#syosetsu | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

januvatl · 7 years

Text

I ended up as the hero’s mother after reincarnating?!

A long long time ago, there lived an adorable noble lady. Her beauty and charm was renowned not just in her own country but in the neighbouring countries as well.

The King fell for her on first sight and had her brought back to his castle, and this love resulted in the girl bearing their child.

However, the King was already married to another for political reasons. The Queen who sought the King’s love hated the noble lady and had her expelled from the castle.

From then on, the noble lady raised the child on her own despite her being of noble heritage, most likely out of her love for the King.

The child was named Areido. The great hero whom was loved by God, defeated the Maou to save the world and united the lands torn apart by various warlords.

The story of Areido who received God’s oracle and awakened as a hero is not what this story is about however.

This is the story of the Holy Mother who raised the hero on her own, the story of Rifirudeidoa Kiaru Madeireido.

Ria who was named the Holy Mother actually has a rather unique secret, and that is…

Ria PoV

There exists incomprehensible things in reality. I had merely gone to bed to sleep away the flu, yet for some reason I had ended up as a baby before I noticed.

Well... I suppose this is what is known as reincarnation. At least I hope so, I would be troubled if I was actually possessing this body instead.

In any case, this body is already close to 30 years old. I even have a kid, a boy who is almost 18 years of age.

He has soft and silky blond hair, thin and long eyebrows and his eyes are slightly drooping which gives off the air of kindness.

In short, he is completely different from how I was like in my past life, an ikemen. Furthermore, he has good character and is known in the neighbourhood as a perfect man. As such he is neighbourhood housewives’ idol, idol you hear?

Compared to my past self… yeah a male who was about to become a wizard after living for 29 years because I did not have a girlfriend. To make matters worse, I did not even have friends or family who got worried when I got sick.

“What’s wrong, kaa-san?”

“No, it’s nothing”

“…is that so? You seem to have a rather painful look while staring at me, did something happen?”

“Sorry, Areido, it’s really nothing”

Yup, I, with the appearance of a girl, am by no means jealous of my son. That’s why it’s nothing. Really.

“Kaa-san, if something happened say it clearly okay? If not…”

“a~a~, I cant hear you”

Areido PoV

With her ears cupped and her head slightly shaking while saying that, even I as her son found her actions cute. How should I say this….she feels more like a little sister instead.

That’s right, my mother is extremely young. She was about 12~13 years old when she gave birth to me. Furthermore, she doesn’t age.

….It was my fault. After having given birth to me, she somehow stopped aging.

God. The existence that sends heroes to defeat the Maou and brings light back to the world. As a reward for having given birth to me, a hero candidate, it seems her time was stopped.

As a result, my mother looks like a young girl…

Since she has always looked younger than her age suggests, even before giving birth to me, she told me that she was not bothered by it, but how can that be true?

I really hate them. God aside, The King of the Kingdom of Heroes, Makugaia is really detestable.

Heroes can only be born from those with the lineage of heroes. From the bloodline of the first hero Makugaia who founded the Kingdom of Makugaia.

Thus, heroes are supposed to appear within the royalty of this kingdom to battle the Maou.

However, I was born in a self-governed city state and found by the mikos (TL note: shrine maidens) of the Holy Kingdom who received God’s oracle, thereby officially becoming a Hero.

Impossible. There’s no way it can happen, a hero not of the lineage of the First Hero.

My existence caused the world to descend into confusion, but those who investigated my mother’s background somehow came to terms with it.

Ria, my mother who raised me on her own, her true name is Rifirudeidoa Kiaru Madeireido. Hero Kingdom Makugaia’s noblility, she is the second daughter of Viscount Madeireido.

At her 11th birthday party, the King fell in love with her at first sight and abducted her, confining her to a room in his castle and got her pregnant.

However, her pregnancy released her from her confinement and she got evicted from the King’s castle.

Even when she returned to her parents, she was handed some money and turned away with the reason of her being likely to cause trouble for them. In this manner, with her in the midst of pregnancy, she left the country and arrived at the self-governed city state.

It must have been extremely tough, not only was she a sheltered noble who knew nothing about the real world, she was also in her early teens. She had to struggle through this cold and unforgiving world while carrying a child. It would have been natural and understandable for her to hate this world, or even hate me as well.

But, she showered me with love and care.

…Once I turn 18 I will have to leave on a journey to defeat the Maou. This is something that has already been set in stone, a fate I cannot escape from. I as well do want to set out on the journey, to show the Makugaia who cast away my mother.

Above all, with my mother being this adorable, if I leave things alone, the Maou or something will definitely take her away.

That’s why I have to defeat him before it can happen!

That’s right! Shitty Maou, I will defeat you!

And while I’m at it, I will also destroy Makugaia that burdened my mother with this fate!!!

Ria PoV

Somehow he suddenly has such a scary look on his face? When an ikemen puts on a scary expression, it is really imposing. In any case, I wonder what this child is thinking of, probably some weird delusions again?

His chuunibyou (TL note: the condition whereby one thinks he/she has special powers) is really incurable…I’m slightly worried about his future. That said, since he is actually a hero, maybe it isn’t considered chuunibyou?

…..oh well.

Come tomorrow, he will be 18. Back in Japan he would still be treated as a kid, but in this world he will be seen as an adult. In other words, he comes of age tomorrow.

He should live as he likes, whether he sets out to defeat the Maou or even run away from his fate, he should do as he pleases.

Unlike how I was, getting abducted and confined by the King, then getting raped daily. It was really intense, I couldn’t even imagine being freed. It was the upper echelons of the country after all, staying alive was all I could manage, really.

Had I returned home, my bald and fat father I didn’t particularly like will likely only congratulate me for becoming a bride.

To be frank, as a former male, I wish I could be spared from that. Moreover, as an adult male, putting aside how “splendid” I was, I had memories of my life up till when I reincarnated. For me to become a admirable noble lady is seriously impossible.

I was slightly in despair upon finding out I was pregnant, but this child was truly a stroke of luck for me. Thanks to him, I was expelled from the castle! Truly a blessing ☆ (TL note: the author really did put that star there. すんごく幸せです☆ )

As for becoming an eternal lolita, well…yeah.

While I have once entertained the thought that “it would be nice if I didn’t age”, I didn’t really expect God to actually grant it.

Seriously, spare me from that. Stop screwing around!

Thanks to that, I had a hell of a time while searching for a job…

AARGH! Pisses me off!

….Well, it seems I do still have a limited lifespan which is good in a way.

The hardships this appearance brought about was only limited to the beginning.

…...It was truly difficult then though.

My current job is truly a blessing for me.

Erm, although I’m now hired as an accountant for a rich lolicon, even so, it really is a blessing.

Really.

“Nee Areido…”

“What is it, Kaa-san”

That’s why to prevent my son from having a strange deluded thought concerning me, I should reiterate once again. Somehow he seems to have the idea that me conceiving him brought me misfortune. For me, giving birth to him was truly a blessing.

….Regardless, I was a male in my previous life and now I’m a female. Wonderfully mixing the role of a father and a mother together, do I pass as your parent?

Jii~

Staring at my son,

….Truly a fine and handsome man from all angles.

Seriously! My past life can’t even compare!?

Uwa-, just the thought of it makes me depressed--☆

Areido PoV

The appearance of my mother who called out to me with a voice full of concern and suddenly had her eyes filled with tears looked ever so frail. I’m sure she’s worried, worried for me who has to defeat the Maou as the Hero.

Kaa-san, it’ll be fine. I will definitely survive.

Until I defeat the Maou and destroy Makugaia, definitely, definitely…!!

As I renewed my determination, I hugged my mother affectionately and glared into the distance. I can’t let my kind and gentle mother see this vicious look on my face. Definitely not…

Ria PoV

Ah, he has started mumbling again. This aspect of him really reminds me that he’s my son. That’s right, a splitting image of how I was in my past life--an otaku and chuuni. Which reminds me, what was it that I wanted to say before this?

….Oh well. If it was something important, I will probably remember it. That’s why now, for now….

“Nee Areido?”

“What is it, Kaa-san”

“What do you want for today’s dinner?”

“...Meatballs would be nice”

“Ufufu, alright. I will do my best to make the most delicious meatballs”

“Un, your meatballs are the best. That’s why I want to eat as much as I can now”

“What? You speak as though you will not be able to eat it ever again”

“....You’re right. I shouldn’t say it in this manner. I will definitely return. Definitely…”

Narrator PoV

A Hero who has slightly too much delusions and a fairly unbefitting Holy Mother.

Surely with these 2, the world will be at peace once again.

The historians of future generations later uncovered the diaries of these 2 famous existences from their graves. However, upon reading the contents which destroyed their image and made the faces of the historians cramp, they then convinced themselves that the diary was a prank to console themselves.

#web novel #syosetsu #Japanese web novel #translated novel #one-shot #reincarnation #comedy #light hearted

86 notes · View notes

recentanimenews · 5 years

Text

The Alchemist Who Survived Now Dreams of a Quiet City Life, Vol. 1

By Usata Nonohara and ox. Released in Japan as “Ikinokori Renkinjutsushi wa Machi de Shizuka ni Kurashitai” by Kadokawa Shoten. Released in North America by Yen On. Translated by Erin Husson.

It’s possible that I simply have overinflated expectations for slow life titles with a female protagonist, but I must admit that I found this book a big old grab bag of good stuff and bad stuff, with in the end the bad outweighing the good a bit. I am reminded once again that there is a roadmap these fantasy light novels follow, and much as we as readers would like them to forge a new path they are absolutely going to stay on the well-traveled road. And that means we get slavery here, along with the heroine not really caring about it (she’s not reincarnated from Japan, though, so gets a bit more of a pass). It means we get more “her breasts are huge and I am sad that mine are not” descriptions, some of which verge on the ridiculous. And it means endless, truly endless descriptions of alchemical recipes, as if this were a foodie title. Sometimes worldbuilding can be boring.

Mariela is a young, relatively poor alchemist in a city with quite a few of them, living in a cabin in the woods while waiting for her Master to return. Then there’s a monster stampede killing everyone in its path. To survive, she puts herself in suspended animation… but forgets she’s in a hole in the ground, so her candle goes out and the spell lasts for two hundred years. Now awake again, she finds that alchemy has mostly died off, and that potions are highly prized. She decides to make a new life for herself in the city, hiding her real profession but opening an apothecary so she can be as close to it as possible. With the help of Siegmund, a slave she purchased on impulse who turns out to clean up very nicely, and a bunch of friendly soldiers and innkeepers, she resolves to live her slow life in a world that, to her, is the far future.

Great premise, and it has to be said Mariela is the best thing about the title. An odd combination of savvy and stunningly naive, you can see why she tends to worry people around her. She describes herself as just your average alchemist, but it’s pretty clear her Master was a genius, and Mariela was well on her way to surpassing that. Unfortunately, her treatment of Sieg, which is basically “I bought him as a slave and order him around for everyday household tasks but like to think we are the bestest of friends!” is cringeworthy. More to the point, this volume desperately needed an editor. Not on the Western side, Yen’s version is fine, but on the Japanese side. It’s a very long book, and future volumes in the series are just as long or longer. A good half of the book is Mariela describing in detail her alchemical processes and why you need this herb or that monster ingredient. I’ve mentioned that I dislike the “stat descriptions” in game based isekai. This is a normal fantasy, but may be just as bad. A lot of these Syosetsu webnovels need to have their wordcount culled before publication.

Again, problematic as she is, I liked Mariela, and will likely try a second volume. But honestly, I recommend this for those who REALLY love immersing themselves in worldbuilding and want to know exactly what steps to take to be an alchemist.

By: Sean Gaffney

#Anime #News #Manga Bookshelf

0 notes

miyanagateru · 2 years

Text

thank god there are one trillion people posting their very own vrmmo webnovels on syosetsu every day so i can keep putting off reading sword art online, which ive convinced myself i have no choice but to do, at some point

#machine dreams

2 notes · View notes

miyanagateru · 10 months

Text

i found hoshihina fic on syosetsu but its too hot for me to read still. its really messed up

#machine dreams

0 notes

januvatl · 7 years

Text

Watashi to Kanojo no Synesthesia

Synopsis: https://januvatl.tumblr.com/synesthesia

"uu..."

Potsun Potsun.

Kotsun Kotsun.

The noise resounds about the room as though it is trying to cause disorder. (TL note: Cause of her synesthesia)

...I hate the rain.

I've always been bad with the rain.

The rhythm of the raindrops always gives me the feeling as though it is slowly blotting out and corroding my existence. I especially hate it when it is like this, with the sound excessively reverberating about the room.

“Nn...”

On days like this, I will burrow into a futon without fail. Shutting my eyes in the darkness and focusing on the fragrance of the pillow.

The thick futon cuts off the sound, shutting my eyes allows me to disregard the colours, and immersing myself in the smell causes my awareness of the synesthesia to slip away. (TL note: unsure here 匂いに没頭することで音色を意識から外す)

By taking refuge in this futon capsule, I can protect myself from decaying. I won’t survive otherwise.

“...nyafuu”

Lured by the comfort, I spontaneously leaked out a sigh.

…..aa, so warm naa…

Yielding myself to the warmth in an experienced manner, I was just about to properly indulge myself when I feel my body getting shaken from outside. This is obviously an attempt to hinder my sleep. And this hindrance comes with a loud voice as a bonus.

“What are you doing? Fugaku Kisara chan?”

“Why the full name, Rinne Kokone chan”

“No reason in particular. By the way Kisara chan, isn’t this my futon?”

Of course I know that, that’s why I’m enjoying it. My own smell isn’t interesting at all. That’s why Kokone’s is good.

Nevertheless, her voice is as fluffy and sweet as ever. When I hear her slow “orange voice”, I feel super sleepy…

“.....gu”

“Aan Kisara chaaan, please don’t fall asleep?!”

“Ha….This human lullaby music box!!”

“What does that mean!?”

Although I can’t see her face, her expression is bound to be one of extreme bewilderment right now.

Having known her for so long, I can tell this much even without seeing it myself. Yet for the same reason, I also end up knowing stuff I don’t wish to know.

“As for why I’m sleeping….that’s because Kokone is here….”

“Please don’t say such ambiguous words with that look on your face!”

“There’s no evidence of me making that look when I’m completely covered by the futon…”

“I’ve known you for such a long time, of course I can tell what look you have right now!”

Tch. It seems we share the same advantage. With her words and shaking intensifying, my sleepiness was driven away. Reluctantly, I crawled out of the futon.

As light illuminated the room and restored my vision, I grimaced.

“Aa----”

-----The world is so ‘gray’.

An alarm clock with the design of a character popular with girls nowadays, a wardrobe with dresses that are meaninglessly decorated with frills, a dresser littered with cosmetics and a contrastively neat study desk.

Anything and everything reflected upon my eyes are black and white, a monochrome world.

An unpleasant sight isn’t it.

Everything has been completely swallowed up by the rain.

The world before my eyes that’s been devastated by the colour of gray seems as though it is trying to break me apart.

“Good morninggg, Kisara chan”

In this world of gray, only Kokone has a vibrant colour.

Soft and full lips the colour of sakura, sleepy looking softly drooping blue eyes and a smile that gives off a fluffy feeling like cotton candy.

Her fluffy and wavy blond hair extends past her shoulders, and shakes with the tilting of her head as though it is dancing.

Good complexion, a gentle vibe, sufficiently bulging soft looking chest, and a cute dress with many frills.

From top to toe, a complete bishoujo. (TL note: pretty girl) Flawless beauty as though she is a well made french doll.

The girl before my eyes, fluffy and extremely adorable is completely different from me, with my pallid skin, nasty expression and flat chest.

The difference in girl power is evident. She stands on the opposite end of the spectrum, with her unmatched beauty.

Without any feeling of envy, I called out to her.

“Morning, Kokone….do you need something?”

“No no, that’s my line….why are you in my futon?” (TL note: Kokone uses “boku” to refer to herself which is less feminine compared to “watashi” that Kisara and most girls use)

“I thought you knew but….I hate the rain. That’s why I was in your futon to block my sight, hearing and smell.”

“Somehow the last one seems new...ehehe”

Breaking out a smile like soft boiled eggs once again, Kokone laughed. (TL note: Don’t ask me why orz 半熟の卵みたいな笑顔)

A sweet smile that seems to have plenty of sugar added in. A warm orange-coloured laughter that sounds like birds chirping-----

“------upu”

“Kisara chan?”

“Sorry, I feel sick….”

“....again?”

Orange mixed with a little blue , the result of worry added to amazement.

Her “voice” paints over the gray colour, and it really does put me at ease. However, my mind can’t handle the sudden change to the world, making me nauseous.

…..A troublesome body, same as ever.

My legs got tangled but Kokone caught me and I somehow managed to avoid falling down.

In my current posture, while thinking to myself that the black hair that entered my field of vision looks so gloomy, I shake my head.

“Are you alright?”

“Un...thanks Kokone”

While wringing out a word of gratitude, a single word comes to mind.

…..’Synesthesia’

The triggering of a different sense organ in response to a stimulus. For example, seeing the colour red and getting the feeling pain. For example, eating something sweet and getting the feeling of a round shape. For example-----hearing the sound of rain and seeing the colour gray.

“.....too much gray”

Even amongst those with this condition, mine is special. Due to extreme sensitivity, it’s at the extent of overwhelming my very soul.

The sound of rain, the sound of thunder and even human voices-----they swallow up my heart, the sight before my eyes.

The type of synesthesia where sound invokes a colour is known as ‘Chromesthesia’, while it seems that many who suffer from this have perfect pitch, I do not have such an ability.

It’s just that I hear colours.

It’s just unpleasant.

It’s just that.

“Kokone…..speak, continue….let me hear your voice….?”

Imploring, entreating her.

The only one I can rely on now is her.

Even my own voice is a muddy blue----as though I’m drowning.

While gathering up Kokone’s soft, fluffy hair and fragrance as well as embracing her, I called out to her.

“Nee, Kokone...please….”

“U--n…..if you give out more sweetness, I’ll think about it ♪”

“Fuyu?!” (TL note: Probably short for fuyukai desu, Kyoukai no kanata’s Kuriyama Mirai catch phrase. It means unpleasant.)

“The current Kisara chan is so sweet….just a little more, okay..?”

“U,uu….”

I give up.

As seen, this is her shortcoming.

The current voice, a transparent orange colour----truthfully and seriously so.

I am feeding her synesthesia.

Kokone’s synesthesia is “Lexical-gustatory synesthesia” (TL note: sound to taste).

To her, all sounds are food.

Every sound is able to trigger her sense of taste.

In other words, to her, hearing is the equivalent of eating.

“....Kokone”

“Eeh~ The current voice is bitter~ Are you making fun of me, Kisara chan?”

Narrowing her deep blue eyes, her voice drops by one octave.

Even without relying on the colour of red I feel, it’s evident that she’s discontented.

“Y, you don’t have to get mad with that super red tone of voice! Don’t you normally like eating this voice as well?!”

Kokone and I differ in that she doesn’t have like nor dislike any sounds. She’ll eat all sounds with relish.

In comparison, I get sick from hearing stuff, with the exception of a certain range of sound.

One who’s a glutton for sound and one who’s weak to them. That’s how the two of us are like.

“Kisara chan’s normal voice has a tasty bitterness, the sound of rain has a sweet cider-like taste but….for now, I want to hear Kisara chan’s sweet voice…?”

“The rain has a cider taste….I imagined it to a more water-like taste though.”

“Ki~sa~ra~cha~n~?”

Changing the topic to delay things was my plan but it didn’t work.

The colour I feel from the voice has left from the red zone and has the colour of black mixed in.

That which I hate most, black sounds.

“Hik….”

“Ah...sorry, Kisara chan.”

“Th, this, glutton devil….baka….gusu…”

“Ah, this verbal abuse, the bittersweetness is delicious….”

“.....the worst”

I’m really frightened over here yet she’s in ecstasy over my voice. Really the worst.

But, this is why Kokone----there is a balance, and we are together like this.

Her gluttony is dangerous.

That’s why my existence is necessary.

I am terribly unstable.

That’s why her existence is necessary.

She will nibble at even screams and killing intent.

Should she feel inclined to-------the thought ’wanna eat’ entering her mind, she may end up hurting someone. Kokone stays true to her appetite, making her all the more dangerous.

In comparison, I dread both screams and killing intent.

Voices filled with negative emotions have always seemed to be like the pitch black colour of the bottom of wells.

Hence I act as Kokone’s restraints, and in compensation, I receive her pure-----transparent desire-filled voice.

This is our abnormal relationship.

Codependence----abnormal codependence.

Synesthesia----abnormal senses.

Duet---abnormal sonata. (TL note: 共奏曲で――狂奏曲。 Help D:)

“....♪”

I hear a song.

While being embraced tightly by Kokone, I hear a humming next to my ears.

“Nn”

Her breath brushes against my ear----

“Ha, a…..”

-----The world is trembling with brilliance.

Her singing is adding colour to the world.

Painting out the gray, swallowing it completely.

The colours of the world are increasing, becoming vibrant.

“Nn...Kokone”

I called her.

My voice is a sakura colour mixed with blue.

Proof that this is the only way for me to get some peace of mind.

A colour that Kokone would feel sweet.

“....♪”

With sweetness acting as fuel, her humming got louder, releasing vivid colours.

Tempo changes and vibrato, every time ‘shakuri’ and ‘kobushi’ takes place, the scenery becomes ever more vivid and beautiful. A magic-like transformation.

(TL note: テンポの変化やビブラート、『しゃくり』や『こぶし』が起きるたびに、景色はより鮮やかに、美しくなる. Are shakuri 『しゃくり』 and kobushi 『こぶし』 musical terms?)

More.

I want to see more.

“Nn, Kokone….please, more----”

----Give me more of this beautiful world.

Fill my heart up with colours.

Since I will sate your appetite as well.

Let your voice resound more.

In this manner of painting out the rain, continue humming.

◇◆◇

“Nn….Kokone, I’m alright now…”

The sound of rain can still be heard.

While the sight of raindrops striking the window still brings about a feeling of depression, it is now way way better.

In front of the monochrome filter, I believe a beautiful world has spread out.

So I raise my head, in this grey world, for the sake of living.

“Ehh~ I still want a little more~?”

While shaking her hair and frills, Kokone tilted her head.

Truly a glutton, this troublesome girl.

“It’s fine to eat sounds, but you have to properly eat your meals as well.”

Synesthesia is after all just a sensory input.

While sound can stimulate her palate, it can neither fill up her stomach nor can it provide nourishment.

At the end of the day, her synesthesia is only just a linking of senses.

For the sake of living, she has to eat actual food.

My existence is also to ensure that she eats actual food that she is indifferent to.

“Che. Alright….It’s fine if I properly eat my meal righttt?

“Yeah. I understand that you dislike it….but you have to eat, okay?

The reason Kokone doesn’t like eating actual food is because of the sound of eating. Chewing, swallowing, and scraping of cutlery, the cacophony of such sounds evokes different tastes.

Even when she eats chocolate, the sound of chewing triggers a different taste due to synesthesia. This causes mayhem in her mind it seems.

Even so, she gave a nod to my words.

Despite the reluctance, she agreed with the movement of her head.

This is why I move for her sake.

In this colourless world.

“Ne….is there anything you wanna eat?”

For the sake of seeing her warm voice colours.

It might be unusual, but it’s mutual.

We, are together for the sake of sharing sounds.

◇◆◇

“Kisara chan, this tamagoyaki is salty…” (TL note: rolled omelette that’s supposed to be sweet)

“....That’s because of the synesthesia. Eating something changes the taste.”

“Ueeeh~, really…?”

“Really. Really really….uwa, what’s this saltiness. Super nasty”

“It leaked out! Something incredible just leaked out!!”

----It seems the world I wish for is still quite far off.

#syosetsu #yuri #synesthesia #watashi to kanojo no synesthesia #heartwarming #one-shot #short story #translated novel

6 notes · View notes

miyanagateru · 2 years

Text

i dont like it but i can understand why people are into purelilly. any other combination of the ancient cookies with eachother tho, at this point, is like, what are you even doing man

#machine dreams #im the girl going on syosetsu to read machine translated mahochobi fics tho so who am i to talk i guess

0 notes

miyanagateru · 2 years

Text

reading mahochobi fics on syosetsu

#machine dreams

0 notes

recentanimenews · 6 years

Text

Obsessions of an Otome Gamer: Elementary School Years

By Natsu and Shoyu. Released in Japan as “Ongaku de Otome wa Sukuenai” by the author on the Syosetu website. Released in North America digitally by Cross Infinite World. Translated by Charis Messier.

I’d never really read a Cross Infinite World novel before now. They specialize in both novels geared towards young women and also going directly through the author, i.e. most of the books published were published on the Syosetsu original fiction website, or various equivalents, rather than going through a publisher. (That said, the author has had published work as well.) But nothing had really caught my attention until the announcement of this series. I love visual novel-style storytelling, and I love classical music, so I was delighted to see the two combined. As I started to read the book, I was expecting things to be very light and fluffy, with the occasional warped sense of humor. I was surprised at several plot and character choices the book made, though. I was even more surprised by a plot twist that I will do my best not to spoil (yes, really) about one-third in. And I was not surprised but a bit taken aback by the length. This book is HUGE.

One thing that surprised me was the decision to have the entire book take place when our reincarnated heroine, Mashiro, is between the ages of seven and twelve, something that I blame on the light and hard to read font on the front cover, which meant I missed the subtitle. She’s the reincarnation of Rika, a young woman who was obsessed with an insanely difficult otome game called Hear My Heart, where you not only had to make the right romantic choices with regards to the two guys (one outgoing and arrogant, one sullen and introverted), but you also had to compose music – and if the music wasn’t good enough, you failed. That’s a high bar to clear. She then sees a poster advertising a remake of the game… and falls into an open manhole and dies. (This would be the warped sense of humor I mentioned above.) As Mashiro, she recalls her previous life when she’s seven years old and just your average elementary school girl who folds origami of Angkor Wat in her spare time. Now she’s in the game world, and has met Kou and Sou, the two heroes, as young boys. But is the game world what she really wants from life?

While Mashiro is eighteen years old in her head (at times – it’s lampshaded that this isn’t consistent, and is actually an important plot point), she and the two boys are young kids, and despite the occasional schoolkid flirtation, the book maintains those boundaries. Of course, this doesn’t mean we don’t get a heartfelt confession or two, but you may relax and not have to worry about kiddie makeouts. There’s also a heavy emphasis on classical music and piano, as Mashiro burns with a sudden desire to learn the piano, at first because she wants to meet the guy she liked from the game, but her love rapidly becomes genuine and all-consuming. The book helpfully tells us the names of the pieces she’s working on, and you could make an excellent Spotify playlist if you liked. Mashiro is a prodigy, though she may not be aware of it. And there’s also that spoiler, which revolves around her best friend Kon, who is Kou’s sister – and also reincarnated into this world from a previous one. Mashiro only has memories of the first version of the game. Kon played the remake, but not all of it. Is she really what she seems? And can Mashiro really avoid being a heroine?

The writing and plotting can get immensely wordy at times – I understand this was actually edited down from the original text, but it’s still super long, about twice the size of your average light novel. That said, I never found myself counting pages till it was over. Mashiro is a fun heroine, savvy when needed, clueless also when needed. There’s also a surprisingly deep look at how reincarnation into another world would work when you retain some of your own memories. The book ends with Mashiro graduating and moving on to Middle School, which I imagine will take up Book 2 of the series. If you’re looking for a nice romantic book with hidden depths, or love shoujo and visual novels, this is a fantastic read.

By: Sean Gaffney

#Anime #News #Manga Bookshelf

0 notes