#exploring the language side of isekai is one of my favorite parts

[thunderin-brainstorm]

it's not easy having a name that's just two letters of an alphabet that isn't used in this world! the vast majority of people RB meets in Hisui speak Sinjori, the modern descendant of a former common language called Ranseigo, aka fantasy Japanese. Hisuian Sinjori remains close enough that the Galaxy Team personnel from Kanto, Johto, and Hoenn can still easily communicate with them. while apparently Arceus was kind enough to brain-blast her with the ability to speak Sinjori upon getting dumped into this world (but not the ability to read or write it, dammit), that doesn't change the fact that RB's name is, uh, going to be a little lost in pronunciation for most Sinjori speakers. she doesn’t usually try to correct them, but it takes her a hot minute to recognize when someone’s calling for her like this

Professor Laventon speaks Galrish of course, which is something she doesn’t figure out until a good three or four months into her stay in Jubilife. lucky for her, Galrish is identical to English, so it’s nice to have someone she can speak her native language with again (even if Galrish doesn’t use the Latin alphabet, still rendering her functionally illiterate). unluckily, something about the British accent does make RB feel like he’s calling her Arby instead. she knows that there’s no real difference in pronunciation, that she really can’t begrudge him or anyone in Hisui for not saying her name precisely as she wants them to, but this small detail in a veritable ton of general cultural differences is still a little disheartening regardless…

until she meets Ingo and is DELIGHTED when this stranger not only pronounces her name perfectly despite the Sinjori, he also automatically and effortlessly executes the smoothest handshake she’s ever experienced (which honestly isn’t a high bar, as she’s instinctively tried for a handshake with just about everyone she’s met in Hisui and been met with blank awkward looks every time). it’s a very gratifying moment of validation that is only somewhat lessened by the fact she is at the moment drugged to the gills from a Turtwig’s spore attack and is struggling to stay awake, but that’s neither here nor there

[sepublic]

Lumity and the Illusion Coven Leader?

           So I’m really interested in Through the Looking Glass Ruins. Not only because it’s another important Gus episode (and the implications of him being at Glandus and how that can connect to the premise of Escaping Expulsion), but also…

           Luz and Amity are at the library- I’m not sure WHICH library, it could be the one at Glandus, or the one in Bonesborough. But given the mention of ruins, and how the background image that reveals the synopsis shows us what appears to be the desolate ruins of an arena of sorts, surrounded by cloaked statues… It makes me wonder. Aside from the obvious possibility that these statues were real witches petrified by Belos or some other entity;

           The title is interesting, because it invokes the sequel to Alice in Wonderland, itself a fantasy tale about a young girl entering a fantastical world… In other words, an Isekai, which fits Luz’s whole schtick in the Boiling Isles! Obviously I should be careful about using the reference in the title as a basis for my speculation; Sense and Insensitivity references Sense and Sensibility, but otherwise has zero correlation with the book as far as I can tell, beyond the idea of King being of higher social prestige and that sort of concept I guess?

           In Through the Looking-Glass, Alice goes through a large mirror to enter a fantasy world. The imagery of mirrors intrigues me, because it directly invokes the symbol of the Illusion Coven… And we can bet that the Coven Heads will make their appearances this season, especially with how Season 3 is too short and more likely to be a final battle/climax of sorts. Not only that, but we also have the other plot of Gus, who is an illusionist… And of course, the library reminds us of Lost in Language, and the twins Emira and Edric, who are both also illusionists.

           I don’t think the twins would be messing with Amity and Luz again, but then again, maybe Odalia and Alador are making them; We don’t know what will happen at the end of Escaping Expulsion, but if Amity and Luz are still hanging out, perhaps they’re feeling pressured. The concept of illusions also ties back to Luz a second time… Remember Witches before Wizards? And how a puppet demon, Adegast, used illusions to put Luz through a whole segment straight out of her favorite fantasy books, of a special chosen one travelling through a world with wacky companions?

           Adegast’s plot appealed to Luz’s sense of fantasy, her desire to feel special and important, as validation/justification for being so ostracized back home. With the idea of illusions, and fantasy worlds, not to mention literary references because Luz and Amity are at a literal library, and it’s brought up the idea in some fans’ heads of like… Luz and Amity going through a fantasy segment taken straight out of Alice in Wonderland.

           So, to get it all out of the way; I think the Illusion Head will play a role in this episode, debuting in Through the Looking Glass Ruins as the main antagonist. I suspect that each coven leader will get their own episode introducing and featuring them as antagonists and characters, so an episode hearkening back to Lost in Language, which had the illusionist twins… With a side-plot of Gus the Illusionist, who wants validation; Not to mention the idea of fantasy stories come to life, feeling special, and how that’s reminiscent of Adegast…

           I think Through the Looking Glass Ruins could be a major episode for Luz and Amity and their characters. Perhaps as a major stepping point that helps to tie together previous events thematically, the Illusion Head might place Luz and Amity in an illusion even more grand and powerful than what Adegast could dream of; One that places the duo in a saccharine fantasy world. Luz and Amity of course have to navigate this fake world and its inane rules, while exploring their own relationship… Perhaps Gus will come into play, or his story will just be a parallel, I can’t tell. But again, it calls back to Luz and Amity having their own experiences with illusionists, so having them face off against the most powerful Illusionist of all, together, would be a nice culmination of those respective arcs!

           What’s interesting is the mention of ruins, and the image we see… It reminds me of that one article description for a ‘Witch Arena’ at the titan’s knee (which foreshadowed Adventures in the Elements), but aside from general ruins, we don’t see any duels occur there, nor is there reference to that site hosting sacred rituals and events for witches. Perhaps we’ll see this actual arena here, or not… This arena could just be part of the elaborate illusion, hence why Luz and Amity encounter it in the library, or they get transported. Maybe the library is next to the ruins, if it’s the one for Glandus or one besides the Bonesborough one.

           (Personally I’m hoping for more Amity and the library lore, possibly the return of that librarian who seems to be on good terms with her.)

           Like Adegast, the Illusion Head could taunt Luz and Amity with visions and deception… Perhaps hearkening back to Enchanting Grom Fright, by showing illusions of Luz rejecting Amity or vice-versa. Luz and Amity of course have to see through and realize what’s real or not, as part of their character development, Luz’s especially with recognizing reality and not being deluded by fantasy. For all we know, the Illusion Head might cruelly play with their feelings, by having ‘Luz’ or ‘Amity’ confess their feelings to the other… Only to sadistically reveal it all be fake in the end.

           Perhaps the ruins will be a part of this illusion world that Luz and Amity confront the Illusion Head at, by the climax of the episode! Or the ruins are/hold some entrance to this fake world… Regardless, we could see Luz and Amity dealing with their ‘fantasy’ of being friends, and possibly more, with the other… Both might want more, but be afraid that’s just fake in the end, or just hopeless romance that only happens in their little fantasy books that they love, and the Illusion Head might capitalize on these insecurities. Perhaps they’ll try to sway Luz with a perfect world, only to change plans when she’s clearly used to that; And Amity, she might need Luz’s help, as she hasn’t faced this kind of dilemma before. Mirrors are symbols of self reflection, so perhaps this will give Luz the chance to reflect on her own feelings for Amity and realize them, to look back at past interactions with Amity and realize the hidden meaning and all new context that comes with what she learns about Amity...

           Maybe the Illusion Head will try to manufacture situations, trick the two girls into ruining their friendship, thinking the other doesn’t like them, acting rashly, etc. Perhaps they’ll create a fake scenario that leads one girl to act at the cost of the other, for whatever reason… Maybe Amity will be so caught up in the idea of a perfect world where everything is ideal; Where her parents love her, where her siblings respect her… And where she can confess her love to Luz, and Luz reciprocates. Luz may or may not stumble across and see, and realize, how Amity feels… And we could get some painful angst skin to Grom rejecting Amity’s invite as Luz, but dialed up with the Illusion Head’s more immersive, fake reality.

           Perhaps the despair created by the Illusion Head leads to Amity turning to the side of the Emperor’s Coven, losing hope in finding a better life for herself because that’s just ‘fantasy’. Rejecting her favorite childhood stories like Otabin and The Good Witch Azura, attempting to be more ‘mature’, which could also lead to a brief discussion about how it’s okay for older people to enjoy stories for younger audiences! It could contribute to Amity’s constant feeling of shame for who she is, that feeling of inadequacy and not being enough, hiding behind a façade; Hiding the truth beneath an ‘illusion’, which of course the Illusion Head might poke fun at. Maybe offering a literal illusion to help Amity pretend and fit the image of the Emperor’s Coven?

          From what we’ve seen, the Illusion Head could be a pair of twins like Emira and Edric, or like Gus, an individual operating alongside a copy. Amity might be directly reminded of the twins and her relationship with them, so this could be an opportunity to explore her relationship with the twins and their past together, perhaps showing what happened between them in the fallout between Lost in Language and Adventures in the Elements.

          We could see how she feels about them and vice-versa, maybe look at their interactions throughout the past, with the Illusion Head possibly even taking their appearance and poking at Amity’s memories knowingly. Maybe they pretend to be the twins, hurting and mocking Amity, only for her to acknowledge that while they ARE flawed, they’ve also grown and the real Emira and Edric would never do this- This could help to develop the relationship with Amity and the twins, and her own potential disdain for illusions because of that association with her siblings.

          Another thing to note with the Illusion Head is that amongst their two selves, one face smiles, the other is frowning; Invoking the image of the Comedy and Tragedy masks. Fitting with the idea of written stories and fantasies, perhaps the Illusion Head will operate as two halves, one light-hearted, the other morose; And both toy with the idea of Luz and Amity’s story being a tragedy, or a comedy.

           The dual symbolism, two sides of the same coin concept, could come with Luz embracing Comedy, the happy ending, while Amity sides with Tragedy, the sad ending. Maybe Amity breaks free of this conception and her and Luz get their happy ending together… I can see the Illusion Head being a MAJOR theater nerd, and thus invoking the kinds of stories and tropes that the two kids are familiar with. And Amity will of course be reminded of Emira and Edric, making her more insecure and uncertain, while Luz might call upon memories of Gus to guide her. Luz and Amity are parallels and opposites, again, two sides of the same coin, and this might be paralleled with the Illusion Head being composed of two halves, with it yet to be seen if both halves are separate individuals or not; For all we know, it could be a witch and an illusion so immersed in the other that they’ve both forgotten who is the real one!

           Am I saying Luz and Amity will kiss and/or realize their love for one another in this episode? I can’t say for sure… But this episode might play on the idea of their relationship and its progression regardless. It could end in Tragedy, or Comedy, what a duality- Maybe even both! We’ll just have to wait and see… I’m excited for this, for more Gus, and I wonder if he’ll show up at the end to help, or provide more insight into the idea of Illusions, which will then enrich the other plot of Luz and Amity! The audience might gain a better appreciation for the mechanics of what the Illusion Head is doing.

          And of course, the illusions here could lend to a trippy nightmare sequence where the animators can REALLY flex and mess with our heads and the visuals, confusing both the in-universe characters and the real-life audience as well, as we’re uncertain of what’s real or not- Perhaps the ending of the episode could play with this question, with Luz and Amity not entirely sure if what happened was totally real or not or some elaborate dream, and the Illusion Head’s status and actions also uncertain.

           So, what do you guys think? Will we get an episode dedicated to Luz and Amity’s relationship, to their pasts with fantasy, with illusions, entering an unusual world together, taunted by the Illusion Head while another major illusionist, Gus, operates elsewhere? Could the Illusion Head serve as a thematic exploration of duality, of opposites and parallels, and how Luz and Amity’s relationship with one another, their dynamic, is built on those foundations?

          Will we see Emira and Edric here- Perhaps with Luz and Amity… Or even with Gus, acting as ‘cool kids’ who ARE impressed by him, unlike the students from Glandus High? I’ve always wanted Gus and Twins interaction… I think Gus is also an interesting duality, parallels and opposites, two sides of the same coin dynamic with the twins; Emira and Edric are individuals who are like one, while Gus is his own person split amongst himself and his clone! Both with a knack for showmanship, and wanting to be noticed on some level. 

          Maybe when all is said and done, Amity grows a greater appreciation for Gus, Emira, and Edric, getting to interact with Porter properly for once, and helping repair her relationship with the twins; Imagining their surprise at Amity suddenly hugging them, only for the twins’ playful wit to melt away into endearing appreciation… Only to finish it off with a practical joke, because they can’t be TOO sappy of course!

          I’m really fascinated and I can’t wait to see what we have for store in this episode… Sounds like the first five episodes alone are ALL going to be jam-packed with very important, major events! Wasting no time I see… Alas, because Season 3 is shorter than anticipated.

[shazzeaslightnovels]

Honzuki no Gekokujou 1 Review

Author: Miya Kazuki

Illustrator: You Shiina

Label: TO Books

Release Date: 25 January 2015

An interesting first volume that fell a bit flat at times for me. I didn’t care for the parts that were about the Myne’s adventures in cooking but I did enjoy the parts about attempting to make books and there were a lot of little things that I found interesting, like how the protagonist sees herself as seperate from the “Myne” that came before her. Myne’s a relatable protagonist and the other characters are pretty good too. I do worry that future volumes will make the scale of the story larger than I want it to be but, for now, I enjoy reading about Myne’s adventures in book-making and I look forward to reading more of it in the future.

English Release:

J-Novel Club is currently releasing this series in English as Ascendance of a Bookworm so please pick it up if the series interests you.

Story:

Genre: isekai, books, fantasy setting

The story is about a girl who loved books who reincarnates into a world where books are rare and only the rich have access to them. Missing her precious books, she makes up her mind to obtain books at any cost, even if she has to make them herself.

I don’t particularly care for the isekai genre as a whole. I have my personal favorites, of course (Isekai Goumon Hime and Bakarina come to mind) but I find that they often end up not living up to their potential. Despite this, I was kind of excited to finally read Honzuki no Gekokujou due to it’s good reputation and the interesting premise. And it was a pretty good read overall. I did find some of the stuff boring, like all of the cooking stuff which felt really needless and I wish it explored the language aspect more but the book making itself was interesting and I enjoyed Myne’s relationship with her new family. I do find myself worrying about how things will progress in future volumes. I don’t really want the story to start involving things like war or anything like that. I enjoy that the story so far a relatively small scale one and I hope that it continues to focus on the book part of the story.

Character:

Myne’s a protagonist that will be relatable for most light novel fans and she’s also pretty interesting. I really liked that there were small touches to make her feel more human, like in the beginning how she thinks about her old mother who she’ll never see again or how she can’t do everything perfectly. As much as I didn’t like the cooking parts of the volume, I did like that she couldn’t cook by herself and had to get help a lot of the time. Myne’s narration is really fun to read as well. It’s got a lot of personality that makes it a joy to read. I also enjoyed her relationship with her new family. In particular, her relationship with Turi was sweet and I hope that her family does continue to make appearances in the later volumes of the series. As for the other side characters, they’re all fairly likeable and memorable in their own way but I have to say that I’m a bit worried about the potential for Myne to develop a romantic relationship with Lutz in future volumes. For now, she doesn’t have any romantic interest in him and I hope it stays that way.

Adaptation Notes:

The series has a few manga adaptations and each covers a different arc from the light novel. The one to adapt this volume is illustrated by Suzuka and is complete at 7 volumes. It’s pretty good and is faithful to the source material but it cuts out some of the narration and scenes which is a shame but it’s an understandable decision in a visual medium. I really appreciated the details added to the language of the world and there a lot of details in the backgrounds and the props in the story that really make the world feel alive. I really liked it.

An anime adaptation is currently airing. I haven’t seen it yet myself so I can’t comment on it.

Recommended for:

Fans of isekai series who are looking for something a little bit different, especially if you want to read something with a female protagonist.

I do plan to read the second volume eventually but the series is a bit on the expensive side so it’ll have to wait for a little bit. Next up is Tsundere Akuyaku Reijou Liselotte 2