Ranobe |「ラノベ」

An abbreviated word in Japanese for Light Novels, a type of young adult fiction full of fun tropes, often with anime-style illustrations. 

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The Apothecary Diaries

The Apothecary Diaries - LN 13

The Apothecary Diaries Volume 13 by Natsu Hyuuga, Illustrations by Touko Shino. Translated by Kevin Steinbach. Published by J-Novel Club. I am literally so sad that I'm caught up to this series... Volume 13 is a short story volume, and it's almost entirely from the point of view of the other characters. Since the main crew has been gone for a year, this volume catches readers up with Lahan, Yao, En'en, and even her sisters back at the brothel like Meimei and Joka. Even though it's not explored in relation to Maomao, there does seem to be some plot moving…

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The Apothecary Diaries

The Apothecary Diaries - LN 12

The Apothecary Diaries Volume 12 by Natsu Hyuuga, Illustrations by Touko Shino. Translated by Kevin Steinbach. Published by J-Novel Club. After Gyoku-ou died in the last volume, I knew that this book would be a wild ride. There are tons of consequences to losing the governor of a province, and predictably, it set off a succession crisis. Someone has to manage I-sei province now, and we're introduced to Gyoku-ou's kids. He has 3 sons and 1 daughter, and the three sons are being "considered" for succession. Each of them has their quirks, and it seems like since the eldest son…

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The Other World's Books Depend on the Bean Counter

The Other World's Books Depend on the Bean Counter LN 1-3 [end]

The Other World's Books Depend on the Bean Counter Volumes 1-3 by Yatsuki Wakatsu, Illustrations by Kikka Ohashi. Translations by Jenny Murphy. Published by Yen On (Yen Press). The original name of this series is 異世界の沙汰は社畜次第 | Isekai no Sata wa Shachiku Shidai which translates to "The Other World's Books Depend On the Corporate Slave". Although "Bean Counter" is humorous and an accurate description of the main character (he's a workaholic accountant), I think there's a little bit of nuance lost here. The main character, Kondou Seiichirou, is a Japanese salaryman who accidentally gets isekai'd along with the "Holy Maiden", Yua Shiraishi.

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The Apothecary Diaries

The Apothecary Diaries - LN 11

The Apothecary Diaries Volumes 11 by Natsu Hyuuga, Illustrations by Touko Shino. Translated by Kevin Steinbach. Published by J-Novel Club. I feel like there's not really a whole lot I can say without spoiling the main plot line of this book, so I'll split my impressions up in half, one for the 1st half, and one for the 2nd. For the first half, the characters have successfully dealt with the locust plague, but there are still dire issues remaining. Much of the food has been wiped out, and the population is going to slowly starve to death if they don't…

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A Ballad of Sword and Wine
A Ballad of Sword and Wine Volume 1

A Ballad of Sword and Wine | Qiang Jin Jiu - Vol. 1

A Ballad of Sword and Wine: Qiang Jin Jiu Vol. 1, Written by Tang Jiu Qing, Illustrated by [St]. Published by Seven Seas. Translated by Jia, Xia, and amixy. This is my first Danmei (Chinese BL) series, and my first Chinese novel series that wasn't initially trad-published (I've read the Remembrance of Earth's Past Trilogy, better known as the Three Body Problem trilogy by Cixin Liu). I've been into the Apothecary Diaries series recently, and I did enjoy the anime for Raven of the Inner Palace. I'm also in the middle of watching Kingdom (the anime). Also, I'm a fan…

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Agents of the Four Seasons

Agents of the Four Seasons: Dance of Spring Part I-II, LN 1-2

Agents of the Four Seasons, Dance of Spring Part I and II, Written by Kana Akatsuki, Illustrated by Suoh. Published by Yen Press. Translated by Sergio Avila Agents of the Four Seasons is a fantasy series written by Kana Akatsuki, who is well known for the Violet Evergarden series, which is highly regarded. I haven't watched Violet Evergarden yet (the novel hasn't been licensed, though there is a fan translation), but I know that it's a well-regarded as a highly emotional and beautiful series, and worth the watch. I really liked the art on this once, so I decided to…

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The Trials and Tribulations of My Next Life as a Noblewoman

The Trials and Tribulations of My Next Life as a Noblewoman - LN 1

The Trials and Tribulations of My Next Life as a Noblewoman Volume 1 by Kamihara, Illustrated by Shiro46. Published by J-Novel Heart (J-Novel Club). When I first saw this cover among the new licenses by J-Novel club, I didn’t think much of the series. A lot of the newer female-centered isekai novels play with tropes related to Otome dating games, like “My Next Life as a Villainess”. I’ve watched and read a few series here and there that piqued my interest, but I haven’t gotten too deep into the genre. And even if it’s not isekai, “noblewoman” series might as…

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Ascendance of a Bookworm

What does Ascendance of a Bookworm mean to me?

In July of 2022, I decided to watch a series that I had seen some anituber recommend, a series called "Ascendance of a Bookworm" or 本好きの下剋上 (Honzuki no Gekokujou). I don't even remember which channel it was, but I ended up binging the whole series within less than a week. I really enjoyed the anime, and raved about it to my friend. We ended up watching it together shortly after. It was a re-watch for me, but I wanted to share my joy with someone. I enjoyed Myne's hijinks, but the twists and turns in the story and delicate world-building was what…

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The Apothecary Diaries

The Apothecary Diaries - LN 9-10

The Apothecary Diaries Volumes 9 and 10 by Natsu Hyuuga, Illustrations by Touko Shino. Published by J-Novel Club. Volumes 9 and 10 kick off “Western Capital, part 2”. There is a lot going on here politically since it is the region that Gyokuyou is from, and there are plenty of enemies with unknown motivations. In Volume 9, Maomao has basically become Jinshi’s personal doctor for [spoiler] reasons, so she must go though as much training as possible before they set off for I-sei province. For those in the know, it’s an open secret, but it puts Maomao in an even…

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The Water Magician

The Water Magician: Arc 1 Volume 2 [LN2]

The Water Magician Arc 1 Volume 2 by Tadashi Kubou, Illustrations by Nokito. Published by J-Novel Club. The adventures continue! This volume has what I would consider 2 major events (mini-arcs) contained. One, where everyone has to fend off a stampede coming from inside the dungeon. The other is an assignment at a faraway port-town, to celebrate the launch of a new ship. The author has to solve what I call the “Saitama” problem. In order to preserve the tension of the series, Ryo can’t be around when big issues occur, since he is (supposedly) one of the strongest magicians…

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The Apothecary Diaries

The Apothecary Diaries - LN 7-8

The Apothecary DiariesVolumes 7 and 8 by Natsu Hyuuga, Illustrations by Touko Shino. Published by J-Novel Club. Volume 7 contains the end the of the “Western Capital” arc and the beginning of what I would say is the start of Maomao’s next phase/status quo. Now that she’s outside the palace, Jinshi needs a way to keep Maomao around, and he finds it. He compels her to take the court service exam and become a medical assistant. From what you can see in the cover, she clearly passes (after tons of effort) and ends up entering the court service with two…

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The Water Magician

The Water Magician: Arc 1 Volume 1 [LN1]

The Water Magician Arc 1 Volume 1 by Tadashi Kubou, Illustrations by Nokito. Published by J-Novel Club. Honestly, you know what got me to start reading this series? The Syosetsu listing for the original webnovel has a couple conditions listed about what the story ISN’T (google translated from Japanese): ・This is not a domestic politics cheat. ・There is no harem development ・This is not a science novel. ・This story is fiction ・This story is opportunistic. This is the original text, in case you’re curious: ・内政チートものではありません ・ハーレム展開はありません ・理系小説ではありません ・この物語はフィクションです ・この物語はご都合主義です （筆者はSNSを利用しておりません） I saw “Not a harem” and “opportunistic” and immediately wanted…

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The Apothecary Diaries

The Apothecary Diaries - LN 5-6

The Apothecary DiariesVolumes 5 and 6 by Natsu Hyuuga, Illustrations by Touko Shino. Published by J-Novel Club. I initially thought I would include 7 here as well since it contains some of the falling action from these two volumes, but I figured I would wait since there’s way too much that happens in that one that’s hard to explain without knowing about these ones first lol. Beware spoilers below! These two volumes comprise what I think most fans are calling the “Western Capital” Arc? After the stunning events of the last volume, Maomao is forced into going west with Jinshi…

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The Apothecary Diaries

The Apothecary Diaries - LN 3-4

The Apothecary DiariesVolumes 3 and 4 by Natsu Hyuuga, Illustrations by Touko Shino. Published by J-Novel Club. These two volumes finish out what I would say is the first major story arc in the series. Volume 3 continues the evolving relationship between Maomao and Jinshi (with what I have to say is the funniest romcom scene and deflection by Maomao so far) with further Rear Palace intrigue, while Volume 4 dives deep into the ramifications of a certain high ranking family’s actions. In my personal opinion, while the first 3 volumes were entertaining, Volume 4 was what really got me…

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The Alchemist Who Survived Now Dreams of a Quiet City Life

The Alchemist Who Survived Now Dreams of a Quiet City Life - LN 3 Impressions

The Alchemist Who Survived Now Dreams of a Quiet City Life Volume 3 by Usata Nonohara, Illustrations by OX. Published by Yen On (Yen Press). I wasn’t ready for this volume at all. We’re fairly far into the series, so spoilers ahead! The first 2/3rds of this book are the same fair as the first two, and dive into further goings on with Sieg and Lynx’s training, and the Labyrinth Expedition. It was cute to see Sieg and Lynx really deepen their friendship despite being love rivals for Mariela. And I did wonder how Sieg would ultimately win, over Lynx,…

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