Light Novels

[Nico 116]

General topic for posting thoughts on light novels you've read/are interested in. Seeing as this is so general, spoiler tags for things that are spoilers, please. 

NEW YEARS/SITE RESOLUTION:

Stick to being the only one to post in here mainly, but stick to it. Because I am truly surprised how much I have stuck with the reading of something that isn't a comic or mainly, a manga.

I'm probably not reading anything today, but I'll definitely have some thoughts next LN part I read (Smartphone or Grimgar).

[Nico 116]

So Grimgar, read up to part 2 of volume 13. If it wasn't so far past the anime the last time I talked about it, it sure is now. 

Spoiler

Not only did Ranta desert them volumes ago, but now we won't be seeing Yume again for half a year of story content. Without the 2 of them, the party is left with a decidedly large hole of energy bundles, and Yume really helped keep them together, reading all of their thoughts on the matter. And seeing as how it's still only been less than 2 years since the start, what a huge gap of time there'll be without my favorite character, it damn well feels like she died. Wonder how long it'll take for the obvious issue with Merry's resurrection to become a major problem...

 

[Summer Aix 12]

Grimgal LN was weird at first, I couldn't get into it there was just something incredibly awkward about the dialogue and character interactions. The second time I tried reading it, I made myself look past it, but eventually it kinda just dragged a lot (at the part where everyone is in the other world thing and they meet the legendary adventurers) so I dropped it.

[Nico 116]

lol, around that time and a little after it, I feel like they introduced so many different "teams" and environments, and more drastic things happened to the team (if you know about the first 3 volumes, you kind of get the idea), that it couldn't possibly feel like a drag, but a little before then, definitely.

Edited January 9, 2019 by Nico

[Summer Aix 12]

Yeah, but I simply was not interested in these teams at all. They seemed bland as hell. Grimgar's best point to me was their struggle through dangerous situations and survival against all odds as well as all the suffering.

[Nico 116]

To me, they seemed very out there, but honestly, too out there to care about most of them, that much is true. I enjoyed Kikkawa's, but after that, it still kept me coming back I guess, because I at least didn't find them bland. I was however glad when they were on their own again, and those aspects you are talking about truly began creeping up once more. But that's just it, it still took a while to get back up to what made it so good, so people will definitely check out.

Edited January 9, 2019 by Nico

[Nico 116]

Kokoro Connect Michi Random part 2 (or well, chapter 2. Chapter 3 starts in this part, but I'm gonna stop here atm)
 

Spoiler

For some reason I thought they dealt with Iori's home situation in the OVAs, but no, must have been the end of the TV run, 'cuz this sure did happen. I'm thinking they seriously get mixed up in more and more dangerous supernatural phenomenon... I mean, Sentiment Transmission is far more mental, but I still think it's more dangerous than Age Regression, and that's > Liberation > Body-Swap. And least if I try to think of it in terms of one-upping the previous one, thinking more broadly it's very difficult to say which is the worst. I mean some no good person could make you into a criminal with your body, Inaba was right to be so shook with the first one. Which reminds me, so far it's been a pattern of more physical changes then mental ones. Though maybe not, as evidentely, the Body-Swap was more of a what, Soul-Swap? Eh, that may not technically be physical, but for all intents and purposes, it is. Just thought that was interesting.

Iori... Ah. This is about the influence of these phenomenon again. The way she said it when rejecting Taichi seems so wrong though, they clearly found out a lot about how each other really are, even still. I wonder how much more about her she seems to have after "I literally don't know who I really am anymore"

 

Edited January 26, 2019 by Nico

[Nico 116]

Demon King Daimaou 10 part 2 (like, twice as far as the anime, not so far from the end now)

Ah, Keena nudely shirking her responsibilities, Akuto and everyone being in class again. Normal is good. Normal is great. But they said Yoshie was the same age as them, did they ever say she skipped? Kinda a shame she doesn't seem to be joining, but she is smart.

Spoiler

Was kinda hoping for the idiot janitor/maid girl to get hit with her own trap, I was half expecting it with how much Korone likes to mess with people.

 

[Nico 116]

Little Apocalypse 12 part 7

Spoiler

 

When I found out Atlantis was going to be one of this volume's heroines' home and story, it got me really excited, but this series sure has a way of taking those expectations and completely turning them on their head. Like, they went and introduced Laputa too, and not even having anything to do with anyone else's story. Then Chirika had to go off and visit Shangri-La. 

I'm glad that Chirika hesitated after hearing the story about the Gold Yaksha. After all this, it sure would've been boring if it literally was just some evil monster. 

 

Outbreak Company 8 Part 1 (past anything adapted into the anime, well passed most of the adapted material)

Spoiler

Ooooh, dwarf territory and mass produced faldras. What's next, actually seeing some of the elf territory too?

 

[Nico 116]

Grimgar 13 part 6

Spoiler

 

Shooting -star- soap exploding into bubbles when hitting them? Affected their vision and hearing for a bit, still dangerous with other things that could be in this door. Human-headed octopus-spider? That's Grimgar all right. Or maybe it really, really isn't, after other things I've seem and them going on like the inside of the tent is somehow another world. With the stories about this Leslie guy, it's not surprising.

I'm dying... Haruhiro shortened what he was calling a monster to just... grotesque jerk... 

Seriously though, incubator centipedes, winged intestines, starfish moles... what a fever dream.

But... that last bit before what I can tell is the end of the chapter... as I thought, Choco... does that imply everyone, EVERYONE that becomes a volunteer soldier in Grimgar already died (kinda had my thoughts)? That's so bad though... does that imply that Haruhiro went insane before he got sent to Grimgar? What I already saw of his past sure mad it seem like he would never be capable of something so horrible, is it just an actual nightmare brought on by the noise those bumps emited from the incubator centipedes? Please tell me it was. 

 

 

[Nico 116]

Grimgar 13 part 7

Spoiler

A dream monster, phew. No wonder it was so inhumanly large even after Haruhiro woke up. I really hope that's all it was.

Demon King Daimaou 10 part 3

Spoiler

 

She used the last bucket's worth... on the sprinklers, stripping a whole gym worth of students. A shame it didn't backfire and get her wet, but hey, it wasn't just girls for the last one. Akuto being forced to eat dry rice though, what a punishment.

Yoshie! She does have a job, but also spends most of her time at the school for the hell of it I guess. That robot that can copy personalities certainly makes for some shenanigans.

 

 

[Nico 116]

Infinite Stratos 6 part 1

But first, our dinners: Nice set of priorities you got there, pal. The fact that Ichika mentioned not liking ramen in the first volume pretty much sets him apart as one of my least favorite MCs by far, though. Well, on top of being the most dense.

Part 5

Ice cream sharing indirect kiss spoon licking threesome... lewd. 

Edited February 6, 2019 by Nico

[Shradow 38]

Gosh, I need to get around to reading more LNs. I've read a little bit of Spice & Wolf but need to finish it, and I went through most all of The Familiar of Zero up until the author's death but when it got finished a few years later under another writer using the original author's deathbed notes I never got around to finishing the last few volumes of that.

Plus I want to check out Baccano and Durarara, partly because I'm interested in what sort of Naritaverse crossover stuff is mentioned in them that the anime don't cover (like how at one point Shizuo beats Nile in a fight, and Ronny knows Celty). The initial Durarara novels were basically all covered by the anime, but there's still the sequel series, while Baccano is largely unadapted.

I also actually own a few volumes of DanMachi and NGNL, but haven't read anything past what their anime already covered.

Edited February 7, 2019 by Shradow

[Fusion 17]

I never have read any light novels, but I've been curious. I think my main ones to check out would be Baccano and Durarara! since I really enjoyed their anime adaptations and I'd be down to see any continuing story from those two.

Might as well add No Game No Life to that list too since I'm starting to get the sinking feeling that season 2 is a long way off, if ever.

[Nico 116]

12 hours ago, Shradow said:

Plus I want to check out Baccano and Durarara, partly because I'm interested in what sort of Naritaverse crossover stuff is mentioned in them that the anime don't cover (like how at one point Shizuo beats Nile in a fight, and Ronny knows Celty). The initial Durarara novels were basically all covered by the anime, but there's still the sequel series, while Baccano is largely unadapted.

Yeah, that whole crossover stuff always seemed quite interesting, it's too bad I don't like Baccano half as much as DRRR.

 

I also have a few physical series I haven't really gotten around to yet. It's only when J-Novel Club came around and rolled out their pre-pub subscription that I really started getting into LNs, and that's where these "parts" come from. You're always able to read the first part of any volume for free, and the quality compared to most fan translations have been too good to pass up. Make no mistake, if I can get around to them, there are some that I really want to check out whether or not they ever get licensed, The Familiar of Zero definitely included.

[Mitcher Green 17]

i guess i'll just throw a general rec for ryuuou no oshigoto/ryuo at work. its a shogi LN with lolis (got an anime, not very good quality but i liked it tbh) but hear me out first if you're not into that

usually with this sort of thing its basically cute lolis hanging together with some kind of activity as the side dish (which is perfectly fine, i will not condemn that sort of thing ever) but ryuuou is the opposite. lolis and lolicon jokes are very much the side dish to the two volumes i read in english so far, and its honestly some rlly intense shogi. its a story about people not just being into a weird hobby, but trying to make their living off of it. its about a real life field of very passionate people who honestly just sit down and move pieces of wood on the board but it captures why shogi is so charming so well. it gets into its characters' heads, it shows why people want to win, why they want to keep living off shogi and what kind of pressures they face as a professional (aspiring or actual) in that field and god its so intense. i've only played casual shogi but i admire how much love this has for the game and the people playing it. and it still throws in dozes of fairly predictable romcom hijinks and loli jokes and i dont know, i like that

[Nico 116]

1 hour ago, Mitcher Green said:

ryuuou no oshigoto/ryuo at work

Yes, very much agree with everything this post says. I can't remember how much of the 3rd volume I've read and need to get back to but that along with having watching the anime as well, drives those points so much more true. 

 

Amagi Brilliant Park 4 parts 1-4

Ah, so now it's Biino's story. I guarantee this is making me like her more already. Or more to the point, actually care for her. I expected the part-timers to be throwaways in the source too, but that isn't the case at all, especially seeing how last volume made Shiina my favorite character. Now I'm curious how they'll make people care for the... AV actor. Pffft. Continues to be just as highly enjoyable as the anime, but with that extra development even in parts I didn't expect at all.

I will say though about one general aspect that a lot of people probably know by now, Latifah is still blind in the manga, but the anime changed that about her. She goes through enough hell and a blind person making all those delicious croquettes isn't the most reasonable thing in the world.