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Summer Reading Program: July and August 2017 Schedule

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light novels

As mentioned a couple weeks ago, we will spend the rest of summer discussing the following novels:

  • Magical Girl Raising Project — by Asari Endou (with art by Marui-no)
  • The Combat Baker and Automaton Waitress — by SOW (with art by ZAZA)
  • Infinite Dendrogram — by Sakon Kaidou (with art by Taiki)
  • Akaoni: Contract with a Vampire — by Hiroro (with art by Mokoppe)

Normally I would have multiple discussions for two books at a time, but I have too much going on in my life at the moment to make that work. It’s going to have to be just one post per book — but if all works out well, there will be at least a couple other *special* bonus posts to go along with everything here. Look forward to those!

For now, here’s the reading schedule for July and August:

July 23 — We will discuss volume 1 of Magical Girl Raising Project
AmazonBarnes and NobleBook DepositoryRightStuf

July 30 — We will discuss volume 1 of The Combat Baker and Automaton Waitress
BookWalker

August 9 — We will discuss volume 1 of Infinite Dendrogram
AmazoniBookJ-Novel ClubKobo

August 23 — We will discuss volume 1 of Akaoni: Contract With a Vampire
Amazon

Hopefully that’s enough time for everyone (including me) to read these! Hope you all have a nice summer.



Review: Biscuit Frankenstein

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On one dark and stormy night, Viktor Frankenstein has used God’s tools to create life. “I had desired it,” he narrates in utter horror, “with an ardour that far exceeded moderation; but now that I had finished, the beauty of the dream vanished, and breathless horror and disgust filled my heart.” This creature he has created is grotesque and should not be in this world; all he could do was run back to his apartment and cower to bed.

That is the story of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein: Or the Modern Prometheus. It is titled so because Prometheus brought fire upon humanity and was cursed to be eaten by vultures and revived forever in a never-ending cycle of life and death.

Biscuit Frankenstein by Akira is Frankenstein: The Postmodern Prometheus. It is a reimagining of that cautionary tale. But unlike Shelley’s novel, Biscuit Frankenstein is not a warning against innovation; it is a warning on humanity as a whole.

The year is 1999. Nostradamus’s predictions claim humanity will be wiped out before the turn of the millennium by an unknown disease. Corpses of young girls turn up in the streets sliced up or crumbled like a piece of cookie. This disease comes in different forms and their symptoms resemble certain types of pastries. The protagonist, Biscuit, is nothing but a collection of body parts stitched together because of her biscuit-like affliction. One touch and she would crumble. But she can attach new body parts without any problem and therefore becomes an ageless immortal through this, sometimes changing her sex in the process. She only uses the body parts of people who have tried to harm humanity by replacing their own body parts with their own. To her, they are selfish and it is why the apocalypse is happening. Her mission is thus to find a way for humanity to survive.

Akira, the writer, is no stranger to surreal premises and wacky ideas. He has written touching family stories of wacky people (Kyouran Kazoku Nikki), the hikikomori complex in the context of the metaphysical wars in Shintoism (Sasami-san@Ganbaranai), and a romance comedy filled with crossdressing characters (Ikemen Kanojo). What makes Biscuit Frankenstein worth talking about from the rest of his usual catalog of crazy ideas is its depiction of transhumanism.

Today’s Frankenstein creatures are tomorrow’s humans. Characters who have rebuilt themselves with body parts are intersex and don’t subscribe to gender norms. The distinction between the sexes has more or less crumbled with the rest of the humans afflicted with the disease.

Those are the best parts of Biscuit Frankenstein. Its characters talk at length about the meaning of biological sex and gender, though maybe a bit too much, and what that means for them in the future. The paternal and maternal figures we take for granted have been toyed with in the novel to show how little this matters in the new age of humanity. Men can be mothers and women fathers. The old order is being vanquished by a new chaos that humanity isn’t used to yet.

This exploration of gender is what got the attention of The Japanese Association of Gender Fantasy & Science Fiction. Impressed by the work, the association gave the grand prize Sense of Gender — the Japanese version of the James Tiptree Jr. award in America — to Biscuit Frankenstein. To this day, the book is the only light novel entry in the organization. In Akira’s commencement speech, he writes that light novels amidst all the anime tropes on the surface have something philosophical within and believes there are light novels that dive into the philosophy of sex and gender better than his work.

It may sound like Akira is being humble, but he is very honest about this work. The book suffers from him trying to wrap up several gigantic ideas into one light novel volume. He cites several texts regarding biological sex and seems to have tried to summarize their findings in characters’ dialogs; these dialogs, while being the most interesting, drag the novel down to a snail’s pace and makes it hard for me to read the book. Some of the research also feels irrelevant to the work. For some reason, there is a chapter wholly dedicated to virtual reality. Reading about TCP/IP connections in a book dedicated to the collapse of humanity and rise of transhumanism feels pointless.

But Biscuit Frankenstein, in its grotesque beauty, shines as an introductory text to light novels about gender. Gender is becoming a relevant subject of debate as time passes for me personally. I think about the social consequences of gender all the time, but this book puts it in the context of consciousness and the meaning of humanity. Even in its least interesting moments, the book gives me time to think about the world and its strange approaches to gender and what it means to be nonbinary.

What does it mean when we change sex or constantly ponder about gender? Are we our own Frankensteins playing with our own bodies in weird, twisted ways? Or is it to find and create a new identity for ourselves that we not only find comfortable but progressive for all of humanity? Maybe we think about all this crap because that is part of humanity’s goal: to survive.

I find that even the most mediocre books can provoke damning questions about how we live our lives and that may be the lasting effect of Biscuit Frankenstein on me. I may forget that I have ever read it, but it has made me more aware of who I am and who I want to be. It is just one step of the many steps of the ladder I have to climb in order to attain the truth.

For the people who want to have a taste on the progressivism found in light novels and Japanese literature regarding gender, Biscuit Frankenstein is a good starting point. Everyone else could try reading the first fifty pages or so and see whether they’re into it or not.

Kastel’s rating: Maybe.


The Ryuo’s Work is Never Done! to Release Via BookWalker

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The Ryuo’s Work is Never Done!

BookWalker Global has recently announced they will release in English The Ryuo’s Work is Never Done!, or Ryuo no Oshigoto! as it was known in Japan. The first volume is planned for release in the fall. This will be BookWalker’s second exclusive digital light novel title in English, following The Combat Baker and Automaton Waitress (which released its first volume a few weeks ago).

In Japan there are six volumes for Ryuo, which began to release September 2015. It won first place in the 2017 Kono Light Novel ga Sugoi! contest for best light novel.

Ryuuou no Oshigoto

Synopsis: “The Ryuo’s Work is Never Done!” (working title) is about a teenage boy named Yaichi Kuzuryuu who happens to be the strongest shogi player in history, holding the top title of “Ryuo” (Dragon King). One fateful day, shogi-loving elementary student, Ai Hinatsuru, appears before him claiming that he promised to be her master. But was such a promise really ever made? Thus began their master and disciple relationship! Who can match their level of intensity and passion for shogi?

This announcement coincides with the announcement of an upcoming anime adaptation for the series in Japan.

———

Edit: I worded this as a title licensed by BookWalker, but it’s more accurate to say they have exclusive distribution rights for a limited time. (Thanks, Frog-kun.) BookWalker does not own the rights to Ryuo (which belongs to Hobby Japan), but rather has simply sponsored the translation.


The Combat Baker and Automaton Waitress

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The Combat Baker and His Automaton Waitress

English Title: The Combat Baker and Automaton Waitress
Japanese Title: 戦うパン屋と機械じかけの看板娘 — Tatakau Panya to Kikaijikake no Kanban Musume
Author: SOW
Illustrator: Zaza
Translator: David Musto
Genre: Fantasy, Comedy, Action
Original Run: April 2015 – ongoing
English Run: June 2017 – ongoing
Japanese Publisher: HJ Bunko (Hobby Japan)
English Publisher: BookWalker Global
Volumes in Japanese: 6 (In Progress)
Volumes in English: 1 (In Progress)
Average Price Per Volume: BookWalker — $8

Synopsis: The war hero known as Silver Wolf – Lud Langart – pilots a humanoid assault weapon while he dreams of life as a baker. With the war over, Lud now peacefully runs his bakery, but thanks to his frightening scowl, he can’t sell a single loaf of bread. After posting an ad for a waitress in a last ditch effort to save his business, who should reply but a beautiful silver-haired, red-eyed young girl. What Lud doesn’t know is that this new waitress was born from Avei, his AI partner installed in the humanoid assault weapon he piloted during the war.

Volume 1
BookWalker
Released June 30, 2017
Note: For the first six months, this volume will be exclusive to BookWalker Global. It can be read either online or via their mobile app. The book is planned to release digitally in other formats at other online stores after six months.

Reviews of The Combat Baker and Automaton Waitress
A Case Suitable for Treatment: Vol 1
Justus R. Stone: Vol 1

Illustrations Sampler

If you liked The Combat Baker and Automaton Waitress, you might also want to try…

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


Summer Reading — Magical Girl Raising Project

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Magical Girl Raising Project

Today we’ll discuss Magical Girl Raising Project volume 1. Lots of spoilers in this post!

Overall I thought this was one of those stories that knows exactly what it wants to do, and goes straight for it. Nothing ground-breaking, but a fun read. (Well, fun if you like death game thrillers.) I found the large cast of characters surprisingly memorable though, and I enjoyed just how over-the-top everything played out.

I mean, we got scenes like the one where a ninja and a witch fight a cowgirl armed with magical Soviet weaponry. And we had characters named Cranberry, Swim Swim, Winterprison, and Hardgore Alice. So if nothing else, I was at least entertained. And really, half the fun in these Battle Royale type stories is reading the imaginative ways the characters manage to kill each other, right? I felt Raising Project delivered on that front.

I’m curious to hear everyone’s thoughts on this one. I know there was an anime adaptation of this story almost a year ago, but I never noticed many people talking about it. It makes me wonder if this light novel was picked up because it was actually more popular than I thought it was? Either way though, I’m glad it was licensed, because it’s quite different from anything else Yen Press has at the moment.

Which characters were your favorites? I recall during the first act of the story, feeling upset when my favorites were unceremoniously killed off. But it turned out that almost everyone was set to die in this one. Hopefully you didn’t get too attached to any of them! Anyways, my favorite was Ruler. I could empathize with her ambitions, ha ha.

What did you think of the mascot character Fav? At first I couldn’t help but think of him as a combination of Kyubey (Madoka Magica) and Monokuma (Dangan Ronpa), and it seems I wasn’t the only one who thought that. But in the end, I got the impression that Fav is much less ambitious or invested in his work, and is simply going along with Cranberry’s killing game scenarios for the sake of entertainment. (So, he’s not so different from us readers, you could say?) If anything, I’d compare Fav more to Death Note‘s Ryuk, the death god who enables the protagonist to kill all the people he wants, simply because he’s bored.

Speaking of wanting to kill people, what did you think of Cranberry’s plan overall? The story proved time and again that under the right circumstances, a comparatively weak character could kill off a strong one–and that was something Cranberry would experience firsthand in the end. I’m not certain if it’s right to simply call her insane, but I did appreciate getting some backstory for her that explained how her experience in becoming a magical girl was more or less a killing game just by unlucky chance.

Lastly, how did you feel about the ending of this story? I was a bit surprised by how dark the story became in the final act, and I’m not sure how hopeful I’d call the conclusion. In the end, Snow White wasn’t able to save any of the other magical girls. Meanwhile Ripple still went through with her revenge against Swim, and only survived through her own determination. Snow White and Ripple didn’t become friends. And considering there are more volumes to come, I imagine the killing games aren’t truly over with either. (I’m not sure how that will work exactly, but I guess I only have to wait a few months to find out.)


Summer Reading — Combat Baker and Automaton Waitress

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The Combat Baker and Automaton Waitress

Today we’ll discuss The Combat Baker and Automaton Waitress volume 1. Lots of spoilers in this post!

This was a story that turned out quite different from what I originally expected. The fun title and bright cover made me think it would be a comedy slice-of-life of sorts, but it ended up being a much more serious fantasy thriller. It reminded me a lot of Valkyria Chronicles actually. That was also set in a World War-era fantasy Europe, dealt with bigotry, had lots of bread-baking, featured an ancient legend that proved significant to the lead heroine, and involved a magical ore with a similar-sounding name (rezanite in Combat Baker, ragnite in Valkyria Chronicles).

I had mixed feelings for Combat Baker while reading it. Starting with the good–the best thing going for the story I felt were its lead characters, Lud and Sven, both of whom I found interesting and sympathetic. Easy to root for, as I like to say. I enjoyed most of the scenes where they interacted with each other. They are cute.

There were also aspects of the story itself I quite liked–particularly the reveal at the end regarding Daian, the head of the secret weapons division. His big plot essentially hinges on the Sven and Lud romance working out, which is a clever twist on things. I like the concept of dramatic (and presumably negative) repercussions ensuing on a continent-wide scale should the two leads actually become a couple.

Unfortunately I did not care much for other aspects of the story. Subplots with secondary characters felt very by-the-numbers, backstories were mostly told blandly rather than shown, and there were a number of plot holes that bothered me. For a quick example, there’s the scene at the mine I liked for the conflict it created between the two leads in the form of Lud harshly disagreeing with how Sven handled things and then the two each feeling bad about it all. At the same time though, I was perplexed by why Lud never for a moment thought to ask about how in the world Sven was able to effortlessly win an arm wrestling match against the bulky muscled miner. For a while I assumed this meant Lud secretly suspected Sven was special in some way (i.e. a robot), but no, it appears he’s still unaware of this even at the end of the volume.

The novel as a whole was also in need of a lot of editing, I felt. I’m sure it’s partly because editing was my focus in college, but I really wanted to revise quite a bit of the prose in this one. All the grammar, spelling, and punctuation errors gave me the impression it wasn’t properly proofread, which is a shame. The fact this is a digital-only title means it should be possible for the issues to be fixed, so hopefully this will become less of a problem over time. And hopefully subsequent volumes will fare better, because I do want to find out what happens next for Sven and Lud.

Now it’s time for all of you to share your thoughts! Be the first to leave a comment, and I will cry tears of joy, just as Lud did for his first customer.


Demon King Daimaou

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Demon King Daimaou

English Title: Demon King Daimaou
Japanese Title: いちばんうしろの大魔王 — Ichiban Ushiro no Dai Maou — “The Great Demon King in the Back Row”
Author: Shoutarou Mizuki
Illustrator: Souichi Itou
Translator: David Musto
Genre: Fantasy, Action, Harem
Original Run: February 2008 – April 2014
English Run: Year – ongoing
Japanese Publisher: HJ Bunko (Hobby Japan)
English Publisher: J-Novel Club
Volumes in Japanese: 13 (Completed)
Volumes in English: 1 (In Progress)
Average Price Per Volume: Kindle $7 – iBook $7 – Kobo $7

Synopsis: Far in the future, Japan has become a land ruled by magic and those who wield it. Akuto Sai arrives at Constant Magical Academy—the most prestigious magic school in the world—for his first year of high school. The only student to pass the Academy’s intense entrance exam, he has his sights set on become a High Priest, the most powerful and virtuous magician in the land. However, when he arrives at the Academy, his future occupation is prophesied to be… The Demon King?! Now Akuto is the number one target on campus, and he must navigate his way with the help of his friends—a troublesome delinquent, a beautiful observer android, an honor-bound class representative, and a mysterious girl from his past—through the seedy underbelly of the world’s premier magic academy.

Volume 1
AmazoniBookJ-Novel ClubKobo
Released July 2, 2017 — ASIN: B071HSM453

Upcoming Releases

Reviews of Demon King Daimaou
(forthcoming)

Anime Adaptation
MAL Entry — 12 episodes — Aired April 2010 – June 2010
Crunchyroll (streaming) — Hulu (streaming) — AmazonRightStuf
Note: Adapted volumes 1 to 5 of the light novel series

If you liked Demon King Daimaou, you might also want to try…

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


Infinite Dendrogram

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Infinite Dendrogram

English Title: Infinite Dendrogram
Japanese Title: インフィニット・デンドログラム — “Infinite Dendrogram”
Author: Sakon Kaidou
Illustrator: Taiki
Translator: Andrew Hodgson, Nick Nomura
Genre: Sci-fi, Fantasy, Adventure
Original Run: October 2016 – ongoing
English Run: July 2017 – ongoing
Japanese Publisher: HJ Bunko (Hobby Japan)
English Publisher: J-Novel Club
Volumes in Japanese: 4 (In Progress)
Volumes in English: 1 (In Progress)
Average Price Per VolumeKindle $7 – iBook $7 – Kobo $7

Synopsis: In the year 2043, Infinite Dendrogram, the world’s first successful full-dive VRMMO was released. In addition to its ability to perfectly simulate the five senses, along with its many other amazing features, the game promised to offer players a world full of infinite possibilities. Nearly two years later, soon-to-be college freshman, Reiji Mukudori, is finally able to buy a copy of the game and start playing. With some help from his experienced older brother, Shu, and his partner Embryo, Reiji embarks on an adventure into the world of Infinite Dendrogram. Just what will he discover and encounter in this game world known for its incredible realism and infinite possibilities?

Volume 1
AmazoniBookJ-Novel ClubKobo
Released July 10, 2017 — ASIN: B072HZZWSG

Upcoming Releases

Reviews of Infinite Dendrogram
(forthcoming)

Illustrations Sampler

If you liked Infinite Dendrogram, you might also want to try…

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



Akaoni: Contract with a Vampire

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Akaoni: Contract with a Vampire

English Title: Akaoni: Contract with a Vampire
Japanese Title: アカオニの契約者 — Akaoni no Keiyakusha — “Contractor of Akaoni”
Author: Hiroro
Illustrator: Mokoppe
Translator: Charis Messier
Genre: Fantasy, Romance, Supernatural
Original Run: March 2016 – ongoing (web novel)
English Run: July 2017 – ongoing
Japanese Publisher: N/A
English Publisher: Cross Infinite World
Volumes in Japanese: N/A
Volumes in English: 1 (In Progress)
Average Price Per Volume: Kindle $9 — Nook $9

Synopsis: Locked in the back of a minivan headed for who knows where, Azusa Saito realizes she has been kidnapped. Just when she thinks there’s no hope for escape, she is rescued by a man with glowing red eyes. Or is she? Her supposed rescuer forces her to live in a town of vampires. There she learns the story of her kidnapper, a red-eyed vampire charged with the bothersome role of guarding her from enemy covens and from escaping. He is the dreaded Akaoni, the only vampire all other vampires tremble in fear of. Oddly, he doesn’t scare her though. What will happen between a powerful, ostracized vampire who never drank blood and a girl who is hunted for her blood? Will love blossom between them when enemies abound within and without the coven? Find out in this thrilling shoujo light novel series!

Volume 1
AmazonBarnes and NobleGumroadKobo
Released July 31, 2017 — ASIN: B072ZBSH5D

Reviews of Akaoni: Contract with a Vampire
(forthcoming)

If you liked Akaoni: Contract with a Vampire, you might also want to try…

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


Interview with Akaoni’s Creators: Hiroro and Mokoppe

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Akaoni: Contract with a Vampire

In anticipation of the English release for the first volume of Akaoni: Contract with a Vampire, I got into contact with Charis Messier, the lead translator at Cross Infinite World. I passed along a few questions for Hiroro (the author of Akaoni) and for mokoppe (the artist behind Akaoni‘s illustrations), and then Charis Messier kindly translated their responses. I believe this is the first time I’ve been able to reach creators from Japan, so I’m very excited to share some insight with all of you!

Interview with Hiroro

Cho: What inspired you to write Akaoni, a story about vampires? Will the story mainly appeal to fans of romance?

Hiroro: The original idea for Akaoni came from the simple thought it would be interesting if there was a vampire who didn’t drink blood. Why did I choose to write a vampire story? Because I was reading a vampire novel at the time I came up with the idea for Akaoni. Around that same time, the Twilight movies were a big topic, so that may have been a factor too.

I hope other women like me will enjoy reading Akaoni.

Cho: How has Akaoni been received as a web novel in Japan?

Hiroro: I wonder about that myself. I honestly don’t know. I am an author so I leave it to the readers to decide if something is interesting or not, but I have been encouraged and supported by many people.

Cho: What are some of the things you like about the web novel format?

Hiroro: I believe the freedom to freely write and upload a story is the most appealing feature to both professional and amateur writers. The web novel medium is a wonderful place that allows professionals to write freely, compared to books written for publishers. For budding writers, it is a place where writing an interesting work can get you published.

Cho: Was it surprising to get an offer for an English translation?

Hiroro: It was a complete surprise on all accounts. Akaoni is the first novel I have written and I was worried it was poorly written. But I accepted the offer wanting people overseas to have a chance to read it too.

Cho: When you’re not writing, what are some things you like to do in your free time?

Hiroro: Generally, I am raising my children and taking care of my home in my free time. I have recently taken up writing video game scenarios for work, so I also spend my time focusing on that work.

Cho: Any final comments to your fans?

Hiroro: I don’t know if I have any fans yet, but…I will continue diligently writing, so please continue supporting me from wherever you may be in the world!

Interview with mokoppe

Cho: What has it been like, drawing artwork for Akaoni?

mokoppe: The process isn’t especially different from art jobs for Japanese media, but this project being aimed at an international audience got me thinking I should change the usual aesthetic and presentation. In the end, I decided to try to enchant the reader with my own style.

I’m answering these interview questions before the book is released, so I am looking forward to everyone’s reaction when they get their copy.

Cho: What is your process for a typical illustration?

mokoppe: I receive detailed information on the world and character settings, so aside from the aspects I must include, I am always consciously adding aspects that give off light.

When it comes to the illustrations I draw for fun, I typically draw whatever comes to mind, but I believe it would be wonderful if the person viewing my art will get a feel for the world and characters behind the illustration and use their imaginations to see more. I am thrilled whenever I receive comments from people who say they can imagine various stories from just one illustration.

Cho: What are your favorite things to draw? Or your favorite types of characters to draw?

mokoppe: I don’t have a favorite thing or topic to draw per se, but I often stick to the concepts of ephemeral, beautiful, and magical. As for characters, I like drawing both male and female characters with a little mystery to them.

Cho: In what ways do you think illustrations add to the experience of reading a novel?

mokoppe: I think novel illustrations are an auxiliary factor in making up the world of the work. During the art process I said I want people to use their imaginations when seeing my illustrations, but novels already have an established story. Although art is a supplementary factor, every reader’s imagination tends to diverge from the image provided by the text, so I believe the combination of the reader’s imagination with the illustrations provides insight into a world they might not have seen without it.

Cho: Any final comments to your fans?

mokoppe: It’s a pleasure to meet you all and hello to those of you who usually view my art. I’m mokoppe. With this being a translated novel, the demographic is people overseas! This is my first time drawing the illustrations for an international novel, so while I am excited to see how you like my art, I am also anxious. I would be thrilled if you enjoy the novel along with my illustrations!

———

Thank you very much Hiroro and mokoppe, for taking the time to answer these questions! And thank you Charis Messier for making all of this possible. I look forward to reading Akaoni, and hope other readers will be able to join in for the upcoming discussion post here on August 23rd.

Volume 1

As a special bonus, Cross Infinite World has agreed to award a free copy of Akaoni: Contract with a Vampire volume 1, so we’ll be hosting a giveaway. To enter, simply leave a comment below expressing your interest. If you are the winner (as determined by a random number generator), I will respond to your comment here to let you know. You can then email me your email address, and then you can can receive your ebook. (Note: It will be an Amazon version of the ebook.)

The contest deadline will be 23:59 on Monday, August 7th. Be sure to enter by then if you’re interested in this novel!


Sound! Euphonium

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Sound! Euphonium

English Title: Sound! Euphonium
Japanese Title: 響け! ユーフォニアム — Hibike! Euphonium
Author: Ayano Takeda
Illustrator: Nikki Asada (cover art)
Translator: Paul Starr
Genre: Drama, Slice-of-life
Original Run: December 2013 – October 2016
English Run: June 2017
Japanese Publisher: Takarajimasha
English Publisher: Yen On (Yen Press)
Volumes in Japanese: 4 (plus 3 spinoff novels)
Volumes in English: 1
Average Price Per Volume: Paperback $10 — Kindle $8 — Nook $8

Synopsis: After a terrible disappointment at the All-Kyoto Concert Band Competition, music has lost its spark for Kumiko. But her first year at Kitauji High School is a chance for a fresh start. So when it comes time to choose a club, she can’t resist joining the band again–even though they’re simply terrible. The strict new club director has promised to whip them into shape to reach Nationals, but the trouble runs deeper than just a lack of practice. Plus, the discord within the club tugs at Kumiko’s old insecurities. Will Kitauji High School find its rhythm before the competition? Will Kumiko?

Volume 1 — Welcome to the Kitauji High School Concert Band
AmazonBarnes and NobleBook DepositoryRightStuf
Released June 20, 2017 — ISBN-13: 978-0316558594

Reviews of Sound! Euphonium
A Case Suitable for Treatment: Vol 1
Justus R. Stone: Vol 1
The OASG: Vol 1

Anime Adaptation
Season 1: MAL Entry — 13 episodes — Aired April 2015 – June 2015
Season 2: MAL Entry — 13 episodes — Aired October 2016 – December 2016
Crunchyroll (streaming)

Manga Adaptation
MAL Entry — 3 volumes — Published November 2014 – October 2015 (Japan Only)

If you liked Sound! Euphonium, you might also want to try…

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


Summer Reading — Infinite Dendrogram

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Infinite Dendrogram

Today we’ll discuss Infinite Dendrogram volume 1. Lots of spoilers in this post!

I guess I’ll start off by admitting that this story probably just isn’t for me. How should I put it… I find the concept of a virtual reality world setting to be very intriguing, but I care quite little for MMO games and all the tiny details that make up telling a story about someone playing a video game. I really think virtual reality would be an interesting topic to explore, if the story was about things like how such technology would affect individuals, society at large, and the way people relate to one another. But the foundation for VR light novels seems to basically just be about a boy getting better at a game, not so different from all those card game anime and manga like Yu-Gi-Oh. That’s fine of course, if you’re interested in that sort of thing. But I just don’t care for reading page after page about player classes, job skills, level-up abilities, item crafting, monster stats, unlockable treasures, magic bonuses, environment effects, buffs and debuffs, guild formations, and so on.

I might as well also admit that I’m also quite weary of medieval Europe swords ‘n sorcery being the setting for these stories every single time. When the protagonist was given the chance to pick a land to play in, there were seven options given to him. I thought six of them sounded rather interesting. I specifically thought to myself, Please please please don’t choose Kingdom of Altar. And then of course that’s what he chose. I get that Dragon Quest is popular in Japan, but can we please have a little more creativity from time to time? We already have Sword Art Online, Log Horizon, Overlord, Re:Zero, Rising of the Shield Hero, Konosuba, Danmachi, Grimgar of Fantasy and Ash, Death March, and The Faraway Paladin. I get enough Western Europe from media as it is. Why can’t we be interested in other parts of the world, other time periods, and other folklore/mythologies?

Setting all that aside, I still feel Infinite Dendrogram is a hard story to get into. The main characters are, at least to me, not very interesting. The lead boy Reiji and his partner, the Embryo girl Nemesis, both feel very generic. I can’t think of much to say about Reiji. He’s a nice guy who helps everyone out, but I know hardly anything about him. Nemesis at least has some personality, but it still feels rather one-note (and even then, her vengeance shtick feels underutilized). None of the side characters fare any better. And though the world is depicted as being basically 100% realistic, the characters all treat everything like a game. The protagonist gets bit by a wolf, but he doesn’t scream in pain. He just notes that he lost 27 health points. I just can’t care about the characters when I get nothing from them.

Of course, not every story has to be focused on its characters–it can be more about the setting or the plot. The story in this case is focused on the VR world’s Kingdom of Altar, which is under threat of being conquered by another nation. I find it hard to care too much about it though, because at the end of the day this is just a game. Perhaps if there was more focus on the A.I. people who live in the game, I would be more invested in the big events happening in their world.

But as they say, that’s all just my opinion. Perhaps all of you enjoyed it more! I do think the prose is well-written, and the translation felt top-notch too. I also really liked the artwork. So really, if you’re a big fan of the VRMMO setup, Infinite Dendrogram is probably a solid enough read. Feel free to share your thoughts below!


Clockwork Planet

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Clockwork Planet

English Title: Clockwork Planet
Japanese Title: クロックワーク・プラネット — “Clockwork Planet”
Author: Yuu Kamiya and Tsubaki Himana
Illustrator: Sino
Translator: fofi
Genre: Sci-fi, Fantasy, Steampunk
Original Run: April 2013 – ongoing
English Run: August 2017 – ongoing
Japanese Publisher: Kodansha Light Novel (Kodansha)
English Publisher: J-Novel Club
Volumes in Japanese: 4 (In Progress)
Volumes in English: 1 (In Progress)
Average Price Per Volume: Kindle $7 – iBook $7 – Kobo $7

Synopsis: I know this is sudden, but the world had already collapsed long ago. Earth had died, but the entire planet was reconstructed and reproduced using clockwork – “The Clockwork Planet.” One day, a black box suddenly crashed into the house of Naoto Miura, a high school failure, from above. Inside was– an automaton girl. “For me to be forced to sleep for as long as two hundred years from just one little fault, has the intelligence of humanity still yet to exceed even that of a flea?” A gearhead fantasy meshed together by Yuu Kamiya and Tsubaki Himana!

Volume 1
AmazoniBookJ-Novel ClubKobo
Released August 10, 2017 — ASIN: B071FYRWRC

Upcoming Releases

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

Reviews of Clockwork Planet
(forthcoming)

Anime Adaptation
MAL Entry — 12 episodes — Aired April 2017 – June 2015
Crunchyroll (streaming) — Funimation (streaming)

Manga Adaptation
MAL Entry — Published September 2013 – ongoing
AmazonBarnes and NobleBook DepositoryRightStuf

Illustrations Sampler

If you liked Clockwork Planet, you might also want to try…

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


Your Lie in April: A Six-Person Etude

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Your Lie in April: A Six-Person Etude

English Title: Your Lie in April: A Six-Person Etude
Japanese Title: 小説 四月は君の嘘 6人のエチュード — Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso: 6-nin no Études
Author: Yui Tokiumi
Illustrator: Naoshi Arakawa
Translator: Greg Gencarello
Genre: Drama, Romance, Slice-of-life
Original Run: November 2014
English Run: July 2017
Japanese Publisher: Kodansha
English Publisher: Vertical
Volumes in Japanese: 1 (Completed)
Volumes in English: 1 (Completed)
Average Price Per Volume: Paperback $8 — Kindle $8 — Nook $8

Synopsis: There’s not a competition that piano prodigy Arima hasn’t won since he started playing. His renditions are matchless in their precision. When he’s only eleven, however, his peerless fingers fall silent—right up there on stage. — Exploring the shock of the incident and its aftermath from his friends and rivals’ perspectives, A Six-Person Etude accompanies the boy’s halting efforts to pick himself up as an adolescent. Based on the hit series, these prose chapters expand on the original but form a coherent and hard-hitting tale of its own.

Volume 1 — Your Lie in April: A Six-Person Etude
AmazonBarnes and NobleBarnes and Noble (Nook)Book DepositoryRightStuf
Released July 25, 2017 — ISBN-13: 978-1945054266

Reviews of Your Lie in April: A Six-Person Etude
(forthcoming)

Related Anime
MAL Entry — 22 episodes — Aired October 2014 – March 2015
Crunchyroll (streaming) — Netflix (streaming) — AmazonRightStuf

Related Manga (original source)
MAL Entry — 11 volumes — Published month year – month year
AmazonBarnes and NobleBook DepositoryRightStuf

If you liked Your Lie in April: A Six-Person Etude, you might also want to try…

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


Cross Infinite World: Obsessions of an Otome Gamer

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Obsessions of on Otome Gamer

Cross Infinite World has announced a new light novel license for Obsessions of an Otome Gamer.

Like Cross Infinite World’s other releases, the source material is a Japanese web novel. (In this case, a novel on Syosetsu.) It was written by Natsu, and featured illustrations by Shoyu.

The first ebook for Obsessions of an Otome Gamer is planned for release in early 2018.

Volume 1

Obsessions of an Otome Gamer Synopsis:

Rejected by her first crush, Mashiro finds herself hooked on an unbeatable music-themed otome game. Her high school days are spent learning the wonders of music, obsessively trying to claim the romance ending with the handsome 2D character who stole her broken heart. On the way home from her college entrance exams she gets distracted by a billboard for the game’s remake and unexpectedly falls down a manhole and plunges to her death!

Mashiro finds herself reincarnated in a world bearing similarities to the otome game she was obsessed with. Only this time, she has no idea how to avoid the twists and turns of certain character routes, including the bad endings! Now, as a seven-year-old, she decides to walk the path of a pianist to embrace the musical world to its fullest, but no matter where she turns, she just can’t seem to escape triggering events and getting involved with troublesome yet handsome characters!

I also found this tweet from Cross Infinite World’s account interesting:

The first three volumes will be the “common route” (or base storyline), while volumes 4 and 5 will each offer separate endings. All in all, it sounds like a more lighthearted series that fans of visual novels might enjoy.



Hachiman’s Chiba Complex

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My Youth Romantic Comedy is Wrong, as I Expected

Cho here, bringing you a late editorial for volume 2 of My Youth Romantic Comedy is Wrong as I Expected. But better late than never, as they always say? At any rate, a big thanks to everyone who commented in the open forum for this volume. There are some spoilers in this editorial, so I recommend reading the book first.

There are two main stories for volume 2. The first has the Service Club helping out Hayato Hayama, who is concerned by the hateful chain emails being passed around in his class. And then the second story involves Saki Kawasaki, whose little brother is worried about her returning home at 5 in the morning most days. In the end neither of the problems are really solved — instead Hachiman just comes up with a way for everyone to accept the issue at hand and get by without things turning too sour.

I find these sorts of “non-endings” to be refreshing, and in turn I find Hachiman to be a rather unique protagonist in general. He’s not a likable boy, as evidenced by his repeated acts of unkindness throughout this volume (e.g. his harsh words toward most everyone, not standing up for Totsuka, laughing at Hayato, and more or less telling Yui to stay out of his life in the final chapter). I’m also not sure if I could call Hachiman compelling, at least in the traditional sense. He plays an active role in the stories, but it’s not by his own choice. He’s forced into these situations by his violent teacher, and his pseudo-solutions can be seen as him simply trying to get out of said situations as quickly as possible.

In short, I think it’s simplest to call Hachiman a funny character. If he’s not making a rude observation, he’s basking in his self-defeatist complacency. You could say he “gets the job done,” but it’s usually in a manner that’s bound to upset someone (which typically leads to more woes on Hachiman’s behalf). It’s amusing, waiting for the other shoe to drop. And it’s amusing to see how someone as insufferable as Hachiman can actually be of help to his fellow students, in his own unusual way.

One of the random things volume 2 repeatedly brings up in Hachiman’s musings is how Chiba is forever destined to exist in Tokyo’s shadow. Nobody seems to care for Chiba, when the world-famous Tokyo is right next door. Tokyo even gets to take all the credit for Chiba’s “achievements” (the Tokyo Narita Airport, the Tokyo Game Show, Tokyo Disney Resort, etc). It seems clear that Hachiman empathizes with his home city/prefecture, and perhaps takes pride in its status as a place that isn’t known for anything particularly special. Chiba Prefecture has its own festival dance, he notes — but the same can be said of any other prefecture in Japan. Regardless, Chiba is still its own place, and Hachiman his own person.

From the back cover blurb:

When the Service Club is enlisted to help solve the case, Hachiman’s “unique” perspective as an outsider might finally come in handy… or he could still just be a loser.

In most underdog stories, the protagonist is an individual who struggles to improve in some manner. Someone who wants to save the day, be loved by others, or become the champion. Hachiman can perhaps be considered an underdog, but he doesn’t seem to have any desire to excel at anything. Hachiman is one of the “losers” in high school society, and he knows it. But more than that, he seems to specifically want to be that kind of person. This can partly be chalked up to him being a contrary teenager, but it appears there is some hidden back-story that may explain his reluctance to form friendships with others and enjoy life. Though he is spending a lot of time with his classmates, he manages to keep some emotional distance from them thanks to his brusque attitude. He is determined to identify himself as a loner, even when he is not alone. The classmates he eats ramen with after school are just acquaintances — NOT friends!

Anyways, I’d be happy to hear your opinions on the matter. Is Hachiman really a loser? What would you say is the appeal of being such a loser? Or a loner? (So-called or otherwise?) And in what ways specifically do you think this volume stands out as a “wrong” youth romantic comedy?


Summer Reading — Akaoni

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Akaoni: Contract with a Vampire

Today we’ll discuss Akaoni: Contract with a Vampire volume 1. Lots of spoilers in this post!

I’ll start by saying I found this a pleasant surprise and an all in all fun read. It reminded me of many of the shoujo manga I’ve enjoyed over the years, much more than it did any of the paranormal romance YA novels I read back in the day. I think there are a few reasons for this.

The aspect that perhaps stood out the most to me was how we got the point of view of multiple characters throughout the story, rather than just sticking with the heroine the entire time. (This is much more common in shoujo manga than it is in YA novels, at least in my experience.) I particularly liked the parts where a scene would repeat, but with a new viewpoint the second time. When we got to read Kouya’s thoughts, we usually learned the reasoning behind his actions in the previous chapter. In many stories, such a character’s motivations would be kept unexplained to make the lead boy feel more mysterious. I generally prefer to have a clear understanding of the lead characters, and Akaoni felt refreshing in that regard. I likewise never felt confused by any of Azusa’s decisions from chapter to chapter, even when the plot began to get a little more complicated.

Azusa and Kouya were both easy characters to like, I felt. Azusa is a fish out of water and Kouya is a maligned pariah, so they’re both easy to sympathize with. I enjoyed their interactions throughout the novel, and liked the way their relationship was handled. It didn’t feel cliche, at least. They didn’t do the generic thing where they hate each other at the beginning and then suddenly fall in love at the end. Instead they just felt like two nice people put through a series of trying events, and they gradually warm up to each other at a pace that fit for the story. When there were misunderstandings or instances of not seeing eye-to-eye, they were quick to talk about it (either with each other or with friends) and come to some kind of reasonable resolution. I like this, because this keeps the plot moving along.

The biggest surprise for me in this story though was definitely Tsukiharu’s character arc. I really like it when a story involves a character who changes dramatically in some fashion, and pulls it off in a way that feels natural. In many anime and manga, an antagonist will sometimes have a change of heart, but it often feels a bit forced. Akaoni gave us a violent antagonist who by the end of the story was more or less a friend of the main characters–and I thought it was all handled quite well. Tsukiharu is not a good boy, but his desperate actions are at least understandable when considering his upbringing devoid of love and morals. I appreciated that he didn’t suddenly become nice after being defeated halfway through the book, and that Azusa really had to put in an effort to reach out to him. Her struggle with him was actually a great way to show the strength of her unyielding perseverance and empathy.

What are your thoughts on all the characters? I am also curious to hear what people think about this story’s setting and world-building. There are lots of vampire stories out there. In what ways do you feel Akaoni stands out in that regard?


Interview with LN Translator Andrew Hodgson (Steiner)

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Infinite Dendrogram

Have you been reading Infinite Dendrogram or In Another World with My Smartphone? Volume 4 of Smartphone released on August 11th, while the first volume of Dendrogram came out on July 10th. You won’t have to wait long for the next one though, as volume 2 will have its ebook release on August 29th. (Or you could already be reading the “prepub” now via J-Novel Club’s website or app.)

Today I’m going to share an interview with the English translator for these light novels: Andrew Hodgson, AKA Steiner. My questions focused mostly on Infinite Dendrogram since we all read the first volume of that for this year’s summer reading program.

———

Cho: To start off, could you tell us a little about yourself? How did you end up translating books from Japan for J-Novel Club?

Steiner: My name is Andrew Hodgson, I typically go by the alias “Steiner” online. I’m a Japanese-to-English translator and I suppose a bit of an old-timer at this point, though my skills now are considerably more honed than they were back when I started. I got into the industry translating visual novels. Some of the more notable VN projects I’ve been involved with include Steins;Gate and Dies irae. Since then I’ve also dabbled in the realm of more mainstream home video games such as Valkyrie Drive: Bhikkhuni, and a couple other things I can’t mention just yet.

The story behind my becoming a translator at J-Novel Club isn’t an especially exciting one, I’m afraid. They originally caught my eye when I noticed that they had licensed the Occultic;Nine light novel. Being an avid follower of Chiyomaru Shikura’s science titles, I was curious about the people who managed to get the rights from a company that I’d actually had a fair bit of difficulty dealing with in the past. I sent an e-mail in to Sam Pinansky, the company founder, and he gave me a written test to evaluate my skills. He was fairly satisfied with what I handed in, and decided that I was good enough for the next stage of the process: an oral interview over Skype. Honestly during the Skype interview I thought I’d totally flubbed it — I lost connection at some point, and then started sweating bullets and stuttering, but apparently once it was all over he was pretty impressed by what I had to offer.

From there he gave me the choice of several titles, and I opted for In Another World With My Smartphone. I began to translate that title at a pretty darned taxing rate of one volume every six weeks for the first four volumes, and I’m pleased to say it worked out quite well. Once I was into volume 3 of Smartphone, Sam came to me with a proposition. Nick Nomura, the translator of Infinite Dendrogram, had to drop off the project about a quarter of the way into volume 1 due to personal matters, and Sam needed a stand-in ASAP. I was honestly a little flattered that he came to me, and naturally I took the job. It was a decision I have no regrets about.

Infinite Dendrogram

Cho: How has your effort translating Infinite Dendrogram differed from past stories you’ve worked on?

Steiner: As a translator, I find that Infinite Dendrogram stands out due to the amount of attention to detail it demands. Most of my previous works so far either came complete — allowing the team to check my translation’s consistency multiple times before release — or was a long-running series that was light enough in this regard that simply going along with it and paying attention was more than enough. Dendro, however, is a long-running series that’s planned years in advance. You can never know which seemingly-innocuous line/word/name is going to pop back up again and have its meaning changed entirely, which makes me feel that it’s imperative I familiarize myself with what happens later on if I want to properly translate that which happens before. This level of detail also extends to the terminology. With all the characters, locations, jobs, skills, nicknames, status effects, and items the series has, I dread to imagine how great our term sheet will grow.

Cho: In what ways do you feel this series might stand out among other recent works of fiction dealing with virtual reality?

Steiner: Works dealing with virtual realities tend to trap their characters there, creating a solid barrier between the real and virtual worlds.

There’s none of that in Dendrogram. Though an overwhelming amount of the story takes place in the game, it stays exactly that — a hyper-realistic game that people log into, play at their own leisure and can quit at any time. Also, the inhabitants of the world — the extremely human-like NPCs called “tians” — react to these visitors accordingly. For example, without spoiling anything, I can describe a scene in which a dangerous-looking individual was on the march towards a city. The tians standing guard took note that the person was coming from allied ground, but then went on to say that Masters — the players — have a means of communicating with each other (phone, email) when they’re “on the other side” (i.e. the real world), so they couldn’t rule out the possibility that the person was in contact with the enemy and came through that direction just to catch them off-guard. To the NPCs of Infinite Dendrogram, the human players are a mysterious otherworldly force, and individual tians have quite diverse reactions towards the people that “play” in their world.

The virtual world is affected not just by the players’ direct actions inside of it, but by their possible actions outside of it, as well. Such a solid connection between the worlds seems to be a rarity in the genre, and it’s one I find quite charming.

Infinite Dendrogram

Cho: What have you liked most about translating this story? And were there any particularly challenging aspects to translating this work?

Steiner: I quite enjoy translating unique item/monster names. It makes me feel like all the hours I spent on lootfest RPGs weren’t for naught.

As for difficulty, besides the aforementioned attention to detail, there’s the simple fact that — on a technical level — Dendro is undoubtedly above many light novels, and translating it properly can be a challenge every now and then. It’s an exciting story that keeps one on the edge of one’s seat, and I have much respect towards the author for crafting such an articulate and engaging world.

Cho: Do you think the virtual reality technology described in Infinite Dendrogram could be achieved within a similar time frame in real life?

Steiner: Hard to say. Technology evolves much faster than most expect, but far slower than most hope. Though, it’s probably a definite yes if we hit the technological singularity before the 2040s.

Then again, in the story, the technology behind Infinite Dendrogram is actually considered to be suspiciously advanced, even by that year’s standards, leading conspiracy theorists to believe that some secret society or aliens are behind it all.

Who knows? Maybe our own Illuminati are having a Dendro-like VR headset tested right now and plan to have it released in 2020!

Cho: Do you think you would enjoy playing the game described in Infinite Dendrogram? What kind of character would you play as, and what kind of setting would you like to start off in?

Steiner: I feel like I would be all about Infinite Dendrogram if it was real. I’m the kind of guy who really likes to get immersed into his games, and I’m a huge fan of roleplaying and tabletop stuff so the game as it’s described and shown in the LN is right up my alley.

As for what kind of player I’d be… I’m not sure! There are the kinds who go in to kill other players or even tians just to blow off stress, and there are also those who act out the archetypal hero/adventurer roles. I don’t really think I’d do either, I’d probably just start in a more classic RPG-style kingdom like Altar, find an interesting class and live out my life slowly while maybe making friends with tians and other players along the way. I’d most definitely go into something magic-oriented, though. I’d say that I’d be drawn towards something like necromancy because the applications of such abilities in a limitless world like Infinite Dendrogram could be incredible, but… well, without going into spoiler territory, volume 2 definitely delves into the horrors associated with the undead arts, and I’m not sure if I have the stomach for it!

The beauty of Infinite Dendrogram‘s system is that there is an extreme amount of freedom when it comes to character classes. Want to be a traditional Paladin? Go for it. Pilot? Sure, sky’s the limit. Mad Scientist? Go nuts! I feel like I’m the kind of person who’d fret too much about what he wanted to be simply because of the extreme variety available to him.

———

A big thanks to Andrew Hodgson for taking the time to answer these questions!

If you have anything you’d like to ask or comment on, please do so. Also, feel free to share your own answer to the last question I asked. What character class and nation would you choose, if you could play Infinite Dendrogram?


Mikagura School Suite

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Mikagura School Suite

English Title: Mikagura School Suite
Japanese Title: ミカグラ学園組曲 — Mikagura Gakuen Kumikyoku
Author: Last Note
Illustrator: Akina
Genre: Comedy, Action, Fantasy
Original Run: July 2013 – August 2016
English Run: August 2017 – ongoing
Japanese Publisher: MF Bunko J (Media Factory)
English Publisher: One Peace Books
Volumes in Japanese: 8 (Completed)
Volumes in English: 1 (In Progress)
Average Price Per Volume: Paperback — $13

Synopsis: Eruna Ichinomiya is preparing to enter high school, but there’s just one problem―none of the schools interest her! The uniforms are all too boring, until she discovers Mikagura Academy. After Eruna miraculously passes the entrance exam, she discovers that Mikagura Academy isn’t a typical school. Mikagura Academy only allows students to form culture-themed school clubs, participation in those clubs is compulsory, and there is a battle system where students must compete with each other as representatives of their clubs. Now Eruna must discover her own power and win her first battle!

Volume 1 — Stride After School
AmazonBarnes and NobleBook DepositoryRightStuf
Released August 29, 2017 — ISBN-13: 978-1944937331

Reviews of Mikagura School Suite
(forthcoming)

Illustrations Sampler

Anime Adaptation
MAL Entry — 12 episodes — Aired April 2015 – June 2015
Crunchyroll (streaming) — Funimation (streaming) — AmazonRightStuf
Note: It sounds like the anime and light novels each tell their own story based on the Vocaloid songs.

Manga Adaptation
MAL Entry — 6 volumes — Published July 2013 – February 2016 — English release by One Peace Books
AmazonBarnes and NobleBook DepositoryRightStuf

If you liked Mikagura School Suite, you might also want to try…

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


Light Novel Notes: End of Summer 2017

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The Faraway Paladin

It’s the end of summer, and you know what that means: the end of the light novel summer reading program. A big thanks to everyone who participated in that! My hope for every post I write is that people will share their own comments and interact with each other more.

If you missed them, be sure to check out the special interview posts for Akaoni and Infinite Dendrogram:

Plans for the site:

I’ve caught up on a lot of small things for this site over the past month. I’ll try to keep as many posts as up-to-date as possible (especially things like the preorder page and currently releasing series page). There are still a number of things I’d like to add to the LN entries, such as links to reviews and more images. If you have any suggestions for what you’d like to see in a light novel entry, just let me know.

I might update the look of the site in some way. But my main goal for September is to catch up on all the reviews I need to write, and maybe throw in an editorial or two.

And now, an overview of the light novel news for the past few months…

First, the new light novel licenses for English release that were announced this summer:

  • Clockwork Planet — J-Novel Club (1st volume already out)
  • Goblin Slayer: Year One — Yen On
  • Reborn as a Vending Machine, Now I Wander the Dungeon — Yen On
  • A Sister’s All You Need — Yen On
  • I’ve Been Killing Slimes for 300 Years — Yen On
  • The Hero and His Elf Bride Open a Pizza Parlor — Yen On
  • Toradora! — Seven Seas
  • The Ryuo’s Work is Never Done! — BookWalker Global
  • Obsessions of an Otome Gamer — Cross Infinite World

Also, Seven Seas will release physical editions for J-Novel Club’s Clockwork Planet and Arifureta.

Light novel news in Japan:

Did you enjoy the first volume of Sound! Euphonium? The anime will be getting a couple new movies next year.

Fans of The Rising of the Shield Hero will have some new things to look forward to. There will be an anime adaptation for the series, which you can find a preview for here. Also, a spinoff novel series by the author Aneko Yusagi will begin releasing in Japan. (It will also get a manga adaptation.) Yari no Yuusha no Yarinaoshi is a story about the Spear Hero Motoyasu.

More previews for upcoming anime based on light novels:

The light novel series Lord Marksman and Vanadis will end in Japan this year once the 18th volume releases.

A new story for Shakugan no Shana was published in Dengeki Bunko Magazine.

The twelfth volume of My Youth Romantic Comedy is Wrong as I Expected will release in Japan on September 20th. It is said this will be the first volume of the final story arc for the series. At the moment there are two volumes available in English, with the third to release on September 19th.

A manga adaptation for The Faraway Paladin will release in Japan, its first monthly chapter to arrive on September 25th. It will be drawn by Mutsumi Okuhashi, who also illustrates the manga adaptation for Grimgar of Fantasy and Ash. An artwork for the upcoming fourth volume of Faraway Paladin was also unveiled. J-Novel Club is currently releasing The Faraway Paladin novels in English.


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