This one’s on my “to read eventually” list. I remember liking the anime well enough back when I saw it, and I wondered if the manga would be better. At the time, I was waiting for the series to finish before I considered reading it, but rather than that, the official English release never finished.
Based on what you’ve read so far, do you get the impression that the series has held up well (characters, story, pacing)? Or does it feel more like “it’s good only if you have nostalgia for the anime”? (Or can’t really tell?)
Feeling pretty burnt out today. Read things here and there but could only do one social link in P3P. I was really motivated for personal reasons but now the reason has come and gone. Might hop around the next couple of days until I land on something to get my motivation up.
Finally started reading 青ブタ3 and got a little dopamine hit from it. But I’m not gonna rush into things because I like I said earlier I’m a little burnt out.
御無沙汰「ごぶさた」ー Not writing or contacting for awhile; long silence 羽織「はおり」ー Haori; a type of formal coat 臆病「おくびょう」ー Cowardly; timid 令嬢「れいじょう」ー Your daughter; young woman 余所余所しい「よそよそしい」ー Distant; cold; formal 結城紬「ゆうきつむぎ」ー Silk products made near Yuuki 懐手「ふところで」ー Hands in pockets; idleness
Counters 挺「ちょう」ー Counter for violins (along with other long narrow things, like: spades and other such tools, other instruments like shamisen, guns, oars etc.) (also more likely to be seen as: 丁)
i’m only 50 or so pages in, so can’t really say much about the story yet, or how it differs from the anime. though they sure turned up the darkness with the scene where Utena first meets the prince. i’m finding it pleasant to read. it’s been a while since i’ve read anything with more than the occasional furigana, and the grammar is quite straightforward. i’m looking forward to reading more of it!
all in all, my live got a lot more busy these last few weeks, and i failed to post updates on this post. but i did read at least a little almost every day, though it might have been only a few pages before i fell asleep. 9 hour hikes in rough terrain with intermittent climbing sections tend to tire one out.
i finished the 3 volumes of アネモネ, and i think that’s all that’s available of that so far. it was cute, they both got to say 大好き to each other, but it’s obviously unfinished. i’ll get back to it when my kindle tells me that a new volume is published, as it certainly will ^^
the やが君 LN continues to be a slog, though i’m getting close to finishing the second volume. difficulty-wise that’s pretty much at the edge of what i can manage, and when i’m tired, i just blank out on it.
i ought to have a few quiet days now, so hopefully i’ll get a bit more reading in ^^
Almost forgot to read today, between school preparations, taking the cats to the dentist, and trying to find a contractor to do some rather urgent work on our house (no luck after several weeks, and my anxiety has spiked so I decided to stop drinking coffee today, so I am headachey and tired and foggy). Remembered at 3:00 p.m. that I hadn’t done today’s reading and was glad I did. The first pages of Chapter 9 of よつば& are much much funnier when you get all the dialogue. (Looked for an image of my favourite panel and found this, which tempted me, but besides the fact that I don’t wear t-shirts much, it isn’t NEARLY as funny in English.)
Some new words:
復讐 (ふくしゅう) revenge
きさま: you; you bastard
見通し (みとおし): unobstructed view
いいわけ: excuse
地獄 (じごく): hell
撃つ (うつ): to shoot
おのれ: angry interjection
いのち: life
殺る (やる): to bump someone off
殺す (ころす): to kill
Wiii! I really liked the moment they had at the end of their デヱト. Exchanging gifts and special words with each other. Miyo finally on a first-name basis with her 旦那様! But in the back of my mind I was also like… how long were they standing outside in the cold? xD Didn’t seem like they entered the door. And good call on Kiyoka’s part for bringing her on a date after all that busy business finally settling down, beri naisu
8 pages of 好きっていいなよ volume 2. I don’t know why, but I’m dragging my feet with both reviews and reading lately. I’m determined, so I’ll finish the challenge, but taking a break from the “must read every day no matter what!!!”- mindset will be good for me, I think. I want to do more Wanikani and grammar studies, but there’s only so many hours in a day
Chapter 101 of Yotsuba today, only 3 chapters left now
Todays chapter was hilarious. Yotsuba decides to join Fuuka and Shimau while they study for a test, after discovering that they have snacks to eat while they study. This was my favourite chapter I’ve read for a while, the whole thing was adorable.
So I started reading 天使の傷跡 which is a winner of the 江戸川乱歩賞 (which btw - is a thing?! Now I have so many other books to read…). I picked it up because someone told me the author writes trashy/pulpy crime books and that’s My Genre so of course I snagged it (it was in a pile of books being given away for free). I’m only ~15 pages in and it’s actually quite slow going for me right now because the author loves them some old kanji. So far I have collected:
曳金（note: read 引き金）、 総べて、筈、判る、積り、閑、委せて、成程、畠、and 矢鱈. Honorable mention to 云う instead of 言う but that one is relatively common.
Also can I just say that opening the first page and seeing this was a trip?
I do enjoy a bit of whimsy in writing styles though, so it’s all good, I’m having a blast.
Also honorable mention to an English book I started reading! I started on The Seven 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle (just 7 deaths outside the US though, we’re quite extra, us Americans, so naturally we have an extra half death) and it’s so good. I’m 80ish pages in (on my phone so there’s 1000 pages total in that version ) and it’s just so fun. Loving the descriptions too. I actually saw it recommended by a Japanese mystery novel reviewing youtuber I watch
EDIT: Such a long post, unusual for me! Forgot to say I also started on 火車 because with 2 close read books I decided to go with the one where I’d be whipped along by the audiobook. And whipped I am, oof. It’s a hard one to read without pauses or lookups, at least the first chapter (all I’ve read so far).
Yay! I have 2 more volumes to go (how are there only 5?!) and it’s a lot of fun. Definitely takes a different path than the show, but I enjoy it all the same.
Also from one of the notes from the author (don’t recall which volume) I found out that みき is based on this guy?!
I can see it if…I really squint and give some artistic license.
August 17th
What did I read?: 今日のさんぽんた Vol 1
How much did I read?: 12 pages
How long did it take me?: 8 min
Welp, bad mood is back I would so love it if people would communicate what they are planning to do before they make major changes that will affect and in some cases deeply inconvenience other people. But that’s not what we’re here to talk about today (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ✲ﾟ｡⋆
Just a tiny read today, but I learned a fun expression: 風上にも置けない (かざかみにもおけない) - a disgrace (to a whole group of people)
Also, in only vaguely book-related news, look at this
Some of you may remember this little friend from a previous challenge thread - baby shark buddy comes from the most adorable manga in existence, おでかけ子ザメ. And now I could have a baby shark buddy of my very own.
Look. Look at him
…Someone please tell me no xD
Amazon sent this directly to my inbox as a suggestion lmao, it knows too much
Day 47: August 16th 
ふだつきのキョーコちゃん Volume 7 (58% ➨ 76%)
名探偵コナン Volume 11 (52% ➨ 61%)
からかい上手の(元)高木さん Volume 5 (63% ➨ 70%)
August 16
Aug 17th 
More tanoshimiii~
I would so love it if people would communicate what they are planning to do before they make major changes that will affect and in some cases deeply inconvenience other people. But that’s not what we’re here to talk about today (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ✲ﾟ｡⋆
And congrats on your first novel! 
