24th November we start Webnovel レモン味のラムネ Informal Reading Club

Japanese Reading Book Clubs
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Informal reading of the webnovel レモン味のラムネ

There’s some here reading as part of the Web Novels Informal Book Club on 24th of November but since it’s an informal reading people can join in or leave as they want whenever even long after we’re reading something else lol

Title and Link to work: レモン味のラムネ
Platform: kakuyomu
Current status: 27 Chapters, 103,133 Characters, Completed

Content warnings

Not that I know of any

Short Synopsis

Satou Ikutarou, a salaryman who is tired of his job, was supposed to go on a trip to Kyoto to use up his paid vacation days.
However, after nodding off while riding the bullet train, upon waking up he finds that he is in a train station in a place he has never seen or heard of.

会社勤めに疲れたサラリーマン・佐藤幾多郎（さとうきたろう）は有給休暇を消化するため、京都に旅行に出かけたはずだった。
しかし行きの新幹線の車中で居眠りをして再び目が覚めたとき、見たことも聞いたことのない駅にたどり着いてしまう。

Discussion Rules

(based on @omk3 s rules for the ハサミ男 Informal Reading Club)

  • Please mention which chapter your comment is meant for and use spoiler tags liberally, both for referring to the novels contents and for speculation of your own.
  • When asking for help, please mention the chapter and reference the full sentence (adding a link is always a plus).
  • Don’t be afraid of asking questions, even if they seem embarrassing at first. All of us are here to learn and have fun :smiling_face: :heart_hands:

And that’s all folks! :rabbit: :carrot: If you’re interested in trying out more webnovels or just want to hang out with some of us make sure to visit over at the Web Novels Informal Book Club :computer: :bookmark_tabs:

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Was really looking forward to this book club, gonna start reading today!
Not totally sure what I pace I should go at, because it’s informal, but I’ll figure it out :saluting_face:

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Finally finished reading the first chapter! It was more difficult than I expected.

Spoilery thoughts

The beginning of the chapter actually reminded me of the beginning of Stardew Valley a little bit - because of the awful working conditions and the atmosphere that they produce.

The fact that the initial use of 休ま「さ」せていただきます made me go hmm, but I put a pin in that to look into later, and then it was literally addressed later in the chapter made me smile :slight_smile:

Did not understand pretty much anything of that strange dialect that was spoken on the train, but I’m assuming it’s intentional on the author’s part.

Was surprised to see スマートフォン and not just スマホ, and in the same vein was surprised that ホーム is platform! Seems unusual for the abbreviation to come from the second half of the word and not the first.

Overall, there were a lot of very cool expressions that I’ll make note of (probably by going through the chapter one more time a bit later) and the last sentence was very intriguing. Excited to continue!

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my thoughts on your thoughts on the first chapter

I didn’t consider that lol, good point!

do share when you do that go through! I would love to hear what you’re going around searching (I have a tendency to not question things properly so it’ll actually be helpful to me if you do :joy:)

IS THAT what that game is about??? I thought it’s some kind of animal crossing vibe game :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

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I don't think there are actual spoilers for the chapter here, but let's be consistent XD

Okay, will do! I’ll try to make a list I think :thinking:

Stardew Valley is actually a chill/cozy game about farming and befriending people, so your impressions are absolutely correct. However! It does start with the protagonist leaving their job because of how awful that corporation is and going to live on their grandfather’s land. It’s just one cutscene at the very beginning of the game, but that’s the association my brain went with, I don’t know why lmao.
The cutscene in question, in case you wanna see what I’m talking about.

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Promised list of phrases/words that caught my attention in the first chapter

In order of appearance:

  • 目には濃い疲れの色
    When I tried to look this up, results for 疲労の色が濃い showed up instead, this for example.
  • ぶっきら棒 - curt; blunt; brusque​
  • 霞が関の人間が机上の空論で何か決めたところで、企業体質なんて簡単に変えられるはずがあろうか。
  1. 霞が関 - government ministries (of Japan)
  2. 机上の空論 - armchair theory; impracticable theory
  3. 企業体質 - corporate culture
  • 給湯室 - office kitchenette; room with facilities for boiling water​
    Seems useful for things with office settings.
  • 目を凝らす - to strain one’s eyes; to look closely; to stare at​
  • 初老 - past middle age; nearing old age; near-elderly​
    Very funny word to me - oh, you are starting to get old, let’s point this out explicitly :grin:
  • 苦虫を噛み潰したような顔
    Pretty literal and straightforward, but still fun to imagine :slight_smile:
  • ガツンと言う - to tell a person (something) emphatically; to let a person have it​
    Might come in useful someday
  • 先ほどのことは水に流したと言わんばかりに話しかけた
    I like the imagery of water washing away an unpleasant thing. Also, didn’t know the んばかりに grammar, it’s N1 according to bunpro!
  • 英気を養う - to restore one’s energy; to restore one’s spirits; to recharge one’s batteries​
    Once again, didn’t know this one and it seems useful.
  • とりつくろう (取り繕う) - in this case it seems to be to smooth over (a mistake, fault, etc.); to gloss over; to varnish over; to patch (things) up; to palliate​
  • 台無しにする - to spoil; to ruin; to destroy; to make a mess of​
  • 雨粒 - very cute word for raindrop
  • 途方に暮れる - to be at a loss; to be puzzled​
    Wonder why it means what it means. It gets dark on the way? You are lost in thought on the way? Dunno.

Going through the chapter for the second time was much easier, which is not very surprising. Some of these are just words/phrases that seemed useful and which I don’t remember seeing before, and some of them are just super fun to think about :slight_smile:

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Chapter 1 done. Trying to play catch up before the next novel starts. :melting_face:

for consistancy sake

I think they were talking about a traffic accident… someone was going on a narrow road when suddenly a truck came directly at them and they had to steer into a field to avoid collision.

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Chapter 2 done.

That close-but-not-quite-Japanese is a bit annoying to read, ngl. But it’s doable because of the kanji. :melting_face:

Quick summary: Talking to local taxi driver. Getting directions to a matsuri.

Chapter 3 done.

The title-giving lemon has made an appearance and seems to be the local famous produce.

Quick summary: lemon-shaped head mascot breaks up a fight at the matsuri.

Chapter 4 done.
:thinking:

Quick summary: Met a woman (Kinaka Akimi) who knows the MC from when they were children. MC has no memory of her. Joins family gathering. 俺 is gender-neutral in this world.

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Chapter 5:
This is very much a SOL.

Quick summary: travelling to Akimi’s home while talking about the language differences. The フイッツ that was mentioned in chapter 1 turns out to be the word for bicycle. First encounter with Akimi’s family.

Chapter 6:
I am still not entirely sure what this webnovel is trying to do.

Quick summary: We continue meeting the family. Some assume that he is Akimi’s boyfriend or at least interested in being her boyfriend. The language continues to cause confusion.

If someone could release me from reply prison, it would be much appreciated :face_holding_back_tears:

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Merci beaucoup! :slight_smile:

Chapter 7:
I was surprised byhis surprise over 鳥刺身 which is actually a thing in Japan. Stuff like this is partially the reason why I am vegetarian whenever I cannot choose my own food. :rofl:

Quick summary: Food. Alcohol. TV. Common Japanese surnames are unusual in this world.

Chapter 8:

I think the story will end with the MC quitting his job. I think that’s the whole point of this story.

「知らず知らずの内に、私は日本社会の同調圧力に屈してしまっていた……。でも、もうこれからは納豆を食べなくていいんだ。私は自由なんだ ！」

Quick summary: Breakfast. No natto in this world. Musings about forcing yourself to fit society. MC thought he might have been nanpa’d but in fact Akimi just wanted him to help with the lemon harvest.

Chapter 9:
Lots about language differences again.

Quick summary: Lemon harvest. Meeting Sakishi. PB&J sandwiches are a thing.

Chapter 10:

This was a fairly long chapter.
The “joys” of countryside living… privacy, what is privacy? :rofl:

Quick summary: Collecting lemon crates while being interrogated by the driver Kaikubo. Also learn stuff about Kaikubo’s past. Cousin marriage. Engagement.

Chapter 11:

Short chapter. Basically a reminder to live and let live.

Quick summary: Small disagreement with Akimi because MC keeps calling her weird, when in fact, from their POV he is the weird one. They make up. Akimi ‘jokes’ (?) about eloping.

Chapter 12:
Final chapter of the first part.
We finally get to drink the title-giving ラムネ. but it’s not like the ラムネ we know.

Quick summary: Visiting the seaside. Checking out a sweet’s shop. Drinking ラムネ.
Talking about the past and how Akimi knew him.

Author’s note:
There are links to the translation of the dialect here, if someone is curious. The author put in a lot of work to create a dialect for a relatively short (~100k characters) story.

Intermission:
Small time jump.

Quick summary: A month has passed. MC still lives with Akimi’s family and helps with the lemons. He has also started to work at a local supermarket. MC feels like an outsider despite growing connections in the community. He has mixed feelings towards Akimi who seems to just use him as a substitute.

Part 1 done. Might start Part 2 later today or tomorrow.

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Finished part 2.

The chapters are shorter in this part and there are overall fewer, so it was a quick read.
I wonder if this was meant to be a longer work? These 2 parts feel somewhat unsatisfying?
The author is apparently a Japanese (for foreigners) teacher - makes sense, tbh.

There is a spin off horror novel, apparently…

レモン味のラムネの関連作として「鬼月禁忌」というホラー小説を書いてみました。
鬼月禁忌 第一章
鬼月禁忌（中原恵一） - カクヨム
こちらは完全ギャグ無しのシリアスな小説なのでレモン味のラムネとは大分雰囲気が違いますが、よかったらどうぞ。

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