Like the first volume, this is more of a collection of loosely linked stories than a proper novel. The final story is quite good and captures the teenLike the first volume, this is more of a collection of loosely linked stories than a proper novel. The final story is quite good and captures the teenage experience in a way most LNs don't, but the rest of the book has a certain there-ish quality to it....more
1) If you aren't familiar with the source material, you won't understand the point of any of these stories.
2) If you are fThe problems with this book:
1) If you aren't familiar with the source material, you won't understand the point of any of these stories.
2) If you are familiar with the source material, these stories add nothing.
3) There are pages where half the text consists of "do re mi fa so la ti do" to represent music. Portraying music in prose is hard, but this is not how you do it.
4) Either the author or translator fails to understand that flashbacks need to be written in past tense even when the story is primarily told in present.
5) Apart from a couple color inserts at the beginning, the illustrations in the book are just reproductions of manga pages. Can you get any cheaper? (And while we're at it, look at the cover and explain to me what's going on with Emi's legs.)...more
So this book serves as a significant plot point in Your Lie in April, so I decided to dig up a copy. Unfortunately there is no official English translSo this book serves as a significant plot point in Your Lie in April, so I decided to dig up a copy. Unfortunately there is no official English translation, but there is a passably readable fan translation under the title "Alliance of the 15s".
If it did receive a proper English release, it'd be sure to win the Newbery Medal For Books that Ruthlessly Crush the Joy in Life from Youngsters and Teach Them that Living Is an Endless Hell of Pain and Misery Where Everything Precious to You Is Snatched Away in Capricious but Obvious Acts of Authorial Sadism.
So, yeah, it's the template for Your Lie in April....more
This is a huge step up from previous books in the series. The stakes are higher, secondary characters get to step up and kick ass, and the wider situaThis is a huge step up from previous books in the series. The stakes are higher, secondary characters get to step up and kick ass, and the wider situation is becoming clearer....more
If Death March was scraping the bottom of the barrel, Isekai Smartphone is what's left underneath. The hero is so overpowered that he makes Kirito looIf Death March was scraping the bottom of the barrel, Isekai Smartphone is what's left underneath. The hero is so overpowered that he makes Kirito look like Neville Longbottom in the first Harry Potter novel. At no point in the story does the hero actually face a problem that might even conceivably stump him.
The magical system in this universe is elemental, with powers divided into seven groups (in addition to the traditional Earth, Wind, Fire, and Water there are Light, Dark and Null). Most people are lucky if they have an affinity with one element; two is extraordinary; a character who can use three is said to be extraordinary. So of course the hero can use all seven. And he has a ridiculous amount of manna to draw upon for this magic. And if that weren't ridiculous enough, "Null" magic refers to miscellaneous spells that don't fit with any element, and most people who use null magic can only pull off one or two such spells. Our Hero can use them all.
The only point where the story comes alive is when the hero has to figure out who poisoned the king, and he actually uses detective skills (augmented by his magical powers for forensic purposes). Alas, the perp turns out to be Mr. Clearly Guilty, and the scene is over in a couple pages, only to get back to the main plot. Which mainly involves him hanging out with his female companions, none of whom has any personality beyond an occasional verbal tick. Fifty pages into the book, I was longing for a tsundere to show up since she would at least have traits beyond "genial". Alas, there's no such character. The story only ever has a bare minimum of conflict, and none of that's driven by characters....more
I'm a little torn on this one. I love the premise -- some poor schlub gets summoned to another world and informed that he's the Legendary Hero of DestI'm a little torn on this one. I love the premise -- some poor schlub gets summoned to another world and informed that he's the Legendary Hero of Destiny, but instead of going out and becoming an awesome adventurer with magical powers, he decides that what the world needs is a sensible system of government based upon modern economics and political science, leavened with a good dose of Machiavellian realism. The hero spends the first quarter of the book conducting an audit of the kingdom's finances, and then resolves a famine by introducing farm subsidies to encourage farmers to switch away from cash crops like cotton and focus on staple foods.
It's riveting!
The main female character, a princess who gets betrothed to the hero in order to make him the next king, is also pretty cool. Her half of the story feels like a shoujo fantasy story like The World Is Still Beautiful -- she kicks ass, acts reasonable, and mostly avoids any tropey behavior.
But there are some problems, too. Most obviously, it's yet another trapped-in-another-world series (though thankfully not one inspired by MMORPGs), and though the author quickly takes it in a different direction than most, the first chapter is boilerplate. Much like Shield Hero, the protag is familiar enough with the genre that the moment he finds out he's in a fantasy world, he's like, "Oh. Then I suppose I'm the hero who's supposed to save the world from destruction. Please tell me my goals." It's like the author knows his audience has seen this all a million times before and there's no point wasting time on the set-up.
There are also a few points where the story does get tropey, though the author usually pulls back in time. For instance, after surrounding himself with a bunch of women who all take a liking to him, the protag discovers that this new world permits polygamy (including polyandry, it must be noted), and that several of his female companions would be open to sharing him (and not just on different nights). Yay. Harem BS. But the protagonist, being a realist, thinks about this for ten seconds and decides the hassle far outweighs the fun and it's better to focus on a single woman.
If Goodreads allowed half stars I'd put this at 3.5, though the potential for subsequent volumes to shine is there....more
This is easily the best volume of the series yet, which is odd when you consider the plot is just a retelling of Headphone Actor from Haruka's POV. BuThis is easily the best volume of the series yet, which is odd when you consider the plot is just a retelling of Headphone Actor from Haruka's POV. But this is the first volume where I've gotten to the end and felt like I learned something that actually explains the plot. It also helps that either Jin or the translator has improved their writing, and Haruka actually sounds like a distinct character in his narration....more
Many (though thankfully not all) light novels have formulaic set-ups, but most authors at least come up with interesting twists. You can pick up SwordMany (though thankfully not all) light novels have formulaic set-ups, but most authors at least come up with interesting twists. You can pick up Sword Art Online, Log Horizon, Grimgar, and Rising of the Shield Hero, and even though all of them are variants of "Guy from our world gets stuck in a fantasy land that's suspiciously similar to an MMORPG," you'll get four very different takes on the idea.
But Asterisk War is straight-through generic. The author goes with the tried-and-true battle school with a side of harem set-up, familiar from other series like Aria of the Scarlet Ammo, Psycome and The Irregular at Magical High School. But whereas all of those had their own take on the genre, Asterisk War plays everything by the book. No twists. No turns. (Well, there are attempts at twists, but they're all pretty obvious, from the Draco Malfoy wannabe turning out to be a jerkish hero, to the mysterious mastermind figure whose identity isn't at all mysterious.)
Which is too bad, because this is one of the better written LNs in terms of actual prose and translation. It's too bad its wasted on a threadbare story....more
Kikuchi certainly knows how to write descriptions of slithery tentacle beasts pounding at the walls of reality. In fact, his slithery tentacle beasts Kikuchi certainly knows how to write descriptions of slithery tentacle beasts pounding at the walls of reality. In fact, his slithery tentacle beasts feel more realistic than any of the allegedly human characters that populate this novel. At one point, the main female character is viciously gangraped -- apparently for several hours -- but twenty pages later she's all, "Hey, wanna go have sex," to the protagonist. It's not even like this is a different day -- the story only covers twenty-four hours. This is barely even thirty minutes later! Who thinks this is how women behave?...more
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