What Other Light Novels Are You Reading?
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I was going to ask somewhere what you guys got in Yen Press' big light novel dump. I just got Vending Machine. I got a lot to get through, but this seems like it will be a pretty light read compared to the Political and Pseudoscience of even the comedies I've been reading. xC
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@legitpancake Could be stealth commentary on racial issues in the modern world. A number of stories conversely use the trope of "people with black hair/Asian features are exotic and/or discriminated against." Attack on Titan does this, for example, as well as both Seirei Gensouki and Ubau Mono Ubawareru Mono. I think it's just a reflection that Japanese people find Westerners fascinating/attractive, or they're appealing to a part of their culture that wants to rebel against conformity. The "half-Japanese returning national with European hair and eye color" trope is also quite popular in Japan-based stories.
Basically, while it seems unnecessary to you, I think it does have meaning to Japanese readers, either as an escape, or an admission of what they think is attractive, or both.
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@terrence said in What Other Light Novels Are You Reading?:
I was going to ask somewhere what you guys got in Yen Press' big light novel dump. I just got Vending Machine. I got a lot to get through, but this seems like it will be a pretty light read compared to the Political and Pseudoscience of even the comedies I've been reading. xC
Spoiled because long list.
Forgot to order Killing Slimes, probably pick up that and Accel World 13 at Kinokuniya this weekend so I don't have to wait for it to ship to read it.
Yes, whenever RightStuf has a publisher sale, I always put in a giant 6-month preorder :o
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@terrence I started reading Vending Machine today and I like it, it’s a lot of fun but yeah Siskan seems deep in comparison.
ETA: I’m amazed to see its #1 in the Light Novel category on Amazon. I figured 300 Years would be the big one and this the goofy cousin. Already has 2 reviews too...
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@terrence I got Vending Machine, Konosuba 5, and not LN related Percy Jackson Box Set yesterday. Started reading Vending MAchine and it seems interesting enough; one thing I like is that the Chapters are really short, I really like bit-sized Chapters over long chapters.
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Have you read "Me a Genius"? That one is so chock full of smaller stories, and even within each chapter, perspectives change to keep it fresh.
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@drone205 Yeah the shorter chapters work a treat for a book like this, makes it very easy to binge read because “just another chapter” is only a few pages away.
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@the-green-death Well the color inserts for Vending Machine contain a nude scene, and everyone knows sex sells lol.
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@myskaros I almost squealed when I saw Death March 5 in your list, thought it was already out. I feel so miserable now, it was on preorder only.
Only bought That Time I got Reincarnated as a Slime 2 this month, preordered vol.3 of both Slime and Spider isekai and vol.5 of Death March. Considering if Killing Slimes or Vending Machine are worth it, guess I'll wait for Justus' reviews.
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Just finished reading Volume 10 of The Devil is a Part-Timer! and I'm waiting on the paper copy of Volume 13 of SAO.
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@paul-nebeling will have to do Haturaku Maou. I really liked the anime.
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@steelblaidd The anime covered the first three volumes fairly closely, picked up one side story from volume 7, and had one OVA episode - the obligatory swimsuit episode. There are 18 volumes out in Japan. Volumes 7 and 14 are collections of short stories. There are also two prequel volumes, and a couple of extra side stories.
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@paul-nebeling said in What Other Light Novels Are You Reading?:
The anime covered the first three volumes
Two. Bolded for emphasis, because volume 3 introduces a huge plot point that was 100% not in the anime :O
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@myskaros Yeah, you're right. It's only the first two. Realized my mistake as soon as I looked at the cover for volume 3. Volume 10 was pretty good though. Had me going What???
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@paul-nebeling said in What Other Light Novels Are You Reading?:
@myskaros Yeah, you're right. It's only the first two. Realized my mistake as soon as I looked at the cover for volume 3. Volume 10 was pretty good though. Had me going What???
I'm actually pretty behind on the series. I got kind of unmotivated to read volume 7 since it was only short stories, and now I feel like I have to finish it to keep going but at the same time since I'm behind now I just haven't felt like catching up yet lol.
Whoever said nothing's impossible never tried slamming a revolving door.
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Volume 3 of Devil is Part-Timer also continues a plot point from (I assume) 2 that didn't make it into the anime:
(Big spoiler)
I jumped in with 3, and that was a bit confusing.
I'm on volume 6. Is volume 7 skippable, or are the short stories integral?
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@Paul-Nebeling Thanks for the overview! I'm actually nearly done with 7, I just need to finish the last third or so. I actually thought at first that you said "7 through 14 are short story collections" haha and was mentally flipping a table :P
EDIT: I should mention that I've rewatched the anime lots of times and have a really good grasp on what happens in it, so I'm quite confident in my ability to spot the differences between it and the books :V
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@legitpancake I think you're probably overthinking it. As you said, in most of those cases they reincarnated into bodies that match the people who live in that other world, which tends to be Europeaon looking since they go for a western fantasy theme. Often times they point it out to drive home the fact that the main character is in a new life, in a new body.
It's not really a case of racial whitewashing or anything like that.
If anything, a lot of these light novels tend to be pretty high on Japanese patriotism. Generally speaking, many of these reincnarnted characters would point out things that are common place in the isekai that they find barbaric and how much more cultured Japan is, (ie slavery). Or do things like invent or bring a Japanese katana and have it be MUCH better than any swords produced locally. Or invent sushi and soy sauce and have everyone love it despite differences in tastes...
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Srsly Yen Press?
