A Certain Magical Virtual-On

Back in 1996 there was a Sega arcade game you could play called Virtual On: Cyber Troopers, in which you and a friend could control giant robots (via two pilot joysticks, mad scientist-style) and attempt to beat each other up. Some things happened, and then in 2018 a new game of this sort was released for the PS Vita and Playstation 4 in Japan. This game is called A Certain Magical Virtual-On, and features characters from the light novel series A Certain Magical Index. (There was a crossover novel written by Kazuma Kamachi that was released beforehand.)

A Certain Magical Virtual-On

That’s right, local punch-boy Touma now gets to pilot a mecha. And not only him, but also all his many friends, enemies, and frenemies. Index gets a mecha. Mikoto gets a mecha. And even Accelerator gets a mecha. What kind of light novel fan would I be if I didn’t import this game? A normal one, I assume. But let’s go ahead and see if I can win a single match, and keep Touma’s friends from wrecking the city.

The game starts off with a nice little anime opening by JC Staff. The theme song “Get Ready!” is sung by the voice actresses for Index (Yuka Iguchi) and Mikoto (Rina Satou). The opening ends with Touma and Accelerator having at it with their giant robots. Some on the internet call this a bizarre and unexpected development, but personally I feel it was only a matter of time.

Here you can see the title screen.

I figure I should start with the tutorial. An energetic virtual girl named Lilina tells me all about Virtual-On, which is apparently the future of sports in the world of A Certain Magical Index. I’m not sure if letting a bunch of children operate giant robots is the safest idea, but I suppose it would at least be entertaining.

The tutorial seems to just be her talking about everything, so I decide to skip the rest and go to the story mode. I can press buttons and see what happens.

I am playing as Touma, who is entering a Virtual-On tournament with Index it seems. We have nothing better to do, I guess (though, granted, what would be better?). My first opponents are these girls. On the right is Mikoto, the angry child who wins the light novel character contest every year. I’ve always wondered what anyone likes about her, but now it’s finally become clear. As you can see, she is taking the sport of Virtual-On more seriously than the rest of us, dressed in her Formula One racer outfit. You have to dress for the job you want, as they say.

I must admit I don’t know anything about the girl on the left, but she seems funny. I wouldn’t be surprised if she were the actual best girl of the series. Her name is Misaki, and she has a permanent glint in her eyes. She’s got her eyes on the prize, as they say.

I won’t be intimidated by either of these pushovers. Touma and Index are in it to win it! You can’t expect the protagonist and the character the entire series is named after to lose, right?

The battle begins. Our robots are inside a giant stylish arena, which I assume cost about the equivalent of a hundred or so ice rinks. Hopefully each game sells out. Will Virtual-On have lasting appeal, or is it just a passing fad, like badminton?

I swiftly and mercilessly take down my enemies. Touma’s robot can not only shoot energy bullets, but he wields a sword as well. Attack from a distance, or rush in to strike the opponent down. The strategic possibilities are endless. The only thing stopping you is your own lack of skill.

I win! As if there was ever any doubt. Now, to the next round! I am one step closer to the Virtual-On Grand Prize, and its accompanying 100 trillion yen–all of which will go directly to funding the production of bigger and deadlier robots. (What else is there to spend all that money on?)

My next opponents are the girls from A Certain Scientific Railgun, namely Ruiko and Kazari. Judging by their expressions here, they’re scared stiff by the prospect of having to battle Touma and Index. They probably saw how easily we mopped the floor with their friend Mikoto, whose popularity availed her nothing.

I must say I do have some cause for concern. The robots that these girls pilot are massive! Kazari’s mecha might just step on me, and that’ll end the match. You really do have to watch out for the quiet ones…

The battle is fast and furious. I’m flying left and right, shooting everything I’ve got. I lob a grenade to lure the enemy toward me, then fire from above. Index meanwhile is shooting cat-shaped energy beams that make meowing noises. Because why not.

Just when I’m about to win (okay, I have no idea), Kazari unleashes some kind of SUPER attack from out of nowhere. Missiles. Missiles everywhere. Not even Touma’s punch can stop a missile.

“This is the moment before you died, Touma. Next time, I recommend not getting blown up by missiles.”

It’s over. No more A Certain Magical Index. No way there will be a season 3 for the anime now, with both Touma and Index killed. And for what? A pointless robot battle royale. I imagine the world will be doomed without us. Most likely Accelerator will level the city with his mecha, but I won’t be surprised if the fiendish Kazari and Ruiko help out.

But first, there’s still some more of the game to play. In the mission mode, you can simply select a character and jump straight into a battle.

I will attempt to defeat Accelerator as the sparkle-eyed girl. My robot wields a magic staff, so I have that going for me at least.

It is one of the most epic battles in history. My robot can shoot giant snowflake shurikens, as well as giant ice stalagmites. I guess that’s magic for you!

I also figure out how to do my SUPER attack, by tapping the Vita’s screen. I summon what looks to be an ice dragon, which lunges toward the enemy.

My mecha also sprouts four angel wings. I don’t know if that helps me in some way, but it looks cool.

It’s all for nothing though. Accelerator is simply too strong. Perhaps I should just stick with visual novels and Puyo Puyo Tetris.

———

It’s time to review the game! I’d say the graphics are practically photo-realistic, the gameplay is smooth as butter, and the robots are indeed as large as they claimed to be (if not larger!). A 10 out of 10 game through and through. A Certain Magical Virtual-On is unarguably the best video game release of the year, and might very well be the title that defines this generation of entertainment just in general.

An Archdemon’s Dilemma

English Title: An Archdemon’s Dilemma: How to Love Your Slave Elf Bride
Japanese Title: 魔王の俺が奴隷エルフを嫁にしたんだが、どう愛でればいい? — Maou no Ore ga Dorei Elf wo Yome ni Shitanda ga, Dou Medereba Ii — “I, a Demon Lord, Took a Slave Elf as My Wife, but How Do I Love Her?”
Author: Fuminori Teshima
Illustrator: COMTA
Translator: Hikoki
Genre: Fantasy, Comedy
Original Run: January 2017 – ongoing
English Run: August 2018 – ongoing
Japanese Publisher: HJ Bunko
English Publisher: J-Novel Club
Volumes in Japanese: 5 (In Progress)
Volumes in English: 1 (In Progress)
Average Price Per Volume: Kindle $7 – iBook $7 – Kobo $7
Note: Also available to read online through a J-Novel Club subscription. This series is currently digital-only.

• English Website — Japanese Website
• MAL Entry — Forum
• Baka Updates — LNDB.info — Novel Updates

Synopsis: Zagan is feared by the masses as an evil sorcerer. Both socially awkward and foulmouthed, he spends his days studying sorcery while beating down any trespassers within his domain. One day he’s invited to a dark auction, and what he finds there is an elven slave girl of peerless beauty, Nephy. Having fallen in love at first sight, Zagan uses up his entire fortune to purchase her, but being a poor conversationalist, he has no idea how to properly interact with her. Thus, the awkward cohabitation of a sorcerer who has no idea how to convey his love and his slave who yearns for her master but has no idea how to appeal to him begins.

Volume 1
Amazon — iBook — J-Novel Club — Kobo
Released August 18, 2018 — ASIN: B07F7NZ5W3

Reviews of Title
(forthcoming)

Illustrations Sampler

If you liked An Archdemon’s Dilemma, you might also want to try…

• Grimgar of Fantasy and Ash — Awkward main character, Fantasy
• Outbreak Company — Fantasy, Comedy, Similar character relationship

If you find any errors or broken links in this entry, leave a comment!

Bokushinu

It is time for a discussion of the first volume of Bokushinu, featuring me and Kastel! This post will contain lots of spoilers, so it’s recommended you read the book first. (Hellping Translation — Amazon Japan — Books Kinokuniya — YesAsia)

To check on the Summer Reading Program 2018 schedule, click here.

Volume 1 (Japan Cover)

Cho: Hello Kastel! Thanks for joining in for the Bokushinu discussion
Kastel: hi cho, good 2am(?)
Cho: Ah, sorry to keep you up so late ._.;
Kastel: nah, i sleep late anyway
because i am cursed
Cho: Okay, let’s go ahead and start then
So this book is Tomorrow I Will Die. You Will Revive, or something along those lines
Kastel: yep, that’s the official English title
Cho: Did you know anything about this series before you started reading it?
Kastel: not really besides the Konorano ranking and the artist drawing cute art
this is the writer’s first book and it won the prize for the Dengeki novel contest
basically, it’s a contest you send in entries to and if you win they publish your novels
Cho: That’s nice
Kastel: 86 -eightysix- is one of the most recent winners
Cho: I mainly just heard people online recommending it, so it had been on my to-read list for a couple years
Kastel: ah, i see
it’s not really a book i’d pick from the Kinokuniya
bookshelves i mean
Cho: I think it was fan-translated three years ago
It unfortunately was not as smooth of a read as I hoped — but to some degree perhaps I’m just more used to official translations at this point
You read it in Japanese though, I assume?
Kastel: yeah, the novel wasn’t really good to read in Japanese either
the best way to describe the writing in this novel is uh
a train of thoughts that gets trainwrecked
Cho: The story is a bit… meandering?
You mentioned it’s the author’s first novel, which is kind of what I was thinking while reading it
Kastel: yep, did the fan translator translate the afterword?
because there’s actually an interesting bit that could explain why the plot is like this
Cho: the afterword was translated, I don’t remember what it said though
(I think the Ro-kyu-bu author recommended him?)
Kastel: the writer basically wrote off-script many times and thought it would be amusing to bring in something unexpected
and it’s … probably the reason why this light novel is extremely bizarre
Cho: The ending in particular, right? It pulls an extra-silly twist along the lines of things like Henneko
Kastel: the premise is about a young girl who possessed a guy’s body and it’s actually pretty fun at first; it reminded me of Your Name‘s first half
how the girl made some rude high schooler into the most popular person
but then, once it gets to the dramatic moments — like the ending — it reveals something Very Silly
Cho: The beginning was a bit Your Name-ish, yes — only make Mitsuha a very wild girl
Kastel: yeah, mitsuha in this book is basically a horny anime fan
this book in general is Very Horny
tons of sex jokes
Cho: Which I think can be amusing, given the premise — but I think most of the time it just felt… “familiar LN tropes”
Kastel: i did get a kick out of the imouto
yeah, i feel like the premise was completely forgotten but there’s also a bigger problem
the reason Your Name‘s first half is memorable is because you actually see the pov the girl takes in the guy’s body
the whole novel for Bokushinu is the dude cleaning up her interesting mess; there’s really no exploration of gender and it makes the sex jokes feel kinda off too
Cho: I think the main idea was that Hikari wanted to be a high school hero of justice, and with a delinquent’s body she was more able to intimidate the bad kids at school
But yes, of course she decides to be “Sexy Dream”
Kastel: it’s not really a theme that is explored as well
it was uh jarring to learn that lol
i do think first volumes for many successful light novels are just weird and off — everyone usually gets into a series after the third novel or so — but Bokushinu doesn’t, uh, give a good first impression
Cho: It’s kind of three short stories loosely tied together, and the general tone of each is a bit all over the place
Kastel: yeah that’s a good way to put into things
i wasn’t really sure for the direction for the most part and then suddenly
suicide
Cho: (and then suddenly–not suicide)
Kastel: i personally think the approach to suicide/not suicide is somewhat offensive
since it feels like it’s devaluing people who do
have to go there
but i also got really bored and just wanted to finish the book
Cho: It gave me mixed feelings at least
I think to some degree I probably went into the book with the wrong expectations? Based on the title, it sounds like a drama meant to be taken more seriously than the average LN
Kastel: yeah
the intro definitely made me think that
i thought the humor would be cute at least but it got really old and felt like a one-trick horse
Cho: But since I went into the book expecting drama, I might have ended up liking the part with Kazeshiro (the boy who decides to kill himself, so everyone feels bad about Hikari) the most — though even then it’s pretty disjointed
Kastel: i think i just stopped caring at that point … he just appeared out of nowhere
it’s also near the end of the book too — i thought i was reading some bad slice-of-life anime that needed some drama in the end
it’s pretty clear that the writer didn’t really think things through…
and the writing is kinda brain-dead boring, i found myself dozing off a lot
Cho: Somewhat amusingly, we haven’t even touched on the whole romance plot with Kasumi, which disappears about halfway through the story
Kastel: yeah uh, that romance subplot just sucks
what was that even about…
i mean, i get that the protagonist is actually a Nice Guy and that’s why she likes him but lol
Cho: She’s a bit wild too, and then there’s the little sister… (who of course is a light novelist)
Kastel: the imouto is cool
she learned eroge from the fem protag
and wrote amazing blog posts
Cho: You liked the imouto, hm? She was a bit much for me, ha ha
Kastel: i like imouto characters because they have to be cute but they also have to be really weird and somewhat disturbing to stand out
Cho: But again, I probably went into the story with the wrong expectations. It was super bizarre for me to get Oreimo hijinks for such a large percentage of the plot
Kastel: welcome to Dengeki Bunko
where trends, not plots, are followed
and tbh if i didn’t pay for the book and had to read it for the blog, i would not have read it to completion
i don’t even think it reaches Oreimo levels of entertainment — at least that shit is hilarious and horny
this was just kinda boring once you realize only two things happened
1) the imouto is a stalker 2) the girl died because she started shipping dudes irl
everything else is just … “why is it there”
Cho: I feel like a lot happened, but most of it just didn’t tie together in a way that felt meaningful?
Kastel: well, there’s a bunch of motifs like waking up in a field of watermelons
but i assume it’s just the girl being very silly … i can’t really tell what’s serious and silly
Cho: There was a lot of dialogue that didn’t make much sense to me — perhaps it’s just characters being random, or perhaps it just didn’t get through to me in translation
Or a little of both
Kastel: i don’t really remember the dialog and i just finished it today…
i do remember the imouto’s remarks about NTR ehehe…
but i have a hard time picturing any of the scenes either because there’s no narration to put me into the place
it’s just thoughts thoughts maybe dialogs but mostly thoughts

Tomorrow, I Will Die. You Will Revive.

Cho: Regarding Hikari’s death though — I do feel that the true reason she wasn’t paying attention to Taxi-san was simply because she had found the boy from that childhood river incident
Because these coincidences always happen
Kastel: yeah, that’s obviously what happened
but she is never serious so she took a detour in her own special way
Cho: Of course, she can’t admit to liking Akitsuki
and of course, she’s dead and they’re sharing a body, so it’s perhaps ultimately a moot point, though I’m sure things will develop between them in subsequent volumes
Actually things could end up a bit Ranma 1/2-ish, if they build up a zany love dodecahedron
Kastel: well, there are two other volumes and one short story collection
obviously this is supposed to be a prologue of sorts, but i believe it’s finished
Cho: Thinking this, I kind of wonder if I’d have liked the story more if it stuck with one specific tone
Kastel: the book really wants to be a silly romcom
in the same idea as Your Name‘s first half
Cho: There are lots of anime/manga/etc that play with tone, jumping back and forth between light comedy and sad drama — but that’s a hard thing to pull off well
Kastel: i would not have minded that… but this is just bad
yeah, this one is basically some bad 00s anime
and it doesn’t really make sense…
most of those anime you’re talking about are adapting or creating original episodes, they are compressing a lot of time
this is just the first volume of a light novel…
Cho: I do wonder though if I’d like a novel by this author entirely devoted to wacky hijinks — I don’t think the humor generally clicked with me here
Kastel: unfortunately the writer has been MIA since 2014 (the short story collection was published that year)
so who knows

Cho: How did you feel about the protagonist Akitsuki? Did you feel he had a full character arc?
Kastel: i just think he’s a poor man’s version of 8man
he just exists, i have zero interest in him
Cho: I think this was another case where I had mixed feelings toward how the plot was handled
Akitsuki is more or less forced to change, right? Hikari is at the controls for half his days now, and is directly changing how everyone views and interacts with him
But is that just a metaphor for how anyone can affect others, just in general?
Could be a case of me wanting to delve deeper into a topic than the author did
Kastel: well, he also says he hasn’t “changed” much; his life got interesting at least
if we want to take it at face value, he’s changed but he isn’t aware of it — the girl is putting him outside of his comfort zone
but there isn’t anything interesting about it nor does the book have anything to say
that’s why i think he just “exists”
Cho: Do you think it could’ve been more interesting if Akitsuki tried to challenge Hikari a bit more, instead of (mostly) just going with the flow?
You brought up Hachiman earlier, and I think part of his appeal is that — while he is dragged around a lot — he at least has something witty to say about it
Kastel: could be, it will make him do more than just existing
i just think he’s boring and reminded me i should read Oregairu instead lol
he is one step above protagonists like Amagami man
he could be friends with Haganai man too
nandatte..
Cho: One other thing I have mixed feelings for in this book — the author decided that the only way our two leads could communicate was through journal entries they leave for one another (again, similar to Your Name)
On one hand I’ll give the author credit for (mostly) sticking to this throughout the whole book — but on the other hand, it sure slows things down, doesn’t it?
Kastel: it’s mostly because you never see her pov
i don’t really know why a story about souls possessing the same body won’t have pov switches
Cho: Ah, yes! That was what I think I wanted the entire time I was reading this
Thanks for reminding me, ha ha
Kastel: i was just kinda confused for the whole book and thought she must be important right
Cho: I *really* wanted Hikari’s point of view
Kastel: unfortunately after reading the ending
i get the feeling the girl was supposed to be some True VN Heroine kind of deal
so in the writer’s mind, she needs to be more mysterious
and that means no pov for her
which is Dumb
Cho: I think at one point, I thought we never got her PoV because we were going to find out she was just a made-up entity in the protagonist’s head
Or some other big twist like that
It was going to be very META about waifus in otaku culture (or so I imagined)
Kastel: nah i thought the book was dumb so i never thought of some wild plot twist
and if that was the case, it’d be something people will talk about more
Cho: But yes, it seems she’s really there, and we only get to read about the aftermath of her actions
I think the core concept is fine and could be lots of fun for an author to play around with, but all in all this story left me wanting
Kastel: if it was by a writer who knew how to write for an audience, it would be an entertaining light novel
as of now, i just think it’s a mess
Cho: It is an interesting experiment at least, but does feel more like a random web novel than an award-winning published novel
But I guess a lot of random web novels are getting published and winning awards these days
Kastel: nah, light novel published awards don’t mean much
except “you got a book contract”
Dengeki is especially that
i wouldn’t consider those awards to be on the same scale as, say, the Oscars
Cho: Of course, ha ha — but you do generally hope it’s still “the best of the bunch”
Kastel: and Dengeki Bunko has… gone down the drain anyway
after reading Ka Esuma‘s Violet “best of the bunch” Evergarden…………..
i think i’ll stick with Amazon reviews and book blogs
Cho: This is nothing particular to light novels I suppose

Cho: I’m not sure if I have anything else to add for Bokushinu
Do you have any questions to throw out?
Kastel: nothing really, it isn’t a very memorable book
i did enjoy reading something that’s not something i would read
but otherwise, it’s not an impression-leaving work
Cho: Part of the reason I keep putting together the Summer Reading program each year is to kind of force myself to try out novels I normally wouldn’t read
And encourage others to try new things
(Of course, how well I have ever accomplished such a thing is definitely up in the air, lol)
Kastel: yeah for sure
it was just interesting for me to read this book since i started thinking about what i would do differently and what worked/didn’t work
really, it should have stuck to a tone and given some limelight to the girl
Cho: Yes, as a wannabe writer myself, I do try to at least learn something from each book I read
Kastel: tons of books are wary giving pov shifts to other characters, but with a premise like body switching, you gotta do it
(unless it’s some crazy Uchikoshi twist)
Cho: That was part of what made Your Name reach a wide audience, right?
Kastel: yeah
even the sex jokes make way more sense there too
with Taki crying over touching Mitsuha’s breasts
you don’t really see that kind of meaningful sex jokes in Bokushinu
they’re just there and they’re not even good…
Cho: And I think that, in part, could be due to the fact we’re only seeing everything Hikari did a whole day after she did things
We’re not “in the moment,” as it were
Kastel: yeah, it’s just boring
and the guy is just some passive protag
Cho: He does take action at the end at least — but perhaps not in a way that felt rewarding to the reader
And I think that may be in part because it was largely thanks to everything Hikari did that he was able to, for example, convince the mohawk delinquents to help out
It’s a tricky premise to work with for these sorts of things, ha ha
Which might be why it would’ve been easier to just stick with wacky hijinks
Kastel: it’d be interesting if we just read Hikari…………..
but oh well………. we got some boring dude
Hikari is just some manic pixie character anyway
i’m tired of that archetype
Cho: Now that I think about it, she’s very Haruhi Suzumiya-ish
Which I’ll agree, is an archetype I don’t care much for
It was kind of subverted, and then un-subverted, ha ha
Kastel: they’re everywhere
and very boring
Cho: It’s all about the tsunderes now… maybe? I have no idea, lol
It’s imoutos probably
Kastel: isekai actually
Cho: oh right, elf slaves

WorldEnd: What Do You Do at the End of the World? Are You Busy? Will You Save Us?

Cho: Our final summer reading though will be all about the sad fighting girls, in WorldEnd volume 1
Kastel: you may want to mention that WorldEnd volume 1’s translation was praised by the original writer
he can read English and was very impressed by the localization
Cho: That’s good to hear
It’s already gotten some high praise, in the very small English LN-blogsphere
Kastel: yeah it’s an excellent series
Cho: I saw the anime and thought it was all right, but did feel the novels were probably better
IDK, guess I’ll find out soon enough :>
Kastel: the anime’s first episode was the best adaptation
everything else is a mess
the writer wrote the first episode’s script
Cho: That’s interesting
It seems like the sort of story that would need to take its time with everything, have long quiet moments that an anime can’t afford
Kastel: there’s a lot of random LORE moments that never get brought up again because the writer thought the series was getting cancelled
Cho: I think you mentioned that in your review of the series
Kastel: yeah
it’s kinda bad in volume 2
because that was the “final” volume
Cho: it almost got the boot, but the fans rallied together to spread the word
Kastel: through word-of-mouth
now it’s one of the best selling series from Sneaker Bunko

Cho: That’s it for our discussion on Bokushinu volume 1. Now it’s your turn! What are some of your thoughts on this book?

Cho: Hi everyone, hope you’re having a nice summer. It’s time for some long-overdue posts to introduce new contributors for this site. Let’s start with Carriage!

How about you introduce yourself?

Carriage: Hi! I’m Carriage and I run a semi-infrequent blog over at A Carriage Return which is mostly a blog about anime and occasionally about light novels. Writing’s never been a strong suit for me, especially as a person in an entirely different field of study–but after reading the works of the great bloggers and writers here and elsewhere in our little corner of the internet, I felt like I wanted to give back in any way that I could–whether that be through the blog or contributing directly to places like ELN.

Otherwise, I’m just your ordinary Japanese mixed-media fan, occasionally yelling about anime, manga, light novels, and idols on Twitter whenever I get the chance. It’s nice to meet you all!

Cho: What got you into LNs? What do you like about them?

Carriage: If I had to pick just one thing I’d say that anime was largely what initially got me into light novels. Through LNs, I could follow series that were not completely covered by their animated adaptations like Hyouka and Index, or even re-experience shows that I loved again but slightly differently like with Toradora. After those initial few series, I ended up reading the fan translations for a lot of random novels, some of which would then later get adaptations, which then gave me the opportunity to understand the feelings of the perpetually disappointed source-material fan for the first time.

This is kind of a weird answer but it’s maybe because of this shared space between the two media that make me like LNs so much. Going in as an anime fan, it feels like LN authors draw from and write based on a set of experiences, knowledge, expectations, and so on and so forth that we as fans share. Even for the novels least grounded in reality and the most removed from traditional LN/anime-isms, there’s always an odd feeling of familiarity that comes out of writers that I can tell are fans of the same range of stuff as me. So asides from just simply enjoying the stories, the existence of that feeling of inclusivity I get from novels written by fans just like me is probably why I’ve been so attached to LNs.

Cho: Not a weird answer at all! I think many LN readers can relate to this. What light novels would you say are your favorites?

Carriage: Hyouka, Toradora, and Iris on Rainy Days are definitely favorites of mine from my fan translation days, the last of which I have been meaning to revisit since I haven’t re-read it since then. But more recently I’ve been enjoying Kieli, The Isolator, SAO, and Oregairu. The odd standout of these is definitely Kieli though. I was recommended it by Frog-kun when I was first getting back into LNs about 2 years ago and I’ve been really enjoying getting through it ever since.

Cho: Always nice to find another Kieli reader! Actually though, in terms of genre and tone, I’d say the odd standout in your list of favorites here is Sword Art Online. What do you like most about that series?

Carriage: Now that you mention it I guess it is a bit of an outlier, isn’t it? Sword Art Online was one of the first anime that I watched seasonally and was kind of my gateway back into anime. So whenever I got back into light novels, settling into Kawahara’s virtual worlds with a familiar cast was fun and easy–especially with the expansion on the part of SAO I liked the most in Progressive.

But nostalgia reasons aside, I think what had me coming back to SAO was Kawahara’s honest love for his worlds and scenarios. The games the characters play and the detailed places they explore feel like realizations of subjects and hobbies that he’s passionate about. And that’s really nice to see, especially given that they’re also things that my nerdy younger self often preoccupied himself with.

Cho: Outside of light novels, what other things do you enjoy?

Carriage: Aside from the obvious answers of anime/manga, games and game design are things that have interested me for a while. A couple classmates and I are actually in the process of polishing a game that we made in the hopes of releasing it sometime in the near future. As for other things, I’m a pretty big fan of seiyuu and Love Live and I’m also studying Japanese in my free time too!

Cho: What sort of game are you making?

Carriage: I probably shouldn’t go into too much detail, but it’s a bit of a weird spin on Rocket League except featuring sumo wrestlers instead of cars. It’s the same style of game though–essentially a first-person soccer game–but hopefully with enough creative spin to turn some heads, haha.

Cho: Sounds fun. Thanks for sharing, Carriage! And thanks for all your help so far on this site.

Cho: Let’s continue our introduction posts for the new contributors to this site. Next up is Gee!

How about you introduce yourself?

Kokoro Connect

English Title: Kokoro Connect
Japanese Title: ココロコネクト — “Kokoro Connect”
Author: Sadanatsu Anda
Illustrator: Shiromizakana
Translator: Molly Lee
Genre: Drama, Body Swap, Slice of Life, Comedy, Paranormal, School Life
Original Run: January 2010 – September 2013
English Run: August 2018 – ongoing
Japanese Publisher: Famitsu Bunko
English Publisher: J-Novel Club
Volumes in Japanese: 11 (Complete)
Volumes in English: 1 (In Progress)
Average Price Per Volume: Kindle $7 – iBook $7 – Kobo $7
Note: Also available to read online through a J-Novel Club subscription. This series is currently digital-only.

• English Website — Japanese Website
• MAL Entry — Forum
• Baka Updates — LNDB.info — Novel Updates

Synopsis: The Cultural Research Club is an eclectic bunch: a pro wrestling fanboy, a goofy ditz, a master of snark, a laid-back jokester, and a total girly-girl. Their peaceful teenage lives are turned upside-down, however, when they suddenly and inexplicably start swapping bodies with each other. At first it’s all wacky hijinks… but then things get a little too personal. Boundaries are crossed, and dark secrets come to light—secrets that threaten to destroy the very foundations of their friendship. Who—or what—is causing the body-swap phenomenon? Will it ever stop? But most of all… can their club survive it? Find out in the hit ensemble dramedy light novel from award-winning author Sadanatsu Anda!

Vol 1 — Hito Random

Volume 1 — Hito Random
Amazon — iBook — J-Novel Club — Kobo
Released August 22, 2018 — ASIN: B07FNMCNGR

Upcoming Releases

• Volume 2 (TBA)
  Amazon — iBook — J-Novel Club — Kobo

Reviews of Kokoro Connect
(forthcoming)

Illustrations Sampler

Anime Adaptation
MAL Entry — 13 episodes — Aired July 2012 – September 2012. 4 OVAs aired November-December 2012.
Crunchyroll (streaming) — Amazon — RightStuf
Note: Adapted volumes 1 to 3 of the light novel series. 4 OVAs Adapted Volume 4

Manga Adaptation
MAL Entry — 5 volumes — October 2010 – August 2013 (English release by Seven Seas)
Amazon — Barnes and Noble — Book Depository — RightStuf

If you liked Kokoro Connect, you might also want to try…

• Book Girl — Slice of Life, Paranormal, Mystery, School Life
• My Youth Romantic Comedy is Wrong as I Expected — Slice of Life, Comedy, School Life
• The Empty Box and Zeroth Maria — School Life, Paranormal, Drama

If you find any errors or broken links in this entry, leave a comment!

Cho: It’s time for the last of our introduction posts for this site’s new contributors. Here’s Justus!

How about you introduce yourself?

Justus: Hi everyone! My name is Justus R. Stone and I run a YouTube channel and podcast dedicated to light novels.

Cho: Very cool! What got you into light novels?

Justus: I’m a longtime anime fan, so I first became aware of light novels through anime adaptations. But it wasn’t until the floodgates started opening with the English release of Sword Art Online that I became a light novel reader. At the time, I was most excited for the release of Accel World because it was an anime I enjoyed which finished on a “read the novels for more” cliffhanger.

Cho: A lot of anime adaptations are like that, though it’s not too surprising when the LN series is ongoing. Out of curiosity, what shows got you into anime?

Justus: When I was a kid, I was into shows like Robotech (Macross), Voltron, and StarBlazers (Space Battleship Yamato). But at the time, I had no idea they were anime, I just knew they seemed cooler than a lot of other (in retrospect, North American) cartoons. But the series that really got me into anime was Sailor Moon. I watched it while it was airing in Canada on YTV, and when they suddenly canceled it mid-season, my then-girlfriend (now my wife) and I went to our local Chinatown in search of more. After a while, the staff at those stores started suggesting series, and it just grew from there.

Cho: Very neat, and makes me think we could really use a good mecha LN series. What are some of your favorite light novels at the moment?

Justus: Some of my favorite titles are The Devil is a Part-Timer!, Is It Wrong to Try to Pick-Up Girls in a Dungeon?, Overlord, and Re:Zero. But to be honest, I’m always finding new series I enjoy and am wanting to continue reading.

Cho: That’s a nice variety of titles–and I’ve noticed you also review the first volume of almost every LN series that comes out. (Best of luck, keeping up with all these new series releasing!) Is there a future title you’re looking forward to the most?

Justus: The title I’d say I was most excited for just came out, WorldEnd (it did NOT disappoint). But in terms of ones still to be released, I’m looking forward to Amagi Brilliant Park. The anime was so much fun, and apparently most of its content came from only 1 volume, so I’m excited to see more of the story.

Cho: Outside of light novels, what other things do you enjoy?

Justus: Outside of light novels, I also enjoy writing. I recently finished a four book series called The Bleeding Worlds and I’m in the early stages of writing something new. I’m married with two teenage sons and a small dog named Appa (yes, after the flying bison). To pay the bills, I work as an ambulance communications officer in which I take emergency calls and dispatch ambulances.

Cho: Sounds exciting! Would you say light novels have influenced your writing, or given you some new ideas?

Justus: Well, The Bleeding Worlds I’d say was more influenced by anime in terms of ideas. But that’s probably because I started writing it several years before I got into light novels. The new idea I’m playing around with is definitely showing far more light novel influences in terms of story and structure. Hopefully, I can have something new out soon. I tend to be a slow writer.

Cho: Thanks for sharing, Justus! And thanks for all your help so far on this site.

Seirei Gensouki: Spirit Chronicles

English Title: Seirei Gensouki: Spirit Chronicles
Japanese Title: 精霊幻想記 — “Seirei Gensouki”
Author: Yuri Kitayama — 北山結莉
Illustrator: Riv
Translator: Mana Z.
Genre: Fantasy, Reincarnation, Harem
Original Run: October 2015 – ongoing
English Run: August 2018 – ongoing
Japanese Publisher: HJ Bunko
English Publisher: J-Novel Club
Volumes in Japanese: 10 (In Progress)
Volumes in English: 1 (In Progress)
Average Price Per Volume: Kindle $7 – iBook $7 – Kobo $7
Note: Also available to read online through a J-Novel Club subscription. This series is currently digital-only.

• English Website — Japanese Website
• MAL Entry — Forum
• Baka Updates — LNDB.info — Novel Updates

Synopsis: Meet Rio: a callous orphaned boy living in the slums. At only 7-years-old, he realizes he’s actually the reincarnation of Haruto Amakawa, a Japanese university student with a tragic past. While still reeling from this shocking epiphany, Rio also comes to learn that he possesses extremely potent magical abilities and uses his new powers to solve the kidnapping case of a little girl. His good deed is acknowledged, and he’s rewarded by being enrolled into… a prestigious academy for noble children…?

Volume 1 — Kingdom of Lies
Amazon — iBook — J-Novel Club — Kobo
Release Date: August 28, 2018 — ASIN: B07FNL7FSV

Reviews of Seirei Gensouki: Spirit Chronicles
(forthcoming)

Illustrations Sampler

Manga Adaptation
MAL Entry — Published July 2017 – ongoing (Japan Only)

If you liked Seirei Gensouki: Spirit Chronicles, you might also want to try…

• Arifureta: From Commonplace to World’s Strongest — fantasy, harem
• Death March to the Parallel World Rhapsody — isekai, harem

If you find any errors or broken links in this entry, leave a comment!

Sorcerous Stabber Orphen

English Title: Sorcerous Stabber Orphen: The Wayward Journey
Japanese Title: 魔術士オーフェンはぐれ旅 — “Majutsushi Orphen Hagure Tabi”
Author: Yoshinobu Akita — 秋田禎信
Illustrator: Yuuya Kusaka — 草河遊也
Translator: Andrew Hodgson
Genre: Fantasy, Action, Magic
Original Run: May 1994 – September 2003
English Run: August 2018 – ongoing
Japanese Publisher: Fujimi Fantasia Bunko (Fujimi Shobo)
English Publisher: J-Novel Club
Volumes in Japanese: 20 (Completed)
Volumes in English: 1 (In Progress)
Average Price Per Volume: Kindle $7 – iBook $7 – Kobo $7
Note: Also available to read online through a J-Novel Club subscription. This series is currently digital-only.

• English Website — Japanese Website
• MAL Entry — Forum
• Baka Updates — LNDB.info — Novel Updates

Synopsis: Orphen is a Sorcerer drop-out from the prestigious Tower of Fangs. His journey to save Azalie, a girl he looked up to like a sister, has brought him to the bustling city of Totokanta. Here they are reunited for the first time in five years. But what is the truth behind her monstrous transformation, and just what secrets lurk behind the Sword of Baldanders…?

Volume 1 — Heed My Call, Beast!
Amazon — iBook — J-Novel Club — Kobo
Released August 26, 2018 — ASIN: B07FPNJW3N

Upcoming Releases

• Volume 2 (TBA)
  Amazon — iBook — J-Novel Club — Kobo

Reviews of Sorcerous Stabber Orphen
(forthcoming)

Illustrations Sampler

Original Anime Adaptation
MAL Entry — 24 episodes — Aired October 1998 – March 1999
Amazon — RightStuf
Note: Season 1 loosely adapted volume 1. The following seasons were anime-original material.

Remake Anime Adaptation
MAL Entry — Airing in 2019

Manga Adaptation
MAL Entry — 6 volumes — Published December 1997 – January 2001 (English release by ADV Manga)
Out of Print

New Manga Adaptation
MAL Entry — 4 volumes — Published May 2019 – Ongoing (English release by Seven Seas)
Amazon — Barnes and Noble — Book Depository — RightStuf

If you liked Sorcerous Stabber Orphen, you might also want to try…

• Record of Lodoss War — Fantasy, Action, Magic, Adventure
• The Magic in This Other World is Too Far Behind! — Fantasy, Adventure, Magic
• The Faraway Paladin — Fantasy, Adventure, Magic
• Rokka: Braves of the Six Flowers — Fantasy, Adventure, Action, Magic

If you find any errors or broken links in this entry, leave a comment!

Amagi Brilliant Park

English Title: Amagi Brilliant Park
Japanese Title: 甘城ブリリアントパーク — “Amagi Buririanto Paaku”
Author: Shouji Gatou — 賀東招二
Illustrator: Yuka Nakajima — なかじまゆか
Translator: Elizabeth Ellis
Genre: Fantasy, Romance, Comedy
Original Run: February 2013 – June 2016
English Run: September 2018 – ongoing
Japanese Publisher: Fujimi Fantasia Bunko (Fujimi Shobo)
English Publisher: J-Novel Club
Volumes in Japanese: 8 (Complete)
Volumes in English: 1 (In Progress)
Average Price Per Volume: Kindle $7 – iBook $7 – Kobo $7
Note: Also available to read online through a J-Novel Club subscription. This series is currently digital-only.

• English Website — Japanese Website
• MAL Entry — Forum
• Baka Updates — LNDB.info — Novel Updates

Synopsis: Amusement parks are places of wonder and fun for all ages… right? Well, that’s not quite the case for Amagi Brilliant Park, a “crummy” amusement park on the outskirts of Tokyo where the snacks are inedible, the attractions are falling apart, and the mascots regularly get into fistfights with the guests. It’s the kind of place that cool, handsome, brilliant Kanie Seiya wouldn’t be caught dead in… until a mysterious girl drags him there–at literal gunpoint–and demands that he help them save the park! From the author of Full Metal Panic!

Volume 1
Amazon — iBook — J-Novel Club — Kobo
Released September 9, 2018 — ASIN: B07FPP198C

Upcoming Releases

• Volume 2 (TBA)
  Amazon — iBook — J-Novel Club — Kobo

Reviews of Amagi Brilliant Park
(forthcoming)

Illustrations Sampler

Anime Adaptation
MAL Entry — 13 episodes — October 2014 – December 2014
Crunchyroll (streaming) — Amazon — RightStuf
Note: Adapted volumes 1 to 2 of the light novel series (with some parts from volume 3)

Manga Adaptation
MAL Entry — 6 volumes — Published February 2014 – September 2016 (Japan Only)

If you liked Amagi Brilliant Park, you might also want to try…

• Outbreak Company — involves MC building a business, fantasy, comedy
• Strongest Gamer: Let’s Play in Another World — MC must build a labyrinth, fantasy, comedy, romance

If you find any errors or broken links in this entry, leave a comment!

WorldEnd

It is time for a discussion of the first volume of WorldEnd: What Do You Do at the End of the World? Are You Busy? Will You Save Us?, featuring me, Carriage, and Justus! This post will contain lots of spoilers, so it’s recommended you read the book first. (Amazon — Barnes and Noble — Book Depository — RightStuf)

This is the final discussion for the Summer Reading Program 2018, which you can check the schedule for here.

Volume 1

Cho: It’s the end of the world as Willem knows it
And it’s the true apocalyptic experience, because his main conflict is a massive debt to pay off
Carriage: A fate worse than death
Justus: Even at the world’s end, we still have debt
Cho: “turn me back to stone plz”
Justus: I have to think he thought that. In fact, I’m kind of surprised he didn’t just toss himself off the island
Cho: Of course, I’m being silly about the whole debt thing
The way Willem’s character is handled is my favorite part of this book though, I’d have to say
Justus: Well, it’s actually a pretty major point seeing as how it’s the driving force behind his surviving in this world and taking the position
He’s a very upstanding kind of guy.
Cho: Indeed, he was a valiant hero, so I’m sure that’s just part of his nature
Justus: Yeah. Did anyone else get the impression he was really just living to repay everyone and would probably end himself once his debts were paid?
Carriage: I doubt he’d do that to himself actively but he seemed to be the type to just waste away until the end
Justus: He seems like the type of guy who can’t live without a purpose or for someone else’s sake.
Cho: Many anime and manga and whatnot deal with this concept, of fighting for the sake of protecting those you love as your primary driving force — but WorldEnd is a rare instance of having the hero need to re-find that will to live and fight after a cataclysmic failure
He gave his best shot at saving the world, but in the end the apocalypse happened and he couldn’t keep his promise to reunite with his orphan friends/family
So now he’s back, and it’s just — now what? It’s a great setup to work with
Carriage: Interesting that you use “fight” because my favourite part about the novel is that Willem doesn’t actually fight anything – or at least not anymore
Justus: Agreed. It’s an interesting journey of a man who moves from just going through the motions of working to pay off debt, but then starts moving toward the discovery of family
Carriage: Sitting back and taking the role of the loved ones waiting at home was kind of a neat role reversal
Cho: He’s not on the front lines anymore, but he’s doing what he can — and that’s something I find interesting too tbh
You’re not going to be doing the same thing your entire life
Justus: Yes! It also lends itself to the whole melancholy feeling that hangs over the book.
Well, it’s like he’s moved literally into the father role
Carriage: I mean technically he had that role before the big event
Cho: The book brings things full circle for several of its details, yes
Justus: Well, he had the title, but I think that was mostly ceremonial
I mean, it’s pretty clear there is a mutual love between him and the girl who calls him Father
That their relationship would become wife and husband if his promise was kept
But with the warehouse, it seems more like a true fatherly role he’s taking. Passing on his lessons to the younger generation to fight in his stead
But agreed, that does bring the whole idea full-circle
Not to mention he now occupies the role his “daughter” held
Cho: He left his band of orphan misfit friends/family to fight, but now he has to see them off
Justus: Yes. Exactly. And just waits for them to fulfill their promise to return
Cho: The relationship with Chtholly is thus a bit more nuanced than what you usually get in light novels (or stories in general)
This isn’t *just* the hero and heroine of an adventure story
Carriage: Very true, nor is it your everyday romance either
Willem’s vehement rejection of her feelings and Chtholly’s desire to find something before her departure made their relationship a lot more different than with traditional leads
Cho: This was something I really appreciated for this book
Justus: I liked that. I appreciated it didn’t devolve into the whole “only guy surrounded by girls” harem nonsense.
Carriage: No kidding, I felt tinges of that from the anime but none of it from this novel. The inner monologue definitely helped there
Cho: Willem could have given Chtholly her youthful romance, and could have “justified” it as something for her to live on for (ie not just go out and die in the suicide mission) — but what Chtholly really needs is her own reason to live on, and I liked that the book took the time to have her wrestle with this issue
Justus: Well, that seems to be the larger point. Both characters were going through motions in which they thought they had no choice. Willem was working to pay debt, Chtholly was fighting. Their relationship gives each of them a deeper meaning and reason for their existence.
I also really liked how Chtholly rejected Willem’s advice initially because it called into question how all her friends had lived and died
Purpose and reason play a larger part in this narrative. It isn’t something that is just paid lip service to.
Cho: Chtholly’s and Willem’s character arcs certainly mirror each other
They can’t go back and do things differently — their loved ones have died, and there’s no changing that
And it’s just a matter of, what are they going to do now to make things better for those who are alive still
It’s a real tangle of thoughts and emotions to parse through

Justus: Yeah. I loved that whole bit with Willem and the swords
And speaking of those swords, I thought they were a beautiful symbol. A mess of random items that somehow merged into a powerful whole.
Cho: Should we talk about the swords? I really liked these magic swords
Justus: I loved the swords. The whole idea felt very unique. And how Willem “tuned” them felt beautiful
It amazes me how much this book fit into such a small package. The symbolism and mirroring of journeys just melds so well.
Cho: The dug weapons fit well with all of this
And of course, Willem himself is something of a dug weapon — the swords don’t use the power of the wielder, the story notes
Justus: Yes. An ancient weapon. Broken, but still somewhat functional.
Carriage: Also something made up of multitudes, all of the people he met and the things he wanted to protect
Cho: It’s the little things that matter, right? Like making a butter cake for all the little leprechauns.

Cho: How did you all feel about the setting for this book in general?
Justus: Well, I’d certainly like to know more. Like, how did they get the islands into the sky? Exactly who were the enemies Willem was fighting? There’s so many questions.
But that made me all the more invested in learning the answers.
I wouldn’t say flying islands are all that original. We’ve seen them in tons of other media.
Carriage: I was maybe a little less impressed than I should have been with the actual world but the melancholic atmosphere that Justus mentioned that seemed to just come naturally with the state of the world was neat
Justus: I don’t think the world-building is as much the point.
The story of what happened in the world and how it came to be the way it is is more important I think
Cho: It’s definitely less setting-driven than it is theme-driven, yes
I think the author’s working off what LN readers will expect of a fantasy world, and is nice enough to make it a bit different from what we usually get
Carriage: I got that impression as well
Cho: The Tolkien-style fantasy world was destroyed — here’s a slightly more modern world that rises from those ashes
And will tell a story more complicated than just, can the adventurers defeat the villainous monsters
Justus: Thing is, with the way the book ends, are the monsters villainous? I felt very conflicted after that
Cho: That plays into the whole, things are a little more complicated here, ha ha
The ending is definitely something I want to talk about
Carriage: I certainly didn’t see that one coming, haha
Justus: Like, I didn’t feel the presence of a villain in this book. It was more like two forces of nature fighting for survival against each other.
Even when Willem has that conversation with… whatever after their final battle, it doesn’t feel like there’s a ton of enmity
Cho: In the flashback?
Justus: Yeah
Cho: His enemy there unfortunately wasn’t given much description (and neither are the Seventeen Beasts, for that matter) — but yes, I got the feeling of Willem and his foe simply fighting on the battlefield for their own purposes, not exactly hating each other on any personal level
Justus: Yes. Nothing dastardly or evil per se. Just two forces who feel they can’t coexist
Cho: And the present-day conflict for the story is along those lines too. Tthe battle goes on, because there’s simply no stopping it — the story plays with the cyclical nature of war and conflict a lot actually
Justus: True. There’s no purpose outside of survival.
Which again, goes back to our themes of purpose

Cho: That ending though
Definitely the scene that will stand out the most for me — really sets the tragic tone for this series
Justus: I’m just looking at it again. It makes you pity the beasts.
Not just for what it is possibly saying about their origins, but also their loneliness
A cry that no one can hear
Carriage: It hurts to think that it’ll probably be Chtholly and not Willem that’ll have to engage with the beast in the future. Willem’s present family against his past one
Oof
Cho: Exactly — the past never fully disappears — it’s a really powerful metaphor
Really bleak and ominous
Justus: And what the beast has been crying for all that time….
Cho: I also have to give this book credit for not actually ending the story with the big battle, like any other story would
(Because, of course, the fighting isn’t the point here)
Justus: I doubt we’ll ever see a big battle like a typical LN
Carriage: Very true and I thought that there might not be any battles in the novels, visible to us at least
But the afterword said otherwise, haha
Cho: The author does employ multiple points of view in this story, include Chtholly’s, so it’s not outside of possibility
But for this volume at least, that’s not the focus, and the author wants to make clear what the heart of the story is first
Carriage: Agreed and to that end, I’d say they did really well

Cho: Any other scenes that stood out to you in this volume?
Carriage: I really liked the Nygglatho scene when she was thinking about Chtholly’s coming sacrifice
Cho: I was glad that scene was included
Carriage: I didn’t remember seeing her character being explored very much in the part of the anime I watched so seeing the novel show a little more humanity in her was nice
Cho: To be honest I’m still not entirely sure how she works as a troll woman who supposedly eats people, but is also friends with people, ha ha
It’s played off as a joke most of the time, but this *is* a fantasy world and all…
Justus: Well, I think it shows many of these races, regardless of their origins, are finding ways to live together because of their situation. In a way, it’s evolution.
She’s overcoming her origins in order to do her job and find her place.
Cho: I figured it was one reason why she got her current job, which is kind of in isolation
Justus: It could be. But seeing how she handles the faeries, she seems capable in the role. Maybe because trolls still instill fear, they figured she was perfect to keep living weapons in line?
Cho: That makes sense… Speaking of jobs though, do you think Willem was very specifically chosen for his task as well? Or do we want to believe this is a big coincidence for him to be reunited with the dug weapons, and the war against the giant monsters
Justus: At this point, I can accept it being a coincidence. But, if the series decides to say otherwise, I’d be fine with that as well. I think maybe him being offered by his buddy was coincidence, but maybe him being accepted for the role by others was due to ulterior motives?
Cho: I feel like the armed forces would have to have done their research on Willem beforehand, and may have put two and two together
(Nobody ever asks Willem what race he is BTW, which I found strange)
Justus: True. I don’t get the sense his buddy was setting him up, but you’re probably right about the military
Maybe that’s frowned on, especially if you’re featureless? Maybe people just don’t want to know
Carriage: I got that impression too. His friend probably heard about the job by chance but him choosing Willem was definitely deliberate
Cho: The lizard captain probably chose him, right?
I liked the giant lizard man — usually I think such a character would be cast in a villainous light, but he turned out to be nice and helpful for Chtholly at least
Justus: Probably. I also enjoyed the exchange between him and Chtholly
Carriage: It was good!
Justus: I think there’s an effort by the author to subvert some of our fantasy assumptions. Most of the “people” in this series would be “monsters” elsewhere
I mean, they were the enemies of mankind in Willem’s day, too
Cho: That’s true, and I’m sure this topic will be explored more in later volumes
Willem is more or less the representative of the human race now, which nobody in this world is too pleased with
I liked the whole concept of humans being the age-old terror of fairy tales
And in turn, it was very cute of the fairy children to all encourage Willem after learning the truth about him

Carriage: How did you both find the translation for this one? I believe that it was well-liked by the author.
Justus: Well, I know nothing about comparing it to the original, but it was very readable in English and I thought the word choices and rhythm of the sentences was well done. It maintained that sense of melancholy and twisted fairy tale-ness to it.
Cho: The translation seemed fine, but I do feel it took a little getting used to for the prose of this one, just in general?
There are a lot of times the author will just tell us about things in this fantasy world, rather than just letting things play out and showing us how things are — which on one hand I don’t like much, but on the other hand it does have a “telling a fairy tale” vibe to it
Justus: That was how I took it.
Cho: I think the narrator really only stood out at the beginning and end though
In the end I’m fine with it I suppose, but it was all something that crossed my mind at least
I think that’s all my thoughts there — were there any other final questions or comments?
Justus: I’m just really looking forward to reading more of this series!
Carriage: Same here!
Cho: I’ll probably try to stick with it too, actually
I did see the anime a year or so ago, and tbh I just found it “okay” (and I don’t even remember many details of what happens next) — but my experience with this book was a lot more positive
I think it’s just vital to get into Willem’s head and have a clear understanding of where he’s coming from in all this
Justus: It’s definitely a series that benefits from having that internal monologue
Carriage: I only watched the first episode so I completely agree. The novel felt like it conveyed a lot more than the show really did
Cho: Last time Kastel mentioned the original author scripted only the first episode for the anime, so that was actually probably the one closest to the book
It’s a different medium though, so it’s to be expected things won’t play out or be portrayed exactly the same — might be interesting to go back to it again though after I’ve read the first three LN volumes
We’ll see…

Cho: That’s it for our discussion on WorldEnd volume 1. Now it’s your turn! What are some of your thoughts on this book?

emeth: Island of Golems

Cross Infinite World has announced a license for the single-volume light novel emeth: Island of Golems (titled emeth～人形遣いの島～ in Japanese, AKA emeth ~Ningyōtsukai no Shima~). This was published in Japan by Square Enix Novels in March 2007, and was written by Souki Tsukishima and Tora Tsukishima. The original cover art was by Koutaro, but the upcoming English release will be illustrated by Mora Karuki. You can find the novel’s Japanese webpage here.

emeth: Island of Golems

Synopsis: The story follows a boy named Cliff, who dreams of making golems. He meets a mysterious girl named Ravel who carries a red cube that will be the center of an unfolding story.

Souki and Tora Tsukishima are known for writing novels for Final Fantasy: Type-0. A video game of the same name was released for the PSP in Japan in 2011, and later as a remake for other consoles worldwide in 2015.

You can find lots of lovely artwork by Mora Karuki on the illustrator’s website.

It sounds like emeth: Island of Golems is planned to release digitally in English on November 5, 2018. It also sounds like a physical release may be planned for a later date.

JK Haru is a Sex Worker in Another World

English Title: JK Haru is a Sex Worker in Another World
Japanese Title: JKハルは異世界で娼婦になった — JK Haru wa Isekai de Shoufu ni Natta
Author: Ko Hiratori
Illustrator: shimano
Translator: Emily Balistrieri
Genre: Isekai, Fantasy, Satire
Original Run: December 2017 – December 2017
English Run: September 2018 – September 2018
Japanese Publisher: Hayakawa Shoubo
English Publisher: J-Novel Club
Volumes in Japanese: 1 (Completed)
Volumes in English: 1 (Completed)
Note: Only available to read online through a J-Novel Club subscription. This series is currently digital-only.

• English Website — Japanese Website
• LNDB.info

Synopsis: *record scratch* *freeze frame on Haru Koyama getting choked by a horny naked dude* Yep, that’s me. You’re probably wondering how I got into this situation. Not by choice, I can tell you that! It started when my weirdo classmate, Chiba, tried to save me from a runaway truck and got us both killed instead. Idiot. Then we got transported to another world, which I guess is like an otaku dream come true, or something? Chiba ends up with cheat abilities, and what do I get? Nothing! Lucky me, I get to be a sex worker instead. Gotta earn money somehow — but since I have to do it, I’m gonna kick ass at it. This world treats women even worse than the one we came from, so things get…rough. Still, I’ve made friends with some of the girls, and if I can juggle Chiba’s idiocy and Sumo the virgin’s emotions on top of all the various kinks my customers throw at me, things will be all right…won’t they?

Gear Drive

English Title: Gear Drive
Japanese Title: はぐるまどらいぶ。– “Haguruma Doraibu.”
Author: Kabayakidare — かばやきだれ
Illustrator: Houtaro Sugi — 杉浩太郎
Translator: Matthew Warner
Genre: Fantasy, Adventure, Gearpunk
Original Run: February 2018 – ongoing
English Run: September 2018 – ongoing
Japanese Publisher: Overlap Novels (Overlap)
English Publisher: J-Novel Club
Volumes in Japanese: 1 (In Progress)
Volumes in English: 1 (In Progress)
Average Price Per Volume: Kindle $7 – iBook $7 – Kobo $7
Note: Also available to read online through a J-Novel Club subscription. This series is currently digital-only.

• English Website — Japanese Website
• LNDB.info

Synopsis: Gear up for a magical new adventure! In a world where magic abounds, 15-year-old Anti Kythera is the odd one out. No matter how hard she studies, she can’t even use the most basic of skills. Her only hope is her upcoming Skill Bestowal: a ceremony that can help even the chronically magicless discover their talent. But what Anti receives is something completely new: Gearcraft, a skill that allows her to make and control golden gears! What can a restaurant owner’s daughter, much less an aspiring adventurer, do with gears? As it turns out, quite a bit. But it’s going to take a little imagination, and a lot of effort, if she’s going to discover the secrets of this never-before-seen power. Can Anti tame the tiara-shaped artifact that calls itself “Crown Gear”? Will she ever become as great as her idol, Purple Lightning? Join her as she gets into gear for a life of adventure!

Volume 1
Amazon — iBook — J-Novel Club — Kobo
Released September 5, 2018 — ASIN: B07FQL29HL

Upcoming Releases

• Volume 2 (TBA)
  Amazon — iBook — J-Novel Club — Kobo

Reviews of Gear Drive
(forthcoming)

Illustrations Sampler

If you liked Gear Drive, you might also want to try…

• Walking My Second Path in Life — fantasy, adventure, girl protagonist
• The Combat Baker and Automaton Waitress — fantasy, adventure, similar tone, restaurant
• Clockwork Planet — story involves gears, adventure
• emeth: Island of Golems — story involves magic and mechanics/machinery (Upcoming Title)

If you find any errors or broken links in this entry, leave a comment!

Der Werwolf: The Annals of Veight

English Title: Der Werwolf: The Annals of Veight
Japanese Title: 人狼への転生、魔王の副官 — Jinrou e no Tensei, Maou no Fukukan — “Reincarnated into a Werewolf, as the Demon King’s Aide”
Author: Hyougetsu — 漂月
Illustrator: Nishi(E)da — 西E田
Translator: Ningen
Genre: Isekai, Fantasy, Military
Original Run: November 2015 – ongoing
English Run: September 2018 – ongoing
Japanese Publisher: Earth Star Novel (Earth Star Entertainment)
English Publisher: J-Novel Club
Volumes in Japanese: 10 (In Progress)
Volumes in English: 1 (In Progress)
Average Price Per Volume: Kindle $7 – iBook $7 – Kobo $7
Note: Also available to read online through a J-Novel Club subscription. This series is currently digital-only.

• English Website — Japanese Website
• MAL Entry — Forum
• Baka Updates — LNDB.info — Novel Updates

Synopsis: The reborn werewolf known as Veight now leads the Demon Lord’s third regiment under the title of Vice-Commander. Having conquered the trading hub known as Ryunheit, he soon learns the struggles of governing a city of mixed human/demon population. Armed with an understanding of inter-species relations and a desire for peace, he spends his days quelling violent demons and pacifying disruptive humans in his pursuit to bring balance and tranquility.

Volume 1 — Birth of a Demon City
Amazon — iBook — J-Novel Club — Kobo
Released September 13, 2018 — ASIN: B07FQMDDV3

Upcoming Releases

• Volume 2 (Date)
  Amazon — iBook — J-Novel Club — Kobo

Reviews of Der Werwolf: The Annals of Veight
(forthcoming)

Illustrations Sampler

Manga Adaptations
Jinrou e no Tensei, Maou no Fukukan: Shidou-hen — MAL Entry — Published March 2016 (Japan Only)

Jinrou e no Tensei, Maou no Fukukan: Hajimari no Shou — MAL Entry — Published October 2016 (Japan Only)

If you liked Der Werwolf: The Annals of Veight, you might also want to try…

• The Saga of Tanya the Evil — isekai, reincarnation, military focus
• WorldEnd — fantasy, war, inter-species relations
• Woof Woof Story — isekai, reincarnation into a dog (Upcoming Title)

If you find any errors or broken links in this entry, leave a comment!

The Champions of Justice and the Supreme Ruler of Evil

English Title: The Champions of Justice and the Supreme Ruler of Evil
Japanese Title: 正義の味方と悪の総統 — Seiginomikata to Aku no Soutou
Author: Kaede Kikyou — 桔梗楓
Illustrator: Tobari
Translator: Jekaterina Bält
Genre: Super Heroes, Fantasy, Romance, Ecchi, Comedy, Josei
Original Run: May 2013 – June 2013 (Web Novel)
English Run: September 2018
Japanese Publisher: N/A
English Publisher: Cross Infinite World
Volumes in Japanese: 1 (Completed)
Volumes in English: 1 (Completed)
Average Price Per Volume: Kindle $9 — Nook $9

• English Website — Japanese Website
• LNDB.info

Synopsis:World domination: our long-cherished aspiration! Naturally, the most appropriate person to aspire to such a surreal ideal is the Supreme Ruler of Evil! Mia Oonari’s father, the former Supreme Ruler of Evil, died leaving his only child with their organization’s sole ambition: world domination! Mia sets about enacting her own innocent ideal of taking over the world only to be hindered by the five Champions of Justice who make up the Crow Rangers! This is the comedic story about a villainess who lacks the tact of exacting her evil schemes and the Champions of Justice who lack motivation in stopping her. Join Mia as she finds love, friendship, and the truth behind her world-breaking magic in this light novel!

Volume 1
Amazon — Barnes and Noble — iBooks — Kobo
Released September 10, 2018 — ASIN: B07FZBWL5F

Reviews of The Champions of Justice and Supreme Ruler of Evil
(forthcoming)

Illustrations Sampler

If you liked The Champions of Justice and Supreme Ruler of Evil, you might also want to try…

• I Became the Secretary of a Hero! — Super Heroes, Romance, Fantasy
• The Eccentric Master and the Fake Lover — Romance, Ecchi, Fantasy

If you find any errors or broken links in this entry, leave a comment!

SAO Alternative: Gun Gale Online

For general information on this novel: Sword Art Online Alternative – Gun Gale Online entry

This review is for the first volume of Sword Art Online Alternative: Gun Gale Online. This is a spinoff series to Reki Kawahara’s popular Sword Art Online light novels. Gun Gale Online is written by Keiichi Sigsawa and features illustrations by Kohaku Kuroboshi. Volume 2 will release in English on September 18th, 2018. So far there are eight volumes in Japan.

Vol 1 — Squad Jam

Despite Sword Art Online being the series largely responsible for light novels translated in English becoming as big as they have in recent years, I haven’t actually read any of that series. The anime adaptations of 2012 and 2014 earned the franchise a lot of fans, and I imagine its popularity will only grow further with the upcoming four-season adaptation of Alicization, SAO‘s most highly-regarded story arc. That will begin next month…

At any rate, SAO isn’t really my sort of thing, but I’m happy for all of you that enjoy it. I might get around to reading a volume of it one day, but first things first: the spinoff series written by Keiichi Sigsawa, the author famous for Kino’s Journey (a favorite of mine, that I’m always meaning to read more of). SAO Alternative: Gun Gale Online features new characters who have their own adventures in the world of virtual reality, specifically in the form of a shooting game titled Gun Gale Online. In volume 1, the lead characters Llenn and M enter a battle royale tournament to see if their team can survive ’til the end.

And… that’s the plot! It really is an extraordinarily straightforward story for this one. Llenn and M shoot guns, get shot at, the bullets are flying everywhere… It’s pretty much just a long series of action sequences. You get to learn a whole lot about guns, and a few things about the characters. I imagine there will be more to learn about them in later volumes, but for now there isn’t a whole lot. Karen is a tall and shy college-aged woman in real life, but in the game (as “Llenn”) she gets to live her dream of being short and cute. And also, shoot lots of people in a video game. (Living the dream!)

It’s not a terribly conflict-driven story, since it’s literally just “Will Karen win the tournament?” But if you’re a SAO fan who could use a break from Kirito’s adventures and/or enjoy action-packed reads, this is worth giving a try. I felt the volume was pretty monotonous with it being almost 100% devoted to the gun battles, but I can acknowledge I’m not really the target audience for this one. It was at least clear to me that the author had a fun time writing it, and I imagine it can be a rollicking jaunt for interested readers as well.

Cho’s Rating: Maybe Recommended

You can purchase this book online via sites like Amazon (available in paperback or as an ebook) and Book Depository (which offers free worldwide shipping). These are affiliate links, so a small percentage of sales goes toward this site.

Tomorrow, I Will Die. You Will Revive.

• 明日、ボクは死ぬ。キミは生き返る。— Ashita, Boku wa Shinu. Kimi wa Ikikaeru. — “Tomorrow I Will Die. You Will Revive” (BokuShinu)
• Author: Fujimaru — Artist: H2SO4
• The novel: Amazon Japan — Books Kinokuniya — YesAsia
• The fan translation (by Kira, Starduster, Teh_Ping, and BAFT): Hellping Translations
• MAL Entry — Forum

(Note: This site’s central focus is on light novels officially translated and published in English, but at times I will post reviews for stories that have only been translated by fans. Please support the Japanese books that don’t get English releases.)

Volume 1 (Japan Cover)

When I pick up a Japanese LN and read a fan translation these days, I try to look for titles that are different from anything we have releasing in English. I’m interested in experimental works–well-crafted stories with memorable characters and unique concepts. This title, which I’ll just refer to by its shorthand Bokushinu, was something that sounded interesting based on its premise: a girl named Hikari dies, but her spirit inhabits a boy classmate’s body–and they rotate each day who is “alive.” The lead boy Akitsuki is unconscious (or however you would term it) on the days Hikari is in control of his body. Also worth noting, this book won a Dengeki Novel Prize, which sounded impressive.

As it turns out, the story actually plays out in a way that reminded me very much of the first act or so in the anime film (and novel) Your Name. It’s not exactly body-swapping since there’s only one body here, but there’s a lot of that same sort of confusion and silly antics at play. Only, as Kastel put it in our Summer Reading discussion, Bokushinu‘s heroine is “basically a horny anime fan.” Much of the plot in this story entails Hikari acting wild in various ways, and then the next day Akitsuki has to deal with the repercussions of her mischief-making. (They can only communicate through journal entries they leave each other.) Akitsuki meanwhile is basically a simplified version of characters like Ryuuji from Toradora and Hachiman from Oregairu — i.e. he looks rough and nobody likes him, and he’s a complete pushover. He also has a little sister (of course) who writes light novels (of course) and gets caught up in Hikari’s lewd shenanigans (…of course).

Basically, this is a case of me expecting one thing from a novel, and getting something completely different. This is something along the lines of titles like Henneko and Oreimo in terms of tone and general focus. But for me though, even looking at this story as primarily a “wacky hijinks” romcom, most of the jokes just fall flat. The writing doesn’t stand out, and most of the plot is pretty disjointed and thus forgettable. Much of the beginning of the volume is devoted to a (rather silly) romance subplot with another classmate, for example–and then the final act of the volume abruptly brings in more of a drama subplot with yet another classmate. There are decent ideas at play here, but the overall execution leaves me wanting.

One thing that I feel could’ve made the story more interesting: have it told from the points of view of both Akitsuki and Hikari, rather than only Akitsuki. Hikari’s situation is just as interesting (if not more so), but more importantly I think readers would have felt more “in the moment” with all the crazy things she did, rather than just finding out about them the following day. This perhaps could have made things funnier too, getting readers to anticipate how Akitsuki would later react to Hikari’s actions.

Bottom line — I imagine fans of this sort of thing would probably be better served with titles like Haganai or Sakurasou. Or if you want a light novel series that specifically works with the concept of two souls in one body and their romcom drama, check out When Hikaru Was On the Earth. The fan translation for that one is a much smoother read, and the characters are a lot more memorable.

Cho’s Rating: Maybe Recommended

Last and First Idol

English Title: Last and First Idol
Japanese Title: 最後にして最初のアイドル — “Saigo ni Shite Saisho no Aidoru”
Author: Gengen Kusano — 草野 原々
Illustrator: TNSK
Translator: Andrew Cunningham
Genre: Sci-fi, Horror, Mystery, Short Story Collection
Original Run: January 2018
English Run: September 2018
Japanese Publisher: Hayakawa Shobo
English Publisher: J-Novel Club
Volumes in Japanese: 1 (Completed)
Volumes in English: 1 (Completed)
Average Price Per Volume: Kindle $7 – iBook $7 – Kobo $7
Note: Also available to read online through a J-Novel Club subscription. This book is currently digital-only.

• English Website — Japanese Website
• LNDB.info

Synopsis: “Bye-bye, Earth! My idol activities here were so much fun!” 4th Hayakawa SF Contest Special Prize 48th Seiun Award (Japanese Short Story Division) 27th Dark Seiun Award (Guest Division) 16th Sense of Gender Award (Future Idol Award) Last and First Idol earned the first ever special prize in the Hayakawa SF Contest, and the first debut work to win the Seiun Award in 42 years! This existential widescreen yuri baroque proletariat hard sci-fi idol story has carved out a new legend in science fiction history! Also includes Evolution Girls, in which some gacha-expert friends race to find the truth of the universe, and Dark Seiyuu, a brand-new space opera about voice actors! Gengen Kusano’s astounding debut collection!

Volume 1
Amazon — iBook — J-Novel Club — Kobo
Released September 17, 2018 — ASIN: B07FXW2MZD

WorldEnd

For general information on this novel: WorldEnd entry

This review is for the first volume of WorldEnd – What Do You Do at the End of the World? Are You Busy? Will You Save Us?. It was written by Akira Kareno and features illustrations by ue. Volume 2 will release in English on November 13, 2018. The series is completed in Japan with five volumes, plus a bonus EX volume. A sequel series is currently releasing there, so far with six volumes.

Volume 1

About a year ago an anime based on a light novel series was airing, and it seemed a lot of the online anime communities were talking about it, giving it high praise. That series was WorldEnd–or SukaSuka, for the Japanese shorthand. I ended up watching the anime at some point, and overall I thought it was okay. There were some good ideas there at least, and when it was eventually announced that the light novels were being licensed for English release, I figured I could give the first volume a try. I’m glad I did, because I feel like I enjoyed the book quite a bit more.

WorldEnd takes place in a fantasy world, but not the exact sort of fantasy world you’re perhaps used to in many other light novels. In this story, the humans, elves, dragons, and whatnot have been wiped out by seventeen great monsters, and 500 years later the remaining species (primarily a variety of beast-peoples) live on floating islands overlooking the destroyed world below. Their armed forces employ a number of young fairy women called leprechauns, who are the only ones capable of wielding ancient weapons to fend off the still-roaming seventeen monsters. The novel takes a bit of a fairy tale approach to explaining how this world operates.

Our protagonist, a young man named Willem, is actually a human hero from 500 years ago, but was injured and turned to stone during one of his great battles. He’s alive again now, and early in the story he is employed by the armed forces to work as a sort of caretaker for the fairies, most of whom are still children. The oldest of the fairies is a girl named Chtholly, who is preparing for a battle in which she must anticipate the likelihood of utilizing a self-destructive attack to defeat one of the giant monsters.

As you can guess from all this, the tone of this series is different from most light novel fantasy adventures, or fantasy adventures in general. For Willem, the question he repeatedly asks himself is “Who am I?” He is not only a fish out of water in this story, but also a fallen hero who has failed and lost everyone he ever knew. This is a setup I haven’t really seen explored much in a story before, and getting it told from his viewpoint–with all his thoughts regarding each situation he finds himself in–really gives his character a level of depth that the anime was only able to hint at in comparison. Meanwhile for Chtholly, she has to face the somber reality of her very existence as a living weapon fighting for a ruinous world. The story gives us her viewpoint for certain scenes as well, and does a great job showing that tangle of thoughts and emotions she has to gradually parse through.

But speaking of these two characters, I have to also give the author credit for handling their relationship in a way that felt both unique for the genre and authentic when considering their ages, backgrounds, personalities, and understandings of one another. It’s another aspect to this book that shows how much thought was put into its story–a story that puts much more focus on what the characters are going through internally, rather than on the conflicts they face externally.

I admit I wasn’t expecting to enjoy this book as much as I did. It has a few rough moments (a bit more “telling” instead of “showing” than I would have liked), but all in all it’s a solid read that starts promising and ends powerfully. I’m looking forward to reading the rest of this series now, and I’ll suggest it to anyone interested in a more pensive take on the fantasy adventure genre.

Cho’s Rating: Strongly Recommended

You can purchase this book online via sites like Amazon (available in paperback or as an ebook) and Book Depository (which offers free worldwide shipping). These are affiliate links, so a small percentage of sales goes toward this site.