When Hikaru was on the Earth [Light Novel]

[Von Himmel]

Summary (taken from Batoto):

The story starts with the death of Hikaru Mikado. That guy was a natural charmer, a “harem king”, but had no real male friends. After he died, he became a ghost, a soul, but Koremitsu Akagi can see him. Koremitsu though, isn’t really like Hikaru. His red hair and his evil-looking eyes make him look as a delinquent, even though he is very kind inside. Hikaru asks him a favour: he wants to fulfill a promise, which he couldn't fulfill anymore. The promise was to give his girlfriend and fiancée, Aoi Saotome, 7 gifts for her seventeenth birthday. Koremitsu accepts, and has to work hard to help fulfill Hikaru’s promise with Aoi.

So umm.. my friend recomended this to me since it was written by the same author as Bungaku Shoujo. I don't know whether this is going to be a harem story or not, but knowing Nomura I don't think she'll make something normal without series of emotional/angst chapters

And it seems that it's originally a LN too(?).. I wonder if someone will translate it in the future.

[Arczyx]

It is from LN, http://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/in...yuu_ni_Itakoro......

[Hell_ping]

Originally Posted by Arczyx

It is from LN, http://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/in...yuu_ni_Itakoro......

THANK YOU! THIS IS MY STORY!

Nah, but seriously, after I'm done with Unicorn, I'll be doing this as a project. It's now competing with another series on a poll held on the other website I am hosting. It's actually for my next main project.

The main gist is that like Bungaku Shoujo, this series is based on a story, but only one epic, called The Tale of Genji, and pretty much every single main character is based off one character in the Tale of Genji (Hikaru of course is based on Hikaru Genji, while Koremitsu would be the Koremitsu in the epic, the assistant to Genji. Do note that the illustrations of the novels are all based on the illustrations in the original Tale of Genji)

Altogether, there are 6 volumes out, with a 7th coming out next month. Each volume has a girl as a specific heroine, and while it is slightly less dramatic than Bungaku Shoujo, there is an underlying darker tone to the story (what's with the original protagonist dying before the story starts.) It has more humor than Bungaku Shoujo, though not as much as the other series the author is working on at this point (that cross-dresser...). Simply put, this is like Kaminomi in the sense that Koremitsu has to conquer the heroines, but replace Elsie with Hikaru (who doesn't have any superpowers other than the ability to change clothes in a blink and the limitation to stay within 3m of Koremitsu even when the latter's naked...how awkward...)

Do note that the author literally yelled in the 1st volume afterwords that Koremitsu is (NOT A DELINQUENT). Also, the 6 dots are part of the main title because of author supersition, or so she says. If you want to know more about the story, I'll recommend you to check out this for a review for the first 4 volumes.

Anyway, I am looking forward to tackling this series (and Biblia) seriously once I'm done with the entire Gundam Unicorn series, and I am looking for editors to help out in the first link I provided.

I don't often go crazy over a series, so you should be able to understand how I feel about this series. It's currently one of my top 3 fav LN series.

EDIT: Speaking of which, there was already a drama CD bundled with the 5th volume (special edition). The 5 characters in the CD are

Hikaru Mikado: Yuuki Kaji
Koremitsu Akagi: Noriaki Sugiyama
Aoi Saotome: Satomi Satou

Spoiler for Added characters:

Honoka Shikibu: Haruka Tomatsu
Saiga Asai: Saori Hayami

Another thing I'm leaving here is the 'mystery text' the author always had in Bungaku Shoujo, which makes a return as both prologues and epilogues of the volumes:

When did this happen?


Mikado Hikaru, who had all the sparkles gathered on him, who was beloved by all the flowers, suddenly died in an accident.


Before he was even 16--


I absentmindedly searched my memories as I listened to the news of his death over my cellphone.

I shed off the clothing called rationality because I wanted to see Hikaru.

My soul seemed to leave my body, flying in the night sky as I only cared about seeing him, seeing him, seeing him. I continued to run on the dirt path, let the grass cut my shins and ankles, let the icy cold rain pierce through my body, to where he was. Ahh, those were what happened yesterday.

Even if I were to become an evil spirit, I would still want to get to that person.

What enthralled me, more than that guy's cruelty, stubbornness, love for lies, fear of loneliness...more than anything else, was my love for that person.

I knew right from the beginning that our love was a forbidden cardinal sin. It was not permitted by this world, and no one around us would bless us. My body felt like it was cut, stabbed through and burned--it was a tragic romance and bitter love that was accompanied with sadness and despair.

I definitely must not let anyone else know, and I will continue to love him in this darkness where the moonlight cannot shine into. Did we not lock our fingers and swear?

That this was a secret for a lifetime.

But why did Hikaru say those words last night?

Amidst the icy cold bone-chilling rain, on the brink of death, that expression Hikaru showed--

Only I saw it all. That expression, those eyes, that act.

That was a cruel betrayal to love.


Hikaru.


At that time...


What were you thinking?

[Sumeragi]

Interesting.

[Miraluka]

I read the manga, so I didn't know it was a light novel to begin with. I'll see how it goes.

[Von Himmel]

Nah, but seriously, after I'm done with Unicorn, I'll be doing this as a project.

Y-you really mean that you're going to translate this one!? ;_;

Frankly speaking, I always think that this series would be good because of who the writer is.. but hearing it from you that it IS actually good feels refreshing

Another thing I'm leaving here is the 'mystery text' the author always had in Bungaku Shoujo, which makes a return as both prologues and epilogues of the volumes:

Uwah.. so it's back, huh? In Bungaku I feel that they add the immersion whenever those mysterious text appears in a chapter. It makes me feel glued to the book because everytime I read it, I really want to know what it's actually trying to say.. and when the story starts revealing it bit by bit later, you can really feel how the characters are feeling in that book.

...I might be exaggerating a bit but I think that's what I feel when I 'm reading that Hopefully this book will bring similar feeling too.

I read the manga, so I didn't know it was a light novel to begin with. I'll see how it goes.

I'm really looking forward for it. Hopefully the scanlators woud scan more so I can see more of the story

[Okashira]

Originally Posted by Von Himmel

I'm really looking forward for it. Hopefully the scanlators woud scan more so I can see more of the story

The manga is complete with 3 volumes, but I'm guessing (due to the title) that it's only an adaptation of the first LN book and that the rest of the books are yet to come in manga format.

I wasn't interested in this until I read who the author was. Is it wrong of me to think of the Aunt as the best girl?

[blade82]

Originally Posted by Okashira

The manga is complete with 3 volumes, but I'm guessing (due to the title) that it's only an adaptation of the first book and that the rest of the books are yet to come in manga format.

I wasn't interesting in this until I read who the author was. Is it wrong of me to think of the Aunt as the best girl?

are you referring to "Minamoto-Kun Monogatari"

[Von Himmel]

The manga is complete with 3 volumes, but I'm guessing (due to the title) that it's only an adaptation of the first book and that the rest of the books are yet to come in manga format.

I guess it's like bungaku shoujo where it every novel book get different manga adaptation? Not that I'm complaining since they will not cut much from the original novel if that's how they want to do it

[Miraluka]

Originally Posted by blade82

are you referring to "Minamoto-Kun Monogatari"

I was about to reply you "What has to do this with that series?" and then... I noticed who author of this series was and now I tell you:

That thought is enough to make me gouge an eye and hang myself on a tree .

Yeah, after a good number of chapters MKM became that much of a crappy series .

[Hell_ping]

Originally Posted by Wilfriback

I was about to reply you "What has to do this with that series?" and then... I noticed who author of this series was and now I tell you:

That thought is enough to make me gouge an eye and hang myself on a tree .

Yeah, after a good number of chapters MKM became that much of a crappy series .

Well, I think you mean 'context' instead of author...

I won't be leaving summaries of the volumes in this series since I prefer to let the TL do the talking. Kira has read the series as well, and I'm making editors working on this series to read Genji so that they can understand the characters in this story better. While Aoi may seem like an interesting read, it is like the Suicidal Mime in that it is an 'introductory volume', but regarding the 'voices', I can tell you that the real identities had never been revealed up till this 6th volume. Do note that each volume on average is longer than your typical LN, especially Famitsu Bunko, and has around 340 pages (volume 1 has 346 pages), but unlike the manga, the author leaves a 'third party' viewpoint in the story at the end of the volume. Take for example this:

Novel Illustrations
Prologue
Aren't You Already Dead?
It Seems His Highness the Prince Likes Girls the Most
Even Though Everyone Calls Me an Expert in Love
Where Do People Go When They Die?
Her Lies and Truths
If That Star Smiled at Me
Back Then, When I Met You on Earth

What You and I prayed for when our childhoods ended

Your Wish
My Wish
Author's Notes

Do note that the bolded parts will be examples of what I mean by this 'perspective switch'. The FIRST PAGE of chapter 1 alone covers "Your Wish"

Originally Posted by Von Himmel

Y-you really mean that you're going to translate this one!? ;_;

Frankly speaking, I always think that this series would be good because of who the writer is.. but hearing it from you that it IS actually good feels refreshing

I said before, you don't often see me go crazy over a series. (And our Big Boss just returned to the BT forums recently for a pit stop promoting Shurabara!. He has quite the record over recommendations...Haruhi and Haganai). I think this is the first time you'll see me go relatively crazy over one series.

Btw, please add the six dots at the end of the title. Author claims it's for superstition concerns

Originally Posted by Okashira

The manga is complete with 3 volumes, but I'm guessing (due to the title) that it's only an adaptation of the first LN book and that the rest of the books are yet to come in manga format.

I wasn't interested in this until I read who the author was. Is it wrong of me to think of the Aunt as the best girl?

Koharu's already 36 years old!

The lucky guy in the middle is Koremitsu. Hikaru, strangle him to death before he suffers your fate in Genji!



Btw, the series at this point is headed into its last arc, so there is speculation that this series will end after 10 volumes.

[Okashira]

Originally Posted by Teh_Ping

Koharu's already 36 years old!

One can't call a wine "fine" until it has reached a certain age, right? It's the same as that I mean, delinquents were obviously cooler in the 90s / 80s

[Hell_ping]

Originally Posted by Okashira

One can't call a wine "fine" until it has reached a certain age, right? It's the same as that I mean, delinquents were obviously cooler in the 90s / 80s

To quote the author again:

THE PROTAGONIST IS NOT A DELINQUENT!

And another thing the manga omits is that Koharu was actually once married, but ends up divorced, and is now the breadwinner of the house by running a home trading business. The scary eyes just runs in the family...

One chapter 1, 14 more to go. The Chinese and Koreans have finished all 3 volumes of the manga.

Also, do note that one of the light novel characters (Honoka Shikibu) made it to the KonoSugoi girl rankings, at 17th, the only character in this series to do so. (I forgot about Koremitsu, who came in at 12th for the guys...)

[Okashira]

Originally Posted by Teh_Ping

To quote the author again:

THE PROTAGONIST IS NOT A DELINQUENT!

And another thing the manga omits is that Koharu was actually once married, but ends up divorced, and is now the breadwinner of the house by running a home trading business. The scary eyes just runs in the family...

I was speaking about Koharu being a possible ex delinquent or currently a still having delinquents traits (which is 100% more interesting than the main lead being one, btw (sukeban > gakuran)).


BTW, I find it odd that suddenly this series has gotten such an explosive exposure over most sides (obviously thanks to the manga release). Let's hope that the hype doesn't die down quickly, like it has happened with other series.

[Von Himmel]

Btw, please add the six dots at the end of the title. Author claims it's for superstition concerns

I would if I could. I don't know how to change topic title

Btw, the series at this point is headed into its last arc, so there is speculation that this series will end after 10 volumes.

So the last arc going to have 3 volumes?

BTW, I find it odd that suddenly this series has gotten such an explosive exposure over most sides (obviously thanks to the manga release). Let's hope that the hype doesn't die down quickly, like it has happened with other series.

Hopefully it won't die quickly But of course if there's no new material to discuss for months then there's no avoiding it

[Cosmic Eagle]

Originally Posted by Teh_Ping

THANK YOU! THIS IS MY STORY!

Does our Kino actually have this on the shelves? Seems interesting enough to try reading when I'm there

[Hell_ping]

Originally Posted by Cosmic Eagle

Does our Kino actually have this on the shelves? Seems interesting enough to try reading when I'm there

Very ulu. Second shelf from left, bottom two rows. They stock only like 1, 2 books in jap there...and the chinese side has like freeflow.

[Hell_ping]

An update on this polling:

Hikaru has won the poll (overwhelmingly).

I'm working on the first volume here and there from time to time (until Unicorn is complete). Expecting to go full power in August.

[blade82]

that'll be great thanx and good luck

[Von Himmel]

I'm working on the first volume here and there from time to time (until Unicorn is complete). Expecting to go full power in August.

Very good news indeed.

I'm looking forward to it