AnimeSuki Forums

Master Assassin · 2013-01-17, 03:27

I for one can't be bothered with titles especially if the only problem with it is trying to think of an abbreviation to refer it with while having a convo... something I'm seeing becoming a pet peeve for lots just because they have to shorten it on their own.

**Solace** · 2013-01-17, 03:55

When I see titles like that, I think of this video:

YouTube

https://youtu.be/X2iNn3vFiLQ

Sorry; dynamic content not loaded. Reload?

Traece · 2013-01-17, 04:01

Quote:

Originally Posted by SuzushinaYuriko

I feel like this Twitter feed is relevant: https://mobile.twitter.com/ln_title_bot/tweets

Lately, it seems like the light novel industry are confusing titles with plot summaries. I remember an UN-GO Inga Nikki special that poked fun at this.

Please tell me that these aren't real titles.

Please.

Master Assassin · 2013-01-17, 04:41

Quote:

Originally Posted by Traece

Please tell me that these aren't real titles.

Please.

Look at the links in the tweets.

And return here and tell us about it.

Marcus H. · 2013-01-17, 07:23

Quote:

The little sister is a dragon and the older brother is prematurely balding

I practiced asking a girl who looks like the class president out, and she made me her slave.

MummyPoko! ~One day, I awoke as a Mongolian Death Worm.~

Anubis! This is how I became the strongest death worm

What the heck is this?

And what is two Mongolian Death Worm light novel series?!

EDIT: The "I practiced asking a girl who looks like the class president out, and she made me her slave." one is in the middle.

Midonin · 2013-01-17, 08:50

I actually kind of love this. The idea of obscurity and ridiculous premise... it's like reading an anime literary version of one of my old B-movie websites. The obscure, the weird, the unknown and the cheaply but heartfully made... this is the depths of fiction that anime only scratches the surface of in its myriad adaptations.

RJ TAYLER · 2013-01-17, 08:55

'Boy that "Student Council President" sure gets around a bit in novel form, but alas I am an oldie on an internet anime/manga forum and she would not be interested in me at all'.

Usually when the title is long I tend go for a derisive, and short, nickname as possible to remember it by eg X-Denpa for Denpa Onna to Seishun Otoko, the X is a nod to the X-Files series of course, and 'aliens' being a very loose part of the constituent subject matter. The longer the title the more ''fun' I have with it.

Though I would hope the novel/manga writers would adhere to the Keep It Simple Stupid school before we have a DVD release with nothing but text on the cover as there in no room for other credits/illustrations.

MisaoFan · 2013-01-17, 08:59

I started to notice this trend becoming common since Oreimo, but it wasn't just used for LNs, but also in manga, visual novels and sometimes in anime. I think the reason why it becomes popular is probably due to the anime/manga industry crisis and the way the authors can't seem to find a good picking title from their own works, so instead they describe a part of the premise as a title instead. Despite that, it doesn't bother me at all as long as the story sound interesting for my personal tastes.

sa547 · 2013-01-17, 09:09

Besides, it's okay if the book title also goes by being abbreviated or given a nickname. I mean, something like "Maria-sama ga Miteru" would still be a mouthful for some.

Shyni · 2013-01-17, 11:08

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marcus H.

What the heck is this?

And what is two Mongolian Death Worm light novel series?!

Not to mention how the titles suggest that they both involve the protagonist *becoming* a death worm or something like that. I find that strangely hilarious.

Kanon · 2013-01-17, 11:19

The long titles do not skew my expectations of the content (it would be stupid to judge a book by its cover, or in this case, its title) but I find them incredibly dumb. Who thought it was a good idea to have a sentence as a title?

"I'm a shitty Light Novel writer who can't come up with a decent title so I'll just use the premise as a title instead!"

If you want to have some fun, you can try to imagine what kind of titles a regular series would have had if it had been a light novel. Vividred operation: I put my grandpa in a freezer and I became a magical girl thanks to science!

Remember: the more ridiculous it sounds, the better. If you can put "little sister" in there somewhere, you've got a best seller.

Sheba · 2013-01-17, 11:25

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kanon

If you want to have some fun, you can try to imagine what kind of titles a regular series would have had if it had been a light novel. Vividred operation: I put my grandpa in a freezer and I became a magical girl thanks to science!

Remember: the more ridiculous it sounds, the better. If you can put "little sister" in there somewhere, you've got a best seller.

A twitter guy have come up with this

Quote:

My Childhood Friend Turned Into a Vampire With this Stone Mask and Now I Have to Defeat Him With My Breathing!

Source

Folenfant · 2013-01-17, 11:26

/\lol Jojo light novel edition.

Anyway Light Novels generally seem to state the wish fulfilment premise straight up is what I've found. The theory of naming conventions seems to be informing potential buyers everything they need to know about the fetishes being targeted. Right now the two big ones seem to be about imouto incest and boinking the super hot but stuck up and domineering school president/idol. I can't really say their adaptations are where I look for ideas that will last me more than a few anime episodes.

Qilin · 2013-01-17, 11:29

It's really hard for me to expect much from a work that blurts out the entirety of its premise in the title alone. I won't go as far as judging the story right there and then just from the title, but I can't exactly say that it wouldn't affect my expectations either. After all, what kind of writing can I expect from an author who can't even be bothered to think of a reasonable title?

Irenicus · 2013-01-17, 11:50

It's not just light novels, actually. Try the 2009 bestseller Moshidora, aka Moshi Koukou Yakyuu no Joshi Manager ga Drucker no Management wo Yondara.

Kanon · 2013-01-17, 11:56

^Moshidora is more of the exception than the rule though.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sheba

A twitter guy have come up with this

Source

Perfect

larethian · 2013-01-17, 12:04

Quote:

Originally Posted by Midonin

snipped

A long title usually indicates a comedy (or an attempt at one), and almost all of these do try for some laughs, though even that has exceptions. (AnoHana comes to mind, as does Moshidora.) What I'm saying is, it's no one thing. I believe there's the old adage of not judging a book by its cover? That's the short version for here.

Quote:

Originally Posted by relentlessflame

I tend to think this is sort of an internal joke among authors and publishers that became a "trend".

snipped

I don't think the "less-spectacular" plot necessarily has anything to do with the name, but many of these works are being published in the same or similar publications with similar themes and designed to appeal to similar target audiences... so they often have more in common than just the titles. Having similar titles may also be designed in small part to help connect fans of one work to other similar works they may enjoy... but that's not necessarily always the case either.

Pretty much these imo. Nearly all the 'sentence-based' titles I know of are 'love comedies' (be it slice-of-life, high school, or fantasy) (I know there are exceptions, but those that are not exceptions are generally very obvious). While some love comedies are extraordinary entertaining and may even touch on some deeper 'human' subjects (though seldom emphasized even if they do), on the whole, I would say that I never consider love comedies to be the 'top of the crop' novels. You will never get mind-blowing plots or "I am your father" twists. So it depends on what you seek in your literature. At the very least, I'll seldom be misled into thinking that one of these 'sentence-titled' book might be the next Lord of the Rings or Inception. Notwithstanding, I do enjoy a few of these, much to my own surprise.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chaos2Frozen

Infinite Stratos must be brilliant then

What's Infinite Stratos? Oh, you must have meant "同じ展開が最後まで繰り返すわけがない！？ (There's no Way The Same Kind of Development Will Keep Repeating Till the End!?)"

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sheba

A twitter guy have come up with this

Source

LOL! Though that will give me an impression that it's a comedy series

Xion Valkyrie · 2013-01-17, 15:13

This seems like fun:

"I'm a magus killer with a tragic past but I will fight for the holy grail so I can become a hero"

"I'm too indecisive to become the ultimate magical girl to save the world"

"I can't believe my observation doll has become this evil"

"I can't believe I love my two fake little sisters this much"

"Only I can help the classroom rep that I love so much with her demon cat possession because I'm also part vampire"

"I started a rebellion to fight against my father and my childhood friend for my blind and crippled little sister".

**Solace** · 2013-01-17, 15:20

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marcus H.

What the heck is this?

And what is two Mongolian Death Worm light novel series?!

EDIT: The "I practiced asking a girl who looks like the class president out, and she made me her slave." one is in the middle.

The best part of those covers is that only one even remotely resembles something about school.

It's like they read this:

http://www.cracked.com/article_18542...e-posters.html

SilverSyko · 2013-01-17, 15:49

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kanon

Remember: the more ridiculous it sounds, the better. If you can put "little sister" in there somewhere, you've got a best seller.

"Kanojo" (girlfriend) is a pretty common word to see in these kinds of titles too.

Quote:

My Childhood Friend Turned Into a Vampire With this Stone Mask and Now I Have to Defeat Him With My Breathing!

God dammit. Now I have to try a few:

"I Will Sail to the End of the Grand Line and Find the Ultimate Treasure So I Can Become King of the Pirates!"

"I Play Trading Card Games While Having the Soul of a Thousand-Year Deceased Pharaoh Possess My Body!"

"My Planet is Always Threatened by Overly Powerful Aliens Who Desire to Utilize the Power of Orange Spheres With Stars On Them to Grant Wishes!?"

View Poll Results: How does long titles in light novels affect your anticipation in its story?
Very much, positively.	1	0.78%
Not much, but it makes the series interesting.	10	7.81%
It doesn't bother me at all.	68	53.13%
Not much, but worries me a bit.	30	23.44%
Very much, negatively.	19	14.84%
Voters: 128. You may not vote on this poll

2013-01-17, 03:27	Link #21
Master Assassin Portable Dude Mk. II Artist Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: All ghillied up spying on someone ~2,000 yards away using telescope sights. Age: 35	I for one can't be bothered with titles especially if the only problem with it is trying to think of an abbreviation to refer it with while having a convo... something I'm seeing becoming a pet peeve for lots just because they have to shorten it on their own. __________________ I like to run portable on my dude, so I ran while running runs in my portably portable, dude-like dude. --- This line over here is a placeholder. ----

2013-01-17, 03:55	Link #22
Solace (ノಠ益ಠ)ノ彡┻━┻ Moderator Join Date: Mar 2006	When I see titles like that, I think of this video: YouTube https://youtu.be/X2iNn3vFiLQ Sorry; dynamic content not loaded. Reload? __________________

2013-01-17, 08:55	Link #27
RJ TAYLER Senior Member Join Date: May 2009 Location: AUSTRALIA	'Boy that "Student Council President" sure gets around a bit in novel form, but alas I am an oldie on an internet anime/manga forum and she would not be interested in me at all'. Usually when the title is long I tend go for a derisive, and short, nickname as possible to remember it by eg X-Denpa for Denpa Onna to Seishun Otoko, the X is a nod to the X-Files series of course, and 'aliens' being a very loose part of the constituent subject matter. The longer the title the more ''fun' I have with it. Though I would hope the novel/manga writers would adhere to the Keep It Simple Stupid school before we have a DVD release with nothing but text on the cover as there in no room for other credits/illustrations. __________________ YOURS RJ TAYLER

2013-01-17, 09:09	Link #29
sa547 Senior Member Author Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Philippines Age: 47	Besides, it's okay if the book title also goes by being abbreviated or given a nickname. I mean, something like "Maria-sama ga Miteru" would still be a mouthful for some. __________________

2013-01-17, 08:50	Link #26
Midonin Last Engage Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Florida	I actually kind of love this. The idea of obscurity and ridiculous premise... it's like reading an anime literary version of one of my old B-movie websites. The obscure, the weird, the unknown and the cheaply but heartfully made... this is the depths of fiction that anime only scratches the surface of in its myriad adaptations.

2013-01-17, 11:19	Link #31
Kanon Kana Hanazawa ♥ Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: France Age: 37	The long titles do not skew my expectations of the content (it would be stupid to judge a book by its cover, or in this case, its title) but I find them incredibly dumb. Who thought it was a good idea to have a sentence as a title? "I'm a shitty Light Novel writer who can't come up with a decent title so I'll just use the premise as a title instead!" If you want to have some fun, you can try to imagine what kind of titles a regular series would have had if it had been a light novel. Vividred operation: I put my grandpa in a freezer and I became a magical girl thanks to science! Remember: the more ridiculous it sounds, the better. If you can put "little sister" in there somewhere, you've got a best seller. __________________

2013-01-17, 11:26	Link #33
Folenfant Banned Join Date: Dec 2012	/\lol Jojo light novel edition. Anyway Light Novels generally seem to state the wish fulfilment premise straight up is what I've found. The theory of naming conventions seems to be informing potential buyers everything they need to know about the fetishes being targeted. Right now the two big ones seem to be about imouto incest and boinking the super hot but stuck up and domineering school president/idol. I can't really say their adaptations are where I look for ideas that will last me more than a few anime episodes.

2013-01-17, 11:29	Link #34
Qilin Romanticist Join Date: Aug 2009 Age: 33	It's really hard for me to expect much from a work that blurts out the entirety of its premise in the title alone. I won't go as far as judging the story right there and then just from the title, but I can't exactly say that it wouldn't affect my expectations either. After all, what kind of writing can I expect from an author who can't even be bothered to think of a reasonable title? __________________ "There’s an up higher than up, but at the very top, down is all there is."

2013-01-17, 11:50	Link #35
Irenicus Le fou, c'est moi Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Las Vegas, NV, USA Age: 34	It's not just light novels, actually. Try the 2009 bestseller Moshidora, aka Moshi Koukou Yakyuu no Joshi Manager ga Drucker no Management wo Yondara.

2013-01-17, 15:13	Link #38
Xion Valkyrie Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2007	This seems like fun: "I'm a magus killer with a tragic past but I will fight for the holy grail so I can become a hero" "I'm too indecisive to become the ultimate magical girl to save the world" "I can't believe my observation doll has become this evil" "I can't believe I love my two fake little sisters this much" "Only I can help the classroom rep that I love so much with her demon cat possession because I'm also part vampire" "I started a rebellion to fight against my father and my childhood friend for my blind and crippled little sister". Last edited by Xion Valkyrie; 2013-01-17 at 15:33.