What do you think?
Rate this book
Your Forma Light Novel #1
ユア・フォルマ 電索官エチカと機械仕掛けの相棒
脳の縫い糸――通称〈ユア・フォルマ〉ウイルス性脳炎の流行から人々を救った医療技術は、日常に不可欠な情報端末へと進化をとげた。
縫い糸は全てを記録する。見たもの、聴いたこと、そして感情までも。そんな記録にダイブし、重大事件解決の糸口を探るのが、電索官・エチカの仕事だ。
電索能力が釣り合わない同僚の脳を焼き切っては、病院送りにしてばかりのエチカにあてがわれた新しい相棒ハロルドは、ヒト型ロボット〈アミクス〉だった。
過去のトラウマからアミクスを嫌うエチカと、構わず距離を詰めるハロルド。稀代の凸凹バディが、世界を襲う電子犯罪に挑む！
第27回電撃大賞《大賞》受賞のバディクライムドラマ、堂々開幕!!
縫い糸は全てを記録する。見たもの、聴いたこと、そして感情までも。そんな記録にダイブし、重大事件解決の糸口を探るのが、電索官・エチカの仕事だ。
電索能力が釣り合わない同僚の脳を焼き切っては、病院送りにしてばかりのエチカにあてがわれた新しい相棒ハロルドは、ヒト型ロボット〈アミクス〉だった。
過去のトラウマからアミクスを嫌うエチカと、構わず距離を詰めるハロルド。稀代の凸凹バディが、世界を襲う電子犯罪に挑む！
第27回電撃大賞《大賞》受賞のバディクライムドラマ、堂々開幕!!
288 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 10, 2021
25 people are currently reading
147 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
December 26, 2024
If elements of this story aren't based directly on Elon Musk and his ambitions/disregard for humanity, I will be very much surprised - especially since the author includes a bibliography of their research and there's specifically an article about his proposed brain implants. A lot of thought clearly went into crafting this science fiction story, both as a work of speculative fiction and as a bit of a warning about the future of technology, and while it drags in places, ultimately I enjoyed it. It's not perfect, but I'm looking forward to reading the second volume.
August 14, 2022
If you think this is some Ghost in the SHell it is not.
The main character Echika Hieda constantly apologizes for her existence and isn't never allowed to say that she's the best and that nobody can keep up with her.
Harold W. Lutcraft on the other hand, and android constantly harasses her and embarrasses her and of course his respect module is "advanced" so he doesn't have to follow basic respect.
In the end she has to be saved by a man and give up the thing she most values in the world and is shamed for it. There is no resolution to this and of course she is find with it in the end. There's also no resolution with Lucraft and he continues to manipulate her to get what he wants.
I'm only going to read more to see if my conclusion is correct:
That it was the third mentioned RF model that killed Sazon and it's going to be named Moriarty.
Which means Echika is just... nothing to the overall story.
The main character Echika Hieda constantly apologizes for her existence and isn't never allowed to say that she's the best and that nobody can keep up with her.
Harold W. Lutcraft on the other hand, and android constantly harasses her and embarrasses her and of course his respect module is "advanced" so he doesn't have to follow basic respect.
In the end she has to be saved by a man and give up the thing she most values in the world and is shamed for it. There is no resolution to this and of course she is find with it in the end. There's also no resolution with Lucraft and he continues to manipulate her to get what he wants.
I'm only going to read more to see if my conclusion is correct:
That it was the third mentioned RF model that killed Sazon and it's going to be named Moriarty.
Which means Echika is just... nothing to the overall story.
June 17, 2022
Intriguing sci-fi worldbuilding and concepts told with okay characters. Considered dropping it at the early parts because I couldn't stand Echika's personality but I continued on solely for the mystery and alternate history. Echika's character development improved my opinion of her and her dynamic with Harold was suprisingly interesting!
It's apparent that the writer is well-read and traveled (or at least, had done a lot of research). The story took place on multiple locations around the world, which brings perspective on how ingrained AI technology is in their society at large. The mystery's conclusion and explanation felt a bit lackluster but the ending tied up all loose ends nicely.
Pretty enjoyable overall. Glad I finished it.
It's apparent that the writer is well-read and traveled (or at least, had done a lot of research). The story took place on multiple locations around the world, which brings perspective on how ingrained AI technology is in their society at large. The mystery's conclusion and explanation felt a bit lackluster but the ending tied up all loose ends nicely.
Pretty enjoyable overall. Glad I finished it.
Read
December 23, 2025I feel so bad because a friend gifted this to me but I could not get into it 😭😭😭
Not sure if it was me being sick, the writing, both, or what, but I think I'm going to stick with the manga even though it finished at this volume. (Very faithful manga adaptation by the way!)
I DO have volume two on hand of the novels so I might give it a try and see how I feel, but the manga feels superior to me 🙈
Not sure if it was me being sick, the writing, both, or what, but I think I'm going to stick with the manga even though it finished at this volume. (Very faithful manga adaptation by the way!)
I DO have volume two on hand of the novels so I might give it a try and see how I feel, but the manga feels superior to me 🙈
April 9, 2025
it hit alllll the right spots and i ATE it up as if i was a starving victorian children presented with a nourishing soup
the world and premise are really interesting, especially now that ai is becoming more and more relevant, the author did redearch on what they wrote and as a result what they presentd felt engaging, the mystery aspect was entertaining
the characters were alright and i'm curious to see more in the next volumes
echika's character made muuuch more sense after finding out about the SEVERE daddy issues, and it took a while to get used to harold's abilities (but i had fun so whatever, "amicus ex machina" is in the title lmao)
their type of relationship is chef's kiss, so fun to read and so easy to get invested into, i was giggling kicking my feet and all, i NEED TO KNOW MORE ABOUT ALL THESE CHARACTERS AHHHHHH
harold can mansplain manipulate malewife me for all i care, xoxo
the world and premise are really interesting, especially now that ai is becoming more and more relevant, the author did redearch on what they wrote and as a result what they presentd felt engaging, the mystery aspect was entertaining
the characters were alright and i'm curious to see more in the next volumes
echika's character made muuuch more sense after finding out about the SEVERE daddy issues, and it took a while to get used to harold's abilities (but i had fun so whatever, "amicus ex machina" is in the title lmao)
their type of relationship is chef's kiss, so fun to read and so easy to get invested into, i was giggling kicking my feet and all, i NEED TO KNOW MORE ABOUT ALL THESE CHARACTERS AHHHHHH
harold can mansplain manipulate malewife me for all i care, xoxo
August 20, 2024
3.5 stars. I read this novel around when it first released (as well as the second one when it did), but I sort of stopped keeping up with the releases of the series after that up until now. I remember enjoying the series when I’d initially read it, so I decided to go back to the series and just start from the beginning because I’d forgotten a lot, and they aren’t really long novels anyway. I did enjoy this novel on a reread, though a little less than when I’d initially read it.
One of my favorite things about Your Forma definitely has to be the setting and the world building. Despite the short length of the novel, you do get a lot of details on how living in a super high-tech world affects the people in it and a lot of problems that can come from technological advancement, and I look forward to further exploration of the setting in future novels.
The characters were more of a mixed bag for me. Echika was nice, and I found her character arc of gradually becoming less isolated and close-minded to be enjoyable. However, I found it a little bit annoying how often she was led around the nose by Harold especially at the ending, especially given how capable she’s supposed to be. I had more mixed feelings on Harold: on one hand, I do like the concept of him coming across as very kind and humane despite being a robot, especially how it contrasts with Echika, who comes off as colder and more mechanical. I found it interesting where the dynamic between the two of them was taken and how the differences between the two of them reflected some of the themes of the narrative: the way technology can be isolating, and the unknowable, sometimes eerie nature of AI. On the other hand, I thought that Harold felt a little too omniscient at times, and a lot of his reasonings go too far into pseudoscientific body language reasoning for my tastes. I don’t really expect accurate science in sci-fi novels, but I just found it kind of annoying and it made some of the characters come across as more shallow in my opinion.
The mystery of the whole plot was really just okay. The villain is very obvious from the second they appear and not very compelling as a character in my opinion. The main villain has a personal connection with Echika, but I felt that it was not explored in enough depth or connected enough to the narrative to be interesting.
Overall, this was a good start to the story, and I look forward to seeing where things go in preceding novels.
One of my favorite things about Your Forma definitely has to be the setting and the world building. Despite the short length of the novel, you do get a lot of details on how living in a super high-tech world affects the people in it and a lot of problems that can come from technological advancement, and I look forward to further exploration of the setting in future novels.
The characters were more of a mixed bag for me. Echika was nice, and I found her character arc of gradually becoming less isolated and close-minded to be enjoyable. However, I found it a little bit annoying how often she was led around the nose by Harold especially at the ending, especially given how capable she’s supposed to be. I had more mixed feelings on Harold: on one hand, I do like the concept of him coming across as very kind and humane despite being a robot, especially how it contrasts with Echika, who comes off as colder and more mechanical. I found it interesting where the dynamic between the two of them was taken and how the differences between the two of them reflected some of the themes of the narrative: the way technology can be isolating, and the unknowable, sometimes eerie nature of AI. On the other hand, I thought that Harold felt a little too omniscient at times, and a lot of his reasonings go too far into pseudoscientific body language reasoning for my tastes. I don’t really expect accurate science in sci-fi novels, but I just found it kind of annoying and it made some of the characters come across as more shallow in my opinion.
The mystery of the whole plot was really just okay. The villain is very obvious from the second they appear and not very compelling as a character in my opinion. The main villain has a personal connection with Echika, but I felt that it was not explored in enough depth or connected enough to the narrative to be interesting.
Overall, this was a good start to the story, and I look forward to seeing where things go in preceding novels.
January 3, 2025
There was a scene near the end of the book where the male detective lead was compared to Sherlock Holmes and I had a similar thought when reading the book even before I got to that line but probably not in the same way the author meant. The male lead reminds of Sherlock Holmes, BBC's Sherlock Holmes that is.
There are just no reasonable lines of logic that was presented that allowed him to believably reach the conclusions that he did. Most of his deductions was just pseudo scientific body language analysis. At times instead of feeling smart like the author intended to, he instead feels omniscient in an unreasonable way.
The world building and themes are interesting and thought provoking. It deals with a post-pandemic capitalist society, the rise of AI, internet caused intellectual isolation, indigenous Sami in Russia, and a few more concepts. It's a lot of things but it's all blended together pretty well. While some parts (like why a lot of racial minorities are forced into a live of crime, which I think in a book about cops is especially important to talk about) aren't properly focused on, this book is of course just the first in a series of stories.
My biggest issue with the book are the characters. Conceptually the two leads have a pretty great dynamic. The way they contrast each other is really intriguing. It's just that I don't like either of them. I don't mind them being morally repugnant characters, it's part of what makes them interesting. It's the way the female lead is treated. It feels too mean spirited. She partly deserves it but sometimes it feels in a meta sense the story itself hates the idea of a strong independent female main character. I don't find the male lead charming either which clearly the story wants you to think he is, I'm not gonna say I don't understand the appeal the story is going for but it's just not for me.
There are just no reasonable lines of logic that was presented that allowed him to believably reach the conclusions that he did. Most of his deductions was just pseudo scientific body language analysis. At times instead of feeling smart like the author intended to, he instead feels omniscient in an unreasonable way.
The world building and themes are interesting and thought provoking. It deals with a post-pandemic capitalist society, the rise of AI, internet caused intellectual isolation, indigenous Sami in Russia, and a few more concepts. It's a lot of things but it's all blended together pretty well. While some parts (like why a lot of racial minorities are forced into a live of crime, which I think in a book about cops is especially important to talk about) aren't properly focused on, this book is of course just the first in a series of stories.
My biggest issue with the book are the characters. Conceptually the two leads have a pretty great dynamic. The way they contrast each other is really intriguing. It's just that I don't like either of them. I don't mind them being morally repugnant characters, it's part of what makes them interesting. It's the way the female lead is treated. It feels too mean spirited. She partly deserves it but sometimes it feels in a meta sense the story itself hates the idea of a strong independent female main character. I don't find the male lead charming either which clearly the story wants you to think he is, I'm not gonna say I don't understand the appeal the story is going for but it's just not for me.
March 12, 2023
For a cyberpunk police procedural light novel, Your Forma actually handles a lot of the questions that always pop up in my head when dealing with that level of technology: what triggered the advancement, what concessions were made to make it ubiquitous, what kind of vulnerabilities are there, and what do different people feel about it.
The explanation for the Your Forma itself was very interesting, and I liked how the thought bubble theory was not only mentioned but also explained in context (ie how what you view and interact with informs the algorithm so that you will only ever be aware of things you already agree with, etc). I hope there will be a little bit more about how Brain Dives work in the future installments (with a bit more of the technical explanations like the Your Forma), but for now I’m willing to accept what we got.
I also really want to commend the author for bringing up how technological advancement and progress can heavily ostracize and invalidate indigenous cultures and other minority groups by enforcing a certain “standard” of technological aptitude - which often manifests as and perpetuates poverty. It wasn’t a huge focus, but it wasn’t a throwaway line either and I really appreciated the addition of that perspective / consequence.
The explanation for the Your Forma itself was very interesting, and I liked how the thought bubble theory was not only mentioned but also explained in context (ie how what you view and interact with informs the algorithm so that you will only ever be aware of things you already agree with, etc). I hope there will be a little bit more about how Brain Dives work in the future installments (with a bit more of the technical explanations like the Your Forma), but for now I’m willing to accept what we got.
I also really want to commend the author for bringing up how technological advancement and progress can heavily ostracize and invalidate indigenous cultures and other minority groups by enforcing a certain “standard” of technological aptitude - which often manifests as and perpetuates poverty. It wasn’t a huge focus, but it wasn’t a throwaway line either and I really appreciated the addition of that perspective / consequence.
July 3, 2022
A thrilling and scary look at a possible future
I've lost track of how many books show us a world with the internet in our brains. But Echika and Harold's world is one of my favorites!
I've lost track of how many books show us a world with the internet in our brains. But Echika and Harold's world is one of my favorites!
October 28, 2023
อ่านแล้วให้ vibes แบบ The Minority Report, Altered carbon, Black Mirrors, Chobits จับใส่กระด้งแล้วเขย่าๆผสมกัน - อ่านแล้วก็ อื้ม เป็นจดหมายรักถึงนิยายไซไฟ
LN สายรางวัลอีกเรื่องค่ะ เปิดเรื่องเร็ว อธิบายง่าย vibes เรื่องดี ติดแล้วล่ะเรื่องนี้ ต่อไปคงต้องเก็บเซ็ทแล้ว 🥹 (ซื้อเพราะอจ.อาซาโตะ 86 แกป้ายยามาค่ะ จารย์ว่าดี หนูก็ว่าดี จารย์ให้ซื้อ หนูก็ซื้อ)
ยัวฟอร์มา (Your Forma) มันเป็น device ที่เหมือนฝังสมาร์ทโฟนไว้ในสมอง สะดวกสบาย จะกูเกิ้ลจะโทรหาใครก็แค่นึกคิด มีระบบการบันทึกความทรงจำได้ (เอาจริงมันเหมือน Black Mirror ตอนนึงเลย) อ้ะ นางเอก(เอจิกะ)เป็นตำรวจสากล นางต่อ usb ไดฟ์ดูความทรงจำคนได้ เพื่อการสืบสวนเท่านั้น ทีนี้นางเก่งเกินไป จะไดฟ์ดูสมองสิบคนในทีเดียวก็ทำได้ คู่หูกี่คนเลยขอบาย ไดฟ์กับแกด้วยสมองจะไหม้ตายก่อน เจ้านายเลยส่งคู่หูคนใหม่ให้ เป็นปัญญาประดิษฐ์หล่อลากดิน นิสัยอปป้าผสมบริติชบอย แอนดรอยส์ตัวพ่อ ตัวท้อป ที่ไม่เหมือนหุ่นทั่วไป
คดีเล่มนี้คือ ตามสืบเรื่องคนปล่อยไวรัส เป็นคอมพิวเตอร์ไวรัสค่ะ ไม่ใช่ไวร���สเชิงชีวภาพ ถ้ายัวฟอร์มาติดไวรัส ผู้ติดเชื้อจะป่วยเห็นภาพหลอน ป่วยตุยหรือนอนผักไป คู่หูเลยตามสืบว่าใครเป็นต้นตอ
เอาล่ะ ทุกคนฟังดีๆนะ พระเอกงานดีเว่อ แฮโรลห์เนี่ย ขี้เต๊าะมากกก นาง flirts with everything that moves ก็ลำบากนางเอกหน่อยๆ เพราะนางไม่ชอบแอนดรอยส์ ผู้แกก็รถอ้อยคว่ำจริงจัง เป็นนักสู้ที่น่ารักดี น้ำหยดลงหินทุกวันมันต้องได้บ้างล่ะน่า
- “แต่ผมอยากรู้จักคุณนะ”
- “ความรู้สึกส่วนตัวที่ส่งผลให้ทำงานลำบากมีอยู่อย่างเดียวใช่ไหมครับ”
- “ไม่ได้แหย่นะครับ แค่อยากสนิทสนมกับคุณเท่านั้น”
- “เข้ามาใกล้ๆแบบนี้ทุกครั้งเลยก็ได้นะครับ”
- “ผมอยากกอดคุณนะครับ 🥺”
ค่ะ…. เชิญพบกับทรงโบ้คนต่อไป (ก็ถึงว่าทำไม อจ.อาซาโตะ 86 แกอ่านถึงวี้ดว้ายเหลือเกิน)
การบรรยายของนักเขียน และการแปลของ สนพ. ดีมากค่ะ สมูทมากๆ ส่วนตัวว่ามันอ่านสนุกนะ ตัวละครไม่ใช่คนญี่ปุ่น นางเอกเราว่าเป็นอเมริกัน-เจแปนนีสนะ แต่มันมีบ้างที่เผลอ out of character ให้ฝรั่งพูดประโยคแบบญี่ปุ่น มันก็ขัดๆนิดนึง แต่เราเบียว เราช่างมันได้ ชมว่า ก่อนที่จะรู้เรื่องพระเอก เราคิดในใจว่า คนนี้นิสัยบริติชจังเลย และมันก็เป็นหนุ่มอังกฤษจริงๆ 555555
ค้างคาอยากอ่านเล่ม 2 ว่าจะไปซื้อของ Yen Press มาอ่านต่อก่อนค่ะ อยากรู้เหมือนกันว่าแปลอังกฤษจะเป็นยังไง
LN สายรางวัลอีกเรื่องค่ะ เปิดเรื่องเร็ว อธิบายง่าย vibes เรื่องดี ติดแล้วล่ะเรื่องนี้ ต่อไปคงต้องเก็บเซ็ทแล้ว 🥹 (ซื้อเพราะอจ.อาซาโตะ 86 แกป้ายยามาค่ะ จารย์ว่าดี หนูก็ว่าดี จารย์ให้ซื้อ หนูก็ซื้อ)
ยัวฟอร์มา (Your Forma) มันเป็น device ที่เหมือนฝังสมาร์ทโฟนไว้ในสมอง สะดวกสบาย จะกูเกิ้ลจะโทรหาใครก็แค่นึกคิด มีระบบการบันทึกความทรงจำได้ (เอาจริงมันเหมือน Black Mirror ตอนนึงเลย) อ้ะ นางเอก(เอจิกะ)เป็นตำรวจสากล นางต่อ usb ไดฟ์ดูความทรงจำคนได้ เพื่อการสืบสวนเท่านั้น ทีนี้นางเก่งเกินไป จะไดฟ์ดูสมองสิบคนในทีเดียวก็ทำได้ คู่หูกี่คนเลยขอบาย ไดฟ์กับแกด้วยสมองจะไหม้ตายก่อน เจ้านายเลยส่งคู่หูคนใหม่ให้ เป็นปัญญาประดิษฐ์หล่อลากดิน นิสัยอปป้าผสมบริติชบอย แอนดรอยส์ตัวพ่อ ตัวท้อป ที่ไม่เหมือนหุ่นทั่วไป
คดีเล่มนี้คือ ตามสืบเรื่องคนปล่อยไวรัส เป็นคอมพิวเตอร์ไวรัสค่ะ ไม่ใช่ไวร���สเชิงชีวภาพ ถ้ายัวฟอร์มาติดไวรัส ผู้ติดเชื้อจะป่วยเห็นภาพหลอน ป่วยตุยหรือนอนผักไป คู่หูเลยตามสืบว่าใครเป็นต้นตอ
เอาล่ะ ทุกคนฟังดีๆนะ พระเอกงานดีเว่อ แฮโรลห์เนี่ย ขี้เต๊าะมากกก นาง flirts with everything that moves ก็ลำบากนางเอกหน่อยๆ เพราะนางไม่ชอบแอนดรอยส์ ผู้แกก็รถอ้อยคว่ำจริงจัง เป็นนักสู้ที่น่ารักดี น้ำหยดลงหินทุกวันมันต้องได้บ้างล่ะน่า
- “แต่ผมอยากรู้จักคุณนะ”
- “ความรู้สึกส่วนตัวที่ส่งผลให้ทำงานลำบากมีอยู่อย่างเดียวใช่ไหมครับ”
- “ไม่ได้แหย่นะครับ แค่อยากสนิทสนมกับคุณเท่านั้น”
- “เข้ามาใกล้ๆแบบนี้ทุกครั้งเลยก็ได้นะครับ”
- “ผมอยากกอดคุณนะครับ 🥺”
ค่ะ…. เชิญพบกับทรงโบ้คนต่อไป (ก็ถึงว่าทำไม อจ.อาซาโตะ 86 แกอ่านถึงวี้ดว้ายเหลือเกิน)
การบรรยายของนักเขียน และการแปลของ สนพ. ดีมากค่ะ สมูทมากๆ ส่วนตัวว่ามันอ่านสนุกนะ ตัวละครไม่ใช่คนญี่ปุ่น นางเอกเราว่าเป็นอเมริกัน-เจแปนนีสนะ แต่มันมีบ้างที่เผลอ out of character ให้ฝรั่งพูดประโยคแบบญี่ปุ่น มันก็ขัดๆนิดนึง แต่เราเบียว เราช่างมันได้ ชมว่า ก่อนที่จะรู้เรื่องพระเอก เราคิดในใจว่า คนนี้นิสัยบริติชจังเลย และมันก็เป็นหนุ่มอังกฤษจริงๆ 555555
ค้างคาอยากอ่านเล่ม 2 ว่าจะไปซื้อของ Yen Press มาอ่านต่อก่อนค่ะ อยากรู้เหมือนกันว่าแปลอังกฤษจะเป็นยังไง
March 30, 2025
It was great. I felt it continued with the philosophical exploration of Isaac Asimov and his work I, Robot. I also felt echos of Masamune Shirow explorations in Ghost in the Shell.
I look forward to the anime produced from this in the Spring 2025 season.
Read for the GR Japanese Novel and Light Forum Book Club.
https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/...
I look forward to the anime produced from this in the Spring 2025 season.
Read for the GR Japanese Novel and Light Forum Book Club.
https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/...
January 30, 2023
This LN is really good, the author mix science fiction and detective genre perfectly blended and its main character get emotion and development.
April 6, 2023
What did I just read 💀
January 2, 2024
new obsession coming through for 2024,,, finished this novel in one day and im off to order the next few volumes
(more in depth review to come!)
(more in depth review to come!)
October 15, 2024
Was a nice interesting read
December 26, 2025
Disappointing
March 20, 2024
Started really good but in the end I was way to confuse to understand the story.
June 18, 2025
My first light novel; and I couldn’t be happier! I loved every page of this book and can’t wait to read more of this series!
—SPOILER FREE SECTION—
In the beginning I was afraid Echika would be overpowered since she was one of the best in the world and that people would only dislike her because they were jealous. Thank god I was wrong though; Echika is a flawed protagonist with depth to her character.
Her and Harold’s banter absolutely made me smile each time. Reading the mystery untangle along with the developing characters was such an intriguing ride!
—SPOILER SECTION—
There was a part where Echika was told they couldn’t crack down on Bio hackers because most of them were impoverished minorities and they would end up wiping out another minority group. She thought something along the lines of “It’s better to cut down on crime. Who would miss one group in this day and age anyway?” I definitely let out a “yikes” when I read that- but I’m glad it was included. It definitely reflected Echika’s isolated perspective of the world. It also sort of highlighted to me how Harold is more “humane” and she is more “mechanical” when it comes to their views. I hope this is explored again later and Echika can further understand why the technologically advanced system around them is harmful to those minority groups.
I prefer flawed characters who are misguided and misinformed rather than perfect saints or unapologetic assholes. Actual real progress can be made and it doesn’t feel forced or less rewarding.
—SPOILER FREE SECTION—
In the beginning I was afraid Echika would be overpowered since she was one of the best in the world and that people would only dislike her because they were jealous. Thank god I was wrong though; Echika is a flawed protagonist with depth to her character.
Her and Harold’s banter absolutely made me smile each time. Reading the mystery untangle along with the developing characters was such an intriguing ride!
—SPOILER SECTION—
There was a part where Echika was told they couldn’t crack down on Bio hackers because most of them were impoverished minorities and they would end up wiping out another minority group. She thought something along the lines of “It’s better to cut down on crime. Who would miss one group in this day and age anyway?” I definitely let out a “yikes” when I read that- but I’m glad it was included. It definitely reflected Echika’s isolated perspective of the world. It also sort of highlighted to me how Harold is more “humane” and she is more “mechanical” when it comes to their views. I hope this is explored again later and Echika can further understand why the technologically advanced system around them is harmful to those minority groups.
I prefer flawed characters who are misguided and misinformed rather than perfect saints or unapologetic assholes. Actual real progress can be made and it doesn’t feel forced or less rewarding.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 19, 2025
One of my favorite episodes of ghost in the shell: stand alone complex is where Motoko and Aramaki are in England. Why is this one of my favorite episodes...well, because Motoko looks so much better in a trenchcoat instead of that horrific high leg purple bodysuit.
Now, how does this relate to Your Forma Vol. 01? The whole vibe of this book is like that episode of GITS, its cyberpunk but despite all the wires, there's still 'luddite' sensibility and style. A good amount of time is spent in St.Petersburg and Scandinavia with enough detail to get a good feel for the two locations.
Another plus is the characters. Our two mains are complex in different ways and I was curious to see how the story affected them. I want to know if Echika develops into a more well rounded person after facing her childhood trauma. With Harold I'm interested in the narrative continuing to crack at his condtridictory human/machine behavior. Wanting revenge is incredibly human, yet also cold-blooded.
I'll also give it props for having believable antagonists, tech bros who haven't gone to therapy. Incredibly believable and incredibly terrifying.
Your Forma Vol. 01 is immersive yet approachable which can be hard to balance in science fiction. Give a try if you like the genre but don't want a PhD dissertation on STEM
Now, how does this relate to Your Forma Vol. 01? The whole vibe of this book is like that episode of GITS, its cyberpunk but despite all the wires, there's still 'luddite' sensibility and style. A good amount of time is spent in St.Petersburg and Scandinavia with enough detail to get a good feel for the two locations.
Another plus is the characters. Our two mains are complex in different ways and I was curious to see how the story affected them. I want to know if Echika develops into a more well rounded person after facing her childhood trauma. With Harold I'm interested in the narrative continuing to crack at his condtridictory human/machine behavior. Wanting revenge is incredibly human, yet also cold-blooded.
I'll also give it props for having believable antagonists, tech bros who haven't gone to therapy. Incredibly believable and incredibly terrifying.
Your Forma Vol. 01 is immersive yet approachable which can be hard to balance in science fiction. Give a try if you like the genre but don't want a PhD dissertation on STEM
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 9, 2022
when technology
November 10, 2025
great start, can't wait for more!
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews