blumoonie's reviews
53 reviews

Given vol.8 by Natsuki Kizu

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emotional hopeful inspiring reflective fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut

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dark funny reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

it's been a while since I've read this, but the moment I started again I remembered exactly why it's one of my favourite novels of all time. Vonnegut is effortlessly funny, in the way only deeply reflective authors can be, and provides interesting and clever commentary on the construct and understanding of life, death, time, and war. Slaughterhouse Five is simultaneously hilarious and deeply moving, and I doubt I will ever find another book like it.
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Bungo Stray Dogs: Another Story, Vol. 2: Yukito Ayatsuji Vs. Natsuhiko Kyogoku by Kafka Asagiri

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dark mysterious tense fast-paced

5.0

 the art style… the storyline… the characters… why is this not available as a light novel in English ;-; 
Bungo Stray Dogs: Another Story, Vol. 1: Yukito Ayatsuji vs. Natsuhiko Kyougoku by

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dark mysterious fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? N/A
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

the art style is to die for
Bungo Stray Dogs, Vol. 2 (light novel): Osamu Dazai and the Dark Era by Kafka Asagiri, Sango Harukawa

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dark emotional reflective tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This story never gets old. This was my first time reading the official translation, and it was incredible. I'm struggling to see my keyboard through tears, and I can't stop thinking about the many implications of single lines and tiny moments within this novel that have linked or will link to much, much larger parts of the story.
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Moriarty the Patriot, Vol. 3 by Ryōsuke Takeuchi

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dark mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated

5.0

Moriarty the Patriot, Vol. 2 by Ryōsuke Takeuchi

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adventurous mysterious fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

The Power by Naomi Alderman

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dark emotional reflective tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

this is the kind of book that starts in a benignly soft manner, only to grow more and more twisted, with frightening speed. it is an exploration of identity, morals, and systemic imbalance; it cleverly addresses many current issues by flipping them on their head. the depiction of multiple perspectives didn't frustrate me like it normally does, and having all our protagonists influencing each other even when far out of sight was absolutely gripping. even the letters at each end of the story tell a deeply interesting story.
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Moriarty the Patriot, Vol. 1 by Ryōsuke Takeuchi

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adventurous dark emotional tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

so excited to read this after watching the anime!! I'm already blown away by the little things not included in the anime, and absolutely hooked onto this story + these characters. can't wait to read more!!
Modern Japanese Literature: From 1868 to the Present Day, Volume 2 by Dnald Keene

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5.0

it is difficult to find many of these author's works available in english, so this was incredibly refreshing. i read a select few stories:

growing up (higuchi ichiyo)
how higuchi managed to introduce such a varied and interesting cast of characters in such a short period of time is a mystery, especially considering how deeply I grew to care for them. it made the end of this story sadder than I expected- change is never easy, but oh this change was hard.

old gen (kunikida doppo)
prose-like and tragic, this story explores unrequited love from a different perspective- familial. part of me ached as I read it.

botchan (natsume soseki)
as this was only the first chapter of a longer novel (and apparently one of natsume's most famous), it is hard to tell exactly how I feel about the characters. I am intrigued, though, and will probably end up seeking out the full novel to read later.

one soldier (tayama katai)
a tragedy steeped in anti-war sentiment, this story ached and ached and ached.

the wild goose (mori ougai)
domestic scenes with an undercurrent of something slightly amiss, this is another small part of a larger work I should read eventually.

a tale of three who were blind (izumi kyuoka)
eerie, with the vibe of an old horror story. the imagery was beautifully constructed.

kesa and moritou (akutagawa ryunosuke)
the translator for this short story noted that akutagawa holds a "particular genius for the macabre," and this is a perfect example. the change in perspective was refreshing and the ending enough to make me shiver.

the firefly hunt (tanizaki junichiro)
a short snippet from light snow, this outtake is mostalgic and dreamy.

the mother of captain shigemoto (tanizaki junichiro)
another snippet from one of his longer works. this carried with it a strange sort of sadness; one stemming from resignation and hopelessness.

villon's wife (dazai osamu)
this short story maintained the semi-biographical nature of all of dazai's works, though rather than providing his usual perspective, we viewed these characters through the perspective of a wife.