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JK Haru is a Sex Worker in Another World (Light Novel) #1
JK Haru is a Sex Worker in Another World
*record scratch* *freeze frame on Haru Koyama getting choked by a horny naked dude* Yep, that's me. You're probably wondering how I got into this situation. Not by choice, I can tell you that! It started when my weirdo classmate, Chiba, tried to save me from a runaway truck and got us both killed instead. Idiot. Then we got transported to another world, which I guess is like an otaku dream come true, or something? Chiba ends up with cheat abilities, and what do I get? Nothing! Lucky me, I get to be a sex worker instead. Gotta earn money somehow — but since I have to do it, I'm gonna kick ass at it. This world treats women even worse than the one we came from, so things get...rough. Still, I've made friends with some of the girls, and if I can juggle Chiba's idiocy and Sumo the virgin's emotions on top of all the various kinks my customers throw at me, things will be all right...won't they?
265 pages, ebook
First published December 6, 2017
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 98 reviews
September 24, 2018
I'm torn between a three and a four here, because while I'm not sure I really enjoyed the book, I really appreciate what it does. The story is essentially calling out basic isekai tales, specifically ones about nerdy boys who get summoned or reborn in another world. That would be Chiba, but the catch is that while he became powerful and was able to immediately take on quests as an adventurer, the girl who died with him, Haru, finds herself stranded in a medieval, misogynist hellhole. Because there aren't many options open to women (pretty much none, actually), and because she got tricked into being an escort as a middle schooler, Haru ends up going into prostitution, and determines to make the best of it.
Either Ko Hiratori has experience in the field or they did excellent research, because Haru's experiences ring true. She talks big and tries to make it sound like she's not bothered by her profession, but every so often her mask slips, and we can see that she's been a survivor for a long, long time and has convinced herself that she's okay with being sexually brutalized. By the three-quarters mark, Haru has snapped, and it's both a relief and a horror to see, the sort of cathartic revenge that reminds you of Ntozake Shange's poem "with no immediate cause." Haru has done her time as a victim, and frankly the world should watch out.
This isn't an easy read. It isn't for everyone, and it comes with all the trigger warnings for sexual assault. But if you want to see the seedy side of the isekai genre or even just a more realistic (for a given value of the word) take on it, this is a game changer.
Either Ko Hiratori has experience in the field or they did excellent research, because Haru's experiences ring true. She talks big and tries to make it sound like she's not bothered by her profession, but every so often her mask slips, and we can see that she's been a survivor for a long, long time and has convinced herself that she's okay with being sexually brutalized. By the three-quarters mark, Haru has snapped, and it's both a relief and a horror to see, the sort of cathartic revenge that reminds you of Ntozake Shange's poem "with no immediate cause." Haru has done her time as a victim, and frankly the world should watch out.
This isn't an easy read. It isn't for everyone, and it comes with all the trigger warnings for sexual assault. But if you want to see the seedy side of the isekai genre or even just a more realistic (for a given value of the word) take on it, this is a game changer.
August 27, 2018
I don't generally write reviews, but I felt it was necessary for this book as I suspect many will judge it by the title or the subject matter and pass it over. While the book won't be for everyone, I hope to convince you to give it a try. I have just one word of warning: if rape scenes trigger you, then you should probably not read JK Haru. But if you can get past that, I wholeheartedly recommend reading this book but for mature readers only.
Haru is a strong-willed female lead with great narrative voice. The story is focused on her wanting to do her job well and rise to the top 5 girls at the brothel and to do that she must cater to all kinds of men: from inexperienced, to kind, to strange, to cruel, to mysterious. Haru's brutally honest thoughts about said individuals and her experiences make up what humor there is in the book. My only complaint is I want more of the story; I wish the story went beyond the ending we got in the book-Haru was only just starting to look at the bigger picture and the issue of the demon lord.
This is not the type of story I generally read and yet I really enjoyed it. It can be dark and depressing one moment to light-hearted and fun the next. While there are sex scenes in the book, it is not gratuitous sex. The author's descriptions of them are not fetishistic but are raw and powerful. If you're tired of the typical isekai light novel filled with male power fantasy, then JK Haru is for you. Go in with an open mind and you may be surprised how good this book is.
Haru is a strong-willed female lead with great narrative voice. The story is focused on her wanting to do her job well and rise to the top 5 girls at the brothel and to do that she must cater to all kinds of men: from inexperienced, to kind, to strange, to cruel, to mysterious. Haru's brutally honest thoughts about said individuals and her experiences make up what humor there is in the book. My only complaint is I want more of the story; I wish the story went beyond the ending we got in the book-Haru was only just starting to look at the bigger picture and the issue of the demon lord.
This is not the type of story I generally read and yet I really enjoyed it. It can be dark and depressing one moment to light-hearted and fun the next. While there are sex scenes in the book, it is not gratuitous sex. The author's descriptions of them are not fetishistic but are raw and powerful. If you're tired of the typical isekai light novel filled with male power fantasy, then JK Haru is for you. Go in with an open mind and you may be surprised how good this book is.
October 16, 2018
When you read this novel, you will realize the general writing style leaves one cold. It usually feels like I'm reading the script for a manga or anime, instead of a fully-developed novel. The whole story revolves around a woman being born into another world and has to deal with the sexist world as it pokes fun at the isekai genre that is targeted towards the male audience, that is all there is to the story! The novel is here because it likes to make fun of another genre. The book itself is like 80% emotionless work-like sex. With an inner dialogue that is like "Oh god this guy can't even keep it up" and "I can't believe this fucking world doesn't even have condoms", the guy who gets isekai'd with her gets harem, it's a radical feminist book through and through. It takes a look at the generic male otaku wish-fulfillment isekai from the PoV of a high school girl used to doing things like eating alone at a restaurant or just walking around town without being harassed and says, "Okay, if your genitals are convex this is fine, but if they're concave it's a raw deal."
You will be dead set to find a review that doesn't praise this novel like its 2nd the coming of Jesus, all because it pokes fun at isekai genre, nearly every review here is written by a woman because they love how "this novel breaks the isekai genre that are usually sexist and misogynistic.
-These ladies need to realize that Isekai trend is really going to all sort of directions. There's also series where the MC works as a pest exterminator (in another world?!), there's at least 2 isekais about a restaurant in another world, an isekai focused on farming, another one about food (ala shokugeki no soma), an isekai mecha, "reverse" isekai where a demon is a part-timer, an isekai with the MC equipped with guns in a fantasy setting, an isekai with a doctor/pharmacist, then there are isekai novels with reverse harem for ladies which is AS popular as harem is among the boys, you can't hate a genre for being a genre, a genre is a genre if you don't like it you can always move on to a different genre, in the first place isekai stories are broad you will literally find any sort of isekai stories out there day today like the one here whose sole purpose is to make fun of the nerds who love isekai genre.
:In a nutshell, this novel goes out of its way to brutal deconstruction of other-world stories.
You will be dead set to find a review that doesn't praise this novel like its 2nd the coming of Jesus, all because it pokes fun at isekai genre, nearly every review here is written by a woman because they love how "this novel breaks the isekai genre that are usually sexist and misogynistic.
-These ladies need to realize that Isekai trend is really going to all sort of directions. There's also series where the MC works as a pest exterminator (in another world?!), there's at least 2 isekais about a restaurant in another world, an isekai focused on farming, another one about food (ala shokugeki no soma), an isekai mecha, "reverse" isekai where a demon is a part-timer, an isekai with the MC equipped with guns in a fantasy setting, an isekai with a doctor/pharmacist, then there are isekai novels with reverse harem for ladies which is AS popular as harem is among the boys, you can't hate a genre for being a genre, a genre is a genre if you don't like it you can always move on to a different genre, in the first place isekai stories are broad you will literally find any sort of isekai stories out there day today like the one here whose sole purpose is to make fun of the nerds who love isekai genre.
:In a nutshell, this novel goes out of its way to brutal deconstruction of other-world stories.
October 17, 2022
Can't deny that the title/cover had me intrigued and decided to give it a go. But unfortunately the dark humour was lost on me. Didn't find the story a compelling one to read, and more problematic than interesting. Won't probably continue with the series.
March 6, 2022
This is a problematic book about which I am torn.
High schooler Haru Koyama is killed in our world along with a male otaku classmate, Seiji Chiba. In the afterlife, they meet a god who resurrects them in a fantasy world. Thanks to a cheat code given him by the god, Chiba quickly levels up as an arena fighter and monster hunter. Haru's opportunities are more limited though due to the sexist and misogynistic nature of the world, so she becomes a sex worker in a brothel called the Blue Cat Nocturne
It's far from optimal, she acknowledges, but as the "JK" in the title signals to those in the know (which I was not until a quick Google search), Haru has been going on "compensated dates" with older men in Japan for many years before her death. So she has experience, has a pragmatic and business-like attitude about it, and is generally sex positive. But she's only 17! And has been doing this for years! As the book begins, Haru is a little annoyed and ashamed that this is her fate, but she is proud of her workplace and strives to give the best customer service as she is competitive and has ambitions to be a top earner for the Blue Cat Nocturne.
The book then becomes a series of sex scenes with various customers, some of which Haru enjoys, many to which she is indifferent, but an ever increasing number that are rough, misogynistic, and outright rape. And while Haru calls out the worst aspects, everything is presented in pornographic detail and can be read as dark erotica as much or more as a condemnation of sexism and misogyny.
Despite everything, Haru remains an upbeat person. Rather than dwell on the darkness about her, she fixates on the little points of light she has managed to kindle in the form of friends, small improvements she is able to make in the brothel, and little victories like a short stint playing a recreational sport before work. She's content enough . . . until the world cruelly snuffs one of the flames.
And then her attitude turns, and the whole book turns with her, rushing toward a catharsis for all the pain and suffering that has preceded. It's wild and very satisfying and leaves me wanting to know what happens next. (There is a second book, but it is a short story collection rather than a true sequel, so I'm not sure that will give me what I want.)
I actually read Volume 1 of the manga adaptation of this novel first, not realizing it was an adaptation. I welcomed the chance to read the novel before continuing on to Volume 2 of the manga because it was hard to tell if that multi-volume work was moving toward a point or if it was simply fan service erotica. Thankfully, it does have a statement to make, though the road to it can easily lend itself to an end justifying the means debate.
It doesn't help that the writing of either the original book or the translation is very amateurish at times.
High schooler Haru Koyama is killed in our world along with a male otaku classmate, Seiji Chiba. In the afterlife, they meet a god who resurrects them in a fantasy world. Thanks to a cheat code given him by the god, Chiba quickly levels up as an arena fighter and monster hunter. Haru's opportunities are more limited though due to the sexist and misogynistic nature of the world, so she becomes a sex worker in a brothel called the Blue Cat Nocturne
It's far from optimal, she acknowledges, but as the "JK" in the title signals to those in the know (which I was not until a quick Google search), Haru has been going on "compensated dates" with older men in Japan for many years before her death. So she has experience, has a pragmatic and business-like attitude about it, and is generally sex positive. But she's only 17! And has been doing this for years! As the book begins, Haru is a little annoyed and ashamed that this is her fate, but she is proud of her workplace and strives to give the best customer service as she is competitive and has ambitions to be a top earner for the Blue Cat Nocturne.
The book then becomes a series of sex scenes with various customers, some of which Haru enjoys, many to which she is indifferent, but an ever increasing number that are rough, misogynistic, and outright rape. And while Haru calls out the worst aspects, everything is presented in pornographic detail and can be read as dark erotica as much or more as a condemnation of sexism and misogyny.
Despite everything, Haru remains an upbeat person. Rather than dwell on the darkness about her, she fixates on the little points of light she has managed to kindle in the form of friends, small improvements she is able to make in the brothel, and little victories like a short stint playing a recreational sport before work. She's content enough . . . until the world cruelly snuffs one of the flames.
And then her attitude turns, and the whole book turns with her, rushing toward a catharsis for all the pain and suffering that has preceded. It's wild and very satisfying and leaves me wanting to know what happens next. (There is a second book, but it is a short story collection rather than a true sequel, so I'm not sure that will give me what I want.)
I actually read Volume 1 of the manga adaptation of this novel first, not realizing it was an adaptation. I welcomed the chance to read the novel before continuing on to Volume 2 of the manga because it was hard to tell if that multi-volume work was moving toward a point or if it was simply fan service erotica. Thankfully, it does have a statement to make, though the road to it can easily lend itself to an end justifying the means debate.
It doesn't help that the writing of either the original book or the translation is very amateurish at times.
September 10, 2021
Holy cow, it's been a long time since I read a novel in a day. That's just how big a page turner this book was.
And what a book it was. Holy moly, that had more twists and turns and emotions than I expected.
This is 100% a dark comedy. I laughed my ass off at the sheer ridiculousness and audacity of this book. This world is awful, but in a way that's believable. Seeing it through the eyes of protagonist Haru helps a lot, as we get a steady stream of snarky commentary on this awful place to take a story and setting that would otherwise be depressing and turn it into one where you root for the main character. And that ending. THAT ENDING. SOOOOO satisfying.
I laughed with Haru. I cried with Haru. I rolled my eyes at the steady stream of god awful men she had to service with Haru. My heart went out to this girl, and I couldn't put the book down. The writing is just that good.
And what a book it was. Holy moly, that had more twists and turns and emotions than I expected.
This is 100% a dark comedy. I laughed my ass off at the sheer ridiculousness and audacity of this book. This world is awful, but in a way that's believable. Seeing it through the eyes of protagonist Haru helps a lot, as we get a steady stream of snarky commentary on this awful place to take a story and setting that would otherwise be depressing and turn it into one where you root for the main character. And that ending. THAT ENDING. SOOOOO satisfying.
I laughed with Haru. I cried with Haru. I rolled my eyes at the steady stream of god awful men she had to service with Haru. My heart went out to this girl, and I couldn't put the book down. The writing is just that good.
December 5, 2018
The Japanese light novel genre is booming Stateside now. This is a great boon for fans of certain titles. Often, we will see recent anime being developed from light novel sources, where in the past, manga was usually the primary source. Depending on the popularity of said title, a manga adaptation might follow. This gives fans 3 venues through which they can enjoy/revisit beloved titles (light novel/manga/anime). Good times indeed.
One of the most popular sub-genres in the industry, if not the most popular, is "isekai" (another world). These are your stories, which, if you think about it, are most in touch with the true escapist element that fantasy is honestly predicated upon. Put your mundane, oppressive, boring world behind, and step off somewhere amazing, where there are no limits to who you can be or what you can do. Along the anime/manga/novel landscape, we see various methods to 'port over' to the new worlds in question...sometimes, as in SAO, it is via becoming stranded through a VR game. Often, well, it requires reincarnation.
It seems within the sub-genre of isekai, there is yet another sub-genre, that of "being reincarnated in some ludicrous manner or another". Yes, you read that right. We have people being reincarnated as slimes, spiders, and, because why not, vending machines.
Another interesting note about these titles is that a good number of them arise not from commissioned publications, but as serialized stories licensed from Japanese message boards. Such is the case with today's book, JK Haru is a Sex Worker in Another World. Yes, this is assuredly an isekai title. Yes, the title is pretty outrageous and most assuredly in your face. However, the book itself is not a fluff piece. It is a fairly well-balanced work, that, despite some rough edges, offsets its levity with some dark corners and strong characters.
The title, as you most likely could figure, is not just a thesis, but an entire synopsis. Our young protagonist, Haru Koyama, wakes up in a fantasy world, after expiring in our world via the tried and true method of getting hit by a truck. She is joined by classmate Chiba, an introverted otaku who died as well attempting to push her out of the way. Like all standard fantasy alternate worlds, this one is under constant, perennial danger from an evil Demon Lord.
However, our young heroine has bigger fish to fry. Haru learns quickly that, in this world, the cards aren't exactly stacked in favor of the fairer sex. Her former loser classmate, Chiba, courtesy of some banter with the god who guided them over, finds himself blessed with a broken skill set - one that allows him to 'level up' at 16x the normal speed. Also, the society itself is completely male-dominated. The ubiquitous Adventurers' Guild only issues permits to men. In fact, the only open paths for women seem to be as housewife, priestess/healer (the only way women can be attached to an adventurer), or, sex work. With no skills from her old life to parlay here, Haru opts for the third choice; and then does her damnedest to be the best.
So, how does it all stack up?
Story/Writing: You can tell that this was a serialized piece, which was completed in installments. It all falls under a general thematic arc, but you can still feel that with each chapter, each vignette, the progress and character evolution was more specific to that portion than the overall book. This is not a bad thing, but as each vignette has a somewhat different mood, it plays merry hell on the overall feel of continuity.
The silver lining to this is that the book is, all in all, well-written. Hiratori has put a lot of love into her protagonist, and it allows the readers ease in sympathizing with her. Haru isn't perfect; in Japan, she was one of those materialistic, face in the crowd types (the equivalent of what we call "basic bitches" here). Also, escort and sex work was not entirely new to her when she touched down in the new world. The "JK" in the title stands for "Joshi Kousei", which literally means "High School Girl". However, in recent times, the term has evolved to refer to the compensated dating scene which is prevalent in Japan; and it is basically escort work with the option for sex, and a lot of teen girls engage in it. Haru had done that sort of work to make ends meet in middle school, and she needed to reinvent herself in the wake of it. As the story progresses, Hiratori gives us peeks into Haru's heart, bit by bit, so that you can see, under the veneer, there's a sweet, sensitive, hard-working soul there. And so, by the end of the book, you end up falling in love with Haru as well.
I must also note that, for this book to be so immensely readable to me, a Western reader, a good amount of credit must go to the translator. In this case, that honor goes to Emily Balistrieri. Good job!
World Building: Two ways to look at this one. The world building itself is a bit scanty. We have those aforementioned terms, the ones used in most isekai works, tossed around like window dressing. As for serious discourse regarding industry, economics, climate, etc., it's not there. So is that bad? Not really. Remember, Haru's view is limited to her dedication to working to survive. What we do get is detailed description of life at her workplace. Ergo, we learn about the world in the same manner she does; via her customers. To be honest, that is the best fit for this type of work.
Action: Well, there's action, and there's, ummm, "action". For the former, the clang-clang sword type, there's some, including one magnificent setpiece. As for the sex, well, to be honest, I don't read a lot of that type of fiction, so I can't really appraise it. It is, erm, interesting, to say the least. I did enjoy it, so I'll just say it's well-done.
Overall: Again, all in all it's a fun, heartfelt book. Don't be dissuaded by any perceived implications behind the title. I mean, yes, there is a lot of sex in this book, and there are some precarious situations. But life, as well as this book, is about overcoming those obstacles. While the serialized structure makes it a tad less powerful than a singular piece, and the fact that there are some superfluous elements (the entire Kickin' the Can segment), JK Haru is a Sex Worker in Another World is a solid book that begs for a sequel.
You can read my full review here:
https://hachisnaxreads.blogspot.com/2...
One of the most popular sub-genres in the industry, if not the most popular, is "isekai" (another world). These are your stories, which, if you think about it, are most in touch with the true escapist element that fantasy is honestly predicated upon. Put your mundane, oppressive, boring world behind, and step off somewhere amazing, where there are no limits to who you can be or what you can do. Along the anime/manga/novel landscape, we see various methods to 'port over' to the new worlds in question...sometimes, as in SAO, it is via becoming stranded through a VR game. Often, well, it requires reincarnation.
It seems within the sub-genre of isekai, there is yet another sub-genre, that of "being reincarnated in some ludicrous manner or another". Yes, you read that right. We have people being reincarnated as slimes, spiders, and, because why not, vending machines.
Another interesting note about these titles is that a good number of them arise not from commissioned publications, but as serialized stories licensed from Japanese message boards. Such is the case with today's book, JK Haru is a Sex Worker in Another World. Yes, this is assuredly an isekai title. Yes, the title is pretty outrageous and most assuredly in your face. However, the book itself is not a fluff piece. It is a fairly well-balanced work, that, despite some rough edges, offsets its levity with some dark corners and strong characters.
The title, as you most likely could figure, is not just a thesis, but an entire synopsis. Our young protagonist, Haru Koyama, wakes up in a fantasy world, after expiring in our world via the tried and true method of getting hit by a truck. She is joined by classmate Chiba, an introverted otaku who died as well attempting to push her out of the way. Like all standard fantasy alternate worlds, this one is under constant, perennial danger from an evil Demon Lord.
However, our young heroine has bigger fish to fry. Haru learns quickly that, in this world, the cards aren't exactly stacked in favor of the fairer sex. Her former loser classmate, Chiba, courtesy of some banter with the god who guided them over, finds himself blessed with a broken skill set - one that allows him to 'level up' at 16x the normal speed. Also, the society itself is completely male-dominated. The ubiquitous Adventurers' Guild only issues permits to men. In fact, the only open paths for women seem to be as housewife, priestess/healer (the only way women can be attached to an adventurer), or, sex work. With no skills from her old life to parlay here, Haru opts for the third choice; and then does her damnedest to be the best.
So, how does it all stack up?
Story/Writing: You can tell that this was a serialized piece, which was completed in installments. It all falls under a general thematic arc, but you can still feel that with each chapter, each vignette, the progress and character evolution was more specific to that portion than the overall book. This is not a bad thing, but as each vignette has a somewhat different mood, it plays merry hell on the overall feel of continuity.
The silver lining to this is that the book is, all in all, well-written. Hiratori has put a lot of love into her protagonist, and it allows the readers ease in sympathizing with her. Haru isn't perfect; in Japan, she was one of those materialistic, face in the crowd types (the equivalent of what we call "basic bitches" here). Also, escort and sex work was not entirely new to her when she touched down in the new world. The "JK" in the title stands for "Joshi Kousei", which literally means "High School Girl". However, in recent times, the term has evolved to refer to the compensated dating scene which is prevalent in Japan; and it is basically escort work with the option for sex, and a lot of teen girls engage in it. Haru had done that sort of work to make ends meet in middle school, and she needed to reinvent herself in the wake of it. As the story progresses, Hiratori gives us peeks into Haru's heart, bit by bit, so that you can see, under the veneer, there's a sweet, sensitive, hard-working soul there. And so, by the end of the book, you end up falling in love with Haru as well.
I must also note that, for this book to be so immensely readable to me, a Western reader, a good amount of credit must go to the translator. In this case, that honor goes to Emily Balistrieri. Good job!
World Building: Two ways to look at this one. The world building itself is a bit scanty. We have those aforementioned terms, the ones used in most isekai works, tossed around like window dressing. As for serious discourse regarding industry, economics, climate, etc., it's not there. So is that bad? Not really. Remember, Haru's view is limited to her dedication to working to survive. What we do get is detailed description of life at her workplace. Ergo, we learn about the world in the same manner she does; via her customers. To be honest, that is the best fit for this type of work.
Action: Well, there's action, and there's, ummm, "action". For the former, the clang-clang sword type, there's some, including one magnificent setpiece. As for the sex, well, to be honest, I don't read a lot of that type of fiction, so I can't really appraise it. It is, erm, interesting, to say the least. I did enjoy it, so I'll just say it's well-done.
Overall: Again, all in all it's a fun, heartfelt book. Don't be dissuaded by any perceived implications behind the title. I mean, yes, there is a lot of sex in this book, and there are some precarious situations. But life, as well as this book, is about overcoming those obstacles. While the serialized structure makes it a tad less powerful than a singular piece, and the fact that there are some superfluous elements (the entire Kickin' the Can segment), JK Haru is a Sex Worker in Another World is a solid book that begs for a sequel.
You can read my full review here:
https://hachisnaxreads.blogspot.com/2...
December 9, 2020
I wasn't expecting this level of brutal commentary in a light novel, bet it pissed off a lot of nerds. Good.
That being said…
- It has some pretty silly moments that I now expect from LNs that make me cringe a lot on the inside (I wanted that can sport bit to be over sooo badly. It read like a children's writing project) and don't get me started on the dialogue - for instance: you really do not need to write the moans in "nnn..AAAh" like, no.
-The explicit descriptions of sexual abuse could have been cut down by a lot, the point was made the first few times and the meaning got lost quickly (every time a new client got described I already knew what was going to happen and I just wanted to skip the whole thing). I'm not squirmish by any means but It started to get grating even for me to be reading what surmounted to a bad porn every few pages - like I said, there's a purpose to it, sure enough. It's calling out the inherent sexism and exploitation behind basically every romance or smut trope otaku culture has and how disregarded woman are when It comes to sex. Still, at the same time, due to the sheer amount of repetitions and length of these scenes, we are left with pages and pages of soulless written hentai.
*Some of these scenes also made me feel pretty sick, when I mentioned this got brutal I wasn't exaggerating, so beware of every kind of sexual TW.
- Haru's a high schooler and the text tends to be extremely predatory in nature in that regard. And It doesn't seem to be all part of the commentary, either. It's legit fetishising her age.
+ I do want to point out that haru's not a main chara that you come across very easily - which is amazing. Pretty great job at characterization done there. It's the unlikable chara done right: she doesn't want sympathy, she's not innocent nor really nice, but also not cruel nor annoying- she's just surviving the way she knows how and trying to cope with a very shitty reality. Her life even before being isekai'd was pretty rough, so she's got some thick skin from the get go, but nobody's invulnerable and we get to witness that throughout her journey.
+ Female charas interactions were really heartwarming... Until The extra stories in the end. I will ignore those 'cause it's mostly disappointing stuff.
That being said…
- It has some pretty silly moments that I now expect from LNs that make me cringe a lot on the inside (I wanted that can sport bit to be over sooo badly. It read like a children's writing project) and don't get me started on the dialogue - for instance: you really do not need to write the moans in "nnn..AAAh" like, no.
-The explicit descriptions of sexual abuse could have been cut down by a lot, the point was made the first few times and the meaning got lost quickly (every time a new client got described I already knew what was going to happen and I just wanted to skip the whole thing). I'm not squirmish by any means but It started to get grating even for me to be reading what surmounted to a bad porn every few pages - like I said, there's a purpose to it, sure enough. It's calling out the inherent sexism and exploitation behind basically every romance or smut trope otaku culture has and how disregarded woman are when It comes to sex. Still, at the same time, due to the sheer amount of repetitions and length of these scenes, we are left with pages and pages of soulless written hentai.
*Some of these scenes also made me feel pretty sick, when I mentioned this got brutal I wasn't exaggerating, so beware of every kind of sexual TW.
- Haru's a high schooler and the text tends to be extremely predatory in nature in that regard. And It doesn't seem to be all part of the commentary, either. It's legit fetishising her age.
+ I do want to point out that haru's not a main chara that you come across very easily - which is amazing. Pretty great job at characterization done there. It's the unlikable chara done right: she doesn't want sympathy, she's not innocent nor really nice, but also not cruel nor annoying- she's just surviving the way she knows how and trying to cope with a very shitty reality. Her life even before being isekai'd was pretty rough, so she's got some thick skin from the get go, but nobody's invulnerable and we get to witness that throughout her journey.
+ Female charas interactions were really heartwarming... Until The extra stories in the end. I will ignore those 'cause it's mostly disappointing stuff.
October 27, 2018
Better At the End
This book has a huuuuuge TW for rape, CSA, torture, and other nastiness. I was conflicted between a 3 and 4, but went higher due to improvements near the end.
For some reason I thought this would be a more light-hearted take. It's very dark, definitely about survival sex work and sex trafficking.
The first half or so of the book I was really, really starting to think it was just torture porn. Haru almost seemed like an MRA caricature of what "popular girls" are like.
But as the story goes on we see more of her, and especially her interactions with the supportive women in her life. I really love books where the female main character isn't the *only* female character, and one in which women support each other. This book meets that further in.
The setting shows a deeply misogynistic society, and a very hard look at the men. Some of the ways they act are beyond what would be typical to experience for many readers, mixed with common failings that anyone who sleeps with men could have encountered.
Haru, and other women in the story, are extremely disempowered earlier in the book, but near the end band together and become more powerful. Not enough to radically overthrow society-- but to live their lives a bit more for themselves.
Overall, I'm glad I stuck through to the end for the catharsis and character development. Leaving halfway would have left me with a very bad taste in my mouth.
This book has a huuuuuge TW for rape, CSA, torture, and other nastiness. I was conflicted between a 3 and 4, but went higher due to improvements near the end.
For some reason I thought this would be a more light-hearted take. It's very dark, definitely about survival sex work and sex trafficking.
The first half or so of the book I was really, really starting to think it was just torture porn. Haru almost seemed like an MRA caricature of what "popular girls" are like.
But as the story goes on we see more of her, and especially her interactions with the supportive women in her life. I really love books where the female main character isn't the *only* female character, and one in which women support each other. This book meets that further in.
The setting shows a deeply misogynistic society, and a very hard look at the men. Some of the ways they act are beyond what would be typical to experience for many readers, mixed with common failings that anyone who sleeps with men could have encountered.
Haru, and other women in the story, are extremely disempowered earlier in the book, but near the end band together and become more powerful. Not enough to radically overthrow society-- but to live their lives a bit more for themselves.
Overall, I'm glad I stuck through to the end for the catharsis and character development. Leaving halfway would have left me with a very bad taste in my mouth.
July 17, 2019
An utterly fascinating alternate perspective to the usual isekai nerdy male power fantasy. What happens when two people die and get transported to a typical fantasy world and one is a guy who gets overpowered abilities while the other is a girl who gets nothing and has to make ends meet selling her body in an inherently mysogynistic society?
Of course, due to the subject matter this book contains SO MUCH SEX so be forewarned, also trigger warnings abound. I enjoyed the twist 3/4 through the novel and Haru herself is a wonderful character. I just wish the novel had reached a true conclusion instead of sort of trailing off with two epilogues that only furthered some character development instead of plot development.
Of course, due to the subject matter this book contains SO MUCH SEX so be forewarned, also trigger warnings abound. I enjoyed the twist 3/4 through the novel and Haru herself is a wonderful character. I just wish the novel had reached a true conclusion instead of sort of trailing off with two epilogues that only furthered some character development instead of plot development.
April 26, 2020
Ok, So I'll put it like this. If you're looking for a nice feel good book. I would NOT suggest this book at all. If anything, this has got to be one of the more "realistic" books that fall in the isakai genre. The main character is NOT the dude, but the girl who lived a pretty decent life in Japan and got stuck in a crappy world and is working on trying to make the best out of a bad situation. With all that said, Haru is in fact a sex worker in another would, and the book is written completely wrapped around that aspect.
Thing is, the book is NOT about sex, but about the relationships she has with different people. There are some things that are brought up throughout the story that also let you know that Haru is not the gun ho type of girl she tries to pretend to be.
Ok, so the con's about this book. Both of the people who got transported to this new world are pretty much useless people. One is the pretty girl that got by off her looks and the other is the nerdy boy who was shunned for being weird. Both characters are incredibly unlikable, but it's not them that makes the story worth reading, it's literally everyone else in the story that makes it worth reading about.
With that said, I'm going to chew through the next book because I do like the fact that this isn't a Disney story. There are happy endings, there are sad endings, and there are things that you waiting to see blossom.
Thing is, the book is NOT about sex, but about the relationships she has with different people. There are some things that are brought up throughout the story that also let you know that Haru is not the gun ho type of girl she tries to pretend to be.
Ok, so the con's about this book. Both of the people who got transported to this new world are pretty much useless people. One is the pretty girl that got by off her looks and the other is the nerdy boy who was shunned for being weird. Both characters are incredibly unlikable, but it's not them that makes the story worth reading, it's literally everyone else in the story that makes it worth reading about.
With that said, I'm going to chew through the next book because I do like the fact that this isn't a Disney story. There are happy endings, there are sad endings, and there are things that you waiting to see blossom.
October 13, 2019
It's fine. I appreciate the concept and the criticism of the typical isekai world, but most of the book felt like torture porn, which is not really my thing, and the end just felt like a power fantasy, a feminist power fantasy (which is slightly refreshing in an isekai tale), but otherwise just a plain old power fantasy. As a result of this, even though I liked many things about the book, I didn't really have the greatest time reading it. I would recommend reading it just for the novelty, though.
December 12, 2018
It’s really a three and a half star read and really good... but the number of trigger warnings you’d want emblazoned all over this book are staggering. It really calls out the male fantasy tropes particularly endemic in this genre of Japanese fiction.
September 14, 2026
To be honest reading halfway into this I was for sure thinking I was going to rate this at least 3 stars closer to 4. That clearly changed by the end of it. To be honest I'm not really sure what the point of this story was. There were funny moments, and our main protagonist's lens of the situation she's in was fairly reasonable and grounded.
A lot of the chapters felt aimless. Too many times there were new people introduced that did basically nothing after their initial chapter. It's implied one of the guys she meets ends up being a really important character but they never really confirm nor deny it.
I'm also not sure why Chiba exists. He doesn't do much, and you think he would since they spend so much time talking about him in the first half of the book but seriously he does nothing. A lot of things Haru knows or does is explained way later/after the fact when I feel like it would be pretty important to include in the narrative... so it comes off as lazy instead? Sumo is the same but at least you never got too much of an impression he was that important.
In the beginning there wasn't really a goal in mind nor do we really learn about Haru's goals outside of wanting to climb the ranks within her workplace. We don't really see what she thinks if she were able to go back to her old life, only bits and pieces of the most miserable parts of her old life when she's currently feeling miserable. This lack of direction and conviction basically continued as the entire book.
I honestly thought we were going to get some sort of resolution even if it was extremely underwhelming, but it honestly just feels like the author gave up actually trying to make a compelling story. The ending chapter is quite literally for the most part from the perspective of a completely different girl which we rarely talk about in the entire book. The stuff she talks about too isn't even related to what has been happening the entire book (why Haru and Chiba are special and what they'll do) it's literally just a side character learning why she's disliked by so many people and at the very end we get a vague answer of what Haru has been up to that entire time. No details at all in probably what could be the most interesting arc. It just feels lazy. It does not end with a real goal and that's what frustrates me the most.
Haru also acts extremely dumb towards the latter end of the book. I don't know why because the entire time the book has been establishing her sarcastic yet extremely self aware perspective of what she's doing and how the world works. So when there's obvious foreshadowing going on she for some reason cannot connect the dots even though she was able to not too long ago? Also, I don't really understand why she seeks revenge, slays, and then goes back to her normal life as if nothing didn't happen. That's usually a good enough transition to actually motivate the character to end the story... but it doesn't end the story at all it just leaves it stalling.
I did not read the bonus story. I was too bored by that side character ending chapter.
Overall I'm extremely disappointed. I liked the world building, the character consistency (for the most part), and the taboo topics it touches in a sarcastic almost parody way. It is frustrating though because there was never an established goal in mind even though it seemed like there was. There was no proper ending to save the world or even learn to be content with her life. The ending is literally just I don't want to actually write detail anymore so I will write the last chapter from an irrelevant side character as the ending basically. I was really excited to enjoy it, but I'm disappointed there was not much to enjoy in the end.
A lot of the chapters felt aimless. Too many times there were new people introduced that did basically nothing after their initial chapter. It's implied one of the guys she meets ends up being a really important character but they never really confirm nor deny it.
I'm also not sure why Chiba exists. He doesn't do much, and you think he would since they spend so much time talking about him in the first half of the book but seriously he does nothing. A lot of things Haru knows or does is explained way later/after the fact when I feel like it would be pretty important to include in the narrative... so it comes off as lazy instead? Sumo is the same but at least you never got too much of an impression he was that important.
In the beginning there wasn't really a goal in mind nor do we really learn about Haru's goals outside of wanting to climb the ranks within her workplace. We don't really see what she thinks if she were able to go back to her old life, only bits and pieces of the most miserable parts of her old life when she's currently feeling miserable. This lack of direction and conviction basically continued as the entire book.
I honestly thought we were going to get some sort of resolution even if it was extremely underwhelming, but it honestly just feels like the author gave up actually trying to make a compelling story. The ending chapter is quite literally for the most part from the perspective of a completely different girl which we rarely talk about in the entire book. The stuff she talks about too isn't even related to what has been happening the entire book (why Haru and Chiba are special and what they'll do) it's literally just a side character learning why she's disliked by so many people and at the very end we get a vague answer of what Haru has been up to that entire time. No details at all in probably what could be the most interesting arc. It just feels lazy. It does not end with a real goal and that's what frustrates me the most.
Haru also acts extremely dumb towards the latter end of the book. I don't know why because the entire time the book has been establishing her sarcastic yet extremely self aware perspective of what she's doing and how the world works. So when there's obvious foreshadowing going on she for some reason cannot connect the dots even though she was able to not too long ago? Also, I don't really understand why she seeks revenge, slays, and then goes back to her normal life as if nothing didn't happen. That's usually a good enough transition to actually motivate the character to end the story... but it doesn't end the story at all it just leaves it stalling.
I did not read the bonus story. I was too bored by that side character ending chapter.
Overall I'm extremely disappointed. I liked the world building, the character consistency (for the most part), and the taboo topics it touches in a sarcastic almost parody way. It is frustrating though because there was never an established goal in mind even though it seemed like there was. There was no proper ending to save the world or even learn to be content with her life. The ending is literally just I don't want to actually write detail anymore so I will write the last chapter from an irrelevant side character as the ending basically. I was really excited to enjoy it, but I'm disappointed there was not much to enjoy in the end.
July 9, 2025
The premise is interesting. But said premise goes absolutely nowhere, and the twist, the reveal that happens at the end, retroactively makes the story make 0 sense, and makes Haru, the protagonist, come off as a selfish brat. I don't want to spoil anything, but something needs to be said: The premise is a lie. That's all I'll say.
By the end I sat there with a "What was the point of this Novel?" "What did it want to tell? What point did it want to get across?" . There is non. It was written by someone who, clearly, hates isekais targeted towards men. They make fun of every single trope in them while at the same time making every single male human character, a comically evil monster. Except the demon lord, oh no! The demon lord is kind and hot and the MC is in love with him! Obviously! But it also has 0 to say against said trope or genre and it falls into every pit other trash in the genre falls into. The twist at the end is just, such massive garbage.
"I fucked God." "God is dead." When my sword got too heavy from the blood of my enemies.." Those are actual quotes.
Seriously, by the end I thought I was reading a fanfict some teen on Tumblr wrote. It gets that bad.
By the end I sat there with a "What was the point of this Novel?" "What did it want to tell? What point did it want to get across?" . There is non. It was written by someone who, clearly, hates isekais targeted towards men. They make fun of every single trope in them while at the same time making every single male human character, a comically evil monster. Except the demon lord, oh no! The demon lord is kind and hot and the MC is in love with him! Obviously! But it also has 0 to say against said trope or genre and it falls into every pit other trash in the genre falls into. The twist at the end is just, such massive garbage.
"I fucked God." "God is dead." When my sword got too heavy from the blood of my enemies.." Those are actual quotes.
Seriously, by the end I thought I was reading a fanfict some teen on Tumblr wrote. It gets that bad.
October 1, 2018
In recent years we have seen a proliferation in Japanese light novels parodying the by now stereotypical ’transported to another world’ (isekai) story. We have seen titles such as Reborn as a Vending Machine, So I'm a Spider so What? and That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime. Yet no one has taken the parody as far as Ko Hiratori with her dark comedy JK Haru is a Sex Worker in Another World. It offers a disturbing but also a completely original take on the sub-genre that has come to dominate the light novel scene.
April 15, 2024
Honestly it’s a 2.5 cuz this worked wayyy better in the manga format ngl.
The manga volumes adapted this exactly but in a way that didn’t feel so… annoying and more interesting. It’s harder to sympathise and feel for Haru in the light novel compared to the manga because of how it’s written which is a shame cuz I really liked the storytelling when reading the manga, and you really feel like rooting for Haru to get a happy ending for herself there.
Anyway read the manga adaptation instead. It’s the same story line but better paced and you get the emotions better (plus you get to visually see the silver-haired man in all his glory lol).
Huge trigger warning though because of the nature of the story.
The manga volumes adapted this exactly but in a way that didn’t feel so… annoying and more interesting. It’s harder to sympathise and feel for Haru in the light novel compared to the manga because of how it’s written which is a shame cuz I really liked the storytelling when reading the manga, and you really feel like rooting for Haru to get a happy ending for herself there.
Anyway read the manga adaptation instead. It’s the same story line but better paced and you get the emotions better (plus you get to visually see the silver-haired man in all his glory lol).
Huge trigger warning though because of the nature of the story.
March 5, 2025
Wow, it... really has nothing going on for it? I am between one and two stars, it isn't very good but it is readable, I guess, if you have nothing better to do.
The world is a stock standard lazy isekai writing: demon lord, monsters, levels, skills. No elaboration how and why any of these actually work. A lot of the other reviews seem to consider this criticism of isekai tropes, but the book really doesn't do or say anything interesting about them, this is just the world the book is set in.
The descriptions of sex are cold and clinical, which for the most parts makes perfect sense, as for Haru those are just part of the job. But the scenes where Haru actually supposedly does actually enjoy it, are mostly written the same way.
Main character, Haru, is a hard character to root for, since she has no actual goal in the story (other than improving her sales stats in the work she constantly complains about having to do).
The book tries to be a story about a powerless Haru trying to survive in another world and the uncomfortable situations she has to endure.
The world is a stock standard lazy isekai writing: demon lord, monsters, levels, skills. No elaboration how and why any of these actually work. A lot of the other reviews seem to consider this criticism of isekai tropes, but the book really doesn't do or say anything interesting about them, this is just the world the book is set in.
The descriptions of sex are cold and clinical, which for the most parts makes perfect sense, as for Haru those are just part of the job. But the scenes where Haru actually supposedly does actually enjoy it, are mostly written the same way.
Main character, Haru, is a hard character to root for, since she has no actual goal in the story (other than improving her sales stats in the work she constantly complains about having to do).
The book tries to be a story about a powerless Haru trying to survive in another world and the uncomfortable situations she has to endure.
September 12, 2019
Not bad, but not good either. Themes around women's rights and misogynistic society are brought up, but not really ever challenged. There are a few turns that are interesting that have no foreshadowing and the follow up to those turns leaves a lot to be desired. Its definitely a different flavor of light novel from the run of the mill isekais and that is appreciated, though more time could have been spent polishing it up to be more coherent and fleshed out.
January 16, 2019
I'm not usually a fan of the Light Novel style; too much of it is horny teenage boy wish fulfillment. However, JK Haru was a great twist on the tropes of isekai. I loved that Chiba, who would be the hero if this were a normal entry in the genre, is a selfish, oblivious jerk. I love that Haru keeps pretending to forget his name. I love Kiyori, and her development from a sheltered virgin to someone becoming aware of the misogyny around her.
The only reason this doesn't get full marks from me is the "Kick-the-Can" interlude. The chapter is as if all the Quidditch bits of Harry Potter were crammed together right in the middle of one of the books, and it kills the momentum of the story, first because the rules of the game aren't explained well, and second because Haru's tactic kind of runs counter to the feminist themes in the rest of the book. Still, I hope J-Novel Club picks up the next volume ASAP.
The only reason this doesn't get full marks from me is the "Kick-the-Can" interlude. The chapter is as if all the Quidditch bits of Harry Potter were crammed together right in the middle of one of the books, and it kills the momentum of the story, first because the rules of the game aren't explained well, and second because Haru's tactic kind of runs counter to the feminist themes in the rest of the book. Still, I hope J-Novel Club picks up the next volume ASAP.
February 10, 2026
The first person perspective really does the story a disservice because we never get a true look into Haru's mental and emotional state until 60% of the way into the book. Haru rationalizes everything that's happening to her so hard it reads like Hiratori is writing a story fetishizing the dangers of sex work instead of sympathizing with the sex workers. Ultimately, JK Haru does what it set out to do and condemns the misogyny of the shonen isekai genre. I simply recommend reading the manga as it shows us more of Haru's true feelings. Also, you don't have to read the phrase "my beautiful pink pussy" over and over.
Want to Read
September 24, 2018I’ve been dying to see people take down the isekai genre which is basically a male fantasy genre that fulfills men’s desire to be well liked and powerful (in the worst and annoying ways possible). Full of sexist tropes and bland guys that aren’t interesting even with their new features.
February 25, 2020
Excellent all the way through. Good characters, good fun, and drama that worked. An excellent "real" take on the whole isekai thing that I totally recommend if you're okay with the content warnings.
September 17, 2021
Full of grody violent smut but its heart's -extremely- in the right place. Had a moment near the end where I had to put down the book and gut-catharsis-sob at a twist for like six minutes.
May 9, 2020
At first, I was confused if the book and manga are one and the same. I read the manga and I loved it, so i bought the book too.
My opinion of the Manga:
I'm a huge fan of Ko Hiratori's bold approach despite what the more sensitive readers might think of it. The story is addictive. Haru's character is very rich, human, and very real. Her emotions complexity are fascinating. I am astonished how Ko Hiratori was able to capture her mental and emotional side so perfectly. Haru represents a very common, yet hardly ever approached, kind of women that most writers pretends don't exist.
I love the manga, and i will continue to read it, and even purchase a paperback copy, even after I have already finished the book.
The novel: My feelings about the book are a bit more complex.
First of all, the book will not pass as a proper Novel by many standards. It lacks proper editing. The translation is so-so. the focus on "overly-detailed" sex scenes is a big "negative" for many readers. The dialogue is confusing and you will find yourself at loss many times as to who is talking due to lack of interlocutors (unless you're truly immersed into the story). The language used is "too modern" for a primitive world, and "too japanese" for english readers, and too "comical" for proper novels' speech (I mean the excessive use of stuttering like "W-What" "D-Don't" or use of "unfinished sentences" which is the kind of dialogue only used in manga). Many english words were misused. Many scenes and short-descriptions could have been written better. And a lot of Japanese culture influence on the text was left unexplained, like the use of certain words and sentences that are very common for Japanese readers, but in english (and for foreigners as a whole) it makes no sense whatsoever.
All in all, the novel is more of A SCRIPT FOR A MANGA than it is an actual novel. It will cost a lot of time and money to turn it to a proper english-novel.
That being said: If you are as big of a fan about the story-line itself, as i am, then you will be able to overlook all the negativity i mentioned and "read into the story itself". And you will not be disappointed. This is an amazing tale. Original. Fascinating. Not easily predictable. At some point it made my eyes watery, and at another it took me by complete surprise.
I love the story. It's wonderful.
If Ko Hiratori is reading this: I want you to know that I'm buying the next book, and I will be following your work from now on, my friend, and I hope you have a look at my work (Natir Whitebridge) you will not be disappointed ;)
My opinion of the Manga:
I'm a huge fan of Ko Hiratori's bold approach despite what the more sensitive readers might think of it. The story is addictive. Haru's character is very rich, human, and very real. Her emotions complexity are fascinating. I am astonished how Ko Hiratori was able to capture her mental and emotional side so perfectly. Haru represents a very common, yet hardly ever approached, kind of women that most writers pretends don't exist.
I love the manga, and i will continue to read it, and even purchase a paperback copy, even after I have already finished the book.
The novel: My feelings about the book are a bit more complex.
First of all, the book will not pass as a proper Novel by many standards. It lacks proper editing. The translation is so-so. the focus on "overly-detailed" sex scenes is a big "negative" for many readers. The dialogue is confusing and you will find yourself at loss many times as to who is talking due to lack of interlocutors (unless you're truly immersed into the story). The language used is "too modern" for a primitive world, and "too japanese" for english readers, and too "comical" for proper novels' speech (I mean the excessive use of stuttering like "W-What" "D-Don't" or use of "unfinished sentences" which is the kind of dialogue only used in manga). Many english words were misused. Many scenes and short-descriptions could have been written better. And a lot of Japanese culture influence on the text was left unexplained, like the use of certain words and sentences that are very common for Japanese readers, but in english (and for foreigners as a whole) it makes no sense whatsoever.
All in all, the novel is more of A SCRIPT FOR A MANGA than it is an actual novel. It will cost a lot of time and money to turn it to a proper english-novel.
That being said: If you are as big of a fan about the story-line itself, as i am, then you will be able to overlook all the negativity i mentioned and "read into the story itself". And you will not be disappointed. This is an amazing tale. Original. Fascinating. Not easily predictable. At some point it made my eyes watery, and at another it took me by complete surprise.
I love the story. It's wonderful.
If Ko Hiratori is reading this: I want you to know that I'm buying the next book, and I will be following your work from now on, my friend, and I hope you have a look at my work (Natir Whitebridge) you will not be disappointed ;)
November 9, 2021
first, THIS BOOK ISN'T FOR EVERYONE. HUGE TRIGGER WARNINGS FOR SEXUAL ASSAULT.
this one's hard to rate so i'll:
the writing style is simple and straightforward, which isn't uncommon for light novels. I think the voice of the main character, a high school student, was pretty realistic, i genuinely felt like i was reading a teenager's train of thought
i really liked how feminist this book actually ended up being, especially in a genre such as isekai. i am not an isekai fan at all, i find it repetitive and boring, so having a book narrated from an entirely different perspective than that of the Hero™ was good for me. instead of the happy path of the mighty hero, you are taken to the hardships of a misogynistic world from the eyes of one of their most vulnerable group, the sex workers. just because this book is set on another world doesn't mean the depictions of abuse, assault and danger the women in this line of work endure are any less real.
i did like that it didn't sugarcoat the assault scenes, however, i do think they were unnecessarily long? and I would've liked to see the aftermath, the struggles with trauma that our girls have to go through.
I loved Haru, I loved to see her happy, I loved her determination and wit. I loved the side characters, all the girls are amazing.
I don't think this book is perfect and I don't think I'd recommend it, just because the sexual assault is pretty heavy, but I do think it does a good job deconstructing(?) the isekai genre.
I wish it had more of a conclusive ending but at the same time I'm pleased with the whole experience.
3.75/5
this one's hard to rate so i'll:
the writing style is simple and straightforward, which isn't uncommon for light novels. I think the voice of the main character, a high school student, was pretty realistic, i genuinely felt like i was reading a teenager's train of thought
i really liked how feminist this book actually ended up being, especially in a genre such as isekai. i am not an isekai fan at all, i find it repetitive and boring, so having a book narrated from an entirely different perspective than that of the Hero™ was good for me. instead of the happy path of the mighty hero, you are taken to the hardships of a misogynistic world from the eyes of one of their most vulnerable group, the sex workers. just because this book is set on another world doesn't mean the depictions of abuse, assault and danger the women in this line of work endure are any less real.
i did like that it didn't sugarcoat the assault scenes, however, i do think they were unnecessarily long? and I would've liked to see the aftermath, the struggles with trauma that our girls have to go through.
I loved Haru, I loved to see her happy, I loved her determination and wit. I loved the side characters, all the girls are amazing.
I don't think this book is perfect and I don't think I'd recommend it, just because the sexual assault is pretty heavy, but I do think it does a good job deconstructing(?) the isekai genre.
I wish it had more of a conclusive ending but at the same time I'm pleased with the whole experience.
3.75/5
September 20, 2019
If you've been paying any attention at all to current trends in Anime, Manga, or Light Novels, you've surely noticed the boom of Isekai (transported to another world) fantasy stories. And if you're here, you're probably beyond tired of them taking up all the market space. Too many times does one (or more) loser boy get sent to an RPG-inspired world to become the OP messiah and get rewarded with a Harem for merely existing. Well, JK Haru is more than aware of this monotony and proceeds to take all of the piss out of the worst genre to ever exist.
While it does suffer from somewhat mediocre writing, the story is funny and the characters are engaging enough to carry through some of the rougher areas. It follows a slice-of-life style story up until the last couple chapters when the plot gets upheaved and the twist is finally confirmed. If you know the twist going in (which I did), you can see where the author was trying to telegraph it through, but if you don't, there is a chance it will feel like an ass pull. Even with that, I still feel like it's a decent read if you like Light Novels and are tired of the constant barrage of Isekai over-saturating the market.
Side note, there are a couple of disturbing scenes of sexual assault towards the end of the book. They're done better than one would expect knowing the genre, but they can still be upsetting if you weren't expecting them. It starts getting darker from the "Cat Ears" chapter onwards, so consider that your content warning.
While it does suffer from somewhat mediocre writing, the story is funny and the characters are engaging enough to carry through some of the rougher areas. It follows a slice-of-life style story up until the last couple chapters when the plot gets upheaved and the twist is finally confirmed. If you know the twist going in (which I did), you can see where the author was trying to telegraph it through, but if you don't, there is a chance it will feel like an ass pull. Even with that, I still feel like it's a decent read if you like Light Novels and are tired of the constant barrage of Isekai over-saturating the market.
Side note, there are a couple of disturbing scenes of sexual assault towards the end of the book. They're done better than one would expect knowing the genre, but they can still be upsetting if you weren't expecting them. It starts getting darker from the "Cat Ears" chapter onwards, so consider that your content warning.
October 28, 2018
“Sometimes I really think men are dumb, and they are definitely at their dumbest when they’re having sex.”
This book certainly isn’t for everyone. In order to appreciate it, it’s necessary to be at least somewhat familiar with the popular “Isekai” (transported to another world) genre that’s very popular in anime, manga, and light novels. At the same time, I doubt this would appeal to those (typically male) fans of the genre who think it’s flawless since this book is a biting commentary on the common tropes.
It’s also important to have a high tolerance for explicit language and descriptions of sexual violence. The narrator reads a bit like a young woman Holden Caulfield with the use of casual and explicit language and sarcastic quips and commentary. Although this is translated from Japanese, the flow is very good and easy to read.
So, if all this sounds appealing to you, then you’re in for a really unique treasure. While dark, it’s often hilarious as it pokes fun (in a brutal black comedy manner) at the types of stories that inspired it. There is a reveal about halfway through that is a brilliant twist and really made me fall in love with the story.
Unfortunately, the ending is not as strong and it felt as though there was more potential yet it kind of just petered out. Still well worth the read for the very rare feminist take on Isekai novels.
This book certainly isn’t for everyone. In order to appreciate it, it’s necessary to be at least somewhat familiar with the popular “Isekai” (transported to another world) genre that’s very popular in anime, manga, and light novels. At the same time, I doubt this would appeal to those (typically male) fans of the genre who think it’s flawless since this book is a biting commentary on the common tropes.
It’s also important to have a high tolerance for explicit language and descriptions of sexual violence. The narrator reads a bit like a young woman Holden Caulfield with the use of casual and explicit language and sarcastic quips and commentary. Although this is translated from Japanese, the flow is very good and easy to read.
So, if all this sounds appealing to you, then you’re in for a really unique treasure. While dark, it’s often hilarious as it pokes fun (in a brutal black comedy manner) at the types of stories that inspired it. There is a reveal about halfway through that is a brilliant twist and really made me fall in love with the story.
Unfortunately, the ending is not as strong and it felt as though there was more potential yet it kind of just petered out. Still well worth the read for the very rare feminist take on Isekai novels.
August 4, 2019
The author initially writes adult theme web novels for men, but this light novel is an attempt to entertain adult female readers, according to the author, Ko Hiratori. Well, Hiratori - you got me.
I consider this isekai storyline to be above-average, which gets a passable 4/5 stars. The translation was done moderately well to the extent that I cannot seem to silence the uneasy wet, smacking sounds reverberating in my head. Thank you, Emily B.
The story does cast an honest-to-God (not that God in the book itself) reflection of what modern sex workers have to endure - gender degradation and exposure to the dangers of sexual violence.
The main character remains true to her intent and refusal to accept the defeat of any kind, no matter how men undermined and abused her. A strong-willed and very calculative young lady regardless of her social standing. She goes on with each day and endures the hardships thrown her way. From the beginning to the end - Haru takes her minor role as a sex worker to grant her an outstanding advantage to subdue her enemies later on.
I will be expecting more to come after finishing this book.
I consider this isekai storyline to be above-average, which gets a passable 4/5 stars. The translation was done moderately well to the extent that I cannot seem to silence the uneasy wet, smacking sounds reverberating in my head. Thank you, Emily B.
The story does cast an honest-to-God (not that God in the book itself) reflection of what modern sex workers have to endure - gender degradation and exposure to the dangers of sexual violence.
The main character remains true to her intent and refusal to accept the defeat of any kind, no matter how men undermined and abused her. A strong-willed and very calculative young lady regardless of her social standing. She goes on with each day and endures the hardships thrown her way. From the beginning to the end - Haru takes her minor role as a sex worker to grant her an outstanding advantage to subdue her enemies later on.
I will be expecting more to come after finishing this book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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