I laughed when I read "What Would Myne Do?" on the rule sidebar, mostly because it brought to mind profiteering and gleeful worker exploitation. (you taught her well, Benno)

More than that though, it also reminded me of a random idea I had never gotten around to sharing. I present to you the Myne is Secretly the Antagonist Challenge. When the mood strikes you, start reading the Bookworm series again from the beginning, but from the perspective that Myne is the antagonist of the story setting. Pay attention to the following themes, whether they are enacted by Myne personally or under her direction:

• Suppressed yandere inclinations
• Selfish demands on others
• Indifference to costs others pay to fulfill her ambitions
• Workforce exploitation
• Child labor
• Corrupt use of political influence
• Cult of personality indoctrination tactics (edit: okay, not really Myne, but has she put a stop to it?)
• Usurpation of power
• War crimes

Don't take this too seriously, it's meant as an exercise in good fun. Most characters need some antagonistic characteristics in order to have good depth to them, and protagonists are no exception.

Most importantly, have fun with this! Share your favorite moments that stick out when you reread or rethink the series from this perspective. Bonus points if you keep a running tally.

It's not often that we see a long-running light novel series come to an end and even less often one as popular as Ascendance of a Bookworm.

So let's talk about the series as a whole. How did you like the story? What were your favorite and least favorite parts? Was the ending satisfying? Who is your favorite character? Who is your least favorite? General thoughts?

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Share a quote or excerpt from a LN and we have to guess where it's from.

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What book ending left you feeling satisfied (or unsatisfied) and why?

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Sorry for the late post, works been hectic today.

If you could make any changes to a LN series what change would you make to improve it?

What are your favourite Light Novels that are at least 10 years old?

I have recently read "I Saved Too Many Girls and Caused the Apocalypse vol 1" and to my surprise it started publishing in 2011. Most novels I read are fresh, with new volumes constantly being pumped out. It drowns out discussions about stories that are older but still worth the read.

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Full list announced in the article:

• Lycoris Recoil: Ordinary Days (novels)
• Love Unseen Beneath the Clear Night Sky (novels)
• Solo Leveling Collector's Omnibus (novel)
• The Color of the End: Mission in the Apocalypse (manga, this might be better known as Usuzumi no Hate)
• I'm Here, Beside You (manga)
• Takahashi from the Bike Shop (manga)
• Everyone’s Darling Has a Secret (manga)
• Hell is Dark with No Flowers (manga)

From the article:

The novel will follow four different stories including: a rare card Ichikawa Kyotaro received as an elementary school student and the mysterious woman he met at the time, Ichikawa and Anna Yamada's relationship from the perspective of Moeko, the follow-up on Ichikawa and Yamada's double date, and the secret story of Yamada's mother.

The publisher also hints at a possible story set ten years later.

Let's talk about light novels adapting game scenarios this week. Otome games are by now something of a trope for light novels. But how popular are otome games really? Why does it feel like every other LN is playing in a otome game scenario when there are so many video game genres that are so much more popular. There is an argument to be had that the other half of video game related light novels is based on some fantasy (VR)MMO with basic RPG mechanics.

There are also single series that pick up some unusual game/genre like Minecraft in Survival in Another World with My Mistress or a God Sim in The NPCs in this Village Sim Game Must Be Real!. But those are outliers and I want more of stuff like that. There are enough LN about generic fantasy RPGs and otome games already. I want something fresh. Where's my Anno city/empire builder LN?

Another point for discussion: is Re:Zero a souldborne LN? Lots of death and suffering with respawns at certain points that reset the world.

Some META:

I'll be on vacation for the next two weeks and if someone has an idea for a Midweek discussion I would be glad If someone else could answer the call of duty. (Or want to post about non-Japanese LN or even fat novels but fear my vengeful wrath? This is your chance!)

I'll try to have an eye on here in those two weeks and Myne will post her two threads as usual, but whatever I'll do will be very sporadic and not in a timely fashion.

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From the article:

The app will utilize Mantra's AI-assisted translation system. Mantra is the service that is providing AI translation for the simultaneous English releases of Kore Yamazaki's The Ancient Magus' Bride and Ghost and Witch manga. Shogakukan invested in Mantra in June.

Also, I found this bit interesting. Will be curious to see what this ends up looking like and if the AI will mess this up:

The releases will also include word balloons with icons of the characters to display characters' lines, as Shogakukan told Nikkei it has received feedback that "Japanese names are hard to remember."

What type of Afterword reader are you? I know someone who reads the afterword first and regardless of how often I tell them that they are a perverse freak and should be ashamed they are unapologetic and don't change their wicked ways.

And while we're speaking about Afterwords, have you come across interesting ones? Personally, I like ones that give some background info about the volume the most and afterwords written as the characters least.

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