Kagerou Daze

For general information on this series: Kagerou Daze entry

This review is for the fourth volume of Kagerou Daze by Jin (Shizen no Teki-P), featuring art by Sidu. The English edition was released by Yen Press in July 2016. In December 2018, the eighth and final volume of the series will release in English.

Vol 4 – The Missing Children

There are a lot of light novel series I want to catch up on, and Kagerou Daze seemed as good a series as any to start with. The novels are short, easy, and enjoyable reads. I hardly ever see anyone talk about the series at all, which is a shame… These Mekakucity kids need more love!

Volume 4 continues the trend of telling two stories, jumping back and forth between them from chapter to chapter. One story involves Shintaro, Kido, Konoha, and Mary going to the house in the middle of a forest that Mary once lived in, in hopes of uncovering some truth regarding their eye powers, Mary’s past, and “the other world.” What they find there is a diary, which constitutes the other story presented in this volume. The person who wrote this diary, it turns out, isn’t exactly human.

The story that unfolds in these diary entries is some of the best stuff for this series. It begins with a nebulous creature with eyes and apparently nothing else living in a cave, struggling to understand the nature of its existence. After a violent encounter with a group of people, the unnamed being takes on a human form in order to go out in the world and learn more about what she is. Eventually she is named Azami, and soon enough it becomes clear she is likely at the very center of all the mysteries for Kagerou Daze. I wish this story could have felt more like actual written diary entries though–they mostly just read like regular scenes unfortunately. (It all reads fine; it just felt like a missed opportunity to me.)

Azami might just be my new favorite character for this series though. She’s got a pretty unique perspective on things, as far as light novels go. A powerful pipsqueak tsundere who talks to snakes and gets some random guy to build her a house, what’s not to love here. She has a cool character design (well, everyone in Kagerou Daze does, but still), and she’s gotta be at least a little evil, right? I want to be cool and evil too. And get some random guy to build me a house.

Well, that’s that for that. I should also mention that this volume is also pretty great for how it plays with page formatting for its text and images. It’s the sort of fun and experimental thing you rarely see outside of light novels, and Kagerou Daze does some clever stuff to give certain scenes an extra-big impact. I also appreciated the appendix with its illustration sketches, as well as the very special bonus pages devoted to Mary’s childhood crayon drawings. Thank you for going that extra mile, Sidu! Those are some truly epic scribbles. Light novels. I love them!

Cho’s Rating: 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.

The Devil is a Part-Timer

For general information on this series: The Devil is a Part-Timer! entry

This review is for the second volume of The Devil is a Part-Timer! by Satoshi Wagahara (with art by 029 [Oniku]). The English edition was released by Yen Press in August 2015. So far there are eleven volumes available in English, and nineteen in Japanese (plus four side story volumes).

Volume 2

It’s The Devil is a Part-Timer! — It’s great fun stuff. The fantasy world’s demon lord works at a hamburger restaurant, hilarity ensues. What more do I need to say?

I’ll go ahead and expound at least a little though. The silly premise is obviously going to be what stands out to readers the most at first, but I feel the true appeal of this series lies in two key points:

1. The characters are highly memorable, and play off each other in clever and relatable ways
2. The prose itself is a delight to read, the translator apparently going the extra mile with both dialogue and descriptions

All in all volume 2 is an entertaining read, providing plenty of sitcom-esque scenarios full of misunderstandings and strong personalities. I think the series deserves extra recognition for its characters, who not only stand out on their own, but also shine in how their behavior will vary depending on who they’re interacting with. Take one of my favorite characters for example, the second-in-command demon Ashiya, AKA the househusband. The way he acts around Maou (with strictness and support) is clearly and understandably different from how he acts around Urushihara (with disdain and grouchiness), and so on for characters like Emi (with malice) or newcomer Suzuno (with cordiality). It sounds simple and obvious, but many stories don’t make that full effort.

Speaking of Suzuno though, she’s actually another favorite character of mine (and it’s not just because I like kimonos). Her role as a kind of third party or uncertain wild card in the events that ensue certainly makes things more interesting, but her uniqueness also extends to her serious yet cordial personality–and in turn her polite, old-fashioned, and diplomatic manner of speech (which again, the translator pulled off fantastically). She’s a great addition to the cast, and I hope (and really, expect) that future volumes can continue to develop her character alongside all the others.

In this volume, there are perhaps three main conflicts, and the story takes its time bringing them all together. A mysterious new neighbor moves in to the same apartment building as the demons, Maou must deal with a new fast food rival (“Sentucky Fried Chicken“) being run by an odd individual, and otherworldly trouble is afoot when Emi is attacked by a masked figure. The identities of various characters are not what I’d call big reveals (and really, finding out “what happens next” isn’t exactly the draw here in general), but in true Part-Timer! fashion, fantasy adventure tropes are played with in ways that manage to both flesh out the characters and amuse the reader simultaneously.

If there is one thing I will find complaint for, it’s that the story unfolds at a very deliberate pace. I get that we don’t need exciting things happening non-stop, but this volume moves at a pace I would liken to a lengthy visual novel. This may just be a matter of preference, but I generally like things to be a bit snappier in a comedy. I also have to wonder if a series like this can remain entertaining while continuing to bend over backward in maintaining its shaky status quo for so long. I suppose I’ll find out for myself if the running gags can remain fresh in subsequent volumes, but for now I look forward to jumping into new material that wasn’t covered in the 2013 anime adaptation.

Cho’s Rating: 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.

Skeleton Knight in Another World

It’s October now, and you know what that means — it’s time for a roundup of recent light novel news? Why not.

The first bit of news I need to go over is a new light novel license. Seven Seas will be bringing over Skeleton Knight in Another World (AKA Gaikotsu Kishi-sama, Tadaima Isekai e Odekakechu), volume 1 of which will release in English both physically and digitally on June 11, 2019. The series is written by Ennki Hakari and illustrated by KeG.

Volume 1 (Japan Cover)

Synopsis: One day, a gamer played video games until he fell asleep…and when he woke up, he found himself in the game world–as a skeleton! Equipped with the powerful weapons and armor of his avatar but stuck with its frightening skeletal appearance, Arc has to find a place for himself in this new, fantastical land. All his hopes for a quiet life are dashed when he crosses paths with a beautiful elven warrior, setting him on a journey full of conflict and adventure. 

The series began as a web novel in 2015, and so far has had eight volumes released by Overlap in Japan. Seven Seas will also release the manga adaptation for this series.

—–

Next bit of news is for Mikagura School Suite. The first volume of the light novel series was released in English by One Peace Books back in August last year, but no word of the series being continued ever followed. On their Facebook page though, One Peace Books noted in a comment that they are currently working on volume 2.

One Peace Books is currently releasing the manga adaptation for this series. So far the first two volumes of that are out, with the third to come in November.

—–

J-Novel Club has started releasing three new series on their website that were announced a couple months ago. These series now have official synopses and English covers.

Echo — The VOCALOID song “ECHO” with 8 million views has now been novelized! Written by Akira (from the novelization of “Yume Nikki” and “Ensemble Stars”) and illustrated by Oguchi (an official illustrator for Kancolle), this song of madness from Crusher-P is weaved into a story in which the TV girl, or “Primadonna’s” identity is finally revealed!

Note: The ebook version of this will release on November 24th.

My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom! — After hitting her head particularly hard one day, Duke Claes’ daughter, Katarina, suddenly recalls all the memories of her past life: that of a teenage Japanese girl. Just before her untimely death, this girl recalls playing an otome game… that is exactly like the world she’s living in now! She is now Katarina Claes, the antagonist of the otome game, who nastily hounded the protagonist until the end. Knowing all the possible outcomes of the game, she realizes that every single possible route ends with Katarina being murdered or exiled! In order to avoid these Catastrophic Bad Ends, she has to use her knowledge of the game and her own wiles, starting with breaking off this engagement with the prince… Will Katarina survive while making her way through this world, where bad flags trip at every turn? Find out in this reverse-harem rom-com, led by everybody’s favorite villainess!

Apparently It’s My Fault That My Husband Has the Head of a Beast — Love Is a Beastly Business! Rumor has it that Princess Rosemarie is an antisocial shut-in, but the truth is far stranger. The young princess hides from the world because of a strange condition: whenever someone expresses a negative emotion, she sees their head transform into that of a fearsome beast. It seems there’s no one in the dishonest world of courtly manners she can trust… until she meets Prince Claudio of Baltzar, whose features remain ever human. The two marry at once, but she learns too late that his human features aren’t thanks to a kindly nature. Claudio has become a very real beast, all because of Rosemarie’s accidental theft of his mana many years prior! Claudio’s life and future are on the line until he gets his mana back — and Rosemarie would give anything to know how to do it. Will they break their mutual curse in time for Rosemarie to get home for tea, or will Claudio lose his temper first? Find out in this new romantic fantasy.

J-Novel Club members can start reading all these stories now. There are free previews available for each if you are not a member. No release date for the first ebooks for Villainess or Beast Head yet.

And speaking of J-Novel Club, it looks like there may be some more series of theirs that will receive paperback releases in the future:

• If It’s For My Daughter, I’d Even Defeat a Demon Lord
• The Magic in This World is Too Far Behind!

These haven’t been officially announced yet, but they have appeared on Amazon. J-Novel Club recently announced that they would print paperback copies for In Another World with My Smartphone, and How Not to Summon a Demon Lord. Release dates have not been confirmed for those yet, but Amazon is currently saying February 5, 2019 for volume 1 of Smartphone, and volume 1 of Demon Lord.

—–

Vertical recently had a Monogatari-themed panel at the Anime Weekend Atlanta convention. A quick rundown of the news:

• Tsukimonogatari will release March 2019
• Koyomimonogatari will release in two parts. Part one will arrive June 2019
• English cover art revealed for Onimonogatari (out October 30, 2018)
• Preliminary artwork revealed for the English cover of Koimonogatari (out December 2018)
• An audiobook for Nekomonogatari: White will release this winter
• Box artwork for the upcoming Monogatari box set has been fully revealed. This box set will include seven volumes of the series, and is set to release on November 20, 2018.

—–

Volume 1 (Japan Cover)

I think I might have missed announcing this on the site, but Viz Media will be releasing in English some My Hero Academia light novel tie-ins starting next spring. This series will be titled My Hero Academia: School Briefs, and sounds to be like a bunch of short stories. So far there are three volumes of these published in Japan by Jump J-Books. The popular manga (and its anime adaptation) tells a story about superhero children.

—–

Random news and articles:

• There’s a Spice and Wolf VR project being developed
• Buy Llenn’s rabbit-eared cap, if you want to win the Squad Jam
• In case you get transported to a fantasy world, here’s 5 tips to keep in mind
• The reincarnated slime makes for a pretty nice paperweight
• Remember the anime Tari Tari? (I liked it all right…) It’s getting a sequel (in Japan) set 10 years later
• The Irregular at Magic High School will get a spinoff novel series, in which an assassin dares to take on Onii-sama
• Some of the old-school anime fans out there will know all about Slayers. And what’s old is new! The LN series is getting its first new volume in 18 years in Japan on October 20th.
• Going right along with that, the first new volume of Dirty Pair in 11 years will release in Japan too
• The light novel series Hundred will end in Japan with volume 16, a good 84 volumes short of what I expected
• And speaking of LNs ending and expectations, the light novel series My Youth Romantic Comedy is Wrong as I Expected will get its final novels in Japan soon with volumes 13 and 14. So far there are five volumes out in English, with the next to release on November 13th
• Are you a fan of Sword Art Online‘s Asuna? I’m afraid I have some bad news for you
• It’s time for some Cup Noodles with Subaru and Emilia
• Speaking of Re:Zero anime, there have been two OVAs announced — one subtitled Memory of Snow, and the other Frozen Bonds

Anime adaptations to keep an eye out for:

Fall 2018

• Sword Art Online: Alicization
• Goblin Slayer
• A Certain Magical Index III
• That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime
• Seishun Buta Yarou wa Bunny Girl Senpai no Yume wo Minai
• Ore ga Suki nano wa Imouto dakedo Imouto ja Nai
• Zokuowarimonogatari

Winter 2019

• The Rising of the Shield Hero
• Boogiepop
• Girly Air Force

Others Announced

• Date a Live III
• Is it Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? season 2
• Didn’t I Say to Make My Abilities Average in the Next Life?!
• Sorcerous Stabber Orphen remake
• Arifureta
• So I’m a Spider, So What?
• Isekai Cheat Magician
• Kenja no Mago
• Hatena Illusion
• 20 Seiki Denki Mokuroku
• Maou-sama, Retry!
• Chuubyou-Gekihatsu-Boy

Hopefully I didn’t miss anything too big… I think the main takeaway here is that if it’s a popular light novel series, it will probably get an anime adaptation at some point.

Any other important news? Yes! Horror Week is coming up for this site. Please look forward to a week or so of reviews for spooky stories starting October 14th.

Nier Automata: Long Story Short

English Title: NieR: Automata
Japanese Title: 小説 NieR：Automata — “Shōsetsu NieR: Automata”
Author: Jun Eishima, Yoko Taro
Illustrator: Itahana Toshiyuki
Translator: Shota Okui
Genre: Sci-fi, Adventure, Post-Apocalypse
Original Run: August 2017 – October 2017
English Run: October 2018 – ongoing
Japanese Publisher: Square Enix
English Publisher: Viz Media
Volumes in Japanese: 2 (Completed)
Volumes in English: 1 (In Progress)
Average Price Per Volume: Paperback $15 — Kindle $8 — Nook $8

• English Website — Japanese Website
• MAL Entry — Forum

Synopsis: Experience the world and characters of the hit video game franchise! When alien forces invade with an army of Machines, the remnants of humanity must depend on Androids of their own design—the placid 2B and the excitable 9S—to survive.

From: Pod 042

To: Fans of NieR:Automata

Recommendation: The action to finish reading this novel.

[ref & NieR:Automata—Short Story Long]

Response: A novel is a story that used to be told by humans.

Question: The definition of the word “interesting”?

Answer: A possible definition is that the ability to continue reading this novel makes it “interesting.”

From Pod 042 to 153: We have concluded our promotional duties.

Volume 1 — Long Story Short
Amazon — Barnes and Noble — Book Depository — RightStuf
Released October 9, 2018 — ISBN-13: 978-1974701629

Upcoming Releases

• Volume 2 — Short Story Long (April 9, 2019)
  Amazon — Barnes and Noble — Book Depository — RightStuf

Reviews of Nier: Automata
(forthcoming)

Related Game (original source)
Official Site — Amazon — PSN Store (PS4) — Steam (PC) — XBox Live Store (XBox One)

Illustrations Sampler

If you liked Nier: Automata, you might also want to try…

• Yume Nikki — video game adaptation
• Black Bullet — post-apocalypse, action, adventure
• Bluesteel Blasphemer — action, adventure

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

The Reprise of the Spear Hero

English Title: The Reprise of the Spear Hero
Japanese Title: 槍の勇者のやり直し — “Yari no Yuusha no Yarinaoshi”
Author: Aneko Yusagi — アネコユサギ
Illustrator: Minami Seira — 弥南せいら
Translator:
Genre: Isekai, Fantasy, Adventure, Comedy
Original Run: October 2017 – ongoing
English Run: October 2018 – ongoing
Japanese Publisher: MF Bunko (Media Factory)
English Publisher: One Peace Books
Volumes in Japanese: 3 (In Progress)
Volumes in English: 1 (In Progress)
Average Price Per Volume: Paperback $14

• Japanese Website
• MAL Entry — Forum
• Baka Updates — Novel Updates

Synopsis: Summoned to another world to serve as the Spear Hero, Motoyasu Kitamura is a pitiful young man who eventually finds himself only able to love filolials. But after being fatally injured in battle, Motoyasu wakes up yet again in the exact circumstances of when he was first summoned. It turns out that his spear possesses an ability known as Time Reversal! With his stats unaffected by the reset, Motoyasu decides to fight once more. His motivation: to once again see the smile of Filo, the filolial that he loves more than any other! Could this be considered the start of a new game in god mode?! The long-awaited otherworldly redemption fantasy begins!

Volume 1
Amazon — Barnes and Noble — Book Depository — RightStuf
Released October 16, 2018 — ISBN-13: 978-1642730036

Reviews of The Reprise of the Spear Hero
(forthcoming)

Illustrations Sampler

Manga Adaptation
MAL Entry — Published August 2017 – ongoing (No English release)

If you liked The Reprise of the Spear Hero, you might also want to try…

• The Rising of the Shield Hero — parent series, also written by Aneko Yusagi
• Arifureta — isekai, action, anti-hero

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

(pictured: Zekkyou Gakkyuu)

As promised, we’re having a Horror Week this year! This means there will be seven reviews for various titles from the horror genre, or for books that are at least dark-themed (or for novels that just fit the Halloween season in some way). Can you guess what we will be reviewing? Here are the hints:

• Oct 14 — What big eyes you have
• Oct 15 — “In a Literary Salon”
• Oct 16 — Lots of bugs in this game
• Oct 17 — Serial killer fan club
• Oct 18 — 6.23rd time’s the charm
• Oct 19 — Characters you can sink your teeth into
• Oct 20 — What is that strange voice?

Check in every day for a new review!

“Or else…”

Ao Oni

For general information on this series: Ao Oni entry

This review is for the first volume of Ao Oni by Kenji Kuroda (with art by Karin Suzuragi). It is based on the Japanese indie game by noprops. This book was released by J-Novel Club in January 2018. So far there are three volumes available in English, and from what I can tell there are six volumes total for this series in Japan (Note: one of the listings in the link there is for a comic anthology).

Volume 1

The Ao Oni novels are loosely based on a simple freeware video game of the same name, in which a giant blue monster chases some high school kids around in an old abandoned mansion. In the game, the goal is to solve puzzles to find a way to escape the building you’re trapped in–but at random times the monster will suddenly appear and try to catch you (accompanied by music reminiscent of the shower scene from Psycho). You don’t have any means of defending yourself, so if the “ao oni” (“blue demonic ogre”) gets you, it’s game over.

The first rendition of the game released in 2008, but improved versions would follow over the next several years. This was right when “creepypasta” was a big thing on the internet (the most famous story probably being “Slender Man”). Many creepypastas also involved tales of old-school games glitching out in horrific ways, so I think Ao Oni could be considered a game that released at just the right time to catch a lot of people’s attention. To be honest I never felt too impressed with the game–it feels awkward and clumsy, the presentation lacks polish, the puzzles are pretty ridiculous… And, well, I’m not sure I’d even call the ao oni that scary. I mean, I guess I’d run away too if I saw that in real life, but an Anpanman showing up in real life would probably freak me out just as much.

“How do you do, fellow gamers?”

Ao Oni would eventually get a couple (bad) live-action films, some (bad) anime gag shorts and (bad) anime film, and a couple sequel games (which I have not checked out yet). And, of course, it got some light novels too. Which I’m happy to say are not bad! In fact, I’d have to say I was pleasantly surprised by this opening volume. Whether you have played the game or not (really, it doesn’t matter either way), if you’re a fan of horror at all then this is a series that’s well-worth checking out.

This volume is largely devoted to setting things up for the four characters from the game (Hiroshi, Takuro, Mika, and Takeshi), plus two new characters (Shun and Anna). The story follows Shun, a transfer student who creates a video game (…it’s Ao Oni… it’s meta) based on the town’s urban legend of a monster that lives in a creepy isolated European-style mansion. Shun is unfortunately being bullied mercilessly in secret by the sadistic Takuro, who maintains a public image as the school’s most popular student. To get through the rest of the cast briefly here… Mika and Takeshi are friends of Takuro (though he would probably just call them “pawns”), Anna is the class president who is concerned about Shun (but holds some dark secrets of her own), and Hiroshi is the anti-social brainiac of the class who takes an interest in Shun’s game.

The story moves along at a brisk pace. Soon enough the characters end up trapped in the mansion, and you don’t have to wait long before the ao oni starts pursuing them. Those familiar with horror fiction will feel right at home with this one, and those new to the horror genre will get a good taste for what these sorts of “slasher film” stories entail. The author manages to pull off an appropriately foreboding atmosphere in the mansion, and provides a steady trickle of unsettling imagery and moments of gruesome violence. It’s far from the goriest horror fiction you can find out there, but it doesn’t shy away from the blood and guts of the well-established stalk-and-murder formula either.

The characters for the most part don’t get too much depth in this one, and the final act is definitely rushed (skipping over much of the actual mansion-escaping the original game is known for). But the book did manage to provide a strong enough hook for me to want to read more in the series, which in subsequent volumes does manage to delve much more into the characters and provide more substance to the mysteries of the mansion and its star monster. For volume 1 specifically though, I did really like how Shun’s character was handled (providing a startlingly harsh portrayal of the misery of bullying), and I did appreciate the author’s clever take on Hiroshi (which deviates from the “blank slate protagonist” portrayal in the original game, but in a way that fits for him perfectly). I liked how the story gave us two characters (Hiroshi and Takuro) who essentially have an antisocial personality disorder, but they end up interacting with others and living their lives in completely different ways. Aspects of the plot such as this made the Ao Oni novel a lot more engaging than I expected it to be.

Also worth mentioning, the prose of the story stands out, which to some degree I feel has to be thanks to a strong effort on the translator’s part. The artwork is also very good, handled by one of the artists for the manga adaptation of Higurashi (which I would actually offer as a series to compare this one to, in terms of how its overarching mystery and other certain elements are handled). Along with the typical LN illustrations, the volume includes a short “teaser” manga at the beginning. All in all I’d have to say Ao Oni is the hidden gem of the J-Novel Club lineup, and so long as you have at least some interest in horror, you ought to check it out this Halloween season!

Cho’s Rating: Recommended

You can purchase the ebook online via sites like Amazon. This is an affiliate link, so a small percentage of sales goes toward this site.

The Dark Maidens

For general information on this series: The Dark Maidens entry

This review is for The Dark Maidens by Rikako Akiyoshi (with art by Booota). This standalone novel was released in English by Vertical in May 2018.

The Dark Maidens

There’s a lot to unravel for a book like The Dark Maidens. First of all, is it a light novel? Well, as far as I can tell, it was first released as a “regular” novel (published by Futabasha), and then later got a re-release published by Futabasha Junior Bunko, adding in the manga-style illustrations expected of light novels. (It is this second version we got for the English release.) I imagine this was done to coincide with the live-action film adaptation that released in Japan the next month.

At any rate, the book is a murder mystery, in which the students of an all-girls school literature club meet together to work out how their club’s president (Itsumi) must have died. Was she murdered by one of them? Each girl takes a turn reading out a short story, giving her viewpoint on the various events that led up to Itsumi’s death. The setup here is what makes The Dark Maidens stand out most, working with a premise similar to the classic Japanese film Rashomon (based on Akutagawa’s short story “In a Grove”), which popularized the plot device of several characters providing conflicting accounts of a crime.

Rikako Akiyoshi takes this concept, and places it in the “Class S” genre of Japanese fiction set in all-girls schools (which focus on the close bonds of friendship between the girls). Some yuri light novel series would work with these tropes to create romance stories (such as Maria Watches Over Us and Strawberry Panic). But in the case of The Dark Maidens, the author crafts a much more sinister plot. The girls of this fancy literature club are all good friends, right? So why would any of them want to kill their beloved club president?

I’m a fan of dark mysteries, so this was a lot of fun for me to read. The novel essentially plays out as a series of short stories, with the final one stringing all the previous accounts together to provide the full picture of what really went down. The further along in the book you get, the more clues you have to work with to try piecing together who is purposely lying about what, and who is simply mistaken about what. Some of the stories here are more engaging than others, but I feel The Dark Maidens is the sort of work that’s more than the sum of its parts. It encourages the reader to guess to what degree each character is telling the truth, and to try working out what their true motivations are during certain events. There is no impartial ace detective here to do all of that for you.

Most likely what will stand out the most to readers though is the ending. Suffice to say this one makes a huge impact (and a strong lasting impression), but at the same time doesn’t feel out of place at all. The build-up is slow and steady, but when those final reveals are made–BAM. Definitely one you don’t want to be spoiled for!

If you’re in the mood for a tale of fiendish machinations, you can’t go wrong with The Dark Maidens. It’s a well-written collection of stories with a strong narration style that directly addresses the reader and pulls you into its overarching mystery. Definitely a unique narrative to be experienced here for light novel readers.

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.

Ao Oni

For general information on this series: Ao Oni entry

This review is for the second volume of Ao Oni by Kenji Kuroda (with art by Karin Suzuragi). It is based on the Japanese indie game by noprops. This book was released by J-Novel Club in March 2018. So far there are three volumes available in English, and from what I can tell there are six volumes total for this series in Japan (Note: one of the listings in the link there is for a comic anthology).

Vol 2 — Vengeance

One of the biggest problems that the horror genre seems to have is how to actually continue a story past the first installment. Or more specifically, how to continue a story well. Slasher films are of course well-known for having a ridiculous number of sequels, probably because they’re relatively easy and cheap to churn out and there’s just enough horror fans out there to keep things profitable. But how often are those sequels any good? I was actually just tweeting about this topic recently in regards to the Corpse Party video game series (which also has manga and anime adaptations). The original title was made with RPG Maker (much like Ao Oni), and the PSP version of it in particular is a favorite of mine. Unfortunately, the two sequels that followed (Book of Shadows and Blood Drive) were not nearly as good, and ultimately felt unnecessary for the plot as a whole.

Can the Ao Oni light novels avoid falling into predictable mediocrity, despite being a series that more or less works with the same premise (i.e. a giant blue monster in a spooky mansion chasing our lead characters) in every volume? As luck would have it, it does. I think there are a few specific plot elements that makes this work:

1. The ao oni was not defeated in the first volume — the threat still looms large
2. The mysteries of the ao oni and the mansion have not been solved
3. The way Shun’s game operates in the story allows for events in the mansion to be altered–for better and for worse (for the characters)

The plot device of the time loop is one that seems to come up a lot in Japanese genre fiction (including horror stories such as Higurashi and Umineko), but it is put to particularly good use here. Because Shun’s Ao Oni game is somehow tied to the mansion and its monster (in what manner exactly, we don’t know yet), characters who are killed can be brought back to life when the metaphorical game is restarted. This does not mean any of them are free from the horrors that have been inflicted upon them, however–they are still adversely affected in various ways, and appear fated to return to the mansion and the monster that lurks within. (The monster, or monsters?)

The character who gets the most development in this volume is probably Takuro, which I found surprising. By the end of the first volume I had the feeling that we would eventually see him have a change of heart–but I didn’t imagine we would start delving into that the very next volume. It perhaps can’t be stressed enough just how awful of a kid he has been–but in this volume he really gets put through the wringer as the mansion’s new horrors appear tailor-made specifically for him. The author is wise to not let him make a quick and effortless 180 in his personality, but instead has his mask start to break. He still ends up doing terrible things, but the ways Mika and Takeshi interact with him force Takuro to re-examine his past actions and his twisted mindset in general.

The story offers many points of view as it goes along, but the main protagonist this time is the impassive and calculative Hiroshi. Now that the setup has been established by Shun in the first volume, it appears most of the puzzle-solving in the mansion for the rest of the series will be headed by Hiroshi (as was done in the original game). He isn’t able to figure out everything regarding the bigger mysteries in this volume, but he does get a lot more to examine and muse over. To be honest I felt this made volume 2 drag on a bit (especially in comparison to volume 1), but overall I still found it an engaging read. It does make me hope that volume 3 will really shake things up though… Maybe you’ll find out if it will in my next review for this series? ;) But for now, I’ll just say that if you liked the first volume of Ao Oni, you should like the second one as well.

Cho’s Rating: Recommended

You can purchase the ebook online via sites like Amazon. This is an affiliate link, so a small percentage of sales goes toward this site.

Goth: A Novel of Horror

For general information on this series: Goth entry

This review is for Goth: A Novel of Horror by Otsuichi, released in Japan in 2002. This standalone novel (actually a collection of short stories) was released in English by Tokyopop in 2009, and again by Haikasoru (Viz Media) in 2015. The Haikasoru edition included an extra story titled “Morino’s Souvenir Photo.” This review will be for the earlier Tokyopop edition however, so I will only be going over what’s included in that. From what I can tell, the Haikasoru edition uses the same translation as the Tokyopop one, but with minor edits (save for the new story, handled by a new translator).

I’ve had a copy of the Tokyopop edition of Goth for several years now. I think I picked it up shortly before the Haikasoru edition was announced, and then I wondered if I should pick that one up instead. My indecision led to me just reading other books and forgetting about Goth, up until recently when I decided I wanted to try to do a “Horror Week” for this blog. A whole week of horror reviews! Since there aren’t many horror LNs available in English, I have to take what I can get — and I figured Goth is close enough to being a light novel. The author Otsuichi apparently intended it to be one when he was writing it, hoping that it would get more LN readers interested in mystery stories. Instead it released as a hardcover and won the Honkaku Mystery Award for being a top mystery novel in 2003.

The thing is though… is Goth even a mystery novel? Or is it what Tokyopop subtitled it: A Novel of Horror?

Well, for starters I’d call it a collection of six short stories, which are only connected by way of a couple recurring characters (mostly one in particular). This is not like The Dark Maidens, which had a series of short stories that built off one another to lead to an ending that tied everything together into one cohesive narrative. Goth is just six unrelated stories about murders that all happen to occur in the same area, and the two high schoolers who have an unhealthy fascination with said murders.

Our unnamed protagonist is not a detective trying to stop the culprits, but rather is just a boy who wants to learn what makes serial killers tick, and tries to witness some of their grisly deeds. The protagonist’s friend (of sorts) is a girl named Morino, who is also really into death. The main difference between the two characters is that the protagonist is able to act like a normal, friendly person and interact with others regularly without raising any suspicions of his twisted obsessions, while Morino keeps to herself as much as possible, always dresses entirely in black, and never displays any kind of outward emotion. As you might imagine, they each harbor some dark secrets. If you have read the YA novel I Am Not a Serial Killer, that’ll give you a good idea for what type of main characters you’re getting here. The way Morino and the protagonist interact with each other is actually rather delightful, in a morbid way… I really wish more of the novel had focused on them, instead of being mostly about the various criminals they’re interested in.

In many of the stories in Goth, we get the point of view of the murderer, so most of the book doesn’t really follow a whodunnit formula at all. And in some of them, there isn’t even much of a motive to unravel–it’s usually just… the murderer is crazy. Really, the point of the stories generally just felt like, “Wow, some people are really messed up, huh?” which is kind of meh for mystery, but perhaps okay for horror. I don’t know, for the most part this one just didn’t quite click with me. Someone would do some terrible murders or acts of violence, and I’d think, “Yep, that’s really messed up.” And then the protagonist would get involved, and things would come to an end before he or Morino got killed. It’s just all kind of… I don’t want to say uneventful… but I guess the stories just didn’t leave much of a lasting impression, particularly when most of the stories’ big twists are all rather similar to each other.

I suppose I can rate each story [1 to 3 rating scale]

• Goth — [2] The opening story to establish the characters. Someone is chopping people up, and decorating trees with their organs.
• Wrist-Cut — [1] Someone really, really loves hands. The culprit is knocking people out and chopping off their hands, then hiding the hands in a fridge.
• Dog — [1] Someone’s killing dogs.
• Memory/Twins — [2] We get Morino’s backstory. Probably my favorite story of the bunch, though I saw the twist ending coming early on. Too bad Morino doesn’t really do that much in any of the other stories.
• Grave — [1] An older man is a completely normal person… save for his subconscious bucket list of one thing: to bury someone alive.
• Voice — [2] A girl’s sister has been killed. A certain boy gives her tape recordings of her sister’s last words…

Most reviews I’ve seen for this book have been highly favorable, so if you’re into dark stories then this is probably still worth checking out. And I do think Otsuichi is a talented author–each story here moves at a quick pace, every word feeling harsh and deliberate. But in terms of character and plot, Goth just couldn’t win me over. It has its strong moments (the final story in particular has an intense finale), but a lot of the pay-offs feel too forced. Perhaps I should read the author’s Calling You again some time, because I remember really loving that collection of short stories.

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.

Ao Oni

For general information on this series: Ao Oni entry

This review is for the third volume of Ao Oni by Kenji Kuroda (with art by Karin Suzuragi). It is based on the Japanese indie game by noprops. This book was released by J-Novel Club in March 2018. So far there are three volumes available in English, and from what I can tell there are six volumes total for this series in Japan (Note: one of the listings in the link there is for a comic anthology).

Vol 3 — Mutation

The original Ao Oni game did not have much of a plot. It was essentially just, “Four friends check out a creepy mansion. There’s a monster in it! Try to escape.” There wasn’t really anything to the characters either, save perhaps for Takeshi being the most frightened of the bunch, and Hiroshi being the smartest (since you control him as the player, and have to solve all the puzzles). Though there wasn’t much for the author of the Ao Oni LNs to work with, there were still specific events that took place in the game that could be incorporated into the story. Volume 3 works with elements introduced in version 6.23 of the game, and the in-universe story here is that Shun is altering his computer game to try making it easy for people to escape the mansion, should anyone get trapped within it again.

Unfortunately, things don’t work out well at all in that regard. Instead, as the “Mutation” subtitle for this volume implies, the ao oni only becomes a much more advanced creature, and uses all of Shun’s efforts against him. Because this volume works with the version of the original game that I’m familiar with though, that means all of my favorite moments from Ao Oni get to be incorporated into this volume:

• The arrival of the “blockman” ao oni (a smaller but faster creature that reminds me of Domo-kun)
• The ability of the ao oni to shape-shift, taking on the appearance of those it eats
• The climactic “prison room” scene in the basement

One way horror sequels can keep things exciting is by raising the stakes, and Ao Oni volume 3 manages this in a nice variety of ways. The ao oni itself was more or less already a monster that was impossible to fight against, but now it has become quite the devious creature, eager to learn all it can about humans and the world outside the mansion it is trapped in. Along with the mystery of how Shun’s game ties to the ao oni, we also continue to get more clues to work with in regards to the history of the mansion itself–as well as the role of the ghost of Naoki, who continues to seek revenge against Takuro and his posse.

Ao Oni: Mutation manages to keep things exciting from start to finish, putting characters in situations that are creepier than anything they’ve dealt with in previous volumes. I was particularly impressed by how Takeshi’s crazed insomnia was handled, as well as Shun’s desperation to find a way to get Hiroshi and the others out of the mansion safely. The series continues to read smoothly thanks to its quality translation, and the illustrations continue to be incorporated in ways that leave an extra-strong impact during the story’s most dramatic moments.

In short, the third volume builds upon everything established in the first two, and leads the reader to the wildest plot development yet for the series. The ending for this one is a real game-changer (forgive the pun), to the point that the author Kenji Kuroda even notes in the afterword that readers might end up wondering if there would be a fourth installment. “Can things even continue past this point?” This is the sort of crazy turn of events I like to see in this type of story though, so I’m really looking forward to seeing what Kuroda can come up with next.

Cho’s Rating: Strongly Recommended

You can purchase the ebook online via sites like Amazon. This is an affiliate link, so a small percentage of sales goes toward this site.

This first volume has been previously reviewed by Cho.

Azusa Saito finds herself abducted, bound and heading to who-knows-where in the back of a van. A typical high school girl, her life has been fairly mundane up until this point–living with her researcher father and taking care of the household chores. Confused as to the motivations of her kidnapping, she learns a shocking secret about herself when she’s rescued by a group of friendly vampires. The truth is that Azusa is not a normal teen girl, but instead a top-secret experimental test-tube baby who holds the blood of The Ancient One, the most powerful (and perhaps original) of all vampires. As such, she has become the target of vampires wanting to hunt down her blood and potential power, putting her life and freedom at risk. Her rescuers take her in for safety and their own observations, and thus Azusa is thrust headfirst into vampire society.

Akaoni: Contract with a Vampire vol. 1 is the debut novel from Hiroro, featuring illustrations by Mokoppe. Both were previously interviewed about this novel for the site. Published in English by Cross Infinite World, this book was released digitally on July 31, 2017.

Going into a Cross Infinite Worlds book, there are certain expectations to be had, and this book falls right in line with them. Akaoni is a shojo supernatural action romance about a (mostly) normal teenager who gets caught up in the warring factions of vampire society, and finds herself under the protection of  the ‘vegetarian’, red-eyed Kouya–the feared and fabled Akaoni himself. Similarly to shojo manga like Vampire Knight, or any of the multitudes of vampire romance novels that were borne from Twilight‘s popularity, Akaoni appeals to the fantasy of a brooding-but-kind hero misunderstood by the world, saved by the kindness of our generic-but-plucky protagonist. Whilst the book also introduces some pretty interesting world-building and an ongoing conflict between three vampire factions–red, blue and yellow–if you’re not interested in reading about a sixteen-year-old being oblivious to romance, than this book probably isn’t for you.

It’s fairly obvious that this book was originally a web novel, published online chapter by chapter. The overall pacing is uneven and makes reading it sometimes tedious; the constant shift between character point of view making the tone and tension between chapters flip-flops enough that it’s hard to feel invested in any of the events happening–especially in the first half. A lot of the language choices used seemed off, and many conversations felt stilted or forced; I don’t know if that was the original style or a failure of translation,  but it did make the book feel more soap-opera-y/teen-drama-y than probably intended. Another point is that the author tries hard to merge several plot-lines and events within this single book, which bloats it a little–at 65 chapters, it’s long for an introductory novel, and I do wonder if a simpler, more streamlined story focused on one plot thread may have worked better. The final conflict at the high school was great, and had some real emotional impact for both the characters and audience, but it seems like a consolation or reward for the audience after the slow first half.

Whilst this all sounds like I hated the book, I really didn’t–especially later on, as the cast expanded and the story stopped feeling like it was spinning it’s wheels. Azusa is a fairly typical shojo lead–strong-willed and independent, a hard worker who loves chores and cooking, but who gets easily embarrassed by the suggestion of romance. Her reactions to vampires and the culture she’s now being sequestered into are reasonable and understandable, and her irritation of being left out of the loop or confined to her room is palpable. I do think her character writing was inconsistent overall (swinging between being a strong  kendo master who can protect herself from bullies, to a densely-naive blushing maiden unsure about Kouya’s feelings within mere sentences), but the book does try to merge both sides.

Our other main character is Kouya–the titular Akaoni himself. He’s the brooding male love interest one should expect for this type of book, and he plays the role perfectly. With natural red eyes that reflect how powerful he is (other vampires only get red eyes after drinking blood) and the heir to the current leader of the red faction, he has become a feared figure among other vampires within the town and has been put in charge of disposing of F-ranked vampires–zombie-like creatures who have fallen to madness and instinct under their own power after awakening. His self-hatred is fueled by those larger societal fears, as well as the guilt of his mother and brother’s deaths he’s been burdened with. Despite the expected tortured backstory, it gives good motivation to his actions toward the rest of the cast, his distaste for drinking blood, and his own insecurities in addressing Azusa’s friendship (and more?). The interactions between the two main characters is refreshing in that there’s no real antagonism between them more typical of shojo of this nature, so it doesn’t feel rushed or unexpected as they slowly realize their feelings for one another–they bicker and clash throughout the book, but its a product of their concern and frustration, rather than real ire.

The other main character of note is Tsukiharu, a mostly-antagonistic youth who attempts to capture Azusa’s notice over the book’s events (both directly and indirectly). His character arc is by far one of the most interesting, and his inclusion into the story is when things really start to develop in engaging ways. His introduction leaves impact and his character has an air of mystery and danger even up until the final chapters. How his character grows is realistic and feels organic, giving him a depth of character that has wonderful potential for future novels, but doesn’t make him feel like someone completely different to his first appearance.

As a first novel, Akaoni: Contract with a Vampire vol. 1 is a solid book within a cliched genre that doesn’t completely escape its faults. Its length and pacing make the book a slog to get through at times, and even though there is obvious efforts being put in to creating a rich and fully-realized world, not everything works (or needs to be introduced in this first book). There’s a lot of potential here, which can hopefully be capitalized on in future installments. If you’re a fan of the genre, there’s definitely some interesting stuff here, but I can’t see this gaining much of an audience outside of that.

Gee’s Rating: Maybe Recommended

Content Warning: Topics on self-harm and bullying will be discussed.

The third year of middle school should have been a straightforward year for everyone. Mizuha would have remained the eccentric but cute girl people talk to in classes. Hibiki might have been the popular rebel in school. And Ryuusuke would just be the invisible kid in the corner of the room. Their teacher who looks way like a bad James Dean ripoff should be taking it easy to see this class off to high school as well.

Middle schools are rarely that lighthearted.

One day, Ryuusuke was beaten up and left barely alive. Hospitalized for weeks, he was literally and emotionally scarred from the experience; his disfigured face provided ample evidence of bullying. He never returned to school. The main perpetrator, Hibiki, remained profoundly ignorant of what had happened and no one dared to point out the obvious.

The class went on, aware of their precarious situation but uninterested in doing something about it. But what could they have done to stop Hibiki and his cadre? No one but him was in the wrong. Everyone in the class was — and is — neutral. It’s all Hibiki’s fault that they are entangled in this potential blacklisting from good high schools. They need to buck up their studies, so high school admission officers are willing to ignore the past. And in a way, isn’t this Ryuusuke’s fault too for not saying anything? The students can only mutter their complaints, look away from the scene of the crime, and move on with their studies.

But Mizuha understands guilt. Indeed, she may see herself as the embodiment of guilt. After taking a shower, she notices that the lacerations on her body she has inflicted on have not gone away. Rather, there is the tacit implication it may have increased. Overwhelming events force her to puke and collapse to the ground as if struck with a seizure. This event of Ryuusuke’s bullying is thus another manifestation of her guilt, of her low self-esteem, of her solipsism. It is but another episode in her life.

As the narrator of the book, she prefers keeping her observations in her head without mentioning her insights to anyone. A journalistic spirit emanates from her first-person narration that comprise the novel; yet, she knows she isn’t as objective as she wants to be. She is a part of the events. More importantly, she has witnessed what happened to Ryuusuke and is even called out for not revealing her involvement. She wants to be neutral, but she knows she is lying to herself. Accident or not, events in the book are influenced by her actions and desire for knowledge.

Take, for example, her meeting with Ryuusuke in the beginning of the book. It doesn’t take a Sigmund Freud to realize the boy is psychologically traumatized. Who in the world other than his mother would try to talk to him? But Mizuha’s James Dean-like teacher forces her to go on an errand and send him an invitation to the graduation ceremony. She goes to his house and finds out that he hasn’t come back yet; his mother says that he has gone to the batting center. Mizuha could of course excuse herself and leave. Instead, she decides to stay and meet him anyway. She wants to know what has happened to him.

When Mizuha enters his bedroom to wait, she realizes that all around her are posters of famous baseball players plastered onto his walls. Yet, they don’t seem to belong there: they are not the prized decorations of a typical baseball maniac but the artificial ornamentations of a tryhard. None of the baseball players are star performers; they’re just famous. In fact, the bedroom is so stereotypical it has to be unreal. And when Ryuusuke finally appears, Mizuha is surprised by his developed biceps, even though he has lost some mobility in his right arm. His new muscle tone has transformed him into an amateur baseball player.

Why did Ryuusuke, a nobody with few discernible interests in class, suddenly become interested in baseball? How did he become so muscular and fit in a few months? And how does he feel about going back to school and possibly attending the graduation ceremony? These unasked questions and more intrigue Mizuha, but they also frighten her when she remembers the guilt and how much of a role she has played in the bullying.

This isn’t just her own conscience. Ryuusuke confronts her because he sees her as being part of the class at first. What is her right to know more about how he is feeling? All he wants is revenge and retribution. He craves for the day when he could attend the graduation ceremony all bulked up and kill Hibiki. That’s why he has been practicing in the batting center and doing bicep curls at home. He wants to show he can man up and murder Hibiki in their own game. Ryuusuke thus sees Mizuha as an obstacle to his goals and threatens her by almost choking her.

Until she vomits and falls to the ground.

This is where the peculiar relationship between Ryuusuke and Mizuha begins to form. Mizuha becomes a willing accomplice to Ryuusuke’s plans, even though murder is a heinous crime. She accompanies him to the batting center, gives him tips on what Hibiki and others are doing, and even intends to help him on the day of the event. We never get to understand why she has decided to team up; zero explicit reasons are given. But it is telling that she wants to learn about people’s motivations in life and their possible sociological implications. Mizuha wants to use that knowledge for something. She doesn’t know what that something is yet, but she is ready to pursue it at all costs.

That means she can be a double agent since she also wants to understand Hibiki’s role in all of this. Mizuha stalks him and finds herself entering a seedy district where crime and business depend on each other. She meets a sketchy labor agent who goes by the alias Kaname and Hibiki may have some dealings with him. References to black markets and illegal labor are abundant and suggestive of something darkly political and economical going on. It seems this instance of bullying is not as black-and-white as common sense dictates.

No particular faction is rendered in a positive or negative light. We can perceive sympathy and maliciousness between Ryuusuke and Hibiki. This comes from Mizuha’s rather contradictory feelings of curiosity and guilt, her main sources of agency: without them, there will be nothing to impel her to interact with Ryuusuke and Hibiki. No one is utterly good or evil and it would also be too simple to say this was all caused by the banality of evil as well. Structural factors and unquestioned narratives such as masculinity and hierarchy constitute and possibly create these unhealthy behaviors of bullying, self-harm, and more. We don’t just hurt ourselves and others because of our own actions; we may have been guided by society to inflict self-harm on our mind and bodies.

This diagnosis leads us to a yearning for some kind of solution or catharsis. Unfortunately, Mizuha is unclear on what her role is in this triad of characters, let alone answer the ultimate question of what is to be done. The question is left unresolved and any answer she strives to come up is ambiguous. That is understandable: Mizuha is merely a third year middle school student; it is implausible of her to solve some of Japanese society’s repressive problems. Even adults struggle to decipher questions of identity and social relationships. This is where it is appropriate to ask an adult or at least someone who has a better perspective on things. After all, we search for answers in authority figures like grownups and books.

But she hesitates. She could beg for someone to give her a meaning of life and resolve the ambiguity embedded in her worldview. The answer would be at the end of her journey, but she realizes this is merely the beginning of her journey to adulthood. Such an answer at this stage of her life would be half-hearted and delusional. Mizuha wants to find her own unique solution to the human condition.

And so, that answer awaits her in another phase of her life — a phase we readers will never be able to observe.

This is the grand theme Enami Mitsunori, the writer of Strange Voice (his debut novel), wants to impress upon us. The lessons we learn from stories and the catharsis we seek in narratives aren’t in real life. They are merely the same strange voices Mizuha hears and subconsciously blocks out when her classmates bicker about how everything isn’t their responsibility. Most of us are unable to filter out these strange voices because they sound normal to us. Because of mainstream fiction, we fail to recognize the interdependence of societal mechanisms that make us behave in abnormal ways since we prefer simple, cathartic narratives. After all, school castes are just symptoms of our postmodern condition.

Therefore, Enami implies that fiction about real life can only attempt a sociological analysis of the societal systems in place and nothing more; it cannot provide us a bandaid to fix ourselves and others. Strange Voice is satisfied with being the tutor who points out our character flaws, not the teacher nor counselor for problems. We leave the book with problems, not answers. Just like Mizuha, we have to search elsewhere — outside of fiction and possibly inside ourselves — for relief against the gears of society.

And it is this bitter and unfulfilling aftertaste that makes Strange Voice a peculiarly compelling read. Many people who just want to be entertained will fail to appreciate its depth and honesty in its approach to these dark themes. Certainly, it is debatable if such a work could be classified as a “light novel”. But the title goes beyond superficial and fashionable descriptions of psychological and societal criticisms: it makes us readers sober about what fiction can do to change our lives.

Strange Voice and others can never lead us to salvation, but they can teach us to ignore the sirens who tempt us away from the difficulties of life.

Kastel’s Rating: Very recommended as long as one is aware the “entertainment” value comes from examining its philosophy. Comparisons to classical Russian literature like Fyodor Dostoevsky are apt.

Within a barren desert, the secretive town of Wisteria thrives. Hidden from most, the rumors call it a paradise of wealth and splendor—a refuge for those after the horrors of war. Under orders (and some coercion) from his superior officer Col. Mustang, Edward and his brother Alphonse find themselves on an observation mission to this mysterious town in the South to see how true the rumors are, and whether all is what it seems.

Lost and looking for a town that doesn’t seem to exist, the brother’s Elric run into a scuffle going down between a group of bandits and a teenage girl—and never one to ignore someone in need, Al jumps in to help immediately, with his older brother reluctantly joining behind. To their surprise, there’s little they can contribute as they watch her fight off multiple armed attackers single-handedly.

The girl, Ruby, takes a liking to Alphonse immediately, and in exchange for their (minimal) help, she offers to take them to Wisteria—revealing the hidden town at the bottom of a gorge. Ruled by the same laws of equivalent exchange that alchemy follows, Edward and Alphonse explore this seemingly perfect community in Fullmetal Alchemist: The Valley of White Petals

Once again we join Edward and Alphonse on one of their many journeys across the country—this time not as they search for the Philosopher’s Stone, but as covert observers working in Mustang’s stead. The Southern region has impressed Central Command, with elevated arrests of wanted criminals, and increased production from the region’s manufacturing. Amidst this, rumors are circulating about a town called Wisteria and their prosperity, so Mustang sends Edward to find the truth and report back.

In this volume, author Inoue takes the opportunity to focus on the sometimes-overlooked younger brother of our main pair, Alphonse. Throughout this book, the themes of accepting your current self is paramount—which runs opposite to the Elric’s goals of restoring their bodies. Wisteria is introduced as a town for those with nowhere else to go; welcoming criminals and orphans alike, it gives new opportunity for residents to build an new life. Wisteria runs on equivalent exchange—that the hard work you put in reaps rewards in return. For a town rich with mining and smelting, this works for people to give back and provide for the town—cleaning and collecting the precious gemstones dredged up by the river en mass, to build the town’s wealth. But it’s this wealth that brews trouble, and the town is constantly under attack from opportunistic bandits.

We’re introduced to most of these things via Ruby, the main addition in this novel. A handful of years older than the Elric’s, she acts as a guard to the town—physically strong and loyally protective of her new home and it’s leader. Although she bickers and butts heads with Edward at every opportunity, her attitude towards Alphonse is welcoming and encouraging—hoping he’ll join the town and become happy about how he is now.

For Alphonse, who has lived for years as a soul within an armor shell with no ability to touch or smell or taste or feel, the idea that his huge, painless, powerful body could be one that he and other’s can fully accept is a foreign concept. Fundamentally, the entire plot of Fullmetal Alchemist, and the motivations of Edward’s character, is of restoring Al to the boy he is, with the flesh-and-blood body he has lost. The rest—Ed’s arm and leg, the Philosopher’s Stone, the homunculi and the government corruption—is superfluous. And Alphonse’s struggle with who he is, and how he exists, throughout the series is key to his character—which is why it’s easy to see why he takes such solace in the welcoming townspeople, who don’t ask questions and accept him as one of their own so quickly.

The plot itself is a standard for this series, and once again fits easy into the expanded canon of the franchise. At this point, I don’t expect surprises from these sorts of ‘filler’ stories in shounen—whether they’re films, light novels or anime episodes—they tick the boxes of the formula, rinse and repeat. Compared to the previous novel, this one is definitely stronger, plot-wise, but it’s Alphonse’s character arc that really makes this one worth reading. For those familiar with the franchise, this is yet again another fun addition to the world and characters if you’re dying for more Fullmetal, but the books and their translation definitely reflect their age compared to newer light novels. Simple language choice and straight-forward plot definitely skews this book, like the rest, towards a younger audience. Again, these books seem perfect for middle school fans of anime, who want something familiar and unchallenging.

Gee’s Rating: Maybe recommended, especially for pre-existing fans.

Mirai

English Title: Mirai
Japanese Title: 未来のミライ — “Mirai no Mirai”
Author: Mamoru Hosoda
Illustrator: U35
Translator: N/A
Genre: Drama, Slice of Life
Original Run: July 2018
English Run: October 2018
Japanese Publisher: Kadokawa Sneaker Bunko (Kadokawa Shoten)
English Publisher: Yen On (Yen Press)
Volumes in Japanese: 1 (Completed)
Volumes in English: 1 (Completed)
Average Price Per Volume: Paperback $13 — Kindle $8 — Nook $8

• English Website — Japanese Website
• LNDB.info

Synopsis: Little Kun isn’t too happy about the latest addition to his family. With the arrival of a new baby sister in the house, he worries his parents may not love him as much as they used to… But when a teenage girl shows up and tells Kun that she is his sister from the future, it may be that there’s more to this new relationship than Kun ever could’ve dreamed!

Volume 1
Amazon — Barnes and Noble — Book Depository — RightStuf
Release Date: October 30, 2018 — ISBN-13: 978-1975328610

Reviews of Mirai
(forthcoming)

Anime Adaptation
MAL Entry — movie — Aired July 2018

If you liked Mirai, you might also want to try…

• Your Name — drama, one-shot movie novel-adaptation
• The Boy and the Beast— also written by Mamoru Hosoda

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

emeth: Island of Golems

English Title: emeth: Island of Golems
Japanese Title: emeth～人形遣いの島～ — “emeth~ ningyotsukai no shima ~”
Author: Souki Tsukishima & Tora Tsukishima
Illustrator: Mura Karuki
Translator: Charis Messier
Genre: Fantasy, Action, Adventure
Original Run: March 2007
English Run: November 2018
Japanese Publisher: Square Enix
English Publisher: Cross Infinite World
Volumes in Japanese: 1 (Complete)
Volumes in English: 1 (Complete)
Average Price Per Volume: Kindle $9 – iBook $9 – Kobo $9

• English Website — Japanese Website
• LNDB.info

Synopsis:

“Creating Life”—such power is blasphemy against God.

In emeth’s world, the manufacturing of Golems—automatic dolls that move according to human will—has become the norm. This sets the stage for an epic adventure against the backdrop of St. Rollins Archipelago, where the Torah Church presides over all creation and operation of these Golems.

Step into the story through the perspective of Cliff, a boy living in the slums of a Torah-controlled island who so fervently wants to become a Golem Tamer that he has begun to illegally build one. His mundane world is suddenly shattered one day when he crosses paths with a mysterious girl. This meeting sets the gears in motion for a thrilling journey involving powerful Golems, corruption, and the very fate of the island itself!

emeth: Island of Golems

Volume 1
Amazon — Bookwalker
Released November 5, 2018 — ASIN: B07H5FYNFT

Reviews of Emeth: Island of Golems
(forthcoming)

Illustrations Sampler

Anime Adaptation
None

Manga Adaptation
None

If you liked Emeth: Island of Golems, you might also want to try…

• Mia and the Forbidden Medicine Report — Characters seek “forbidden knowledge”, Fantasy
• Gear Drive — Fantasy, Adventure, Main Character’s ability is “gears”
• Clockwork Planet — Fantasy, Adventure, Automatons

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

The Hero and His Elf Bride Open a Pizza Parlor in Another World

English Title: The Hero and His Elf Bride Open a Pizza Parlor in Another World
Japanese Title: 勇者ですが異世界でエルフ嫁とピザ店始めます — “Yuusha desu ga Isekai de Elf Yome to Pizza-ten Hajimemasu”
Author: Kaya Kizaki
Illustrator: Shiso
Translator: N/A
Genre: Comedy, Isekai
Original Run: January 2017 – ongoing
English Run: November 2018 – ongoing
Japanese Publisher: Super Dash Bunko (Shueisha)
English Publisher: Yen On
Volumes in Japanese: 1 (In Progress)
Volumes in English: 1 (In Progress)
Average Price Per Volume: Paperback $12

• English Website — Japanese Website
• MAL Entry — Forum
• LNDB.info

Synopsis: After being struck and killed by a pizza delivery bike, Kaito is given the option to be reborn in an alternate world as one of three “hero” classes: 1. A swordsman; 2. A magician; or 3. A hero who saves the world with pizza. When the first two options are quickly taken, Kaito is forced to live his second life as a hero endowed with the power of pizza, in a land of an herbivorous race of elves…one of whom happens to be his new wife! What kinds of pizza-related adventures lie ahead for our “High-Calorie Hero” and his food-obsessed elf bride?

Volume 1
Amazon — Barnes and Noble — Book Depository — RightStuf
Release Date: November 13, 2018 — ISBN-13: 978-1975353254

Reviews of The Hero and His Elf Bride Open a Pizza Parlor in Another World
(forthcoming)

If you liked The Hero and His Elf Bride Open a Pizza Parlor in Another World, you might also want to try…

• Didn’t I Say to Make My Abilities Average in the Next Life?! — comedy, isekai
• Reborn as a Vending Machine, I Now Wander the Dungeon — alternative spin on the isekai premise

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

Do You Love Your Mom and Her Two-Hit Multi-Target Attacks?

English Title: Do You Love Your Mom and Her Two-Hit Multi-Target Attacks?
Japanese Title: 通常攻撃が全体攻撃で二回攻撃のお母さんは好きですか? — “Tsujo Kogeki ga Zentai Kogeki de Ni-kai Kogeki no Okasan wa Suki desu ka?”
Author: Dachima Inaka
Illustrator: Iida Pochi
Translator: Andrew Cunningham
Genre: Action, Comedy, Fantasy
Original Run: January 2017 – ongoing
English Run: November 2018 – ongoing
Japanese Publisher: Fujimi Shobo
English Publisher: Yen On
Volumes in Japanese: 7 (In Progress)
Volumes in English: 1 (In Progress)
Average Price Per Volume: Paperback $14 — Kindle $8 — Nook $8

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

Synopsis:

A new kind of momcom roleplaying adventure!

What would you do if you got transported into a video game…with your mom?? That’s the dilemma facing high schooler Masato Oosuki, who has been unwittingly thrown into an RPG world with his doting mother close behind as part of a secret government scheme. As an avid gamer, Masato is eager to show off his skills…but that’s hard to do when your mom is an insanely overpowered, dual-wielding, multi-target specialist!

Volume 1

Volume 1
Amazon — Barnes and Noble — Book Depository — RightStuf
Released November 27, 2018 — ISBN-13: 9781975328009

Upcoming Releases

• Volume 2 (March 19, 2019)
  Amazon — Barnes and Noble — Book Depository — RightStuf
• Volume 3 (N/A)
  Amazon — Barnes and Noble — Book Depository — RightStuf

Reviews of Do You Love Your Mom and Her Two-Hit Multi-Target Attacks?
(forthcoming)

Illustrations Sampler

Anime Adaptation
MAL Entry — In Production
Crunchyroll (streaming) — Funimation (streaming) — Hulu (streaming) — Amazon — RightStuf
Note: Adapted volumes ? to ? of the light novel series

Manga Adaptation
MAL Entry — 1 volumes — Published August 2018 – Ongoing (No English Release)

If you liked Do You Love Your Mom and Her Two-Hit Multi-Target Attacks?, you might also want to try…

• Infinite Dendrogram — Game World, Adventure, Playing with family
• Paying to Win in a VRMMO — Game World, Adventure

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

I hope you like isekai/fantasy

Sorry I haven’t been keeping up with the site much lately, real life has just been giving me a lot to deal with the past month or so. I will try to catch up on LN entries and whatnot by the end of this month/year.

For now though, here’s a quick(?) roundup of license announcements we’ve gotten over the past 5-6 weeks.

Sol Press announced the following new series to add to its lineup:

• Why Shouldn’t a Detestable Demon Lord Fall in Love? by Nekomata Nuko (with art by teffish)
• Redefining the Meta at VRMMO Academy by Hayaken (with art by Akita Hika)
• Saving 80,000 Gold in Another World for My Retirement by FUNA (with art by teffish)

Sol Press also noted that the second volumes for Strongest Gamer and Battle Divas will release digitally in December, with physical editions to follow at a later date.

It looks like Detestable Demon volume 1 might release at the start of January, and 80,000 Gold volume 1 is planned for March 4th.

Detestable Demon synopsis: This is the story of a detestable demon lord and his wonderful new wife, a destitute damsel! Our demon lord, Anima, is the strongest in all the world, feared by the denizens of the realm. He’s forced to spend his days in solitude until, completely out of the blue, he gets summoned to another world! The one who summons him is none other than Ruina, an exceedingly poor girl who runs an orphanage. The two of them quickly fall in love, with Anima swearing to use his power to protect his newfound family!

VRMMO Academy synopsis: Follows characters at a school for VRMMO games. The lead character likes to play the weakest class in any given game, and he has a knack for making his character into the strongest in spite of that.

80,000 Gold synopsis: Kouha Mitsuha falls off a cliff, at which point she finds herself transported to some sort of medieval European fantasy world! While there, during a battle with some wolves that almost costs her her life, she realizes that she has the ability to come and go between Earth and this new world. Mitsuha decides to use this ability as much as she can. Why? To save up for retirement, of course! She sets her sights on saving eighty thousand gold coins–and this is the story of her schemes to get there!

Next up is a new title from Cross Infinite World:

• The Cursed Princess and the Lucky Knight by Uta Narusawa (with art by Takashi Kiriya)

It sounds like this is a standalone volume that will release digitally on December 10th.

Synopsis: After mysterious deaths and misfortune ravages her family and leaves plucky Duchess Sonia de Clare orphaned in the Royal Abbey, Sonia is forced to take matters into her own hands when the king orders her into an arranged marriage to fulfill her duty as the surviving heiress to the massive Clare fortune. Fully prepared to marry the dashing prince of the kingdom and retake her home, Sonia is only met with disappointment when she discovers who her mysterious groom to be is. But when her own castle turns against her in a series of horrifying supernatural phenomena, Sonia quickly discovers the noble knight Sir Cristford Cortot is far more capable of protecting his cursed princess than any foppish prince ever could!

Seven Seas has licensed a new series:

• Restaurant to Another World by Junpei Inuzuka (with art by Katsumi Enami)

The first volume of this series will release June 18, 2019. It will be available both in paperback and digital forms. So far there are four volumes in Japan. A twelve-episode anime adaptation aired summer 2017.

Synopsis: “Western Cuisine Nekoya” seems like a typical restaurant on the outside, but it hides an amazing secret: on Saturdays, portals to another world appear that allow all manner of unearthly creatures to sit down for a nice meal. Elves, dragons, or anyone else who wants to sample our world’s cuisine is welcome to partake before returning to their world, sated and ready for their next quest. This lovely light novel series, never before published in English, celebrates even the simplest of our foods as fantastical adventures in fine dining. Bon appétit!

Not a light novel, but worth keeping in mind. At the Anime NYC convention, Viz Media announced a new novel for their Haikasoru imprint:

• Automatic Eve by Rokuro Inui

It looks like this will release in English on June 18, 2019. It seems there’s been a couple editions of this story in Japan: Link 1 — Link 2 — Link 3

Synopsis: The political chess game between the shogunate and the empress has a new piece—a self-aware, autonomous entity named Eve. A mighty shogunate ruling the land from Tempu Castle. An imperial line of strict female succession. Caught between these two immense powers, the sprawling city of Tempu is home to many wonders—not least a superhuman technological achievement in the form of a beautiful automaton known as Eve. When a secret that threatens to shake the imperial line intersects with the mystery of Eve’s creation, events are set in motion that soon race toward a shocking conclusion. A new, astonishingly inventive science fantasy masterpiece of historic proportions.

Also at Anime NYC: Vertical had updates for a couple past novel licenses, plus an art book announcement:

• Colorful Dreams — an artbook for VOFAN (the illustrator for the Monogatari series) — release date: October 2019
• Sherlock Holmes: A Scandal in Japan by Keisuke Matsuoka (formerly titled Sherlock Holmes and Hirobumi Ito) — release date: April 30, 2019
• Masquerade and the Nameless Women by Eiji Mikage (formerly titled Serial Killer Detective) — release date: January 29, 2019

Yen Press announced six new light novels for its Yen On lineup at Anime NYC:

• The Dirty Way to Destroy the Goddess’s Hero by Sakuma Sasaki (with art by Asagi Tosaka)
• The Hero is Overpowered but Overly Cautious by Light Tsuchihi (with art by Saori Toyota)
• Torture Princess: Fremd Torturchen by Keishi Ayasato (with art by Saki Ukai)
• Wolf Children: Ame and Yuki by Mamoru Hosoda
• Bottom-tier Character Tomozaki by Yuuki Yaku (with art by Fly)
• Last Round Arthurs: Scum Arthur and Heretic Merlin by Taro Hitsuji (with art by Kiyotaka Haimura)

Dirty Way a completed five-volume series is in Japan.

Synopsis: When Shinichi Sotoyama is suddenly transported to a world of swords and magic, his first quest isn’t to rescue a helpless maiden or save the world, but to protect a demon lord!!

So far there are five volumes for Hero is Overpowered in Japan. An anime adaptation has been announced for it.

Synopsis: The goddess Lista summons a hero who excels in every area to assist her. He’s everything she expected him to be except for one, tiny thing: this anxious hero can’t do anything unless he’s absolutely sure nothing can go wrong!

There are seven volumes so far in Japan for Torture Princess. The artist Ukai also illustrated the Black Bullet LN series.

Synopsis: In this dark, gothic fantasy, a boy is summoned to another world where he meets a beautiful and terrifying girl who offers him a choice—to be her servant, or to be tortured!

The Wolf Children novel adaptation was written by Mamoru Hosoda, the director of the anime film from 2012. Hosoda’s latest film Mirai recently aired in theaters in English, and also received a novel adaptation released in English by Yen Press.

Synopsis: Mamoru Hosoda himself presents the gentle, bittersweet novel adaptation of his award-winning Wolf Children film, wherein a young single mother raises two unruly children with an unusual secret in the Japanese countryside.

Bottom-tier Character Tomozaki has six volumes out in Japan (plus a 6.5 volumes). This series has been compared to other sardonic romcom/drama LNs such My Youth Romantic Comedy is Wrong as I Expected.

Synopsis: Tomozaki is one of the best gamers in Japan, and in his opinion, the game of real life is one of the worst. No clear-cut rules for success, horribly balanced, and nothing makes sense. But then he meets a gamer who’s just as good as him, and she offers to teach him a few exploits…

There are two volumes out in Japan for Last Round Arthurs so far. The artist Kiyotaka Haimura has also illustrated for A Certain Magical Index and Danmachi: Sword Oratoria.

Synopsis: Rintarou is a guy who’s good at anything he tries, so he’s completely bored with life. Just for fun, he decides to help Runa in her bid to be recognized as the one true King Arthur, but there’s just one problem…she sold Excalibur?!?!

One last piece of news I’ll include here:

J-Novel Club is teasing five new light novel announcements for their digital platform. Two of them are “not yet confirmed,” but it sounds like there will probably be at least three new series announced by the end of the year. They recently did announce five manga licenses though, four of which are adaptations of LN series (three of which they are already releasing). These are the manga:

• A Very Fairy Apartment
• Seirei Gensouki – Spirit Chronicles
• Infinite Dendrogram
• How a Realist Hero Rebuilt the Kingdom
• Ascendance of a Bookworm

Makes me wonder if Ascendance of a Bookworm will be an upcoming light novel announcement from them, but we’ll have to wait and see.

Pretty sure that’s everything! If I missed something though, please feel free to comment.

My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom!

English Title: My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom!
Japanese Title: 乙女ゲームの破滅フラグしかない悪役令嬢に転生してしまった… — “Otome Game no Hametsu Flag shika nai Akuyaku Reijou ni Tensei shite shimatta…”
Author: Satoru Yamaguchi
Illustrator: Nami Hidaka
Translator: Shirley Yeung
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Isekai, Romance, Slice of Life, Otome
Original Run: August 2015 – ongoing
English Run: November 2018 – ongoing
Japanese Publisher: Ichijinsha Bunko Iris
English Publisher: J-Novel Club
Volumes in Japanese: 7 (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: After hitting her head particularly hard one day, Duke Claes’ daughter, Katarina, suddenly recalls all the memories of her past life: that of a teenage Japanese girl. Just before her untimely death, this girl recalls playing an otome game… that is exactly like the world she’s living in now! She is now Katarina Claes, the antagonist of the otome game, who nastily hounded the protagonist until the end. Knowing all the possible outcomes of the game, she realizes that every single possible route ends with Katarina being murdered or exiled! In order to avoid these Catastrophic Bad Ends, she has to use her knowledge of the game and her own wiles, starting with breaking off this engagement with the prince… Will Katarina survive while making her way through this world, where bad flags trip at every turn? Find out in this reverse-harem rom-com, led by everybody’s favorite villainess!

Volume 1
Amazon — iBook — J-Novel Club — Kobo — Nook
Released November 17, 2018 — ASIN: B07J1CNXXS

Upcoming Releases

• Volume 2 (February 8, 2019)
  Amazon — iBook — J-Novel Club — Kobo — Nook

Reviews of My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom!

Justus R. Stone: Vol 1
A Case Suitable for Treatment: Vol 1

Illustrations Sampler

Anime Adaptation
MAL Entry — ?? episodes (in production) — Aired month year – month year
Crunchyroll (streaming) — Funimation (streaming) — Hulu (streaming) — Amazon — RightStuf
Note: Adapted volumes ? to ? of the light novel series

Manga Adaptation
MAL Entry — 2 volumes — Published March 2018 – Ongoing (English release by Seven Seas)
Amazon — Barnes and Noble — Book Depository — RightStuf

If you liked My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom!, you might also want to try…

• Obsessions of an Otome Gamer — Isekai, Otome Game, Romance, Drama, Heroine tries to avoid game route
• Didn’t I Say to Make My Abilities Average in the Next Life?! — Isekai, Clueless Heroine, Comedy

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