Light Novel Discussion Topic

Off-Topic
#21

I need to read more light novels from other series.

To start off, here’s what I have read:

  • Haruhi Suzumiya - All volumes available now (Melancholy through Surprise). I’ve read through these three times so far. (I am far too into this series in general…)
  • Shakugan no Shana - Volumes 1 and 2. I didn’t realize this was a shounen-y thing, but then when I read it I was actually somewhat interested. There’s no volume 3 LN officially translated to English.
  • Gosick - Volume 1. Volume 2 is somewhere around $100+ on Amazon last I checked. (And various other places.) So… Yeah… Absolutely loved this though.
  • Tokyo Demons - Books 1 and 2. These aren’t from Japan. Also they’re free and I’d definitely recommend them. Check it out here: http://sparklermonthly.com/series/tokyo-demons/ I have the paperbacks. I don’t like waiting between chapters if I can just pay for the book itself, so I usually just wait for the next release.
  • Haganai - Volume 9, 10~ (partially). Enjoying this. Haven’t read the earlier volumes, but the anime covered enough of the story for me to not be lost.
  • Tsuki Tsuki - All volumes available now (1 through 12). Waiting on volume 13… This series is very ecchi, but I find it entertaining nonetheless. I guess it’s just one spoonful of sugar away from my cup of tea. The translations are unofficial, and the English isn’t very good, but it’s still worth it IMO. (Definitely not for everyone though.)
  • OniAi - Volume 1 - 4~ (partially). Umm… guhehe?
  • Omae wo - (Everything available so far). I have nothing to say in defense of myself.
  • Kamisama no Memochou - Volume 1. Right away there were some amazing quotes that just completely jive with my general philosophy and personal views. Alice is awesome. I’ve been meaning to read more of this.
  • Hyouka - (Not sure where I am.) - Enjoyable.
  • Kanon - Volume 1 (Nayuki). Yay~ Need to read the rest of these.

I’m sure I’m forgetting a bunch. There’s a lot I’ve been meaning to read, but haven’t made it to yet. Especially Angel Beats: Track Zero, and 5 Centimeters Per Second.

Of those, my general recommendations would be Tokyo Demons, Gosick, and Haruhi. (The anime for Haruhi covers the first four volumes entirely, and parts of the fifth and, iirc, sixth volume. But those two, and all after, will have new content as well.)

I would really like to see some of the Key LNs get official English translations someday (soon, preferably). It’s nice to see (what seems like) a surge of interest in official translations for LNs lately. (That means owning an official paperback or hard copy if that’s your thing. It is for me.)

Thanks to @LinkThinks’s post, I’ve just started reading Famima! Only went through the prologue so far. But it made me laugh, so we’ll see how this one goes.

Just want to throw this out there but… Remote Island Syndrome from The Boredom of Haruhi Suzumiya is just terrible compared to the anime version. They mention Kyon’s sister about once or twice then completely forget about her existence. The anime does a better job of managing and presenting this story overall. The new elements they add in, like the “shadow on the island,” fits in better with the overall story.

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#22

So after watching anime that have been adapted from light novels, I really wanted to go check out their source material and continue with the story. Sadly, the series I have been looking forward to reading for example like Kono subarashii Sekai ni Shufuku wo! or Amagi Brilliant Park have gotten hit with a left hook by the DMCA(Digital Millennium Copyright Act). It’s a United States copyright law that “criminalizes production and dissemination of technology, devices, or services intended to circumvent measures that control access to copyrighted works.” So, it basically screws over many translation projects like NanoDesu’s translation for amaburi.

I want to ask, what does this mean for light novels transitioning over to western culture? I understand some series have translation projects still up and some series are licensed by big companies, but that alone does not cover a huge amount of titles - or I could be wrong?

Also, what are some recommendations? haha
I have been meaning to start on a light novel title but I just keep pushing that thought aside since I get indecisive.

#23

I started reading Kizumonogatari last week and am really enjoying it. Vertical did a pretty good job on the localization - it reads much more like a regular book than a “book you know wasn’t written in English” which was how I felt reading Strawberry Panic and the first two Haruhi LNs.

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#24

I’ve been reading Spice and Wolf recently. I’m on vol. 3. It was quite entertaining at the beginning, but lately, I feel like it’s not worth paying money for anymore… Don’t get me wrong, it’s not bad or anything, but it’s already become pretty repetetive, being all about trade and using some kind of witty trick to outsmart someone else and get profit. I liked the serious scenes with the female lead, too…
But I’m really losing interest and probably won’t buy vol. 4.
Does anyone else here read it?

#25

I started some time ago and I’m at the beginning of vol. 6. If you are already bored you really shouldn’t buy the other volumes. So far it’s all about trading, how to make profit and the relationship between lawrence and holo. I read the first 3 volumes pretty fast in like 1 month but then I slowed down to one volume in 1-2 month.

If you want to kinda finish the story Vol. 5 works good as an ending. You could watch the anime, they adapted vol 1, 2, 3 and 5. Vol. 4 isn’t really necessary because it’s, well, more of the same and nothing really happens.

But I think I’m going to continue reading because I’m a romance fan and lawrence and holo just work too perfect together.

#26

For the first time ever I actually bought a legitimate light novel. It was Rising of the Shield Hero volume 2, since volume 1 was online but anything else after that isn’t. I read the original web novel a while back and I loved it so I decided to read the first volume and then buy the second one. I just finished the second one and I can confidently say that I still love the series and will buy volume 3 soon.

I was also reading Spice and Wolf a while ago illegally… I stopped at volume 4 but I think I’ll pick it up again.

Also I read HakoMari a while back on recommendation by @Yerian who still hasn’t actually finished it.

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#27

I’ve read the first three volumes of Sword Art Online: Progressive (I like the world building Kawahara’s doing with this remake, and a number of the original characters are interesting. If only I could say the same for Kirito and Asuna…) I also ready the first volume of The Legend of the Galactic Heroes, which, while clearly old-fashioned in terms of prose, was engrossing in the way it presented its characters and how the interact in the geopolitics of this universe. I’ll be looking forward to reading volume 2.

#28

Personally I have read a few from my end, from what I remember I have read:

  1. Taimadou Gakuen 35th Shiken Shoutai (5 Volumes before the DMCA came around, I think it came weeks before the anime even ended… which, the anime was pretty poorly adapted imo)

  2. Sword Art Online Series (Up to Alicazation)(From what I remember I read them through a translator that was translating them on wattpad… I know its not a good site but I did read them there, it was entertaining, better than the anime due to its explanations and world building is pretty much fine for me)

  3. Soshite Fumetsu no Renagne (This one was probably the more recent one that I’ve read, and I loved it after a few more volumes from my friend who gave me the translations. Pretty much what I wanted, in all honesty)

  4. Log Horizon (This one is better than Sword Art Online’s Novel and the second season of the adaptation personally, and I think this one is pretty well from the writing aspect towards the character aspect. Really would recommend it)

  5. Seirei Tsukai no Blade Dance (I’ve read 3 volumes of it, and its pretty enjoyable, but I heard from Volume 4 and onward is where the actual characters get well done characterization, and the way the writer did it, from what I was told, its a bare case. It’s pretty much characterizing the characters all at once. Or at least from what I know, the main cast)

  6. DanMachi (This one is pretty much the “generic” one but in all honesty, its much better explained in the LN compared to the anime adaptation, and well paced for the last 2 volumes that the anime adapted which was rushed)

Other series to include:

Saijaku Muhai no Bahamut
Black Bullet
Hundred
Kagerou Daze
Ikai no Gunshi no Fairytale
Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei
Machine-Doll wa Kizutsukanai

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#29

Alicization is the good part though! Well, for a bit.

#30

Thought the arc was pretty good from what I’ve read personally. >-<

Personally I love Eugeo and Alice so.

#31

With more and more Light Novels getting official translations, I thought it would be a good idea to list them, so both fans and those who are interested can enjoy the proffessional translation!

Therefore, if a series you like is getting an official release, let us know. Posting the current progress would be of little use, but if a serialization is already completed, please do mention it.

Officially translated Light Novel series:

  • Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya - complete. (It was already complete when I created this topic)
  • Book Girl (Bungaku Shoujo) - complete
  • A Certain Magical Index (To Aru Majutsu no Index) - first season serialization ongoing
  • My Youth Romantic Comedy is Wrong as Expected (Yahari Ore no Seishun Love Come wa Machigatteiru) - ongoing
  • The Empty Box and Zeroth Maria (Utsuro no Hako to Zero no Maria - aka Hakomari) - ongoing
  • No Game No Life - ongoing
  • Monogatari Series - ongoing
  • Zaregoto - ongoing

Also, once the LB Bookclub is over and your lives feel empty and meaningless, you can skim through this topic and maybe find something good to read next.

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#32

Don’t forget No Game No Life! I just ordered the first volume last night from based Yen Press.

#33

Monogatari Series is being officially translated, going to be a while before it catches up though.

#34

Over the years, I’ve garnered an interest in a few LN series. Some are being translated (such as Spice and Wolf, No Game no Life), while others are more obscure, meaning they may not get translated (such as Sakurasou, Inou Battle).

#35

*single tear drips from eye *

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#36

Zaregoto was recently picked up again officially after Del Rey’s localization failed and died many years ago. I believe Vertical is the one publishing both it and the Monogatari series, so I guess they managed to work something out with Nisio. Would be interested in getting Ningen too, so people can experience some of Nisio’s most awesome characters, but Japanese puns are gonna puncture the quality of translations.

Also, I’m really sad Yen Press never localized all the other Bungaku Shoujo stories. The main story is complete but volume wise, they only did half of what’s out there. I’ve read a few of them in Japanese, and they’re basically just as good, or even better than the main series, depending on how you feel about the heroines :stuck_out_tongue:

#37

I love Nisioisin’s works, the monogatari series is kind of weak compared to his other stories tho. I have every 人間 book in Chinese, but the Zaregoto series (also in Chinese) are out of print so it’s hard to collect them, to this date I am still missing the last book ;_;
The good thing about reading his works in Chinese is that his writing is relatively well-kept in TL, second only to perhaps the original ver.

Definitely, the Zaregoto universe has some of his best characters ever. But I cri evry tiem when most of them die.

#38

Just how multi-lingual are you guys? :sweat:

Makes me jealous.

#39

Wait, there’s side stories? Damn, I had no idea.
I wouldn’t mind reading a side story about Miu or Nanase, though I’d probably have to reread a couple of volumes to enjoy it in full.

I’m currently dabbing into Mizuki Nomura’s other work, Hikaru ga Chikyuu ni Itakoro, and I gotta say it’s either a TL thing or that one just isn’t as enjoyable as Book Girl…

#40

Bungaku Shoujo is definitely more enjoyable, but I personally still enjoyed Hikaru quite a bit. As I’ve stated before, Nomura’s writing is exactly the kind of romantic bait I’m a huge sucker for, so I find it really hard to not be biased. I think pacing may be a problem. Hikaru’s overall plot doesn’t really start peaking until volume 7 or 8, whereas Bungaku Shoujo is over by then. Hikaru also has a pretty different set of characters, which appeals to a different audience. The loli/imouto archetype, for example, was annoying except for the rare endearing moments, even if I still think Nomura did a good job of writing in that trope. Basically, the characters may take some time to grow attached to if their starting pointing isn’t as attractive as, say, Touko-senpai’s irresistible positvity. Hikaru being the “Touko” of his series, is a much less likable character, but I think that serves to make the character interactions more dynamic in the long run. While Bungaku Shoujo has a broken Konoha learning to accept Touko’s kindness, Hikaru involves two incompatible people forging an unlikely friendship. It’s very different, but still great.

While I could imagine one liking Bungaku Shoujo but not Hikaru (or vice versa), Hikaru still has plenty of scenes that will remind you of the former. I’ll say this though: the Hikaru series probably involves even more secrets and lying than Bungaku Shoujo. Interpret that however you want.

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