What are you reading today?

The book is better than the drama adaptation, imo, but neither is a masterpiece.
One guy has an unhealthy obession with another guy and the other guy keeps kinda bullying him, kinda not. I’d recommend watching a bit of the tv drama (since it’s free) before you buy the book. If you like the general vibe, the book might be for you. :slight_smile: There are 3 volumes plus a short stories collection (I think). The drama covers volume 1, if I remember correctly. Season 2 should be coming out sometime soon, if it isn’t already.

4 Likes

I’ve been making a push to catch up on the 『青春ブタ野郎』シリーズ (series) | L30. Through the first 7 volumes I mostly thought they were better than the adaptation, even if I did like that too. Since getting past the end of the original anime run it really feels like a series looking for a reason to exist after its original story wrapped up though. Been losing steam on the binge read since I hit volume 8 due to that, but I’m still thinking I’ll do 青春ブタ野郎はナイチンゲールの夢を見ない | L30 this afternoon to see if it starts picking back up (since it seems the other Natively readers started rating it higher again in these last few volumes) before giving up on catching up to the new volume

4 Likes

Well I finally finished Kuma Bear volume 8 which was a stronger than usual installment, but sadly I’ve decided to bounce on the Copcraft club since it seems a bit too high level for me quite yet while also trying to maintain my reading at my current level. I’m definitely seeing huge gains with every book I finish so I’m kinda hyped to start Kuma volume 9, but I’m trying to knock out some shorter little manga and one-shots the rest of the week before starting it.

5 Likes

I just finished the first (and title giving) story in 角川つばさ文庫版 きみにしか聞こえない | L25?? and I want to throw the book across the room against a wall… I did not expect this from a book for like 8-12 year olds. I was not prepared for feels.
feels GIF

8 Likes

I’ve watched the drama (twice) and read the first 2 volumes of the light novel. In case you watched the drama already, the first season covers the plot of (most of, iirc) the first volume. (I just saw here’s a 2nd season of the drama the other day. Need to find out where to watch!)

The novels of course contain more depth and such, but the drama might be more streamlined? I feel like they changed small parts of how the characters are portrayed… Not sure though, there was quite a bit of time between watching and reading for me.

I thought the novels were pretty well written. They flowed well and were easy to read in long sessions. They contain some difficult terms (high school boys!), but nothing too out there imo.

I drifted off a big in there. Was there something specific you wanted to know about the novels? :slight_smile:

4 Likes

Would you say the plotline more or less follows what cat and Biblio mentioned?

Wait, they are not adults?

I guess that depends on your definition of adulthood. :joy: But no, you’re right. They’re high school students at first but they do graduate and go on to college, I should have specified. I think that happens at about a third of the book.

More or less, yes. There’s a bit more to it, of course, but at the core, it’s about 2 people on different sides of the school hierarchy who due to a series of events happen to spend a lot of time together. One is dark and broody and prone to day dreaming/ getting lost in his own world, the other is more pragmatic, but also way too proud and insecure. (Vague character description)

They lose contact after school and get on with their separate lives until they randomly meet again at a thing. Then it’s a series of misunderstandings and miscommunication and different world views making things way more complicated than they need to be. (Very rough plot description)) It’s fun if you like that sort of thing. It can be hit and miss for me, but I did like it here. They do make progress. ^^

5 Likes

I’m currently scrambling to finish my current books before a trip in a couple days. Right now I’m reading N/A | L30??. It’s one of those books where I am constantly flopping between “this is horribly boring” and “I love this”. I’m hoping that the ending is somewhat good, I have no idea where it’s going because I still haven’t figured out what the main plot of the book is supposed to be, there’s just so much random stuff happening.

5 Likes

For some reason that book is always in the “recommendations” for me on Rakuten/Amazon/etc but I’ve never really been drawn in by the blurb enough to buy. Looking forward to seeing your final thoughts!

4 Likes

Thanks for all your thoughts on 美しい彼 @cat, @Biblio, and @Belerith! I was looking at a final book to round out a book order (gotta remember to take pics~), and ultimately decided to go with something else (this; no Natively yet, but it’s requested), but I think I will keep 美しい彼 in the back of my mind, especially since it’s got both a drama and a manga, both of which I feel are easier to sample than a novel.

5 Likes

I see cats. I like. :eyes:

5 Likes

Right? The first thing your eye is drawn to.

3 Likes

I would honestly and sincerely like to recommend the manga I’m currently reading

it is funny, 10 pages a chapter so very comfy for in-between stuff kind of readings, and while there is no furigana the language is very basic with some terms from time to time (so far)

3 Likes

What’s it about? Eating?

1 Like

A guy eating with a porn face and people looking at him awkwardly

3 Likes

Hah, fair enough.

1 Like

Well now, this is going into my rainy day reading pile :rofl:

2 Likes

I finished the book and wrote a review on it, so I hope you will find that helpful! :slight_smile:

4 Likes

I finished yesterday 花街の用心棒 1 (using the bookmeter link since it’s not on Natively yet) and it was incredibly average.
The writing wasn’t great, but it wasn’t horrible either. The plot made no sense, but it was still entertaining enough to go ahead.
In terms of setting, it’s almost exactly the same as 薬屋のひとりごと but the main character is a bodyguard instead of a medical expert.
And that’s my main gripe with the story. The main character is supposedly incredibly strong (the “use a sword as long as her height one handed” type) and does indeed make short work of assassins, swordsmen, and the like, but whenever the love “interest” (she is not interested; why is that trope a thing) grabs her wrist and forces her into a hug, she can’t get away? I understand that she can’t really smash his face in (although…), but still, she ought to be strong enough to do something about the situation?

Anyway, when I finished the volume I had an inertial urge to keep going, but having slept on it, maybe not.

6 Likes