What are you reading today?

[暁のルナ]

@Naphthalene

… I do not agree with that statement. If anything, the writing felt worse than the previous volume,

Fair reasoning. Idk how much of my impression was a result of “the story got way more interesting to me”, but I do remember it feeling much easier, and more pleasant to read. I wonder what I’d think now.

@Naphthalene

and unbelievable behavior. Y’all should all be either much stronger or dead with that kind of attitude.

Guess they lot lucky on the dice rolls I don’t really recall what you’re referring to tho (I mean I vaguely remember lots of weird behavior, but also though I remember them being really strong… Maybe I’m thinking of vol 6 with the “really strong”)

@Naphthalene

but incorrect English, because the author couldn’t get anyone to proofread? Or maybe the editor just thought it didn’t matter

I wonder whether the distorted English was intentional, given that they’re a whole bunch of weirdos. Is the character supposed to be a native speaker? (Idrc) Maybe they’re just someone who partially learned English and did it poorly, but is trying to be “cool”? I have seen some really corrupted English online… tho usually grammar/word choice

@Naphthalene

and follow the trope of making strange mistakes when speaking

I happen to like that trope apparently - particularly with Yume, I think it’s well done and helps lighten things up. Tho I gather you don’t? Actually I kinda wanna try RP’ing a character like that someday… it sounds really hard to do intentionally tho

@Naphthalene

Like, it seems like a weird thing to mix up, I don’t know.

Well yeah, that’s kinda the point

@Naphthalene

On that note, I was quite happy that the character did not accept to date “ミモリン” (or anyone who’s willing to date him just because there’s an opportunity).

Yeah he’s cool/smart like that, tho I’d have been happy to read it either way. Everybody in that party was nuts tho, so I’m glad for his sake that he didn’t

@Naphthalene

Slightly unrelated, but I do like the way he is shaping up to be.

Anything specific? I like his growth in recent volumes as well

@Naphthalene

Reading on paper has been feeling much more comfortable (and much cheaper) than on my phone…

I’m having this same debate about 舞妓さんちのまかないさん | L26 … I’m not sure if I want to commit to 30 volumes, but it’s cheaper to get the paperbacks afaict (even with shipping)

@Naphthalene

But shelf space is still a premium, so I don’t know

Can’t you just sell them back later, if space is an issue?

[pm215]

Finally finished 文庫版 魍魎の匣 | L40?? which I started back in June. The 解説 says that the author’s debut novel (文庫版 姑獲鳥の夏 | L42??) didn’t sell that well, and it was this book that was his breakout work. But personally I preferred his first book, and felt this one was merely OK…

[Naphthalene]

@暁のルナ

Is the character supposed to be a native speaker?

From her description, yes. It’s not explicitly said, because they don’t remember what an English native speaker is, but she is.

@暁のルナ

I happen to like that trope apparently - particularly with Yume

That’s not what I meant. I’m talking specifically about the case where a foreigner makes strange mistakes.

I tried to go down the rabbit hole of TV tropes to find the trope name, and found that Yume’s case is Malaproper - TV Tropes instead, but couldn’t find the one I wanted

I am fine with Yume’s case by the way.

@暁のルナ

Well yeah, that’s kinda the point

Actually, case in point, Yume making that mistake would be fine (I can believe she heard ドテカボチャ at some point in her life and is mixing things up), but not the foreigner with low to mid fluency (who magically understands everything everyone else is saying… but at the same time she has been in a Japanese only environment for a while, so I’m okay with that one).

@暁のルナ

Everybody in that party was nuts tho, so I’m glad for his sake that he didn’t

I was more thinking about the fact that they don’t know anything about each other, but that’s part of it.

@暁のルナ

Anything specific?

He is much more grounded. Doesn’t panic, just get the job done, that kind of thing.

I still wish he would talk more to people. There are a few times when he has potential advices for others but keep them to himself because “it’s not his place” to comment on their stuff.

@暁のルナ

Can’t you just sell them back later, if space is an issue?

That would be throwing them away, I guess. The ones I have, I got for ~30 yen. I don’t think any place in Japan would take them back. From experience, selling back stuff from the 110 jpy bin is usually thrown away too (in which case I get 0 yen, but that doesn’t really matter, even if it’s fine I only get ~10 yen; I don’t like the idea of books being thrown away).
I could try to give them to my local library They do not have that series.

[暁のルナ]

@Naphthalene

From her description, yes. It’s not explicitly said, because they don’t remember what an English native speaker is, but she is.

Oh, ok - then yeah, points off to the author & editor on that one. Like maybe half the JP readers won’t know the difference or something, but still

@Naphthalene

instead of ボケナス or

I just realized what word this is

@Naphthalene

That’s not what I meant. I’m talking specifically about the case where a foreigner makes strange mistakes.

@Naphthalene

I can believe she heard ドテカボチャ at some point in her life and is mixing things up), but not the foreigner with low to mid fluency

Ok I didn’t realize ドテカボチャ is like a specific thing rather than just jumbled syllables… so is your objection that this sort of word is too specific for a foreigner like this to know? (Which I guess I just illustrated ) Sry if I’m being a bit dense on this

@Naphthalene

He is much more grounded. Doesn’t panic, just get the job done, that kind of thing.

This is probably part of what improved my opinion of the writing.

@Naphthalene

There are a few times when he has potential advices for others but keep them to himself

Yeah I remember feeling kinda annoyed by that, now that you mention it. I think it makes some sense, if it’s not his own party members

@Naphthalene

That would be throwing them away, I guess

Oof, I didn’t realize it was like that… 困るな. I always forget libraries exist, cuz I don’t use them

[Naphthalene]

@暁のルナ

Ok I didn’t realize ドテカボチャ is like a specific thing rather than just jumbled syllables… so is your objection that this sort of word is too specific for a foreigner like this to know? (Which I guess I just illustrated )

Yes. Basically, I’ve been hating this trop since seeing the original Star Trek (Mr. Spoke follows a version of that trope where he mixes up things in metaphors in ways that make no sense).
In the specific case I described (and that you indeed illustrated; I would assume that your Japanese is overall better than hers), it’s completely unrealistic for her to know both words and mix them that way (although I did find this instance funny; there are other instances, but they were not fun so I forgot the details). The best I can think of is that someone introduced the first word and then immediately got reminded of the second one because of the pattern and mentioned it too, leading to her confusion? That sounds like the kind of weird leap Tokimune or Kikkawa would make.

@暁のルナ

This is probably part of what improved my opinion of the writing.

Also, the whole main party in general, although I would like to know more about them, especially the women. Haruhiro isn’t hanging out with them as of late, so we basically don’t know anything. More chapters from their point of view would be nice.

@暁のルナ

@Naphthalene

Y’all should all be either much stronger or dead with that kind of attitude.

Guess they lot lucky on the dice rolls I don’t really recall what you’re referring to tho (I mean I vaguely remember lots of weird behavior, but also though I remember them being really strong… Maybe I’m thinking of vol 6 with the “really strong”)

I forgot to reply to that. I’m talking about them blindly rushing ahead in multiple instances, leading eventually to a near total wipeout. We haven’t seen them fight at full potential (they have multiple healers in a place with no healing magic, so it is unfair), but it’s hard to believe that they didn’t lose party members even with the strength on display at the beginning of volume 6 (I read the free preview, which covers the fight against the giant). I’m right there shaking my head along with Haruhiro. Or sighing I guess. That’s more his thing.

[暁のルナ]

@Naphthalene

Yes. Basically, I’ve been hating this trop since seeing the original Star Trek (Mr. Spoke follows a version of that trope where he mixes up things in metaphors in ways that make no sense).

@Naphthalene

That sounds like the kind of weird leap Tokimune or Kikkawa would make.

Hmm, honestly I’m not sure I’d pick up on this even in English - I guess I’d need an example or two. But I can kinda see why that would bug you

@Naphthalene

Also, the whole main party in general, although I would like to know more about them, especially the women. Haruhiro isn’t hanging out with them as of late, so we basically don’t know anything. More chapters from their point of view would be nice.

Ahhh yeah, that part of the story where he wasn’t hanging out with them drove me nuts! Idrc about vol 6, and… in vol 7 it’s just a little, but starting from vol 8 you begin to get more of the other party members’ perspectives and conversations, and it really adds a lot - especially the women, but Kuzaku is pretty interesting too.

@Naphthalene

We haven’t seen them fight at full potential (they have multiple healers in a place with no healing magic, so it is unfair), but it’s hard to believe that they didn’t lose party members

なるほど… I totally forgot about the no healing stuff

@Naphthalene

I’m right there shaking my head along with Haruhiro. Or sighing I guess. That’s more his thing.

Indeed, indeed. Poor guy… he puts up w/ so much nonsense

[Naphthalene]

@Naphthalene

I wonder if I should just tempt my luck and go to a BOOK OFF to find the next volume(s) Reading on paper has been feeling much more comfortable (and much cheaper) than on my phone… But shelf space is still a premium, so I don’t know.

Well, I ended up going to my local Bookoff. It’s pretty small, so the selection isn’t great, but they did have volume 6 (along with 1, 2, and 4) so I bought it.
I guess I’ll have to go to a bigger one for the other volumes.

[暁のルナ]

25% into 灰と幻想のグリムガル level.13 心、ひらけ、新たなる扉 | L31 and it’s been a rather underwhelming start so far. Having left (major spoiler for end of vol 12) my favorite character behind in the pirate city, they’re on a 25 day journey back to Alterna with an annoying, eccentric guide who adds absolutely nothing worthwhile to the story so far. I really hope the author fast forwards through this part soon, or else I might start skimming. Anyway the beginning of these books tend to be a bit slow, so I’m looking forward to it picking up later.

Otherwise I’ve been almost all Kansai-ben lately:

• 卍 (まんじ) | L40 (100% Osaka-ben novel) - husband finally confronted her about her very obviously budding affair with 光子 (みつこ). They’re both at odds. Apparently MC wouldn’t have an affair with a guy, but is fine having one with 光子. They’re barely discreet about it
• 舞妓さんちのまかないさん 1 | L26 - Kyoto-ben. Very pretty, but I’ve been watching the drama mostly - which fills out or possibly changes a ton. Interesting seeing the dialect differences. Update: I dropped it b/c I’m enjoying the drama more, and it’s not exciting enough to read at the same time
• Colloquial Kansai Japanese―まいど! おおきに! 関西弁 | L15 - great & fun Kansai-ben textbook in English
• ラブ★コン 1 | L25 - Osaka-ben. I loved the anime a ton - really great, constant 漫才 style humor! I’ve been typing out a lot of the dialogue as I go, which is very useful for learning
• セーラー服と関西弁 1巻 | L24?? - Osaka(?) - a Manga Time KR 4-koma I’m actually enjoying (halfway through). There was a scene early on where the 2 leads (who moved together from the city) got called out on trying too hard with their accent… but I couldn’t tell . I think part of what I like about it so far is that while it’s trying to be funny (with decent success), it isn’t trying to be cute. It’s more “school girls doing school things” than cgdct. Also the chapters are ~9-10 pgs, and go by quickly

[暁のルナ]

Dropped 舞妓さんちのまかないさん 1 | L25 - I like the drama more, and the story isn’t interesting enough for me to read through the same plot that I’m already watching

NEW GAME! -Complete Edition- 1 | L28??

I started reading through to see how Yun’s Kansai-ben is written. It seems like solid Osaka-ben - so I’m not sure that it fully reflects actual Mie-ben (that’s where she’s from), but for my purposes Osaka is more relevant anyway.

Dialect aside, it’s soooo beautiful having the color pages at the beginning of the chapters, and reading at magazine size! I’m mostly skipping to the sections with Yun, and/or skimming the surrounding parts - just cuz I’ve already read + watched multiple times, and my plate is already pretty full. Also so far it’s easy to read - which is really nice

[Naphthalene]

Finished https://learnnatively.com/book/26e7589aa6/

I like the plot, but it’s starting to get hard to stand the extra characters. Most of them are typical shonen manga tropes, and 90% of the women are “incredibly hot with revealing clothes”.
Why would you wear revealing clothes on a battlefield?? (Also, what happened to the normal looking women? Are they prioritized by enemies so they have a shorter lifespan?)
I like the world building and the main characters, but the rest of the cast is really annoying. That’s kinda sad, it wasn’t the case in previous volumes.

[Snappie]

Finished 君の膵臓を食べたい yesterday

君の膵臓をたべたい | L30

Haven’t decided what to read next yet, but I usually alternate between an easy and hard book so it will be an easy one.

[暁のルナ]

@Naphthalene

but it’s starting to get hard to stand the extra characters. Most of them are typical shonen manga tropes, and 90% of the women are “incredibly hot with revealing clothes”.

Book 7 (which is the first I actually remember) will be… The polar opposite of this, because… there is literally only one other human, and a bunch of other species with no specified gender. The single other woman is a normal housewife

@Naphthalene

Why would you wear revealing clothes on a battlefield?? (Also, what happened to the normal looking women? Are they prioritized by enemies so they have a shorter lifespan?)

This is always my issue with women’s outfits in fantasy - but I guess it got more extreme than usual? I’ve apparently forgotten this, unless you’re talking about these idiots:

Also wth is this illustration????

[暁のルナ]

70% through 灰と幻想のグリムガル level.13 心、ひらけ、新たなる扉 | L31 - and this is the first volume I’ve thought is genuinely awful. Unless something drastically changes, in the next 30%, it’s getting a 2 stars from me. The entire first half of the book (ch 1-11) can literally be skipped, and nothing of consequence will be missed. Tldr: The party doesn’t know the way back to Alterna, so they get hired as bodyguards, by an eccentric, annoying af merchant traveling there. On the way, like a bunch of morons, they follow him into a magical tent & get trapped. They get out by going to a new world. Also they lost all their gold, and the Haru x Merry ship continues to be completely stalled .

Update: I finished it. The last 30% was indeed solid and moved on to a very interesting setting, but I skimmed huge portions of it bc I just wanted to be done. The book is still getting 2 stars from me, since I even felt the need to still do that. チョコ did make an appearance, in a dream.

Vol 14 is part 2 of this setting, and I’m strongly considering skipping it, and just reading the 2 volumes of short stories that follow (which I’m actually really interested in). But I have a feeling it will be decent, so I’ll give it a go.

[Naphthalene]

@暁のルナ

This is always my issue with women’s outfits in fantasy - but I guess it got more extreme than usual?

Well, it’s more a question that it wasn’t like that before. Haruhiro’s teacher and the thief from team レンジ were showing a lot of skin, but whatever, let’s say it’s a thief quirk. After all, thieves aren’t supposed to be tanks, the latter was wearing a skimpy outfit from day one (if I remember correctly; or she was in a gyaru outfit? That’s beside the point, it fits her personality anyway). Other women we met were normal (like チョコ and her friend; the wild angels were aggressive, but it makes sense in a war context).
Then, in recent volumes, between the Souma team, the Tokkiz, … old guy team (I already forgot his name), or ララ&ノノ that you mentioned, not only is realism thrown out the window, literally all women are described as hot, with large breasts and revealing clothing (and the illustrator ran with it, as you mentioned).
That felt somehow more annoying than if the author had been making his characters like that from the start.

[暁のルナ]

@Naphthalene

Haruhiro’s teacher and the thief from team レンジ were showing a lot of skin, but whatever, let’s say it’s a thief quirk

Haruhiro’s teacher has always bothered me… Like everything about her is complete nonsense - except that she occasionally has some useful insights, is apparently very good at her profession, and forces in some 恋バナ - which I’m always here for… even if her advice is kinda ridiculous

But sure, I can sorta get behind the thief x skimpy outfit thing, if we’re not in a combat heavy setting. Her outfits on the wiki don’t really look that revealing tho?

@Naphthalene

old guy team (I already forgot his name),

Akira I think (if I’m getting the right character from the wiki)

@Naphthalene

the wild angels were aggressive, but it makes sense in a war context

I really enjoyed them, and thought they were quite interesting, especially in that setting. Didn’t they invite Yume & Shihoru to join them or something?… Vague memory

@Naphthalene

not only is realism thrown out the window, literally all women are described as hot, with large breasts and revealing clothing

Ahh I see your point. I tend not to pay too much attention to those sorts of descriptions, cuz whatever - I care more about personalities and speech styles… which (for better and worse) it seems like literally everybody who lives long enough has a screw or few loose.

@Naphthalene

That felt somehow more annoying than if the author had been making his characters like that from the start.

Gotcha. While I can’t say 100% for sure about physical descriptors, I think the female characters in the following volumes fare better - with one exception, but she’s not exactly a person in the first place

[Naphthalene]

@暁のルナ

Her outfits on the wiki don’t really look that revealing tho?

She is described twice (at least) as wearing the same kind of outfit as Haruhiro’s teacher, soooo…

@暁のルナ

and forces in some 恋バナ

Honestly, her story of how she broke down her first party by dating both the leader and the mage is probably one of the reasons why Haruhiro is not making any move, so I don’t know if she is a positive influence or not.

@暁のルナ

Akira I think

That’s the one

@暁のルナ

I really enjoyed them, and thought they were quite interesting, especially in that setting.

Right? I thought they were great, so the author can do it.

@暁のルナ

Didn’t they invite Yume & Shihoru to join them or something?… Vague memory

That is a thing that happened indeed.

@暁のルナ

Gotcha. While I can’t say 100% for sure about physical descriptors, I think the female characters in the following volumes fare better

Well, that is reassuring.

Anyway, I just went to one of the largest Bookoff in my area and grabbed volumes 7-12 (the last volume they had… I guess I’ll have to do a bit more legwork for later volumes)

[dorod]

Reading some 三島由紀夫 for the first time in about 18 months and have found my enjoyment for his writing has grown far greater, presumably because I can understand it better than before. That being said, the first short story of 殉教 | L42??, 軽王子と衣通姫, had me looking up at least 1 word every page. I love a story that can make me feel that sense of discovery!

[暁のルナ]

So far 灰と幻想のグリムガル level.14 パラノマニア [parano_mania] | L31 is off to a much more interesting start. We got some backstory for シホル that was… expected, but still oof (why does nobody have happy back stories… poor kids). And the location they’re in (since the last 1/3rd of vol 13) has some super interesting stuff going on. I did skim some parts, but only briefly. There’s various things I’m apprehensive about, but we’ll see.

Finished セーラー服と関西弁 1巻 | L23 - left a review. Overall I liked it, and will probably read vol 2 when it comes out. Idk how accurate my gradings are, but I did my best.

I’m 40% through 卍 (まんじ) | L40 - and things are starting to get interesting. We’ve met the 2nd male character now, and the two women have had some sort of rupture that doesn’t quite make logical sense to me

まんじ recent plot

光子 got herself in some super embarrassing situation, with her so far undisclosed fiance(?), that involved needing clothes as a result of theft… So MC had to bail her out, and now can’t stand the thought of her… Presumably cuz she lied about not having a fiance? Or something else? I’m not quite sure - but like MC is married, so I’m not sure why this should matter, besides the dishonesty… But like, you’re cheating on your husband this whole time, and weren’t honest about it at first either…

Then in Ch 12, she got a phone call from a hospital that involves something being wrong with 光子? I’m a bit fuzzy on the details, so I don’t want to misstate it

Anyway, my comprehension is a bit hampered by the speed of the audiobook narration. So I might consider slowing it down, now that I’ve got a lot of other sources of Kansai input… It’s a nice challenge listening to an audiobook at a faster pace tho

[eefara]

Started グッド・バイ | L30?? for my “author’s legacy” bingo square on @urikk2npg’s suggestion from the Seeking Recommendations thread. It’s going pretty well so far; I’m looking up a fair number of words per page, but the overall flow has been very smooth (though I’m only a few pages in still). One interesting thing I’ve noted is that dialogues that would end with a full stop all end with one ( 。), which I’m not used to seeing. As an example:

「全部、やめるつもりでいるんです。」

(You can see plenty more examples on the Aozora page.)

I wonder when the shift began to omit the 句点 in dialogue if the last sentence would normally require it? It’s one of those Japanese quirks that I don’t really notice anymore, so it took me a second here to figure out what felt so odd to me, haha.

On a bingo-related note, could you tell me if the cat on the cover of 伯爵と妖精 あいつは優雅な大悪党 | L30 is anything more than a token character @Naphthalene? (Since you’ve read the book.) I was thinking of using it for my “features cat(s)” bingo square, but I’d prefer the cat in question to be more present than a single meow and occasional mention (like in CopCraft).

[Naphthalene]

@eefara

is anything more than a token character

He is more than a token character, but he is also technically not a cat, but a cat-shaped fairy. I guess it’s up to you to decide if that counts.