宝石商リチャード氏の謎鑑定 Informal Reading Club 💎

Japanese Reading Book Clubs
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宝石商リチャード氏の謎鑑定 (The Case Files of Jeweler Richard) is a light novel series by 辻村つじむら七子ななこ, currently at 13 volumes. It has been adapted into an anime and a manga series (currently at 5 volumes) illustrated by あかつき三日みか, and it also has a 6-installment audio drama series as well as an official fanbook, エトランジェの宝石箱ジュエリー・ボックス, that includes 26 short stories.

Anyone may join at any time, with any part of the series, and though this thread is “officially” for the novels and manga, audiovisual is welcome, too. General spoiler courtesy applies.

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I didn’t realize エトランジェの宝石箱 wasn’t on Natively, so I’ve requested that now. Anyway, I did start vol 1 a while ago, but I only made it about halfway through case 2, which is actually further than I thought. Makes me less willing to start case 2 over though don’t remember that much…

It’s been forever since I watched the anime, and I remembered it being pretty gay, but I’d forgotten just how gay. And I’ve heard about some of the stuff that happens in later volumes too, so I wonder if this is gonna end up being the fruitiest not-actually-a-BL I’ve ever read… I need to hurry up and up my reading skill and speed and get there! L34 seems to be just past the upper limit of my comfort level currently.

This is just the first chapter:

人助けから始まる運命のなんちゃら——もし相手が女性なら。

And yet.

後ろ姿を、俺は何とはなしに見送ってしまった。多分名残惜しいんだろう。キャリーケースの指輪が。

Sure, if that’s what you wanna tell yourself, bud.

『抜きのハツ』の孫は、東京の大学に進学した。将来は国家公務員になって母親に楽をさせてやることをなんとなく夢見ながら、テレビ局でアルバイトをし、奇妙な偶然から、青い瞳の宝石商に出会った。

And you needed to say the color of his eyes here why?

(Okay, no, I do get commenting on the color of his eyes. It’s pretty rare for someone in Japan to have eyes any color other than brown or black. I still kinda feel like he does it a little more than necessary even considering, but even excluding the comments on his eyes…)

Richard’s little character bio at the front of the volume ends with “年齢不詳、誰もが啞然とするレベルの性別を超えた絶世の美人,” and I wonder if that’s what Seigi tells himself to justify how he’s definitely 100% straight. That line might be true, granted, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it applies. The way he gets distracted by and goes on about Richard’s beauty seems to go well beyond when someone who wasn’t actually attracted to him would have gotten used to it and stopped paying mind to it for the most part. It definitely feels like he’s bi and hella gay for Richard and doesn’t realize it.

Also, that line might be true, but personally I think Seigi’s better-looking…

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It’s on my TBR, but I have too much on my plate already. Maybe next year. :smiling_face_with_tear:

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You’re welcome to join whenever! And I’m almost certainly going to be going very slowly anyways

Since it’s more difficult, that ends up meaning it’s lower priority, no matter how much I wanna hurry up and get caught up. After Advent, I’m gonna focus on finishing up the books I have started (or at least most of them; I think I’m incapable of having only one going at once), and this is probably gonna be knocked down to the bottom for the time being after I finish ch 2.

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