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Under appreciated light novels (translated)


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I'm a big LN reader of at least I think so but anyway, since what I would like to recommend got licences (No Game No Life), I'll give you this which all must be familiar with http://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index.php?title=High_School_DxD

Even so, I personally think Its way better than it adaptation which is only natural http://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index.php?title=My_Youth_Romantic_Comedy_Is_Wrong_As_I_Expected

 

http://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index.php?title=Rakudai_Kishi_no_Eiyuutan   Do give this one a read. There are others but most of them has gotten an anime, will get one soon or has been licence but non the less, their better than their adaptions and they deserve to be read.

 

This series is great also but unfortunately, only one volume is translate so far http://hereticlnt.blogspot.sg/2014/05/clockwork-planet-v1-chapter-1.html  

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Well, I'm not sure if it's unappreciated relative to other LNs; but the amount of Haruhi fans who aren't bothered reading the actual books just astonishes me.

 

51MEZAig6qL._SY344_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg

 

 

Just got my hands on the last few recently, and I'm trying to pace myself, since I'm coming towards the end. QQ Definitely worth a read. Fans of the anime have no reason to complain about the show ending when the books are this good.

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Well, I'm not sure if it's unappreciated relative to other LNs; but the amount of Haruhi fans who aren't bothered reading the actual books just astonishes me.

 

51MEZAig6qL._SY344_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg

 

 

Just got my hands on the last few recently, and I'm trying to pace myself, since I'm coming towards the end. QQ Definitely worth a read. Fans of the anime have no reason to complain about the show ending when the books are this good.

Hmm, would you say it's still worth reading even after watching the anime and the movie?

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Hmm, would you say it's still worth reading even after watching the anime and the movie?

 

yeah it really is iv only finished the first 3 volumes thus far but the writing is fantastic and its more in depth . if you like the characters and want to see how they were originally intended read the light novels they are pretty easy reads and really good.

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  • 2 weeks later...

The anime was 'just alright' to me, though I loved the movie. Hmm, guess I'll add it to my backlog for now.

 

I consider the anime to be a glorified introduction to the movie, to be honest. The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya is also the best book in the series by a mile. I read all the books and I can safely recommend them to anyone. The last one, 'The Surprise of Haruhi Suzumiya' is also rather brilliant  ^_^

 

I managed to snag all the books off of Amazon for about 80 euros total (having them ship from the UK is a pain though...)

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I consider the anime to be a glorified introduction to the movie, to be honest. The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya is also the best book in the series by a mile. I read all the books and I can safely recommend them to anyone. The last one, 'The Surprise of Haruhi Suzumiya' is also rather brilliant  ^_^

 

Was the looping episodes also part of the book?

Because holy shit that was really unexpected when I watched that.

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Chinese TL'ed Novels?

 

Things Like:
A step to the Past(18+)-  http://www.spcnet.tv/forums/showthread.php/23962-A-step-into-the-past-%E5%AF%BB%E7%A7%A6%E8%AE%B0-by-Huang-Yi-%28Unabridged%29#.VAQaaPldWSo

1/2 Prince- http://www.princerevolution.org/halfprince-main/halfprince-chapterlist/

 

(For 1/2 Prince for those who wants to know what happens... Tada, there's the novel of it. All Vols. TL'ed)

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Chinese TL'ed Novels?

 

Things Like:

A step to the Past(18+)-  http://www.spcnet.tv/forums/showthread.php/23962-A-step-into-the-past-%E5%AF%BB%E7%A7%A6%E8%AE%B0-by-Huang-Yi-%28Unabridged%29#.VAQaaPldWSo

1/2 Prince- http://www.princerevolution.org/halfprince-main/halfprince-chapterlist/

 

(For 1/2 Prince for those who wants to know what happens... Tada, there's the novel of it. All Vols. TL'ed)

Oh wow, didn't know 1/2 Prince was even translated, let alone fully. Thanks for the heads up, it looks like an interesting read.

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  • 3 months later...
  • 1 month later...

As it hasn't been mention yet, let me make my reccomendation

 

VAMP!

34001.jpg

 

Information:

Volumes: 5

Status: 5 Volumes released, 5 volumes fan-translation

Authors: Ryohgo Narita (Story) Katsumi Enami (Art)

Genres: Comedy, Fantasy, Horror, Vampire

 

Synopsis:

 

The island of Growerth in northern Germany is home to Viscount Gerhardt von Waldstein, a centuries-old vampire who rules the island as its lord. Drawn by his compassionate and merciful character, countless non-humans have come to call Growerth home—from fellow vampires to dhampyr, werewolves, witches, and all manner of creatures humans would call ‘monsters’.

 

A plethora of characters play the leads in a series of stories both comedic and tragic about vampires, humans, and their place in the world.

 

Personal Opinion:

When you see the name 'Ryohgo Narita' you probably think his works such as 'Durarara' , 'Baccano!' or maybe that one incredibly amazing april fools joke 'Fate Strange/Fake' , but 'VAMP!' ? i doubt it.

VAMP! In my opinion, have that distinct story telling that become Narita-sensei personal way of writing. Almost immediately you're plunge into the height of the problem, and from there you will experience the story through one character perspective and then another character's pov which eventually would lead to the how the problem started in the first place, and how does it ends,

As for character, i can safely said that each major character in this LN have a depth into them and some of them also experience an amazing development. Each and every one of the character got their own quirks that make you can't help but like them, even the so called 'Villain' is someone you can't help but liked. The combination of the character and the story is what makes this LN so entertaining to read in my own biased opinion.

 

Review:

MAL: http://myanimelist.net/manga/16735/Vamp!/reviews

 

Oh, and Hakomari prologue and chapter 1 of volume 7 has been released if you haven't know already~

 

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I'd recommend Seishun Rikon (Springtime Divorce).

 

51LCfbAs5rL._SX348_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg

 

It's an anthology containing three stories, the title work of which is about a boy and girl who happens to have the same, uncommon last name.

Due in part to teasing from the sidelines, they develop a relationship much like a pretend husband-and-wife as they bond over a smartphone app the boy is developing.

As their time at high school draws closer to the end, however, their bond is strained over matters of the app, family, and their relationship.

On November 22nd, The Day of Good Spouses, the two gets 'divorced'.

 

This little anthology contains three loosely-related, heartwarming short-stories grounded in modern media.

The first is over a smartphone app, the second on what's basically twitter, and the last on a blog.

Due to the gimmicks used in the story, too, I think these stories are rather easy to relate to for we who live in the current age.

 

You can get a feel for the story through the title work's manga adaptation, too, if you're interested. The art is by HERO.

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I'd recommend Seishun Rikon (Springtime Divorce).

It's an anthology containing three stories, the title work of which is about a boy and girl who happens to have the same last name.

Due in part to teasing from the sidelines, they develop a relationship much like a pretend husband-and-wife as they bond over a smartphone app the boy is developing.

As their time at high school draws to a closer to the end, however, their bond is strained over matters of the app, family, and their relationship.

On November 22nd, The Day of Good Spouses, the two gets 'divorced'.

 

This little anthology contains three loosely-related, heartwarming short-stories grounded in modern media.

The first is over a smartphone app, the second on what's basically twitter, and the last on a blog.

Due to the gimmicks used in the story, too, I think these stories are rather easy to relate to for we who live in the current age.

 

You can get a feel for the story through the title work's manga adaptation, too, if you're interested. The art is by HERO.

That premise does sound very interesting. It's a shame the novels aren't translated  :vinty:

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Kino_no_Tabi_volume_1_cover.jpg

Kino's Journey

Kino's Journey is a must-read classic series that was sort of popular for a while due to the anime but then has mainly been forgotten as far as I can tell, except by people who have already read it. It's essentially a collection of short stories, each one detailing Kino's visit to a country that exists in Kino's world. Each country has its own customs, laws and traditions, and Kino acts as a passive, objective observer. It shows the ups and downs of humanity, but it never gets preachy or judgy. Instead, like Kino, the reader is left to make their own conclusions and have their own moral viewpoint regarding each story. And, despite being mostly uninvolved and objective, Kino is also a member of mankind, and shares in the ups and downs of humanity. As Kino said to a (dead) rabbit at one point: "You'll have to forgive us. We're humans, you see."

 

Read it so you can understand the meaning behind the tag-line for the first book: The world is not beautiful, therefore it is.

 

51J01JVCHJL.jpg

Kyouran Kazoku Nikki (Diary of a Chaotic Family)

Ouka, a member of Japan's special anti-bizarre-stuff division, suddenly finds himself landed with a job that may just drive him insane: marry a hyperactive God-complex catgirl and help her raise their... 'children'. The truth is, the catgirl and all the children of the family (a lion, a jellyfish, a battle cyborg, a crossdressing homosexual young man and a perfectly ordinary little girl) have inherited the genes of Enka, the destroyer. Enka once placed a curse on humanity that one day a child bearing her genes would grow to hate the world and destroy it and all that dwelt on it, and it's up to Ouka and his psychotic new wife to try to make a happy home life for their kids, no matter what it takes!

 

This novel series is full of greatness. Though it may at first come across as nothing but shrill slapstick humor with the catgirl Kyoka constantly running her mouth and generally being a brat and a half, the more the family is forced to deal with the past and future of each of the children, the more they draw together and reveal that there's more to each of them than a simple comedy stereotype. This is a must-read for anyone who, like me, enjoys authors who know how to make a series that can make you laugh and cry in equal amounts.

 

Yoshinaga-san_Chi_no_Gargoyle_vol_1_cove

Yoshinaga-san chi no Gargoyle (The Gargoyle at the Yoshinaga House)

The Yoshinagas won a great prize in a local drawing at the shopping arcade; an alchemically-created magic metal dog statue named Gargoyle. Now they've got to deal with all sorts of bizarre happenings popping up in town, as Gargoyle is intent on protecting the whole neighborhood and is quick to get embroiled with any conflicts, whether manmade or supernatural. Good thing they were already a pretty weird family to begin with.

 

Another super great heartwarming silly family drama comedy. This one and Kyouran Kazoku Nikki are just my favorite series because there's very few other series that really capture the family feeling like these ones do (please don't anyone mention PapaKiki). They're not about harems or male power fantasies or chuunibyou or anything like that. They're just fun relaxing stories that make you feel 'man I wish I had neighbors/a family like these guys'.

 

And because I can't help but link anime ops...

Kino's Journey

Kyouran Kazoku Nikki (the people who made this OP obviously had no idea what the show was actually like)

Yoshinaga-san chi no Gargoyle

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x493qi_yoshinaga-san-chi-no-gargoyle-op-cr_creation

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  • 3 weeks later...

Murasakiiro no Qualia (Qualia the Purple)

 

Qualia_the_Purple.jpg

 

Qualia the Purple is a SF light novel divided into two parts.

 

In the first part, we're introduced to Hatou Manabu, the main character, and Marie, her friend. Marie claims that she sees all living things - humans included - as robots. We watch as Gaku (Hatou Manabu's nickname) learns and explores the extent of Marie's "eccentricities" as they become involved in a serial murder case.

 

In the second part, we see Hatou Manabu slowly and spectacularly breaking down as she seeks, in order, truth of Marie's death, vengeance, and finally a way to defy Marie's fate. The extent she's willing to go to achieve this will put Okabe Rintarou and Madoka to shame.

 

One of my favorite quotes from part 2:

"That's why, I will forgive you in this world, love you in another, and hate you in yet another.

I will help you, reject you, support you, break you, betray you, and use you to my end."

 

This LN has been adapted into a 3-volume manga series, as well.

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  • 3 months later...

I should be translating Majikoi A-1, but I am on an amazingly extended period of zero motivation.
So here I am with yet another under-appreciated and untranslated light novel.

One Day, A Bomb Came Falling

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    One Day, A Bomb Came Falling is an SF Anthology by Furuhashi Hideyuki, who won the 2nd Dengeki Award with his debut light novel Blackrod (Which is also an amazing light? novel).
    Here, SF is better interpreted as "sukoshi fushigi" rather than "science fiction". It features 7 normal-boy-meets-not-so-normal-girl stories.

    The End is something that can come about unexpectedly, on a day just like any other.
    That day, the self-proclaimed newest-model bomb that came falling reminded me of Hirosaki Hikari, a girl I liked in High School; a fact that made my heart flutter.
    --"One Day, A Bomb Came Falling"

    "One Day, A Bomb Came Falling", the title and first work of the anthology, tells the tale of Nagashima, a 2nd-year ronin  who is playing hooky on his cram school's roof when a girl that looks a lot like Hirosaki, the girl he liked in high school, comes falling from the sky. She claims to be a 50 gigaton-class bomb, has a "Heart-Pounding☆Doomsday Clock" on her chest that advances whenever she has romantic feelings, and will explode when the clock reaches 12:00 AM. She came seeking Nagashima to help her detonate so that she can leave a beautiful mushroom cloud (and obliterate Japan in the process).

    This year's cold gets you in the brain.
    Just this morning, the news warned of a terrible "Fool Cold" that was getting around, telling us we should gargle and wash our hands frequently, but...

    --"Grow Bigger!"

    In "Grow Bigger!", a common cold can cause you memory regression. Kogure's much taller childhood (girl) friend catches one, and seeing as her mother isn't capable of picking her up immediately, he is tasked with taking her home. A much harder job than it sounds given their height difference and the fact that she loses a few years worth of memory with each sneeze!

    In the past, I never believed in heaven or hell.
    But now, I know that these places truly exist.

    Where are they, you ask? Well...
    --"The Night of the Loving Dead
"

    As the title may suggest, this story is about "zombies". In the world of "The Night of the Loving Dead", the dead don't stay dead for long. These former-deads, "repeaters", as Mamoru calls them, spend the rest of their un-life reliving one particular day of their life. In the same vein, Nagi, Mamoru's very own "repeater", comes to him every night and whispers to him,
    "E h e h e , t h a t ' s r i g h t , w e ' r e g o i n g t o t h e a m u s e m e n t p a r k t o d a y !"

    "Toto-kami-ja"

    "Seat Number 0"

    "Third Period with Madoka"

    Long ago, there was a huge war, and a lot of people died.
    It was about 60 years ago, that's four times as long as I've lived -- So, a thing long past, just the way Oda Nobunaga and Tyrannosaurs Rex are.
    Hara Michiko is just like them, a person from long ago.
    Unlike Nobunaga and Tyrannosaurs, however, she isn't on show at some museum. No, she's a living girl, breathing even this very second.
    --"Long Ago, A Bomb Came Falling"

    "Long Ago, A Bomb Came Falling" is a mirror of the first story, and the closing story to the anthology. In their equivalent of World War 2, Japan is bombed with a "Time Wave Bomb" rather than an atomic bomb. It completely obliterated everything within an 100 m radius, and wrought havoc over the 10 km radius beyond that, leaving one lone survivor at its center - her, Hara Michiko. At the epicenter of the explosion, rebounding time waves caused a 5 m high cylindrical space of "compressed time" where everything moves at 1/60,000,000 of the speed outside it. The main character, the grandson of the man in charge of the Memorial Park where she remains standing, spends his days thinking about her and nights staring at her.

 

I'll fill in the rest later.

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