Over the past year, I’ve become something of a light novel addict. #BlameBtT. Inspired by what Frank has written about light novels, I thought it might be worthwhile to survey the light novel series I’m reading. With a couple exceptions, these are overall impressions of each series, not reviews of individual volumes. Since I can… Read More What Am I Reading & Should You Try It?
*Warning: presumptive spoilers for a future season of Sword Art Online Alicization* Lingering the background of Sword Art Online Alicization has been the question of the nature of the soul. Early in the anime, the story established that scientists had narrowed down the soul’s nature to a light-based phenomenon they call a fluctlight. These fluctlights… Read More Love Versus Materialism in Sword Art Online Alicization
Here it is! The Light Novel Club discussion featuring the longest and silliest title yet is upon us, and TWWK and JeskaiAngel have joined me in discussing this isekai title. With an anime adaptation coming this fall, now is the perfect time to take a look at what awaits us in FUNA’s not-so-average journey into… Read More BtT Light Novel Club Chapter 12: Didn’t I Say to Make My Abilities Average in the Next Life?! Vol. 1
Over the last year I have been getting quite a bit into light novels. This led to me making a New Year’s resolution at the start of 2019 to read at least 100 novel volumes in the year. For the purpose of this challenge, any kind of novel counts towards the 100, not just light… Read More BtT Light Novel Club Chapter 10.5: A 100-Novel Challenge & Q&A!
The Light Novel Club returns with a tale of a missionary, sharing what he believes and loves with a new culture. Sure, the “missionary” is an otaku sharing anime, manga, and the like, and the “new culture” is a fantasy alternate world country, but don’t mind the details too much. TWWK and I take a… Read More BtT Light Novel Club Chapter 10: Outbreak Company Vol. 1
Welcome back JeskaiAngel, one of our regular guest contributors here on Beneath the Tangles. Today, he takes a deep dive into a light novel series we recommend—Invaders of the Rokujouma!? I didn’t expect to encounter deep, encouraging thoughts about the nature and origin of true strength in a light novel, but… I recently started reading… Read More Guest Post: Invaders of the Rokujouma and Strength in Weakness
What can be more otaku than an isekai light novel? How about an isekai light novel about an otaku who has to spread otaku culture in another world? Outbreak Company had an anime adaptation back in 2013, and now the original light novels are being translated by J-Novel Club. Penned by Ichiro Sakaki, a prolific light… Read More And Our Next Light Novel Club Selection Is… Outbreak Company! (Vol. 1)
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