Gimai Seikatsu (Days with my Step Sister)

[abhisekai]

Gimai Seikatsu, also known as Days with my Step Sister, is a story written by Mikawa Ghost and illustrated by Hiten Kei.

It originally started as a YouTube video series, followed by Light Novel Series. The Manga is based on the Light Novel and came out sometime later after Volume One.

Description (Translated)

From classmates to brother and sister, living under the same roof.
After his father’s remarriage, Asamura Yuuta ends up getting a new stepsister, coincidentally the number one beauty of the school year, Ayase Saki. Having learned important values when it comes to man-woman relationships through the previous ones of their parents, they promise each other not to be too close, not to be too opposing, and to merely keep a vague and comfortable distance.
On one hand, Saki, who has worked in solitude for the sake of her family, doesn’t know how to properly rely on others, whereas Yuta is unsure of how to really treat her. Standing on fairly equal ground, these two slowly learn the comfortable sensation of living together.
Their relationship slowly evolves from being strangers the more the days pass. Eventually, this could end up in a story about love for all we know.

My Take

The best thing about this series, that makes it stand out of other series with similar plot, is the realistic approach it takes which isn't seen in most of the series out there. As a man reading this series, this will definately give you a feel of how is it like to have a step-sister not related by blood, with whom you need to maintain a certain relation that is not too close, yet not too far.
This is a story about how two strangers meet, and promise each other not to expect anything from the other person, but as the days pass, they question the validity of promise that they made from each other. The story is styled as if one is reading a 'diary' which notes down the various events of the day and presents psycological thinking from the perspective for both the male characters and female characters, and thus presenting a slice of their life.

Why j-novel club should think about licensing it?

• The series has ranked #3 in Konorano 2022 Newcomer's Category and ranked #7 in Overall Category. (Source)
• The series has ranked #2 in Kimirano 2021 New Works cateogory, #8 in overall category, #2 in teenages (below 20) voting category, #4 in Young Adult (20s) voting category and #5 in Male Readers category. (Source)
• JNC has already licensed author's previous work and is currently working on it: My Friend's Little Sister Has It In for Me!
  
• JNC is currently working on another stebsibling romance relation LN series: My Stepmom's Daughter Is My Ex
• The series is rated pretty high on multiple international anime and manga database websites and has big number of reader count waiting to hear news around it licensing date. (I am the source, I can share multiple links but I would probably break ToS of j-novel club and thus avoiding)
• The first volume of the series was launched on 25th January 2021. Since then, we have received 5 volumes so far, with the volume 6 arriving in Summer 2022. Additionally, at the end of volume 5, the author hints taking the series even further with more number of volumes coming up ahead.

Related Names

1. Gimai Seikatsu
2. Days with my Step Sister
3. 義妹生活

Genre

Comedy, Drama, Psycological, Romance, School Life, Slice of Life

Publisher

Kadokawa (MF Bunko J)

Official Links

• Twitter: https://twitter.com/gimaiseikatsu/
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/義妹生活
• Special Website: https://mfbunkoj.jp/special/gimaiseikatsu

BookWalker Link

https://bookwalker.jp/series/284993/

Please feel free to add any comments or queries if you have around this series. I am just a really big fan of this series and would love to answer all your queries happily. <3

[Torka]

@abhisekai

Bumping because this got 9th place in the Kono Light Novel ga Sugoi! 2023 Bunkobon Category

[saffire]

Licensed by Yen Press.