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Sherlock + Academy 1
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Author: Kyousuke Kamishiro (Author of Tsurekano)
Illustrator: Shirabi (Illustrator of 86 and Ryuuou no Oshigoto)
Label: MF Bunko J
Release Date: 23 June 2023
My Score: 3/5
In a world where crime has risen, detective has become an increasingly popular profession. The story follows Misato, a teenage boy who is the grandson of the "Crime King", a notorious criminal who was taken down by the "Detective King". Due to a promise Misato made to his sister, he enrolls in a prestigious school dedicated to training potential detectives. There he meets Shia, the daughter of the Detective King, who has been training as a detective from a young age.
This was pretty good. It took me a while to get into, but the characters were likeable, it was easy to read, and the climax was really interesting. The climax features a deduction battle between detectives and it has some fun visual ideas in it. The story is told in a dual POV with some parts being told from Misato's POV, and some from Shia's POV, which I really like because it made Shia feel like a more well-rounded character and gave her more agency. I liked Shia a lot, actually. She's very prideful, and her inner thoughts when she's being praised are funny. She's also a secret game addict. She's a fun character. That goes for all of the other heroines too. Some of them get more screen time than others, but they're all pretty fun and memorable. As for Misato himself, he's okay. He's not bland and he's interesting enough to read about. I did get annoyed at how often his narration mentioned breasts, but I didn't have a whole lot of issues with him and I think he's a fine protagonist. As for the mysteries themselves, they're not the most interesting mysteries in the world, but they're simple enough for the reader to follow along and the deductions are easy to understand and ones that the reader could have made themselves. There's no ass-pulls with the deductions, which I appreciated.
As for who I'd recommend it for, if the idea of a detective high school sounds like a fun time to you, read it. I also get Youzitsu and Hidan no Aria vibes from it, so maybe check it out if you like those series. The deduction battles reminded me of games like Gyakuten Saiban and Danganronpa too.
I think this series has potential, but it's not the best first volume I've ever read. It took me a lot longer to read than it should have, largely because I kept on getting distracted by series with better mysteries (namely: Everyone in my Family has Killed Someone, and Danganronpa). I've got the second volume as well though so we'll see if things improve in that one.
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shazzeaslightnovels · 20 days
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Yagate Kimi ni Naru: Saeki Sayaka ni Tsuite 2
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Author: Hitoma Iruma
Illustrator: Nio Nakatani
Label: Dengaki Bunko
Release Date: 10 May 2019
My Score: 5/5
English Release: This series has been released in English as Bloom Into You: Regarding Saeki Sayaka.
This second entry in the Saeki Sayaka spin-off focuses on her relationship with Touko. We start off with a chapter that kind of summarises the events of the manga, adding in some additional scenes with Sayaka and Koito. The chapter ends with Sayaka's confession to Touko and then we have a chapter that jumps back in time to Sayaka and Touko as first years. This is where most of the volume takes place, as Sayaka learns more about Touko and about herself.
While I still rated this volume 5/5 due to the character writing, atmosphere, and immense readability, I didn't like this volume quite as much as the first one. Most of this is down to it exploring ground that feels like it was already covered well enough in the manga. While we didn't see much of the beginning of Sayaka's and Touko's relationship in the manga, I feel like we saw enough of it to understand the relationship and how it formed. While it was nice to see their relationship explored more, it didn't feel like it really added much. But, I must admit that I did reread the manga so recently that their relationship is fresh in my mind. I might feel differently if I was reading it without that context. I also feel like it is necessary to explore that relationship in a trilogy about Sayaka. This is an important relationship for Sayaka and her character development. It's an important part of Sayaka's life. Without this relationship, Sayaka's story would be incomplete. So, even though I did not find this volume quite as interesting as the first one, I still really enjoyed it and I think it's a necessary volume in the trilogy.
I am very excited to read volume 3 which will have an entirely new story, only briefly alluded to in the main series. I really want to know what kind of person Sayaka ends up dating.
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shazzeaslightnovels · 28 days
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February 2024 + Top 5 anime of 2023
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(Series: Yagate Kimi ni Naru | Artist: Nio Nakatani )
List of reviews:
Stellar Step 1
Yagate Kimi ni Naru: Saeki Sayaka ni Tsuite 1
Stellar Step 2
So, on to my top 5 anime of 2023. I had a few rules to follow when choosing my picks: obviously, they had to have aired in 2023. I decided I wouldn't choose ongoing series that only aired partially in 2023, unless they finished before the end of January 2024. I decided to not choose any sequels or spin-offs either, despite some amazing ones having aired last year. I know that I am never a fan when a Best Of list includes sequels that I have to be already familiar with the series before I can watch it. Instead, I have put an appendix on twitter with my honourable mentions, best sequels/spin-offs, and favourite characters/ships/ops&eds/etc.
5. The Magical Revolution of the Reincarnated Princess and the Genius Young Lady - I was struggling with what anime to pick as my no. 5, but when I reflected on all the anime that I watched in 2023, I realised that so many anime I came out of thinking, "This series deserved better." A lot of shows deserved better animation (Yuri is my Job, Endo and Kobayashi, Tearmoon Empire, I'm in Love with the Villainess, etc.), some shows deserved better publicity and subtitles (The Yuzuki Family's Four Sons), and some shows deserved not to be delayed for half a year (The Misfit of Demon King Academy). But I came out of MagiRevo feeling so glad that the series got the adaptation that it deserved. The animation is gorgeous, the pacing and voice acting are perfect, and you get the sense that the people who worked on it cared about what they were making and were given the resources to make it good. I actually think it makes improvements over the source material, particularly pacing wise. It's the sort of adaptation that I wish more series would get.
4. Helck - I read the Helck manga around 2019, I think, and I fell in love with it. It felt like it was made to tailor to my tastes specifically with the setting, the characters, the story, the art style, and the humour all really appealing to me. But the thing that made it one of my favourite manga of all time was the focus on a platonic male/female relationship that never turns romantic. And the anime is a really good adaptation so far. It stumbles in parts (the animation could be better and taking 7 episodes to adapt Helck's backstory was a mistake and slowed down the pace too much), but I'm pleased with the anime overall. It's reminded me of how much I loved the manga. Given the mess that was the Lucifer and the Biscuit Hammer adaptation, it's a relief that this adaptation has held itself together. While I am placing this series so highly, I wouldn't necessarily recommend it yet. The first season has only covered around half of the manga and there's been no news yet on a second season. While I hope that one does get announced, I feel viewers would be better off waiting for that announcement as the show is incomplete at this stage and ends on a cliff-hanger. If you're interested in the series, I'd recommend just reading the manga.
3. Skip and Loafer - I'm not usually much of a high school romcom fan, but I took a chance on Skip and Loafer due to it's appealing character designs and mesmerizing opening, and I'm really glad I did. It was such a delight to watch this show every week while it was airing. It never failed to lift my mood and I got really attached to the characters. I loved this show and I hope we get more of it down the line.
2. Soaring Sky Precure - I've been a Precure fan for a few years and have now seen 16 seasons. The series always brings me joy and relaxes me, and Soaring Sky is no different. I loved seeing the journey of Sora and her friends, and this has become of my favourite Precure series. The theme of heroism is explored extremely well, and it has a fantastic cast. I feel like it tries to break up a lot of the usual Precure formulae in small, refreshing ways, like having episodes where the Precure don't actually fight any enemies and transform for different reasons. I loved it, and I'd highly recommend it to Precure newcomers and veterans alike.
1. Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury - My first Gundam series and it was an amazing one. I was so invested in this show from start to finish. It had some incredible twists, and some fantastic characters. I loved watching it weekly and getting to see reactions of social media after the episodes aired. To top it all off, it had a perfectly satisfying ending. While I would have loved more of the show, I'm glad that it didn't drag out and I'm looking forward to rewatching it in the future.
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shazzeaslightnovels · 28 days
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Stellar Step 2
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Author: Shogo Hayashi
Illustrator: Ancotaku
Label: MF Bunko J
Release Date: 25 April 2023
My Score: 3/5
Following the events of volume 1, Rain and Hana have joined the Iron Nation, a rival nation that was revealed in volume 1 to have abusive practices when it comes to training their idols into winning weapons. Rain and Hana are quickly separated into two different teams - one for experienced idols, and one for inexperienced ones. In the dorm for experienced idols, they train all day every day, singing until they lose their voices. In the dorm for inexperienced idols, they are referred to only by numbers instead of names as they are taught that they are not human - they are weapons.
With Rain and Hana separated for the majority of this volume, the volume shifts it's focus on to Rain as she deals with the reveal that happened at the end of volume 1 and how it impacts her relationship with Hana. She also has to learn how to stand on her own two feet again, without Hana there to support her. The volume also focuses on Flare, Rain's rival, particularly in the back half. Flare's a pretty interesting character and it was cool to get more of an exploration of what makes her tick.
I didn't like this volume as much as the first one. It didn't have any of the twists that surprised me, and the story felt formulaic and generic a lot of the time. I do find that this series takes it's premise a bit too seriously for my tastes. The premise of idols are soldiers is so silly, and the tone of these volumes is so dour without any humor, that I can't say that it's much fun to read. The volume still had it's good points though, with the continued development of Rain being a high point. The story ends on a cliffhanger, and it's been almost a year since this volume came out, but I would read a volume 3 if it ever gets released.
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shazzeaslightnovels · 1 month
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Yagate Kimi ni Naru: Saeki Sayaka ni Tsuite 1
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Author: Hitoma Iruma
Illustrator: Nio Nakatani
Label: Dengaki Bunko
Release Date: 10 November 2018
My Score: 5/5
English Release: This series has been released in English as Bloom Into You: Regarding Saeki Sayaka.
I decided to reread the YagaKimi manga this year and really enjoyed myself. It made me remember that I never got around to reading the Saeki Sayaka spin-off, so I decided to go ahead and purchase the trilogy at last. I'm glad I did because it was just as amazing as I had heard it was.
The first volume tells the stories of two events in Sayaka's life, leading up to her meeting Nanami. The first story takes place when Sayaka is in primary school. She meets a girl in her swimming lessons and they form a somewhat intimate relationship. The second story chronicles Sayaka's middle school life and her relationship with the senpai who would be her first girlfriend. While the first story was plenty intriguing, it's shorter than the second and I feel like the second is where the story really gets good. While we had flashbacks to Sayaka's relationship with her senpai in the manga, the volume expands on it a lot. We see how their relationship begins and how Sayaka finds herself slowing falling in love. Even though I knew how things would end from the manga, I still couldn't help but hope for things to turn out differently while I was reading it, even as it became increasingly clear that the senpai did not see her relationship with Sayaka in the same way that Sayaka saw it.
Hitoma Iruma's prose was incredible in this volume. They managed to convey Nio Nakatani's storytelling style so well that I could imagine the scenes as manga panels while I was reading it. It was so readable that I ended up staying up to read more than I had intended to and finished the volume before I realised it.
I'm really glad that I decided to finally read this series as it is definitely worth the hype. I'm interested to see how the second volume goes. I wonder how they'll keep things fresh since it seems like it will cover the events of the manga. Although, now that I think about it, we haven't seen much of Sayaka's and Nanami's relationship from the two years before the start of the manga, so it may cover that time in more depth. Regardless, I'm excited to read it.
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shazzeaslightnovels · 2 months
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Stellar Step 1
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Author: Shogo Hayashi
Illustrator: Ancotaku
Label: MF Bunko J
Release Date: 25 January 2023
My Score: 4/5
The story takes place on an earth devastated by a meteorite crash event. After the event, new nations were formed and they went to war over their territories. Instead of fighting with soldiers and armies, however, the wars are fought with idol battles. The story follows Rain, a top class idol who has never lost. But then she meets Hana, a girl who wants to become an idol that everyone loves, and loses to her in a rehearsal match. Rain finds herself wanting to meet Hana again and a special bond forms between the two of them.
This ended up being a very nice surprise. The story felt generic at first with it hitting predictable plot beats and taking itself a bit too seriously, despite the silly premise. I also found it hard to get invested in the plot at first as it was unclear why these nations were at war in the first place. But there were so many twists that I did not see coming that caught me off guard to the end of the volume. Reading this after the first volume of Shibou Yuugi de Meshi wo Kuu, I was happy to see Rain forming relationships with others and growing as a character. It made her a lot easier to get invested in, even as her character arc felt predictable. Her relationships with the others were sweet and I like that her forming a connection with Hana leads to her forming deeper relationships with other characters. And some of my complaints about the beginning were addressed in the narrative later on in a way that made the issue feel intentional. As an example, it's unclear why the nations are at war and what they get from the War Stage where the idols compete, because Rain doesn't know and she doesn't care. She only cares about winning. So it makes sense why the reader wouldn't understand the stakes of the War Stage because the narrative is told through Rain's eyes. I ended up really enjoying this volume and I want to read more and find out what happens next.
Given that I got this at the same time as Shibou Yuugi de Meshi wo Kuu, for the same reason (they both ranked highly in KonoRano 2024), and the two have protagonists that start off in a similar state, I find myself wanting to compare the two. When I compare them, Stellar Step comes out on top. Shibou Yuugi was slightly more entertaining, but I didn't become invested in the story or the characters, the way that I did with Stellar Step. I do think that Shibou Yuugi has more long-lasting appeal though. I can see Shibou Yuugi going on for a long while yet, while Stellar Step doesn't feel like it has enough plot to go on for longer than 2 or 3 more volumes without becoming stale. There is one big difference between the series though: despite feeling like it might be heading towards being tragedy porn in the beginning, Stellar Step is ultimately about tearing down oppressive systems and keeping hope. Whereas Shibou Yuugi, based on the first volume, has no interest in tearing down the oppressive system at the core of it's premise. At the end of the day, I prefer stories about changing unfair things rather than accepting them, which is why I ultimately prefer Stellar Step.
There are a couple of other things I want to quickly address. The series does have a slight yuri element, but I would be shocked if it ended up having an explicit romance between Rain and Hana. The two don't come off as romantic and it doesn't feel like it's heading in that direction. Also, boy idols and adult idols are not mentioned as being a thing in this universe. All the idols we see are young girls. This is pretty typical of idol series, but it makes me want to see an idol series that focuses on both boy and girl idols at the same time (bonus points for non-binary idols as well).
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shazzeaslightnovels · 2 months
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January 2024
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(Source: Sword Art Online Alternative: Mystery Labyrinth | Artist: Shiho Enta)
I've been more focused on catching up on shows from 2023 that I missed out on while they were airing than picking up anything from Winter 2024. It certainly helps that this seems to be a weak season. I'm still watching Frieren and Pokemon Horizons and having a great time with both. Frieren has started a new arc and it's really engaging, and Pokemon is still just 20 minutes of cuteness each week.
Soaring Sky Precure has ended and it was such a fun ride. Easily one of my favourite Precure series, up there with Hugtto and Heartcatch. I'll hold off on talking about it much for now, since it will be included in my favourite anime of 2023 list next month, but I'd highly recommend it. If anyone was curious about where I am at with my Precure journey: I watched a lot of Precure series last year as I found it was a great way to relax after work. I only have five entries left: Splash Star, Yes 5 and Yes 5 GoGo, Happiness Charge, and Power of Hope. I'm going to try to catch up on the series this year. Once I do, I'll do a ranking either on here or on twitter.
I did pick up Metallic Rouge, but I'm not sure if I like it so far. The two leads are charming and I like their dynamic, but I'm not sure where the story is heading and episode 3 had some plot elements that I did not like and the fight between the two leads felt forced. I may not finish this one but I'll give it another episode or 2 for now.
I've also picked up and caught up with The Apothecary Diaries. I definitely think this series works better for me in a visual medium as I remember being bored by the first two volumes of the light novels when I read them years ago, but I like the anime a lot more. I love Maomao and I'm really invested in the story and the characters. It helps that the show is very pretty. My one issue is that I'm not big on the Jinshi and Maomao ship as it seems very one-sided on his part (I don't ship Himmel and Frieren for the same reason), but I'll live with it since their dynamic is interesting.
List of Reviews:
Tearmoon Teikoku Monogatari 3
Shousetsu Smile Precure
[Twitter short review] Mouryou Tantei Koyoi mo Katarazu
Sword Art Online Alternative: Mystery Labyrinth
Shibou Yuugi de Meshi wo Kuu 1
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shazzeaslightnovels · 2 months
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Shibou Yuugi de Meshi wo Kuu 1
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Author: Yuushi Ukai
Illustrator: Nekomateru
Label: MF Bunko J
Release Date: 25 November 2022
My Score: 3/5
English Release: Yen-Press has licensed this series in English and will be publishing it under the title of "Playing Death Games to Put Food on the Table."
This series follows Yuuki, a 17-year-old who plays death games for a living. The death games are played for the entertainment of viewers and winners get prize money which is a strong motivator for people to participate. While that does form part of Yuuki's motivation, there is another factor: she wants to win 99 death games and become the record holder for most games won. This volume tells the story of two death games. The first is the story of Yuuki's 29th game in which six participants, dressed up as maids, have to escape from a mansion. The second takes place in the past with Yuuki's 9th game. This one is more bloody where players are split into bunnies and hunters. Hunters have to kill 5 bunnies to win, while bunnies have to stay alive for the duration of the game.
I thought this volume was pretty interesting, but didn't quite live up to the hype that I had heard about the series. Part of that is that I don't think Yuuki really works as a protagonist, at least not at the moment. Yuuki is experienced and not affected by death. While she does try to survive the games with as many people as possible (her philosophy is that if she saves someone now they may help her in a future game), she doesn't really care if they die, unless their existence is necessary to win the game. While this kind of emotionless protagonist can work, they need someone lighter to bounce off of and Yuuki doesn't have that. The characters in the first and second stories are completely different and there's no one to challenge Yuuki's viewpoints or to help her grow as a person so she ends up feeling hard to connect with. I don't feel like I got to really understand her throughout this volume, despite being stuck in her head for most of it.
I do think that the death games were exciting though and it was easy to read. There is a game mechanic that prevents bodies from rotting or from blood spurting which helps to prevent the story from feeling like pure torture porn. It also helps that the dead bodies are usually not described in gory detail. I think that the series does have potential, especially if they introduce a deuteragonist for Yuuki to bounce off. I'd be interested in reading the second volume to see where the story goes.
It is worth mentioning that the participants in the games so far are all girls, and looking ahead to the future volumes, I can't see any male characters in the illustrations. While this could lead to commentary on how people prefer to see cute girls in costumes slaughter each other than boys, I think it's more likely that the author just likes writing cute girls slaughtering each other, and I worry that this could lead to the series feeling more and more like torture porn as it goes on. I also want to mention that there is a slight yuri element. In the first story, Yuuki often mentions how happy she is to be pressed up against cute girls' bodies. I personally found this a bit off-putting - checking out other people's bodies in a life-or-death situation always squicks me out- but your mileage may vary.
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shazzeaslightnovels · 2 months
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Sword Art Online Alternative: Mystery Labyrinth
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Author: Tenryuu Konno
Illustrator: Shiho Enta
Label: Dengeki Bunko
Release Date: 8 December 2023
My Score: 5/5
This new SAO spin-off follows two timelines. The first takes place in the real world and in ALO where we follow Endou, an ALO player who one day finds a mysterious item in his inventory that he does not remember picking up. The item is a memo that tells a story of Jason, a SAO player. The narrative of the memo takes place during the Aincrad arc as Jason and his party, the Argonautai, discovers a mysterious labyrinth. Jason states at the start that if someone else is reading this note, then he is likely dead, and asks the reader to solve a murder mystery that took place in this labyrinth. Together with his friend, Spica, who poses as a detective in ALO, Endou tries to solve the mystery of the memo and where it came from.
This was really interesting. The setting of SAO is perfect for a murder mystery, with danger lying around every corner and the lack of dead bodies means that evidence is hard to find. There's a monster in the labyrinth, fittingly named Minotaurus, that could end the life of any of the players with a single hit. It's the perfect setting to make the story tense and eerie. The framing story with Endou is also entertaining and there are some incredible twists. I think this is the most fun I've had with a light novel in a good while, and I could not stop reading it.
There is one thing that I didn't particularly like about this and that's the lack of reaction from the characters to all of the players getting killed off one by one. They mention early on that it's hard to really feel grief when bodies disappear into polygons when they die, but you'd think that the characters would feel some despair at their friends dying. In general, I think the characters other than Endou, Spica, and Jason lack much of an impression. It's a shame because they do have a lot of potential, but they aren't really given a chance to shine before getting killed off. Atalanta in particular feels like a wasted opportunity. She seemed really cool, but barely showed up.
It's worth mentioning that one of the characters, Caenis, is a trans man. He's introduced as preferring to be treated as a man and is conscious that SAO has categorized him as female, but his party members respect this and treat him as a man. It's also worth noting that despite this characterisation, the character introduction page still lists him as a woman. It's cool that the novel includes trans man rep, despite that issue. I've often thought about how trans players would've been excited to play in SAO in a body that more accurately reflects them, and how they would have dealt with Kayaba taking that opportunity away from them so it's cool to see that perspective explored a bit here.
Overall, I thought this was a great volume, despite some shortcomings. It had a gripping story with some surprising twists. I also appreciate that it ends on a conclusive note. While there could be a sequel, the story wraps up satisfyingly and works better as a stand alone than as a first volume in a series. It takes full advantage of the setting of SAO to create a tense atmosphere. I really hope this one gets picked up by Yen Press for an English release.
I'd recommend this to people who think the idea of a murder mystery set inside SAO is interesting. I also think it would appeal to fans of Greek mythology, as there is a lot of references to it, as well as to fans of "And Then There Were None" style murder mysteries. Finally, I'd recommend it to people who like "Narrative within a Narrative" stories. You definitely don't need to be a SAO fan to enjoy this as it does explain the setting and it feels like it can be read by someone who's never even heard of the franchise before.
A couple of other things that I thought were funny: the novel references the "beater" scene from the first volume and I just envision Kawahara cringing every time that gem of a word is used in a new SAO product. The novel references the movies "A Silent Place" and "Don't Breathe" so I guess those are two more things we can add to the "confirmed to exist in the SAO universe" list. I learnt a new English word from this volume: syzygy. Never heard of it before and at first I thought it had to be made up, but it is an actual word so that'll come in handy if I ever play Scrabble again and have three Ys.
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shazzeaslightnovels · 3 months
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Shousetsu Smile Precure
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Author: Yuuji Kobayashi
Illustrator: Toshie Kawamura
Label: Kodansha Character Bunko
Release Date: 4 October 2016 (initial release), 8 February 2023 (this edition)
My Score: 4/5
This book was much better than the Heartcatch Precure one, but it has a twist that, while predictable, kind of makes the whole volume feel less worth reading. This book takes place 10 years after the end of the anime and the first 5 chapters focus on each heroine in turn as we learn about what they are up to. Miyuki is working at a bookstore in the children's area, Akane has taken over her family's okonomiyakiya and has reunited with Brian, Yayoi is a successful mangaka, Nao is a soccer coach and still lives with her family, and Reika is a middle school teacher. But in each story things are going wrong. Miyuki's bookstore is closing down, Brian is leaving Japan, Yayoi has decided to finish her manga "Miracle Peace" after seven years of serialization, Nao injured her leg and can no longer become a champion soccer player, and a student has placed a letter in the suggestion box at school calling for Reika's resignation. And the weirdest thing is that the girls don't remember each other. They don't remember each other's names, and they don't remember being Precure. Their middle school years are like a blur.
I really enjoyed these chapters. It was great to see the characters as adults and seeing them overcome their struggles was really satisfying. The writing style is different for all of the POVs and you can tell that the writer was someone who worked on the script of the anime as they understand the girls so well. I particularly like Akane's and Nao's chapters. Akane breaks the fourth wall in her narration a bit and it feels like you're a customer at her okonomiyakiya and she's telling you a story as she serves you. I always found Nao to be the most boring member of this cast as her personality is pretty much 'loves her family' so reading a story where she decides that it's time to branch out and start to have a life separate from them is immensely satisfying. These chapters delivered what I wanted from this volume and I couldn't have been more satisfied with them.
It's a shame then that the obvious plot twist does happen: this a plot by the villain Joker and none of these events are actually happening. The girls are just trapped in a book world that Joker created and need to get out. It's worst kind of plot twist that makes everything that came before it feel less worth reading. It doesn't completely ruin the book. I do like that the book is still something of an epilogue with the events taking place one year after the events on the anime. I like that we get adult precure transformations, even if there aren't any illustrations to show them off. I like the overall message about overcoming despair and the writing is really strong and compelling. I just feel like it would have been a better and more impactful work without that twist and the twist made it a lot less satisfying overall.
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shazzeaslightnovels · 3 months
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Tearmoon Teikoku Monogatari 3
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Author: Nozomu Mochitsuki
Illustrator: Gilse
Label: TO Books
Release Date: 10 February 2020
My Score: 3/5
This volume introduces Miabel, Mia's granddaughter from the future. Caught up in a future danger herself, Miabel somehow gets transported to the past to meet her grandmother, who died before Miabel could get to know her. According to Miabel, one of the major points in history that lead to the end of the Tearmoon Empire as Mia knows it is the student council president elections. Rafina won unopposed, and according to the Ludwig in Miabel's timeline, it would have made a big difference to their future if Mia had been student council president instead. Thus, Mia is forced to run in the election with her friends doing what they can to support her.
I thought this was much better than volume 2 but still felt like it was lacking something. Given that Mia's diary disappeared in volume 2, I did wonder where the plot was heading and introducing Miabel adds an interesting new conflict for Mia to face. Unfortunately Miabel doesn't get enough focus or enough screen time in this volume to properly establish her as a character and I did find a lot of the individual chapter to be somewhat boring. It's frustrating because I like a lot of the ideas here but I find the execution of them to be boring to read. I get why people like this series but I'm getting the impression that it's just not for me. Also, the volume just ends in what feels like the middle of a scene. It could have ended several chapters earlier and provided a more satisfying place to end the volume.
I don't know if I'll be reading more. I'm pretty invested in the plot and characters but I find the writing so dull and the volumes are on the more expensive side so I can't imagine that I'll be reading anymore straight away.
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shazzeaslightnovels · 3 months
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December 2023
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(Series: Sword Art Online | Artist: BUNBUN/abec (originally posted under BUNBUN's twitter/pixiv but abec is credited as the artist in Sword Art Online IF. If you needed any further proof that BUNBUN and abec are one and the same, here it is.))
List of Reviews:
Danmachi Familia Chronlicle Episode Lyu 2
Sword Art Online IF
Tearmoon Teikoku Monogatari 2
Shousetsu Heartcatch Precure
The Fall 2023 anime season has ended and I watched quite a few shows so I'm going to put all my thoughts on all the shows I watched under the cut below.
I ended up dropping JJK season 2 after episode 15 and I don't regret it. Almost every episode that has aired since then has made me feel glad that I got out when I did. It meant that I finished feeling apathetic towards the show, but not angry about it which definitely would have happened if I'd kept on going. In happier news, Pokemon Horizons is still really good. I still highly recommend it if you just want a fun adventure show with cute characters.
Dead Mount Death Play Part II - to be honest, I was really bored with most of the second half of the anime. I liked the stuff with Phantom Solitaire and Misaki but most of the scenes felt so boring. I noticed that the director was different for the second half so that may have been part of why. The pacing really becsme worse in the second half. There were plenty of episodes where I felt like we started and ended in the same place, with not enough development to justify the 20 minutes of airtime. And it introduced so many subplots and characters that there was no way that they were going to be able to provide a satisfying resolution and they didn't. I'm invested enough in the story that I would watch a season 2 if one was announced, but I found the second half really disappointing overall.
Frieren - Still really entertaining and good. I've found myself loving every episode so far. I especially love the humor and how deadpan it can be. I'm really excited to watch more in the new year.
I'm in love with the villainess - A pretty good anime overall. I definitely wish that the animation was a lot better as a lot of the time the show was almost painful to look at. It obviously isn't the worst animation that I have sat through but I wish it was better. The voice acting is definitely the show's saving grace for me as it brings something to the table that the manga and light novel could not. I've only read the manga and the anime did stick close to that so it seems like it was a faithful adaption of the source material. I'd love a second season so that the story can get properly wrapped up but we'll see.
Soaring Sky! Precure - Finally watched this and really enjoyed it. It met my high expectations and will most likely end up entering my top 5 Precure series. I love the characters and the story so much. I can't wait to see how it ends.
Spy x Family 2 - A fantastic second season that managed to surpass even the first half of season 1 for me. The cruise ship arc was so entertaining and hilarious, and then the season ended with the perfect Bond episode. There were definitely a couple of dull episodes this season but I really enjoyed it overall.
The Ancient Magus' Bride 2 part II - An incredibly engaging second half to the season. The arc was resolved beautifully and I was really satisfied. It's definitely leaves some threads left open but I think that's fine. The most important questions were answered in a satisfying way and the ending made me happy. I thought this season surpassed the first and was more engaging to me. I know that the anime has pretty much adapted all of the currently published manga now but I'll still hope for a third season in a few years time.
Tearmoon Empire - A faithful adaptation of the light novels with some minor tweaks here and there that help make the pacing better. There's a lot of fun visual gags. Like with the light novels, I found the second half of the anime, which adapted the second volume, much more boring than the first. I wanted the anime to be more entertaining than the light novels but those episodes were hard to get through, even with Sumire Uesaka's excellent voice acting to help elevate things. I was a bit disappointed with a minor change they made to the ending of volume 2 but if they don't get a second season, this is probably a better way to end it.
SHY - This was an entertaining show that has a lot of potential. I like the characters, but I feel like I haven't got a clear picture of the story yet, despite having watched 12 episodes of it. I think the show does a great job at hitting emotional beats and I really liked the Tzveta arc. Also, after watching the second half of Tearmoon Empire and the last few episodes of DMDP, it was relief to watch something where I wasn't desperately wishing the Crunchyroll had a 2x playback speed option. SHY held my attention and I'm definitely interested to see what season 2 brings.
I feel like this season was really all about the voice actors for me. Sumire Uesaka as Mia in Tearmoon Empire, Inori Minase as Misaki and Hiroki Takahashi as Phantom Solitaire in DMDP, and Karin Nanami as Claire and Yuu Serizawa as Rei in I'm in Love with the Villainess all elevated what otherwise would have been terribly mediocre shows and made them a lot more entertaining. I also have to highlight Atsumi Tanezaki's work this season. She voiced Chise in the Ancient Magus' Bride 2, Anya in Spy x Family 2, and Frieren and did a phenomenal job with all three leads, not mention the supporting work she did as Clarissa in DMDP and some other shows that I have yet to watch. She was barely on my radar as a voice actor before this season but I'll be keeping an eye out for her future work.
There are still plenty of shows from this season, not to mention this year, that I want to watch. Like with last years anime, I'll be listing my favourite 2023 shows in my February 2024 reading log post so I'll have plenty of time to catch up on things before then. I've been thinking I might even get a HiDive subscription for a short period to watch all the shows that I missed out on, but we'll see if I have the time to do that.
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shazzeaslightnovels · 3 months
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Shousetsu Heartcatch Precure
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Author: Takashi Yamada
Illustrator: Yoshihiko Umakoshi
Label: Kodansha Character Bunko
Release Date: 16 September 2015 (Initial release), 8 February 2023 (this edition)
My Score: 3/5
Heartcatch Precure was the first entry in the Precure franchise that I watched. I had no idea at the time that I would become such a big fan of the series, to the point where I have now seen 15 Precure anime (16, if we're counting the currently airing Soaring Sky). Still, Heartcatch holds a special place in my heart. It's such a strong entry in the series and it's never fallen out of my top 5 Precure series, despite having seen so many of them. This volume gives audiences a chance to revisit the fan favourite season, and gives a particular focus to Yuri Tsukikage, aka Cure Moonlight.
In the first chapter, we explore Cure Moonlight's origin story. It's been a few months since Yuri's father disappeared without a trace and Yuri is talking to Kaoruko one day when Cologne decides that Yuri would make the perfect Precure. Kaoruko is against the idea as Yuri is already handling too many burdens with a missing father and a single working mother to take care of. But, Cologne approaches Yuri behind Kaoruko's back, and of course, Yuri jumps at the chance to become a Precure when she learns that she may be able to see the Tree of Hearts and find a clue to her father's whereabouts.
The second chapter skips ahead to two years after the birth of Cure Moonlight to show her downfall at the hands of the Dark Precure. The next chapter adapts a few different episodes of the anime. From what I remember, it does this faithfully with most of the scenes being depicted exactly like in the anime, with a couple of novel original scenes from Karouko's and Yuri's POVs. It shows the births of Cure Blossom and Marine, as well as the reveal of Yuri's identity as Cure Moonlight. The fourth chapter briefly summarises Cure Sunshine's debut before covering Moonlight's revival. The final chapter covers the climax and ending of the anime. There is an added short epilogue here that reveals the girl's futures which I don't believe was in the anime. Tsubomi works for NASA, and Erika is a fashion designer. This was mentioned as their dreams in the anime, but is actually the reality in the novel. Itsuki is a fashion model, and Yuri is a researcher like her father, both of which are new to the novel.
To be honest, this volume was pretty disappointing overall. I was expecting a lot more new content, but aside from the first chapter, the short epilogue, and a couple of scenes here and there, it's a straightforward adaptation of the anime. And if I wanted to experience this story again, I would have rather just rewatched the anime instead of reading this. It was still an enjoyable time, but I was hoping for more. I did also get the Smile Precure volume so hopefully that one fares better.
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shazzeaslightnovels · 3 months
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Tearmoon Teikoku Monogatari 2
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Author: Nozomu Mochitsuki
Illustrator: Gilse
Label: TO Books
Release Date: 9 November 2019
My Score: 3/5
There are two plots in this volume. In the first, Mia returns to her home for the holidays and there's plenty of politics for her to engage with to try to avert her future of being executed. The most interesting part in this plot is the introduction of Dion, the man who beheaded Mia in her previous life. In the second plot, Mia returns to the academy, excited to reunite with Abel, only to find that a revolution is starting in his own country. Together with Sion, Mia goes on a journey to save Abel and prevent the revolution.
This volume felt longer than the first one and not as enjoyable. It's actually the same length but I guess I just wasn't as interested in the story here. It definitely wasn't bad and there were plenty of interesting developments, particularly towards the end, but I wasn't very engaged. I do think this mostly because I'm not a big fan of politic plots in light novels. If I'm reading something in English, I tend to like that kind of drama more but it's harder to follow in Japanese so I end up just feeling bored. I ended up just thinking this volume was fine. I'll be reading the next one but unless it builds up some intrigue for me, I probably won't continue with the series after that.
I have started watching the anime but I'm only on episode 3. I think it's really good so far. It brings out the strengths of it's source material (namely, Mia herself) and also makes some cuts to streamline things that helps the pace a lot. There's some great visual gags too. It probably won't be a favourite of the season for me but I've been enjoying it so far. Also, I love the ED. The concept of adult!Mia and child!Mia having a tea party is brilliant.
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shazzeaslightnovels · 4 months
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Sword Art Online IF
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Authors: Various (see below)
Illustrators: Various (see below)
Label: Dengeki Bunko
Release Date: 10 November 2023
My Score: 3/10
This is what it says on the tin: an anthology of what-if stories set in the SAO universe featuring short stories written and illustrated by different creators. I'll be talking about each story separately for this review so you can find my thoughts on each story, and which authors and illustrators worked on them below the cut.
Story 1: What if Pitohui was involved in the SAO incident
Author: Keiichi Sigsawa | Illustrator: Kouhaku Kuroboshi (Author and Illustrator of SAO Alternative: GGO)
This story is a humorous one in featuring a scene between Pitohui and LLENN as Pitohui reveals the "truth" behind the SAO incident. I get the feeling this would be a lot more enjoyable to fans of the GGO spin-off but I never got into it so I found this story pretty meh.
Story 2: What if Kirito and Asuna played a zombie game
Author: Mato Kousaka | Illustrator: ALmic (Author of I May Be a Guild Receptionist, But I'll Solo Any Boss to Clock Out on Time; Illustrator of Koi wa Futago de Warikirenai, a series which is getting an anime adaptation)
The title says it all. In this one, Kirito invites Asuna to play a beta test for a new zombie game. This one was pretty good. The characters never feel too out-of-character and if you want to see Kirito and Asuna take on a zombie game, you'll enjoy this story. While it wasn't a personal favourite, it's a good and satisfying what if story.
Story 3: Dream Game Crossover
Author: Tsutomu Satou | Illustrator: Kana Ishida (Author and Illustrator of The Irregular at Magic High School)
This story is a cross-over between Mahouka and SAO and I found it really boring. In fairness, I have never been a Mahouka fan, but I could have been down with this story if it was a silly cross-over that just has Tatsuya and Kirito fight, but instead the story spends so much time setting up how this cross-over could feasibly happen and it was just so boring. By the time Kirito actually shows up, the story is almost over. I'm sure people who are fans of both Mahouka and SAO will enjoy this story, but it just reminded me of why I was never able to get into Mahouka myself.
Story 4: Death Game Drop-out Arc
Author: Ren Sudou | Ilustrator: Shiwasu Hoshikawa (Ren Sudou has authored a few different LN series, probably the most well-known is Tobakushi wa Inoranai; Shiwasu Hoshikawa is credited as the mangaka for several Bungo Stray Dogs spin-offs)
This story is set back in the Aincrad Arc where we follow a player who gives into despair and jumps off the side of Aincrad, only to find himself in a mysterious area that appears to be a bug that he can't get out of. This story was really interesting and it reminded me of just how good the Aincrad Arc is. While SAO has had plenty of good arcs, the tension and stakes present in the Aincrad isn't something that the series has ever managed to recapture, in my opinion. I do think that this story isn't really what you want from an anthology like this as none of the SAO characters show up, and while the art is really nice, the character designs feel more like they come from Asuka Empire rather than from SAO. Still, I liked this story a lot and it made me want to rewatch the Aincrad Arc (and then I realised that Crunchyroll doesn't have the first season of the anime in Australia for some reason and now I'm like, 'Maybe I should just finally watch FULLDIVE instead').
Story 5: Detective Koyomi/Speckled Cat
Author: Soichiro Watashi | Illustrator: Ginta (Author and Illustrator of SAO Alternative: Clover's Regret)
Title note: it's a reference to the Sherlock Holmes Story "The Adventure of the Speckled Band"
This short story takes place in SAO Alternative: Clover's Regret and it was really great to see this world and these characters again. In this one, the gang challenges a murder mystery quest in which they go to a mansion and, you guessed, try to solve a murder. The players are each given a role when they enter the mansion: Koyomi is the detective, Nayuta is her assistant, Clevel is a professor, and Mahiro is the cop. This was a really fun short story. It made me remember how good Clover's Regret could be and made me want to reread the series. I was glad I got to spend more time with these characters. This one was a real treat.
Story 6: at the Children's Steps (this is how the title is written in the book; it's not my bad grammar, I swear)
Author: Koroku Takano | Illustrator: Rin (Apparently the author's written a few different series but I've never read any of them and don't recall any of them getting much buzz online; the artist has a non-search-engine-friendly name so I wasn't able to find much out about them and be sure that it was the same person)
This story asks the question, "What if Kirito was younger?" In it, we get a Kirito who was only 11 at the start of the Aincrad Arc. It turns out not a lot has changed. He's still the hero. It's just his relationship with the girls that has changed. He and Asuna never had their romance, and while the girls are still in love with him, they treat him as a kid and don't act on their feelings at all due to the age gap. The heroine of this story is Silica and I'm sure fans of her will be happy enough with it. Personally, I was hoping for this to be a more fun story with lots of hijinks and comedy, but it ended up being more of a serious reflection on how Kirito feels about not being taken seriously as a man and being treated like a kid. I did like that we got most of the story from Silica's POV though, and Rin's art style is super soft and cute.
Story 7: How do I cure this curse?: Silica and the ghost girl
Author: Keisuke Makino | Illustrator: Karei (Author and Artist of Irina: The Vampire Cosmonaut)
Another Silica-focused story. This one takes place in the Aincrad Arc in which Silica accidentally starts a quest that gets her possessed by a ghost girl. This event causes her first meeting with Kirito, rather than Pina's death being the catalyst. Pina doesn't seem to exist in this version of events. I was excited for this one since Keisuke Makino wrote it but it was pretty disappointing. To be honest, it's not that much different from the original Silica chapter, except Kirito is less present in it which leads to more exploration of Silica herself. The story itself is fine and the writing is pretty, but it's not a strong concept for a 'what if' story.
Story 8: If Asuna opened up a restaurant, what would be Kirito's position?
Author: Y.A | Illustrator: Megumi Nagahama (Author and Illustrator of SAO Alternative: Gourmet Seekers)
Yes, that is a terrible title but it is the title. This one takes place during the Aincrad Arc in which Asuna decides to open up a restaurant on a whim and gets Kirito to help her. I found this one real boring. The characters felt out of character and Asuna deciding to open up a restaurant is so random. I also don't know why this was set in SAO. It would have been a lot more fun to set it in ALO and have the other characters get in on it and then it wouldn't have felt quite so random. This one does get points for having a Nishida appearance though.
Story 9: If you can smile
Author: Reki Kawahara | Illustrator: abec
I mainly got this volume for the Reki Kawahara story but it's so short that I don't know if it was worth it. This is a what if story in which Raios and Hubert eat a poisonous crab and get hospitalised, thus avoiding the whole Ronye and Tiese get assaulted and Eugeo and Kirito get thrown in prison plot line. I definitely wish this story was longer and explored the implications of that change more. As is, we only get a brief scene with Kirito, Eugeo, Ronye, and Tiese having a picnic. It is is cute though and I'm glad we got to see these characters being happy. It's a good way to end the volume.
I thought this was a pretty good collection overall, but there weren't a whole lot of stand out stories. I think my favourite story ended up being the Clover's Regret story. I really didn't have anything to complain about with that one. It's been such a long time since I read the trilogy that I didn't even mind the romance with Clevel and Nayuta as much as I used to. In terms of a what if story, I think the zombie game story fit the theme the best. It was pure wish fulfillment, did exactly what it set out to do, and the characters never felt too out-of-character. I'll also give a honorable mention to the Death Game Drop-out Arc for being really interesting and memorable, even if it didn't quite fit the what if theme of the volume.
I do find it annoying that most of these stories take place in the Aincrad Arc though. SAO is such a long running series that it's bizarre to focus so much on that one point in the timeline, even if it is one of my favourite arcs, second only to Mother's Rosario. Speaking of which, why wasn't there a single Yuuki Konno appearance in this volume? "What if Yuuki Konno was in SAO?" "What if Yuuki Konno lived?" "What if Aiko Konno lived?" Or even just a story focused on the Sleeping Knights on one of their other adventures. I would have loved a short story like that. Actually, if we have to be in the Aincrad Arc, "What if Sachi lived?" or "What if Sachi and Asuna met?" would have been so interesting. "What if Mito was in ALO?" also would have been cool, given that there have been no announcements for another Progressive movie. I guess this volume did succeed in getting my mind thinking about SAO again and thinking about all the possibilities for what if stories so it served it's purpose.
SAO Alternative: Gourmet Seekers came out in November too but I have no intention of reading it. The plot just doesn't interest me at all. There's another new Alternative series that's released this month though that sounds much more interesting: Mystery Labyrinth. It looks really cool and I'm definitely excited to read it.
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shazzeaslightnovels · 4 months
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Danmachi Familia Chronicle Episode Lyu 2
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Author: Fujino Omori
Illustrator: Nilitsu
Label: GA Bunko
Release Date: 13 October 2023
My Score: 5/5
This volume is split into 3 short stories with the first one taking up most of the volume (a good 80% or more). This story fills in the blanks of Lyu's reunion with Astrea before the war game in volume 18 and it's really, really good. Seeing Astrea and Lyu reunite in person is fantastic itself but we also get to see Lyu trying to be a senpai to the new members of Astrea Familia. In particular, there's a blacksmith named Cecil who strongly resents Lyu for abandoning Astrea, and her character arc as a foil for Lyu's is a highlight of the short story. This short story was amazing and satisfying and it's one that I would love to see animated in the upcoming Danmachi V anime. It's probably my favourite story in the Familia Chronicle volumes so far.
The other two stories are much shorter and less relevant to the main plot. The second one features a sweet interaction between Ardee and Lyu. The third story features an event from 5 years ago in which Alise, Kaguya, and Lyra discuss Lyu's future. These stories are bittersweet, and while they aren't as good as the main one, they are definitely worth reading. I can see why they were included in the volume.
So with this volume, the 13 months of Danmachi volumes have officially concluded and it's been a blast. While I may not have read all the volumes in the month that they were released in, it's been great to have a steady stream of Danmachi content. There's been some top quality volumes and it's made me appreciate the Danmachi franchise more. All of the authors, illustrators, editors, and everyone else have done an amazing job this past year and I hope that everyone is able to take a well-deserved break now.
Side note: I did finally listen to the drama CD that was bundled with Danmachi 19 and it was pretty good. In it, Bell finds himself in the Dark Period of Orario where the Astrea Familia are fighting against Evilus. He meets the members of Astrea Familia and Ardee, who he gets along well with as a fellow Argonaut stan. He realises that he is in a position to change the fate of the Astrea Familia and Ardee, and has to make decision about what to do. The story was okay. I enjoyed seeing Bell interacting with Alise, Kaguya, and Lyra a lot and there was a good amount of angst and humor in it. The voice actors all did an amazing job at conveying the feelings of the characters with just their voices. It was a good way to spend an hour but I wouldn't call it a must listen.
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shazzeaslightnovels · 4 months
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November 2023
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(Series: Danmachi | Artist: Suzuhito Yasuda)
List of reviews:
Fate/Strange Fake 7
Danmachi 19
Tearmoon Teikoku Monogatari 1
Fate/Strange Fake 8
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