Tag: Light Novel

Review

Magic and Mystery: Faust vol. 1-2

I was reading the second volume of Faust, the light novel anthology that everyone has heard of by now, when it occurred to me that I never actually discussed the book here. As you would know from reading the interviews and editor comments in the anthology, Faust holds an interesting position in the Japanese light novel scene. Its roots are in the anime subculture, featuring artists like Takeshi Obata (Death Note) and writers like Nisioisin (Bakemonogatari), but it doesn’t feel as targeted or commercialized as most otaku media, for better or worse. Editor Katsushi Ota is the one man in charge of the magazine, and he seems to take pride in bringing together these creative works from Japan’s younger generation and reaching out to new audiences.

At any rate, for simplicity’s sake, I’ll talk individually about the short stories published in the first two English releases of Faust. Most of my familiarity with light novels comes from the titles available here, so don’t be surprised if I miss something.

Post Footer automatically generated by Add Post Footer Plugin for wordpress.

Review

The Desires of Haruhi Suzumiya

[Noizi Ito]

I have a strange history with The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya. I first watched the anime series shortly after it aired, but since I had only just started venturing beyond shounen and modern sci-fi/mecha at the time, I never really understood why I liked it. I memorized the Hare Hare Yukai lyrics and proudly gave the show a 10/10, but I couldn’t really point to one specific aspect of it and say “this is why this story is a masterpiece”.

Thankfully, that problem is now solved. I recently decided to go through the first of the nine published novels, and just as I expected, the memories from four years ago came back in a flash – except this time I’m not hindered by blind fandom.

Post Footer automatically generated by Add Post Footer Plugin for wordpress.

Review

Of Hydrangeas And Ashes: Socrates in Love

socrates-in-love-review

It’s funny how often the greatest stories are about the simplest of things. Love, after all, is nothing new to the human race. It’s been around since the beginning the time, for as long as we’ve been able to think and feel; whether eating freshly roasted meat in a cave in some unknown corner of the planet, or drinking aged wine and dining atop the CN Tower, there are some aspects of the human mind that have never changed, and never will.

So, why is it that stories like this continue to crop up? Could it be, perhaps, that even after thousands of years, there are some things about ourselves that we don’t know? Some things that still challenge us to look into our lives, into our hearts – things that elude us even to this day?

Socrates in Love is a simple story, but I believe – in my humble, oh-so-subjective opinion – that that is what makes it beautiful. Without the use of symbolism or allegory, rich vocabulary or vivid imagery, it captures the hearts of its readers – because it takes a simple, unoriginal concept, and portrays it in a blindingly blunt light that leaves the reader both dazzled and broken.

Post Footer automatically generated by Add Post Footer Plugin for wordpress.

Miscellaneous

Karui Shosetsu Magazine Released!

 

Not sure how well known or obscure these guys are in the otaku community, but I just wanted to do my part in spreading the word of this one-of-a-kind English language Light Novel Magazine. You can find more info at their official blog (linked above) or at their site LightNovel, but the bottom line is that they’re working toward improving the light novel industry in English speaking countries, and that’s something that I can definitely commend.

At the moment, I won’t write too much on this intriguing project as I assume any light novel fan would already be interested, but I think I should mention that I’ll definitely be supporting the magazine in the future. As an amateur novelist and a light novel fan, I’m behind this 100% – congrats on the release of the first issue, and I hope to see more releases in the future!

~ ETERNAL
つづく

Post Footer automatically generated by Add Post Footer Plugin for wordpress.