Home
I read 8 pages of 2.43, finishing ch 2-1 and leaving off on pg 164! The scene went quite a bit differently from in the anime toward the latter half of it, and as usual, it was better in the book. Not least because Yuni doesn’t just stand around dithering while nervously watching the proceedings (though that is still mostly what he does lol).
I think, next, I may go back to 強者の同盟, the first story in 空への助走 (the 2.43 side short story collection), which is about Jungo as a second-year. Admittedly, I’ve been more curious about him (and the rest of Fukuhou, for that matter) lately. It’s like 73 pages long, though the pages are larger than the version of the novels I’ve got (the 文庫本, though I dunno if this would be a 単行本?), but still, it shouldn’t be that long of a detour.
More on the 呼び方 Subaru uses with everyone, which is unrelated to today's reading but I've written about it a couple times:
In the novel, Subaru refers to everyone by their surname, except Kouhei—and, when he’s serious, Ochi. Yet in the anime, he either uses their given name or a nickname for everyone, which fits well with the half-façade he wears even around the team; even after reading a quarter of the novel, that he refers to them this way feels right. But, as Ochi’s the only one he uses both names for, the anime couldn’t have him just call him by his given name the whole time, because then, the few times he gets 100% serious and calls him “Mitsuomi” would lose all their effect.
Of course, this also makes it seem as though there’s more distance between him and Ochi than between him and the rest of the team, but actually only on the surface. Really, it shows how close they are: Subaru rarely wears his mask around Ochi, and Ochi sees through him when he does. (I fully believe that’s why, after Ochi asked him how his check-up went and Subaru lied about being fine, he quickly and smoothly changed the subject: so that Ochi wouldn’t have the chance to see through his lie.) Subaru as he is around Ochi is as close to his true self as he allows himself to be.
I dunno, the whole thing’s just really interesting.
My friend who’s read the Chinese translation of the novel tells me that the POV character switches within ch 4 (she thinks between Chika and Subaru), so I was somewhat right with my speculation? Anyway, I’m really looking forward to the second half of this novel!
Some vocab of note:
波紋を広げる (はもんをひろげる) [expression, 一] to cause repercussions.
みぞおち [noun] solar plexus
優柔不断 (ゆうじゅうふだん) [四字熟語, noun, な-adj., の-adj.] indecisive; irresolute; vacillating
やりかねない [expression, い-adj.] capable of anything; liable to do anything
年功序列 (ねんこうじょれつ) [四字熟語, noun, の-adj.] seniority by length of service
凛々しい (りりしい) [い-adj.] gallant; manly; brave; imposing; awe-inspiring; chivalrous; dignified