel (admittedly, I skipped a chunk in the middle) and two, that Milkit and Flum agree that they “like” one another. How bold of them.

So, this series might actually be really good if the artistry went into things beyond the gleeful description of human mutation and violence against children. This latter is why I skipped. I am not wasting my precious years on this planet reading details of children suffering as a form of entertainment. But the actual fight scenes are quite decent. And Flum gaining new cursed skills and items is fun. On the bad side, I despise gloating bad guys and this series is neck deep in them. So it’s a constant slog for me to make it through these books, wallowing as they do in terrible people doing terrible things because and good people doing terrible things to stop them and save a few children from the even more terrible things along the way.

In the meantime, Flum is joined by more of her former Hero group members, and we’re clearly setting Flum and her team up to take on them as well as the church, which has been the source of evil throughout.

As I say with every volume, I have no idea if I’ll keep reading this series. It’s not bad, but it ain’t great. As Sean Gaffney so aptly put it in his review, “this series far more comfortable with being a horror book than a yuri book”. I am not a horror-for-horror’s-sake kind of person. I appreciate well crafted horror, but this series always feels more like “let’s squeeze in some gross shit.” This volume added zombies to the mix and, to the author’s credit, it makes sense. It’s not just another horror trope, and it’s more of an emotional stress point for several of the key characters.

Ratings:

Art – 8 Kinta’s art is definitely getting better as the volumes progress.
Story – 7 Settling into good and ugh in equal amounts
Characters – 7 Some emotional growth here, which was nice
Service – 5 Guro-service and always threats of more terrible by gloaty bad guys
Yuri – 5 – Milkit and Flum are up to “like” and Eterna and Ink are couple-ish

Overall – 7

If you like body horror, mutating things and tentacles with your undead, then you will probably really enjoy this volume.





Girl’s Kingdom, Volume 3

June 14th, 2021

Girls Kingdom, Volume 3 is a remarkable book. I am not lying to you about this. You will absolutely agree with me when you read it that it was, indeed, remarkable.

We pick up Volume 3 after Misaki, our normal girl in an abnormal and absurd environment, has undergone a series of trials that has pushed her skills as a detective and diplomat to their limits and, in the end, increased her skill points as maid to the Vice-Chairman of the Amanotsuka Academy, Amanotsuka Himeko.

Please do not worry too much that her being a detective and diplomat making her a better maid makes basically no sense. The entire premise of this series and the school it exists within, makes no sense. It doesn’t matter, however, because this book is so remarkable that nothing, not even semi-ootsey-cutesy sexy bathing scenes, sexual harassment by girls on other girls that is just as absurd and offensive as one might expect, idiotic plot complications, and the entire premise of the school setting, will change the fact that this book is remarkable.

There is no question, either, that Misaki makes this book work. This despite her showing up to a school that has an endlessly long list of written rules and even longer list of unwritten ones, none of which with she’s bothered familiarizing herself, despite the fact that she is the highly visible maid to the Vice-Chairman of Amanotsuka Academy, Amanotsuka Himeko. Entirely unremarkable, the relationship between Misaki and Himeko is actually quite sweet and I find myself rooting for them as a couple, even though it’s a stupid idea given the setup of the story. The first scenario leapfrogs pleasantly through the absurdities of this set-up for a genuinely human moment.

Ratings:

Art – 8 I’m losing my mind, I think, because the Societal Arts uniform is starting to appeal
Story – 7 Blows Volume 1 and Volume 2 out of the water on “What did I just read?”
Characters – 8 Likeable and loopy
Service – 7 Underwear, baths, groping are endlessly exhausting
Yuri – 4.25 Misaki admits to finding Himeko’s body appealing

Overall – 7

Volume 4 is in process now, with an August release date and oh boy, I just can’t wait to find out which Salon the new girl joins! Yes, I am kidding. I couldn’t care less. ^_^

Amanotsuka Academy, you see,
is for young women both rich and lovely
With salons on the line
for those the most divine
Won’t you please join them for tea?

Thanks very much to J-Novel Club for the review copy. ^_^





I’m in Love With the Villainess, Volume 3

June 8th, 2021

As I said of the Japanese edition of  I’m in Love With the Villainess, Volume 3, “We’ve already established that all norms are off the table in this series, so the plot here is a little bit of everything – school drama, romance, socio-political drama, and some other things and then the demons arrive. From this point on the book is spinning plates and juggling balls and then an axe or two on a high-wire.”

And indeed, we are handwaved into an idyll that will be shattered, trod upon, and sliced and diced and none of it – not one word – hit me as hard as the final scene in a throwaway side story. (T_T)

Former daughter of the nobility and school villainess, Claire Francois and her wife, the supernaturally powerful and gifted protagonist of the game Revolution, Rae Taylor, are living a reasonably comfortable life. Given that this life was built in the ruins of a revolution to take down a monarchy, it’s a very sweet life. Their adopted daughters are energetic and precocious. They have jobs. Why would anyone give up all that they have carved out for themselves?

The answer is of course that Claire believes in her upbringing – that, as a (former) noble, she has standards  and serving her country is the core of her beliefs. That her country is, maybe less worthy than she hoped, is a given. Instead of rethinking society into a more equal structure, all the government wants to do is create a new kind of second-class citizen of women and queer folks. That’s only just about 100% likely.

But instead of wrestling with rich men’s refusal to share power, we head off to the Nur Kingdom. At which point, I would like to digress and discuss my personal interpretation of the country names. As I see it, they are as follows: Bauer is kind of Germany; Alpes is Austria; Sousse is Switzerland. That’s kind of straightforward.

Okay let’s do Nur. In Japanese its written as ナー, so more like “Naa”

What country might that be? Hm, I wonder what aggressive militaristic country is threatening to Japan right now. It’s not hard to see that Nur is China, and Rusha (Russia) is “north” of that.

I want to note that Frieda, who affects a fake French accent here is from Melica, or, as I think of it, ‘Merika. Because ‘Xico and Nacada (or something like that) will get a mention next book and there will be reasons. So, while this is my interpretation and not at ALL a criticism of the translation, I think of Frieda as a really annoying American. For reasons.

As I thought of all this, I realized that, in the smallest and most tedious way possible, I’m kind of in Rae’s position. I know what’s coming, but I don’t know how it might turn out, only how it has turned out, when it’s over.  So gosh, how irritating for Rae. ^_^;

In any case, as with Volume 1, Volume 3 is mostly introduction and set up and I will also say that not every question posed here will be answered in V4. Which is why I stare with longing at GL Bunko’s listings waiting for a V5 to be listed.  inori-sensei has also posted all the final chapters of this arc and her story from Claire’s perspective on pixiv fanbox and I hope that will bring up the page count enough for the next volume soon.

Now I will return to reading the manga for my fix. And waiting for V5 in Japanese or V4 in English, neither of which have a date as of yet. In the meantime, we may enjoy the sweet scenes of domestic bliss, holidays and celebrations and what will pass (for now, eff you new government) as their wedding. And that’s still not the queerest part of the book.

I mentioned that the emotional impact here for me was, rather than the childrens’ trials, the final chapter where Claire experiences a Rae who does not love her and how bereft her life becomes. That one got me in the gut.

Ratings:

Art – 8
Story – 9
Characters – 10
Service – Kind of, but I’m alright with any and all of it.
Yuri – 10
Queer – 10

Overall – 10

There are STILL questions I have even after Volume 4. In the meantime, I have one question for you – what did you think of Dorothea? I adored her, as you might imagine and need a lot of fanart of her. ^_^ Sadly she’s too cool and competent (and adult /eyeroll/) for most fan artists, who seem to prefer Lily or Philene. Sigh. Poor me.