I kind of talked about it in the first podcast I did, but the biggest thing that holds me back from reading English made works are their art. If the art looks cheap, it makes me think the rest of the product is a cheap cashgrab too. Even some of the better art looks doujinishi quality.

Though, I just looked at Varnell's two latest releases that are not in the American Kitsune series, and they look good, especially the third volume character; the first volume art looks off to me though, not quite LN quality.

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There are good artists out there taking commissions you could contact to create something. If you're going to do an English light novel inspired novel, and you think your story is of high quality, go all out with at least the cover to match the story quality.

Here are all of Varnell's works from Goodreads so you can take a peek at them:

https://www.goodreads.com/author/list/8031812.Brandon_Varnell

@eternal-wanderer I hope so anyway! I think I've determined the source of the issue (hardware acceleration attempts to stretch it using OpenGL bitmap textures but your devices memory is too small for the resolution it tries. Changing the resize method to software before rendering should fix it.

Prompt: These Donuts are great! Nothing beats a Jelly filled Donut.

@smashman42 Obviously Airi Arcadia is leagues better than the other girls.

@tremorc
Yea, they're B2 sized. The perspective might throw you off a bit cause that's a pool table they're sitting on.

@drone205 only time I'm okay with this... is when they are genderbent. Damn, is Kyonko x Itsuko hot AF

Just finished “In the Pool” which @BloodyGaikotsu mentioned in another thread and loved it. Very funny collection of short stories about a neurology doctor by the guy who wrote “Lala Pipo”. I wish some more of his stuff would get translated, really dig his work. He’s also written Light Novels and I feel his work would be appreciated by LN readers with a certain sense of humor.

Also went to Kinokuniya in LA yesterday and loaded up on some Japanese fiction. “Tokyo Zodiac Murders”, “Strange Weather in Tokyo”, “Cult X”, “Convenience Store Girl” and a collection of Murakami short stories. Along with four volumes of Rokka of the Braves, 4 Sword Arts, the second Bakemonigatari and both volumes of the Laid Back Camp manga and I’m set for a bit... (ok, I over indulged but I blame that on Kinokuniya withdrawal since the Costa Mesa store closed).

I'm finding the Netflix series Trollhunters to be quite good.

@paul-nebeling said in ???Mystery???:

While I'm not a huge fan of mysteries, I've found that they fall into two broad categories. The more prevalent "Who done it" and the less common "How done it". I've found the latter to be more interesting.

Sherlock Holmes (books, certainly not the Sherlock TV show) would fall under the " How done it" category then while Agatha Christie would fall under the "Who done it."

I have another book I have not started reading yet that may also make it here so I will just post the title and author and Synopsis:

Godspeaker: The Omnibus Edition: Includes Empress, The Riven Kingdom & Hammer of God by Karen Miller

Sold into slavery, Hekat dreams of power. Fate leads her to the warlord Raklion, and she begins turning dreams into reality. For the nameless god of Mijak is with her, and it promises her the world.

Far away, the King of Ethrea is dying. His daughter Princess Rhian is ready to rule, but if her enemies have their way the crown of Ethrea will never be worn by a woman.

Dexterity Jones is a toymaker. To protect Rhian and his country, he must place his trust in an exile from Mijak. Yet, as Ethrea comes ever closer to civil war, a greater danger awaits.

Hekat still desires the world ... and power is no longer a dream.

This omnibus edition of THE GODSPEAKER TRILOGY includesEmpress, The Riven KingdomandThe Hammer of God.

@guspaz we can have Both at the beginning (at there weakest), both at a sort of "Standard" power and both at their most powerful. Also, it is stated that Azusa still gets experience so she still may get stronger

@shrike_al indeed, the LN is a HUGE improvement over the WN.

SIAS is not on delay hell though, vol. 2 was just released on March, so a July release is pretty much normal schedule for YP. NGNL on the other hand... I don't even want to comment, I already cancelled my pre-order.

Anime: Guyver and Dominion Tank Police (can't remember which came first)
Manga: I have no idea... I've read so much!
LN: In another world with my smartphone (I had no idea that translating LN was a thing until a few months ago!)

I am somewhere in between. For filler I don't mind short parts, for action I would rather it did not stop mid flow, and if I am in the middle of an arc I don't want to wait too long for the next part as then I have to figure out where we left off.

Cardcaptor Sakura

Sailor Moon, Whos that? Cardcaptor Sakura is the Magical Girl we do not deserve but the Magical Girl we all need!

few great Magical Girls >= Cardcaptor Sakura >= Most Magical Girls >= Sailor Moon >= few horrendous Magical Girls

Cardcaptor Sakura is truly a top-tier Magical Girl, therefore, she is a top-tier Hero.

On the subject of "this thing is crazy original... Wait, I've seen before", Vending Machine I was reading, and then I started Strongest Gamer back up, and the "magical shopping box" is now a genre trope apparently. I'm sure it predates these stories (some wishing device that has unlimited use with minimal sacrifice?).

@dtta said in Broad things that get a lot of hate.:

...

Do you typically read reviews before you try a series? How do you choose what to buy / read LN wise over other LNs released at the same time (especially if all of them are the same genre)?

I feel like you can judge it based on it's construction after the fact, but if you are trying to decide what to try, it's those marketing elements that really get one. Isekai and other LN genre too are really sold on their twist / original element.

Me, I try to avoid synopsis and reviews as much as I can to avoid spoilers, so I definitely am sold on those marketing elements. The more bizarre your twist if you are an Isekai, the greater chance I will try you. I'm probably missing amazing stories because of this. Certainly Yen seems to be chasing the "bizarre twist" between Slimes (there's a lot of them but they're still odd), Vending Machines, Mommies, and Pizza Parlors. There may be some Battle Harem, Demon King Reincarnation, or Slow Life stuff they're passing up that is more well constructed.

(Demon King with harem I can safely say I wish would get a bit of a rest at this point though, no matter how well constructed).

Edit: Sounds like we all have biases with what we like genre wise which helps determine what we try too. I definitely have those "marketing terms that make me go NOPE" lists. xD

@terrence totally agree, specially with the Grimgar stuff you said. But imo I don’t mind fight scenes tbh, that is unless you know the mc is op and has almost no way of losing. That’s when it turns boring to me.