With Natively’s grading system, more recent gradings are considered more strongly than older ones. So it may not actually represent 1k gradings. It is usually in the L30-32 range though, from what I’ve seen over the years.
Personally, I think arcs 1-3 of the series are around L29-31, while arcs 4-5 are L31-32. But from others I’ve spoken to, I do tend to think it’s slightly easier than most people.
I’ve been reading エイティエイトを2でわって 1 | L27 and it’s good so far. First new Kirara series I’ve started in a while. I got the first volume digitally on a steep sale to try out, but I think I’ll buy the physicals in a few weeks. I do love getting physicals of Kirara manga, and I was running out of ones to buy.
Yeah, I ended up doing this. So far it feels pretty easy. And I might just be interested enough to finish the book this week. Will be satisfying to check it off my list, if I do. Maybe I’ll do it with the audiobook
That’s kind of what I’d expect (if only bc I haven’t read any mystery yet, and I have read plenty of fantasy)
Appreciated 
Interesting to hear. I remember it was L30 back when the LN club did it
That seems likely enough to me . So far the writing style feels really straightforward to me, in a way that マリみて doesn’t (it’s more flowery/elaborate)
If anything, I feel like volume 2 was easier than volume 1. Except for a specific part in volume 3, difficulty only bumps up once we reach arc 2 (and, as @seanblue said, bumps up again with every successive arc, although I don’t think there’s much difference between arcs 4 and 5).
That being said
Overall, I wouldn’t say the vocab or sentence structure changes much. There’s a broader range of topics and grammar gets more advanced, but that’s compensated by the fact that the reader would get used to all those things by the time they get there.
DNF’d on お釈迦様もみてる2 学院のおもちゃ【マリア様がみてるカラー口絵つき】 | L29 - I just couldn’t stand the plot and environment. Book 3 looks more hopeful tho, so giving it a try still.
Started 美少女戦士セーラームーン 3 | L24 and the writing around Chibiusa is so much better all around. I’m only 1/3rd in, but so far everyone has been perfectly likeable in this scenario - really shocking after the 90s anime. I love how much more realistic the manga is about a variety of things.
本好きの下剋上~司書になるためには手段を選んでいられません~第一部「兵士の娘1」 | L32 - may as well finally finish it.
知ってびっくり! 日本の歴史のお話 後編 | L21 - haven’t started yet, but doing an informal book club. Feel free to join if you’re interested in post-1200s Japanese history
花物語 上 | L39 - enjoying as usual
薬屋のひとりごと 1 | L38 - in lessons as usual
レトロゲ(1) | L27 also in lessons
Home thread for SeaBed - informal Visual Novel Book Club - is starting to get interesting, maybe
Anyway that’s kinda too many novels, so I should try to finish 本好き quickly, then お釈迦様 3. To be fair the other 3 are very gradual reads (especially SeaBed, it’s equivalent to like 900 pgs) - so I have to remind myself not to panic too much 
After a week, I’m over 40% done with 星のカービィ あぶないグルメ屋敷! ?の巻 | L21. Considering I kept hearing how long it would take me to read my first novel, that doesn’t seem too bad. (Admittedly, I chose a very simple novel. 
) I’ve had a few genuine laughs out of the shenanigans so far.
Also finished up ニッターズハイ!1 | L20 today! I loved it and I’m excited to read the other volumes in the series. I really like the two main guys (and I want them to smooch 
). It’s shounen, so it won’t happen, but it’s still fun to giggle about.
But for now, a break to read the second volume of 赤ずきんチャチャ 2 (りぼんマスコットコミックス 694 ) | L18!
Did I say such a thing in the マリみて thread?
I don’t think the sentences in 本好き get all that complex at all. Nor does it use fancy vocabulary. I feel some of the epilogues from the perspectives of adults feel quite a bit more difficult than the main text (even though the protagonist is technical an adult, too).
What makes 本好き difficult at times is some technical vocabulary (although that can be looked up) and the complicated plot (complicated politics, many many political factions and characters with family relationships, a complicated magic system).
The first マリみて has quite complicated sentence structure that takes getting used to. But the vocab and plot wasn’t the difficult either.
It’s just a lot of new vocab for me. The grammar and sentence structure is all easy enough so far. But if you haven’t read very many (or any, in my case) medieval fantasy books in japanese the vocabulary curve gets a bit steep.
You absolutely did. The prologue is super easy. I would say until I started hitting past the 20% mark the difficulty was fine.
Starting reading my favorite manga of all time in japanese yesterday. 7Seeds. Many many years ago I read a fan translation on an app called Bingbox, all the way up to near the end of the series. This was before the series was actually completed though. Bingbox was eventually shut down (because it was clearly illegal lol) and I never got to finish the series. It’s always been a goal of mine to get to see the ending.
I blew through almost half of it within less than an hour. Definitely didn’t expect that, given the level 27 difficulty it currently has. I generally have a harder time with manga than chapter books so I expected to struggle.
Since posting that, I have finished one (1) book from the pile, bought 12, and got 2 from the library.
All according to the plan.
I loved 7seeds! It took me a while to get into it because I’m having a hard time remaining interested when there are frequent changes in viewpoints/characters, but once we got to know everyone, the series did deliver!
I have some minor issues with the end, but I will wait for you to finish before posting anything about it.
I was reading from page 196, not the beginning. (And have now read up to 214). I’ll keep in mind the 20% or so thing tho, and maybe go back afterwards, if I don’t run into anything exceptional in the remaining 1/3rd of the book.
You might be waiting a while. 
I don’t know how long it’ll take me to get through the series in japanese. Initially, I was only gunning for 3 volumes this year. If it’s going to be this easy though I may bump it up to 10.
Ah gotcha. I wouldn’t think it would be that difficult for you anyway though. You’ve read A LOT of books. I aspire to read the amount of books you’ve read lol.
You’ll get there eventually it really helped when I started reading stuff that was actually level-appropriate. Like I had a long “read only L20-26 yuri manga” phase, and then in the last 6 months a “read only マリみて” phrase. Those are the two things that bumped my book count (and reading skills) the most, I think.
Fwiw I did drop 本好き twice before (once in 2023 bc of lookups)
It looks like there’s some interest, so I’ll post the thread tomorrow or the day after. Hopefully we get a couple of re-occuring participants.
That’s been a big goal this year. Overall, I’m trying to stay in the mid to upper intermediate levels. They definitely help my grammar and vocab the most right now. I just have to sprinkle in some lower level reads every now and again to boost my confidence back and keep from burning out lol.
Finished the first volume of 7Seeds. I think I’m a really bad judge of book difficulty, because in my mind level 27 is kind of harder for a manga, but I had a pretty easy time with the volume. Is it because I read it in english 10 years ago? Is it because I’m actually better at reading in japanese now? I feel like I need to read other level 27 manga to figure it out.
Meanwhile, I could beat whoever made the level for たのしいムーミン一家 go down, because I had so much trouble with that stupid book. I think it’s just because it’s old and it’s written kind of weird sometimes. It’s rated easier than Kiki’s Delivery Service right now. 
Obviously, someone thought it was easier though. 
Like I said, I could just be a terrible judge of difficulty.
What I’m hearing is that you made space for 15 new suggestions for things to add to your list 
This reminds me one of my 2025 goals is to get comfortable with L27+ fantasy manga.
So I guess I’m reading Fate/kaleid liner プリズマ☆イリヤ ドライ! ! 3 | L27 now I was considering 真月譚 月姫 9 | L27 but Prisma Ilya wins bc furigana and more humor
I’m not sure I follow the logic. I guess it depends what list you mean. My original goal of finishing my 積読 pile is set back by 11 books. Saying that getting stuff frees space on the wishlist would mean 14… but only one of those was in there.
What I’m saying is that suggestions are always welcome.
