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chan_bean 's review for:
The Tatami Galaxy
by Tomihiko Morimi
I can acknowledge that I may be a little biased, considering that this novel inspired one of my favorite anime of all time, but I was so so so not disappointed by the novel!
Reading the novel made me really appreciate Maasaki Yuasa's skills in adaptation. This book manages to do in 4 arcs what Yuasa did in 11, and I could pick out the core themes that I noticed in the show almost instantly. This book is more direct in the show, in part because it doesn't have the time or pages to waste - Watashi's twisted, obnoxious, and all too relatable personality is obvious from the very moment you open this book.
I love that Morimi's writing is just as funny as the show's comedy. The conversations with "Johnny" are so funny, and Watashi's bitterness had me laughing out loud on more than one occasion (the line when he said that if anyone laughed at his story, he would chase them to the ends of the earth as though they'd insulted his parents, then pour hot water on them and wait three minutes literally had me rolling). I also love how the themes of love, friendship, and depression are even more focused here. While the anime thrives in chaos, this novel thrives on repetition, writing sequences we've seen before, making it clear to us that this is a cycle that the main character needs to break. I also really like.
All in all, I'm so glad this book got an official English release. This made me want to read every other Morimi title I can get my hands on!
Reading the novel made me really appreciate Maasaki Yuasa's skills in adaptation. This book manages to do in 4 arcs what Yuasa did in 11, and I could pick out the core themes that I noticed in the show almost instantly. This book is more direct in the show, in part because it doesn't have the time or pages to waste - Watashi's twisted, obnoxious, and all too relatable personality is obvious from the very moment you open this book.
I love that Morimi's writing is just as funny as the show's comedy. The conversations with "Johnny" are so funny, and Watashi's bitterness had me laughing out loud on more than one occasion (the line when he said that if anyone laughed at his story, he would chase them to the ends of the earth as though they'd insulted his parents, then pour hot water on them and wait three minutes literally had me rolling). I also love how the themes of love, friendship, and depression are even more focused here. While the anime thrives in chaos, this novel thrives on repetition, writing sequences we've seen before, making it clear to us that this is a cycle that the main character needs to break. I also really like
Spoiler
how each subsequent chapter of this book is slowly removing Watashi from Ozu more and more over time, granting his wish of being free of him. I really like that this make the book's true meaning -- the love story (honestly) between Watashi and Ozu -- hit two fold. And I love that even in spite of this distance between them, Ozu never stops being Watashi's best friend. Ungrateful bastard.All in all, I'm so glad this book got an official English release. This made me want to read every other Morimi title I can get my hands on!