AnimeSuki Forums

apr · 2013-11-24, 13:52

Quote:

Originally Posted by setsuna86

Can someone tell me where I can find the LN of ベイビー・プリンセス (Baby Princess)?

http://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/4048677713/

apr · 2013-12-04, 11:25

Still buying tons of stuff!

Kind of crazy about Dainihon Samurai Girl, and I hope Golden Time starts wrapping up soon.

JediNight · 2013-12-05, 03:31

I tried ordering some of the Golden Time volumes via Honto. But they were backordered for over 2 weeks, and in the end only Vol 2 and 3 shipped, they cancelled my Vol1 order after 3 weeks not getting any stock =\

Reading Vol 2 and 3 before Vol 1 is insanity!

apr · 2013-12-05, 04:35

Quote:

Originally Posted by JediNight

I tried ordering some of the Golden Time volumes via Honto. But they were backordered for over 2 weeks, and in the end only Vol 2 and 3 shipped, they cancelled my Vol1 order after 3 weeks not getting any stock =\

Reading Vol 2 and 3 before Vol 1 is insanity!

You have to anticipate greatness and buy books before they get popular with the anime, silly!

Hemisphere · 2013-12-05, 05:16

That only happened once with me, but it sucks hard when it happens - especially when they end up getting stock a week or two after they finish shipping out your order. I feel for you

apr · 2014-01-09, 19:48

Finished reading Neko no Chikyuugi by Akiyama Mizuhito last night. It's a two-part sci-fi light novel taking place many hundreds of years in the future on a space station orbiting the earth, inhabited by a society of (genetically?) evolved cats with a special whisker antenna that enables them to communicate via radio waves. It also allows them to control the ancient robots left behind by the original human population, now only vaguely remembered as "angels", since they all perished in some cataclysmic event.

And so what makes this unique is that all the characters are cats. Well, and robots, to some degree. The author explains that he was inspired by Galileo and his dispute with the Church, which is reflected in the station being ruled by religion. Its beliefs state that the soul of a good cat will ascend to the Earth Globe, purified by sacred flames.

Standing up against this is the secret order of the Skywalkers, who instead carry the conviction that you can reach the Earth Globe without dying, and have performed scientific experiments alone for generations, while struggling to evade persecution. Before eventually getting killed, they always entrust this accumulated wisdom with a retarded android girl, who is told to hide in an unfindable place, until the next brave cat is ready to take up the mantle.

This is obviously where our main character comes in, a young black cat armed with the supremest intellect of all time, with a burning desire to build himself a rocket that can take him to the promised land. The story also revolves around a white cat, the greatest of all Spiral Divers, who's obsessed with fighting the ultimate cat, in this gladiatorial sport of zero-gravity duels, fought alongside mind-controlled robot partners. The two inevitably become rivals, of sorts, linked together by an excited brown kitten, who worships the Diver as a hero, but is drawn to the curious new ideas of the Skywalker.

So, well, that's the setup! Probably the longest I've described so far, but it's sort of amusing with them all being cats, and having such an upside-down view of space. I actually bought the books many years ago, but always hesitated to read them, as the language is littered with technological, biological and physics terms. Even now, after 10 years of Japanese, it's still a struggle to get through, since the prose is very heavy on details. Guess I should challenge myself more.

It's an interesting read that tries not to take sides, about characters who can't give up their dreams, and the consequences it brings. Mostly it's just very unusual to find a light novel (or anime even) that isn't about humans, which by itself almost makes it worth picking up. However, weighing in general enjoyment, I must confess I appreciate the effort more than the experience. There are too many parts where it gets bogged down in details, and while I'm sure the (quite brutal) battles are exciting, it's very hard to visualize them, making it all a bit murky. Maybe if I revisit it another 10 years from now.

Akiyama's highly regarded Iriya no Sora, UFO no Natsu has been animated, by the way.

apr · 2014-01-25, 14:27

Feels like I'm incredibly late to the party with this, but I finished reading Ame no Hi no Iris by Matsuyama Takeshi this morning. While I did buy it because it showed up on a list of tear-jerkers, I had no idea it would be so ridiculously effective.

It's not a very complex book, single-mindedly following the existence of a sentient robot in a harsh world. From the very first page, it unabashedly declares its intent to assault the reader's tear ducts, by prefacing the story with the explanation that it's the reconstructed memory log of a robot known as Iris, found torn apart with most limbs missing. This, combined with the titles of sub-chapters being a countdown of days, makes it pretty clear that something bad is going to happen.

The first third of the novel is dominated by our heroine's tale of rosy days living with her beloved Doctor, a brilliant young robotics scientist who's spent every ounce of her skill to build a hyper-advanced android replica of her deceased little sister. However, after an incident involving robots running amok, we're abruptly introduced to a much colder side of robotized society, where Iris is condemned to be scrapped, followed by a minutely detailed scene of her dismantlement.

Ending right there would probably make a strong enough short story, but Matsuyama forges on with his quest to salt the reader's cheeks, as Iris is jolted awake from the dead, now reborn in the shape of a classic sci-fi robot of old. Gone are the crystal clear senses of cutting edge technology, replaced by a random assortment of bits and bobs, cheaply assembled to carry debris from the wreckage of an old military facility. This new monochromatic life of endlessly working under the angry barks of human foremen soon becomes highly reminiscent of Jewish labour camps in Nazi Germany. The majority of humanity in this world clearly has no regard for artificial intelligence as living beings, and the coldness with which damaged robots are disposed is frightening.

Ironically this treatment continually serves to make the robot characters feel much more human than the humans ever do. It's difficult to praise the author for originality here, but the message is still very clear and works well in its simplicity. And simplicity is abundant in this novel. It's constructed in a blatantly calculated way to bring forth emotion in the reader, and you can see the strings of manipulation from miles away, but it just doesn't matter. Somehow it's done so expertly that it floors you anyway. There's an almost childish purity of story going on here that seems to push every sadness button available, taken straight out of the manual of human reaction. It's not even a build-up to a one time release, it somehow keeps happening over and over again. In a measly 300 pages, it probably brought me to tears at least five times. And the last 50 I had to plug my nose with tissue to save the pages from being drenched in snot, barely able to make out the text through blurry, watery vision.

It's easy to disparage Ame no Hi no Iris for finally having an overly saccharine conclusion, but the journey there is just so damn sorrowful that it's impossible for me to do anything but embrace it with joy and relief. The world is gloomy and cynical enough as it is, and sometimes we all need a happy ending. Iris certainly deserves one.

whsie · 2014-01-31, 23:25

Wonder if anyone's read 無職転生　- 異世界行ったら本気だす or the Shameless Reincarnation- Living Seriously in the Other World?

Synopsis- The protagonist is a 34 years old deadbeat who gets kicked out of his house by his siblings. Just when he decides to turn his life around, he gets run over by a truck. When he wakes up again, he's a newborn baby in another world (with Magic, Sword, Elves, etc.). Unlike normal babies, he has the memory of his previous life on Earth intact. This time around, he decides he wants to live a meaningful life.

This is a story where we see the baby grow up from newborn->1 year old->2 year old->3->4->5->7, etc.

From what I've read, I think this work is really good and could be published in the future. As of right now, it's still a web novel. Anyone who wants to try out the novel can do so here - http://ncode.syosetu.com/n9669bk/

Cosmic Eagle · 2014-01-31, 23:40

Quote:

Originally Posted by apr

Akiyama's highly regarded Iriya no Sora, UFO no Natsu has been animated, by the way.

There's even a thread for it here

http://forums.animesuki.com/showthre...ighlight=Iriya

Hemisphere · 2014-02-18, 22:44

Since I received my shipment (mostly Famitsu Bunko stuff, really), I decided to start with 竜棲学園の不適格輝士 after finishing the latest volume of 黒鋼の魔紋修復士.

It's...a mixed bag for me. Really, I got into this series because of my fetish for cute girls with weapons (Kurena drew me in), and while I can honestly say that the concept is interesting, the execution is where it fumbles. You don't see much titles when it comes to a mix of Sci-Fi and Fantasy, and while this title tries to present it with as much seriousness it can muster, it's still funny trying to imagine people fighting bulldozers, washing machines, refrigerators and the like.

Anyways, the writing is really where this fumbles. There's no sense of urgency or dread, or rather, the author can't properly convey the crisis he's trying to write about. It's not that I'm looking for a grimdark reading experience, it's just that the author can't seem to properly express it through his writing. Still, the concept is interesting, and there is quite a bit of mystery to it as to how and why civilization collapsed to this point. I'm looking forward to reading more of this, if only to see what the author had planned for this series and what mysteries are there to uncover. Unfortunately, I don't think this is going to go past two, maybe three volumes.

apr · 2014-04-07, 17:09

Finished reading Shinonome Yuuko wa Subete no Shousetsu wo Ai Shitsuzukeru by Morihashi Bingo. This was the final volume of the Shinonome trilogy, a romance light novel about a high school boy who ends up in a simulated relationship with a classmate who's a published author, when she wants to do some research before writing her first romance novel.

It started out with the standard gimmick retarded kitten girl who doesn't understand human interaction or emotions, with a stereotypical sulky teenage protagonist whining about it, but over the course of the three books, it's succeeded in developing the characters and their relationships to the point where they're both reasonably sane and normal people. The author even comments in the afterword that when the curtains close, the heroine has probably become too normal to be fit for a light novel.

Anyway, the surprising thing with this series is that it's played so incredibly straight. It's a pure romance, not excessively funny or dramatic or thrilling. Just two people (and their surroundings) coming to terms with their feelings for each other, and slowly solidifying their bond. As such, it's intensely sweet to watch over them, at times to such a degree that I was sure I'd tear a muscle from smiling so hard.

I never expected it when I was reading the first volume, but having finished this third one, I think it's become one of my favourite light novel series. Much of my enjoyment emanated from the sudden flood of memories of my own teenage self exploring love for the first time, so perhaps it's just a very personal experience.

apr · 2014-04-11, 16:38

Finished reading Re: Zero Kara Hajimeru Isekai Seikatsu vol 1 by Nagatsuki Tappei today. Apparently it started out as a web-published novel, which explains why the first three volumes came out in such quick succession.

Subaru is a regular boy in his final year of high school on his way home from the store, when he's suddenly dumped into a bustling street market in Another World filled with Fantasy Creatures and People of Mystical Races. So far, so cliché. What makes this series stand out a bit is that the hero really is a regular guy, with no powers or magical skills at all. The only thing he's equipped with is the power of not giving up, which comes in handy, because he keeps dying. And every time he dies, he pops up right back where he started, in that street market, all body parts intact. In other words, he's practically living out a Final Fantasy game, where he's always respawning at the last auto-save point.

Does it work? Kind of. The gimmick is all right, since it forces the protagonist to come up with new ways to approach the challenge he faces, without resorting to the convenient superpowers heroes invariably seem to get. On the other hand, it gets somewhat repetitive when he has to go through events over and over again. It's not as bad as it sounds, because things always happen in a different way, but it doesn't give the story much time to progress either.

All in all, it's okay, I suppose. Enjoyed it enough to consider getting another volume, at least. Some day.

apr · 2014-06-24, 09:29

Whoa, big news! Shincho are setting up an entirely new label, tying up authors like Takemiya Yuyuko (Toradora, Golden Time) and Tanikawa Nagaru (Haruhi). First books to be published Aug 28. Massively looking forward to Yuyuko-sensei's new series "Shiranai Eiga no Santora wo Kiku".

Utsuro no Hako · 2014-06-24, 10:18

Quote:

Originally Posted by apr

Whoa, big news! Shincho are setting up an entirely new label, tying up authors like Takemiya Yuyuko (Toradora, Golden Time) and Tanikawa Nagaru (Haruhi). First books to be published Aug 28. Massively looking forward to Yuyuko-sensei's new series "Shiranai Eiga no Santora wo Kiku".

If Tanigawa starts a new series without finishing Haruhi (or at least publishing a new volume), I expect riots in Akiba. (Plus the last thing he started was that Amnesia Labyrinth manga, and that just kinda stopped mid-story.)

But anything new from Yuyuko Takemiya is reason to celebrate.

apr · 2014-06-24, 10:20

Well, they might just be one-off novels, rather than a series of books. Not even sure this label is considered "light novels", or if they're aiming higher.

Zefyris · 2014-06-27, 03:59

Whatever they say, I'm not buying any new series from tanigawa before the series is finished (I mean the new one, not haruhi). 4 years to wait between two books even though the previous one ended with a cliffhanger, that's just NO. I don't want to have the same kind of wait between two volumes in his new series.
Plus his way to write with obscure comparisons/metaphors everywhere isn't to my liking anyway.
Takemiya Yuyuko sensei's work seems far more appealing to me.

Zakoo · 2014-07-06, 13:52

I don't especially ant to write a thread about it but anybody went farther than V1 in the novel : hyakuren No Haou To Seiyaku No Valkyria ( 百錬の覇王と聖約の戦乙女). In short I have a question :

Spoiler for question:

DragonKing0117 · 2014-10-31, 15:57

So this is a recommendation thread right? Well, I wanted to post some titles that look like they could be interesting.

The first one is a series that looks like it has the potential to be good. I say potential because it hasn't been released yet. A preview for it, however, is out and it releases November 14th.
The name is this:「天壌穿つ神魔の剣」 （著：高木幸一／イラスト：狐印）
GT gives me Tenjo Drilling Sword of Kamima. The author is Koichi Takagi and the illustrator is Kitsuneshirushi? Not sure about the illustrator's name since I'm not knowledgeable enough to do complete translation and only quickly did a GT, but whatever. Here's a synopsis in both original Japanese text and a GT:

Quote:

「私の欠片を集めてください」。千魔斬《サウザンド》と呼ばれる凄腕の傭兵、魔剣士アークは、言葉を話す傷だらけの剣、ルガイアに「余命五年」の呪いを受け、【ルガイアの欠片】を探す旅を続けていた。ある日、彼はマナラン王国から、不死の力がある目を持つと言われる「三眼竜《スリーアイズ》」討伐の依頼を受ける。しかし、王の推薦で、旅の同行者になった神術士の少女、リリアの体内には、ルガイアの欠片のひとつが眠っていた ……。「わ、私をいい女だと言うなら……キミがなんとかしてよっ! ! 」。
高木幸一×狐印が贈る、呪われた魔剣士と、恋に不器用な神術士のロマンティック・ファンタジー開幕!

"Please collect my pieces". Go-getter of mercenaries called Senmaki "Thousand", the magic swordsman arc, Confession of sword that speak the words, in response to the curse of "life expectancy five years" to Rugaia, had continued the journey to find the [pieces of Rugaia]. One day, he is from Manaran kingdom, is said to have eyes that have the power of immortality "Sanmeryu" Three Eyes "" I receive a request for punitive. However, on the recommendation of the king, God surgery mechanic girl became the companions of the journey, in the body of Lilia, one of the pieces of Rugaia was asleep .... "I, ... Tsu yo Kimi somehow If you tell me it's a good woman!".
Give is Koichi Takagi × fox mark, and the magic swordsman that was cursed, and romantic fantasy opening of clumsy Kami-jutsu-shi in love!

Well from what GT states, the plot seems interesting and the character designs interested me:

Spoiler for Images:

Here are some descriptions for the characters showcased along with original Jap Text, if someone wants to double check.

Spoiler for Black-Haired MC:

Spoiler for Silver-Haired Female MC:

Spoiler for Blue-Haired Girl:

Spoiler for Blonde? Girl with a Spear:

Here is also the link to the preview on GA Bunko's main site which contains the prologue and first 2 chapters as well as some color illustrations including names for the guys I didn't mention above: http://ga.sbcr.jp/bunko_blog/images2...njou_trial.pdf

As I had other series I wanted to showcase, I'm splitting my post into multiple parts.

DragonKing0117 · 2014-10-31, 16:26

Here is the second series.
Title: Seiken Tsukai no World Break (World Break of the Holy Sword)
This one should be a bit familiar as it has an upcoming anime. That thread is located here: http://forums.animesuki.com/showthread.php?t=124521
This series also has a manga in which only 2 or 3 chapters are currently fan translated.
Somebody even made a wiki, so it's easier to give some information.

Here's a synopsis courtesy of Anime News Network.

Quote:

The "campus sword & sorcery" story is set in a private high school that brings together "saviors," youths with awakened memories from past lives. Some of them are Shirogane who fight enemies with weapons and techniques gleaned from the Puraana powers from their own bodies. Others are Kuroma who wipe out enemies, with magic to manipulate the Maana powers that surpass physics. A boy named Moroha Haimura enrolls in this school. He is the first person in history with past lives of both Shirogane and Kuroma.

Here are the 8 Volume covers.

Spoiler for Volumes:

And some of the main cast:

Spoiler for Characters:

And here is the Volume 1 Preview from GA Bunko's main site: http://ga.sbcr.jp/novel/taikenban/warubre01_sample.pdf

DragonKing0117 · 2014-10-31, 17:01

Here's Number 3.
Title: 神楽剣舞のエアリアル
Official Engrish Title: The Sacred Sword Dance in the Aerial
Author: 千羽十訊 (Senba Ju訊 was what I got on Amazon, obviously I'm not sure)
Illustrator: むつみまさと (Mutsumi Masato, I think)
Synopsis:

Quote:

天空の下、魔術と剣戟が加速する異世界バトルファンタジー！
　異世界の空に開く穴――ウイルドレンド。
　そこから落ちてきた少年、雪人は落ちてくるものを調査する学院に、家族同然の少女、風夕とともに入学した。
　“退魔士”だったがゆえ、元から魔術が使える特別な存在だった雪人は、学院の選抜調査団の試験で、魔術の翼をまとい、魔術で錬成した刀を振るい、戦う。
ＧＡ文庫大賞《優秀賞》受賞作。天空の下、魔術と剣戟が加速する異世界バトルファンタジー！
Under the sky, different world battle fantasy magic and Kengeki to accelerate!
Hole open to the sky of another world - Uirudorendo.
Boy who fell from there, Yuki-jin the institute to investigate the things falling, were enrolled family good as the girl, with Kazeyu.
Therefore It was "Taima-shi", is Yuki-jin was a special presence that magic is available from the original, in the selection investigation team of test of the institute, and wearing the magic of the wing, and wield a sword that was drilling in magic, fight.
GA Bunko Award "Excellence Award" winners. Under the sky, different world battle fantasy magic and Kengeki to accelerate!

Apparently this has a bunch of winged-swordsman duking it out, and was good enough to get GA Bunko's "Excellence Award" despite only having one released Volume, so it at least guarantees checking out. Now here are some preview illustrations.

Spoiler for Illustrations:

And now the main cast, sorry I couldn't get the names:

Spoiler for Characters:

And here are the two previews from GA Bunko's main site.
Preview Part 1: http://ga.sbcr.jp/wallpaper/pdf/aerial01f.pdf
Preview Part 2: http://ga.sbcr.jp/wallpaper/pdf/aerial01s.pdf

2013-12-04, 11:25	Link #982
apr Pedestrian Join Date: May 2003 Location: Sweden	Still buying tons of stuff! Kind of crazy about Dainihon Samurai Girl, and I hope Golden Time starts wrapping up soon. __________________ ...in my humble opinion.

2013-12-05, 05:16	Link #985
Hemisphere 見習い魔剣使い Join Date: May 2006 Location: 大陸の片隅	That only happened once with me, but it sucks hard when it happens - especially when they end up getting stock a week or two after they finish shipping out your order. I feel for you __________________

2014-01-09, 19:48	Link #986
apr Pedestrian Join Date: May 2003 Location: Sweden	Finished reading Neko no Chikyuugi by Akiyama Mizuhito last night. It's a two-part sci-fi light novel taking place many hundreds of years in the future on a space station orbiting the earth, inhabited by a society of (genetically?) evolved cats with a special whisker antenna that enables them to communicate via radio waves. It also allows them to control the ancient robots left behind by the original human population, now only vaguely remembered as "angels", since they all perished in some cataclysmic event. And so what makes this unique is that all the characters are cats. Well, and robots, to some degree. The author explains that he was inspired by Galileo and his dispute with the Church, which is reflected in the station being ruled by religion. Its beliefs state that the soul of a good cat will ascend to the Earth Globe, purified by sacred flames. Standing up against this is the secret order of the Skywalkers, who instead carry the conviction that you can reach the Earth Globe without dying, and have performed scientific experiments alone for generations, while struggling to evade persecution. Before eventually getting killed, they always entrust this accumulated wisdom with a retarded android girl, who is told to hide in an unfindable place, until the next brave cat is ready to take up the mantle. This is obviously where our main character comes in, a young black cat armed with the supremest intellect of all time, with a burning desire to build himself a rocket that can take him to the promised land. The story also revolves around a white cat, the greatest of all Spiral Divers, who's obsessed with fighting the ultimate cat, in this gladiatorial sport of zero-gravity duels, fought alongside mind-controlled robot partners. The two inevitably become rivals, of sorts, linked together by an excited brown kitten, who worships the Diver as a hero, but is drawn to the curious new ideas of the Skywalker. So, well, that's the setup! Probably the longest I've described so far, but it's sort of amusing with them all being cats, and having such an upside-down view of space. I actually bought the books many years ago, but always hesitated to read them, as the language is littered with technological, biological and physics terms. Even now, after 10 years of Japanese, it's still a struggle to get through, since the prose is very heavy on details. Guess I should challenge myself more. It's an interesting read that tries not to take sides, about characters who can't give up their dreams, and the consequences it brings. Mostly it's just very unusual to find a light novel (or anime even) that isn't about humans, which by itself almost makes it worth picking up. However, weighing in general enjoyment, I must confess I appreciate the effort more than the experience. There are too many parts where it gets bogged down in details, and while I'm sure the (quite brutal) battles are exciting, it's very hard to visualize them, making it all a bit murky. Maybe if I revisit it another 10 years from now. Akiyama's highly regarded Iriya no Sora, UFO no Natsu has been animated, by the way. __________________ ...in my humble opinion.

2014-01-25, 14:27	Link #987
apr Pedestrian Join Date: May 2003 Location: Sweden	Feels like I'm incredibly late to the party with this, but I finished reading Ame no Hi no Iris by Matsuyama Takeshi this morning. While I did buy it because it showed up on a list of tear-jerkers, I had no idea it would be so ridiculously effective. It's not a very complex book, single-mindedly following the existence of a sentient robot in a harsh world. From the very first page, it unabashedly declares its intent to assault the reader's tear ducts, by prefacing the story with the explanation that it's the reconstructed memory log of a robot known as Iris, found torn apart with most limbs missing. This, combined with the titles of sub-chapters being a countdown of days, makes it pretty clear that something bad is going to happen. The first third of the novel is dominated by our heroine's tale of rosy days living with her beloved Doctor, a brilliant young robotics scientist who's spent every ounce of her skill to build a hyper-advanced android replica of her deceased little sister. However, after an incident involving robots running amok, we're abruptly introduced to a much colder side of robotized society, where Iris is condemned to be scrapped, followed by a minutely detailed scene of her dismantlement. Ending right there would probably make a strong enough short story, but Matsuyama forges on with his quest to salt the reader's cheeks, as Iris is jolted awake from the dead, now reborn in the shape of a classic sci-fi robot of old. Gone are the crystal clear senses of cutting edge technology, replaced by a random assortment of bits and bobs, cheaply assembled to carry debris from the wreckage of an old military facility. This new monochromatic life of endlessly working under the angry barks of human foremen soon becomes highly reminiscent of Jewish labour camps in Nazi Germany. The majority of humanity in this world clearly has no regard for artificial intelligence as living beings, and the coldness with which damaged robots are disposed is frightening. Ironically this treatment continually serves to make the robot characters feel much more human than the humans ever do. It's difficult to praise the author for originality here, but the message is still very clear and works well in its simplicity. And simplicity is abundant in this novel. It's constructed in a blatantly calculated way to bring forth emotion in the reader, and you can see the strings of manipulation from miles away, but it just doesn't matter. Somehow it's done so expertly that it floors you anyway. There's an almost childish purity of story going on here that seems to push every sadness button available, taken straight out of the manual of human reaction. It's not even a build-up to a one time release, it somehow keeps happening over and over again. In a measly 300 pages, it probably brought me to tears at least five times. And the last 50 I had to plug my nose with tissue to save the pages from being drenched in snot, barely able to make out the text through blurry, watery vision. It's easy to disparage Ame no Hi no Iris for finally having an overly saccharine conclusion, but the journey there is just so damn sorrowful that it's impossible for me to do anything but embrace it with joy and relief. The world is gloomy and cynical enough as it is, and sometimes we all need a happy ending. Iris certainly deserves one. __________________ ...in my humble opinion.

2014-02-18, 22:44	Link #990
Hemisphere 見習い魔剣使い Join Date: May 2006 Location: 大陸の片隅	Since I received my shipment (mostly Famitsu Bunko stuff, really), I decided to start with 竜棲学園の不適格輝士 after finishing the latest volume of 黒鋼の魔紋修復士. It's...a mixed bag for me. Really, I got into this series because of my fetish for cute girls with weapons (Kurena drew me in), and while I can honestly say that the concept is interesting, the execution is where it fumbles. You don't see much titles when it comes to a mix of Sci-Fi and Fantasy, and while this title tries to present it with as much seriousness it can muster, it's still funny trying to imagine people fighting bulldozers, washing machines, refrigerators and the like. Anyways, the writing is really where this fumbles. There's no sense of urgency or dread, or rather, the author can't properly convey the crisis he's trying to write about. It's not that I'm looking for a grimdark reading experience, it's just that the author can't seem to properly express it through his writing. Still, the concept is interesting, and there is quite a bit of mystery to it as to how and why civilization collapsed to this point. I'm looking forward to reading more of this, if only to see what the author had planned for this series and what mysteries are there to uncover. Unfortunately, I don't think this is going to go past two, maybe three volumes. __________________

2013-12-05, 03:31	Link #983
JediNight キズランダム Join Date: Apr 2003	I tried ordering some of the Golden Time volumes via Honto. But they were backordered for over 2 weeks, and in the end only Vol 2 and 3 shipped, they cancelled my Vol1 order after 3 weeks not getting any stock =\ Reading Vol 2 and 3 before Vol 1 is insanity!

2014-01-31, 23:25	Link #988
whsie Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Seattle and Houston... sleeping in a car.	Wonder if anyone's read 無職転生　- 異世界行ったら本気だす or the Shameless Reincarnation- Living Seriously in the Other World? Synopsis- The protagonist is a 34 years old deadbeat who gets kicked out of his house by his siblings. Just when he decides to turn his life around, he gets run over by a truck. When he wakes up again, he's a newborn baby in another world (with Magic, Sword, Elves, etc.). Unlike normal babies, he has the memory of his previous life on Earth intact. This time around, he decides he wants to live a meaningful life. This is a story where we see the baby grow up from newborn->1 year old->2 year old->3->4->5->7, etc. From what I've read, I think this work is really good and could be published in the future. As of right now, it's still a web novel. Anyone who wants to try out the novel can do so here - http://ncode.syosetu.com/n9669bk/

2014-04-07, 17:09	Link #991
apr Pedestrian Join Date: May 2003 Location: Sweden	Finished reading Shinonome Yuuko wa Subete no Shousetsu wo Ai Shitsuzukeru by Morihashi Bingo. This was the final volume of the Shinonome trilogy, a romance light novel about a high school boy who ends up in a simulated relationship with a classmate who's a published author, when she wants to do some research before writing her first romance novel. It started out with the standard gimmick retarded kitten girl who doesn't understand human interaction or emotions, with a stereotypical sulky teenage protagonist whining about it, but over the course of the three books, it's succeeded in developing the characters and their relationships to the point where they're both reasonably sane and normal people. The author even comments in the afterword that when the curtains close, the heroine has probably become too normal to be fit for a light novel. Anyway, the surprising thing with this series is that it's played so incredibly straight. It's a pure romance, not excessively funny or dramatic or thrilling. Just two people (and their surroundings) coming to terms with their feelings for each other, and slowly solidifying their bond. As such, it's intensely sweet to watch over them, at times to such a degree that I was sure I'd tear a muscle from smiling so hard. I never expected it when I was reading the first volume, but having finished this third one, I think it's become one of my favourite light novel series. Much of my enjoyment emanated from the sudden flood of memories of my own teenage self exploring love for the first time, so perhaps it's just a very personal experience. __________________ ...in my humble opinion.

2014-04-11, 16:38	Link #992
apr Pedestrian Join Date: May 2003 Location: Sweden	Finished reading Re: Zero Kara Hajimeru Isekai Seikatsu vol 1 by Nagatsuki Tappei today. Apparently it started out as a web-published novel, which explains why the first three volumes came out in such quick succession. Subaru is a regular boy in his final year of high school on his way home from the store, when he's suddenly dumped into a bustling street market in Another World filled with Fantasy Creatures and People of Mystical Races. So far, so cliché. What makes this series stand out a bit is that the hero really is a regular guy, with no powers or magical skills at all. The only thing he's equipped with is the power of not giving up, which comes in handy, because he keeps dying. And every time he dies, he pops up right back where he started, in that street market, all body parts intact. In other words, he's practically living out a Final Fantasy game, where he's always respawning at the last auto-save point. Does it work? Kind of. The gimmick is all right, since it forces the protagonist to come up with new ways to approach the challenge he faces, without resorting to the convenient superpowers heroes invariably seem to get. On the other hand, it gets somewhat repetitive when he has to go through events over and over again. It's not as bad as it sounds, because things always happen in a different way, but it doesn't give the story much time to progress either. All in all, it's okay, I suppose. Enjoyed it enough to consider getting another volume, at least. Some day. __________________ ...in my humble opinion.

2014-06-24, 09:29	Link #993
apr Pedestrian Join Date: May 2003 Location: Sweden	Whoa, big news! Shincho are setting up an entirely new label, tying up authors like Takemiya Yuyuko (Toradora, Golden Time) and Tanikawa Nagaru (Haruhi). First books to be published Aug 28. Massively looking forward to Yuyuko-sensei's new series "Shiranai Eiga no Santora wo Kiku". __________________ ...in my humble opinion.

2014-06-24, 10:20	Link #995
apr Pedestrian Join Date: May 2003 Location: Sweden	Well, they might just be one-off novels, rather than a series of books. Not even sure this label is considered "light novels", or if they're aiming higher. __________________ ...in my humble opinion.

2014-06-27, 03:59	Link #996
Zefyris 図書館狼 Join Date: Jul 2013	Whatever they say, I'm not buying any new series from tanigawa before the series is finished (I mean the new one, not haruhi). 4 years to wait between two books even though the previous one ended with a cliffhanger, that's just NO. I don't want to have the same kind of wait between two volumes in his new series. Plus his way to write with obscure comparisons/metaphors everywhere isn't to my liking anyway. Takemiya Yuyuko sensei's work seems far more appealing to me. __________________

2014-07-06, 13:52	Link #997
Zakoo Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Gensokyo	I don't especially ant to write a thread about it but anybody went farther than V1 in the novel : hyakuren No Haou To Seiyaku No Valkyria ( 百錬の覇王と聖約の戦乙女). In short I have a question : Spoiler for question: So well it's good to have a MC that loves somebody, but I simply have no interest in reading a novel where the harem grows when the MC is already fixed on somebody, thus does the relationship between Yuuto and the valkiries (Felicia and Tigraine ) evolves after or will it continue as it is? Thanks in advance.