By Kota Nozomi and Azuri Hyuga. Released in Japan as “Kimitte Watashi no Koto Suki Nandeshou?” by GA Bunko. Released in North America by Tentai Books. Translated by Noor Hamdan.

I sometimes get the feeling that light novels have a quota system, where the author is allowed to actually get to the plot they want to write about provided they include at least three scenes of the heroine teasing the hero, one where it rebounds back on her, five different descriptions of her voluptuous body, etc. There’s even the standard sudden cliffhanger that is there for no reason than to force people to pick up Book 3 and not drop the series. (That said, I will warn readers: this volume came out two years ago in Japan, and there has been no sign of a third.) Fortunately, when the book does get around to actual interesting stuff, such as Kasumi’s past and home life, it manages to elevate itself to ‘pretty good’. That said, now that we’re in a semi-glut of “cutest girl in school goes out with reader-surrogate’ books, it’s going to have to lift a bit above its weight class, and it’s not doing so.

The first half of this book is essentially plotless, showing the low-level relationship our two protagonists are in, and watching Kasumi having fun trying to get a reaction out of Soukichi. The two of them discuss cheating, and the definitions of what it entails, and it will surprise no one that Soukichi is quite pure. Even if he does read erotic light novels. The second half of the book introduces actual plot: Kasumi’s friend Ann corners Soukichi and asks him for advice on how to hook up with Soukichi’s friend Tokiya, who rescued her from her ex-boyfriend the other day and who she is now smitten with. Also, Soukichi and Kasumi go on their first real date, and it’s very cute and fluffy… except for one point where Kasumi has an awkward meeting with a middle school girl, who turns out to be connected to her.

The good part of this book is examining the way that Kasumi carries herself and behaves around others, which she seems to see as a weakness, but nearly everyone else sees as her strong point. It will come as no surprise to find that she thinks of Soukichi the same way. The balance between growing up fast and still being able to be childish is tough, and she’s found someone she can relax and be immature around with Soukichi. As for Soukichi himself, he still puts her on a massive pedestal, but he’s also still working with his editor friend on a new novel… and then gets introduced to an actual editor, in a crossover from another of Nozomi’s light novel series, You Like Me, Not My Daughter?!. Overall, though, the main feeling I got after reading this series was that it was pleasant but also a bit flat. A bit boring. The family bits were good, the Ann stuff felt shoehorned in to make the book the right length. (And it’s not a very long book.)

So yes, if you read the first one, read this one, because it’s okay. That said, the fact that there’s no third volume yet should not devastate too many people.

By Kota Nozomi and Azuri Hyuga. Released in Japan as “Kimitte Watashi no Koto Suki Nandeshou?” by GA Bunko. Released in North America by Tentai Books. Translated by Noor Hamdan.

After getting a very old series licensed by J-Novel Club (When Supernatural Battles Become Commonplace), Kota Nozomi now has a more recent series out over here, one tying in to the current trend of “relaxed, sweet and syrupy teen romances”. The artist may also be familiar to readers, having done illustrations for Our Crappy Social Game Club Is Gonna Make the Most Epic Game. And the plot is, of course, very familiar, as the whole point of this genre is to give the single teenage male a book to read that will make him sit up and think “yeah, that could be me! Maybe! If the hottest girl in the school decided to do all the heavy lifting!”. This is not a series to read if you want unique plot or characterization. But if you enjoy the genre, and are thinking “is there just enough here to entertain me and make me want to pick up the second (and so far, last) volume? Yes. Just barely.

The book opens with the title and then backtracks to review how we got here. Our sad sack protagonist is Kouichi, one of two members of the “Literature Circle”, which is to say a literature club that lost its members and became unofficial. He has a dark past that we will eventually find out about. The other member of the Literature Circle is Kasumi, his sempai at school and one of the school’s “Four Heavenly Beauties”. She is known for her mature attitude and looks (and yes, she has large breasts,. which are mentioned frequently – it’s that genre, after all). And, after about a year of being in the same club, reading books, and getting shamelessly teased by Kasumi, she asks him if he likes her. He does, so she asks if he wants to start “trial dating”, i.e. dating the way we do it in the United States, rather than Japan’s “confess and die” approach. He suspects a trap, but goes along with it.

This book had to have its protagonist clear one low bar in order for me to want to read more of it, and it did – just. We gradually get to hear about Kouichi’s tragic past – it doesn’t involve death or past romance, but it does involve being taken advantage of by someone in authority, and it’s pretty much broken him. Unsurprisingly, it’s Kasumi’s enthusiasm and optimism that makes him decide that he wants to try again. The good thing is that, to get help, he turns to a third, more experienced person who he trusts a great deal. I was hoping that this would not merely be a two-person book, with literally any positive thing he did caused by his love for the hot girl who likes him. Instead, he’s making progress without her input. That’s good. As for Kasumi, we do occasionally get her viewpoint, and it helps us see she’s not nearly as put together and perfect as Kouichi thinks, but she’s definitely taking more leaps than he is here.

So this falls under the heading of “okay”. If it were as long as When Supernatural Battles Become Commonplace, I’d pass. Since it seems to be only one more volume, I might get it.