Japanese Light Novel Book Club discussion
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Overlord, Vol. 1
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Overlord Volume 1 Group Read
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As you can probably tell, my book arrived in the post today! I'm excited for this one as it's a light novel with a somewhat unusual perspective (an older, villainous main character as opposed to the oft-seen teenage hero). :)How do you feel about the proposed reading schedule? Too slow? Too fast?
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XD
I usually give a week for 30-50 pages, depending on the book, so I think this looks pretty good.
I apologise for my Britishness XD; Let me make those dates a little clearer to avoid confusion.
Honestly I'll just read this in one shot. I'm not a fan of reading a few pages and putting it down for later. It's just bugs me for some reason.
I might start this one a bit early. I already own a copy of it but don't have the current read. I've had it since last year but never got around to reading it. ^ ^; whoops.
Gord wrote: "Honestly I'll just read this in one shot. I'm not a fan of reading a few pages and putting it down for later. It's just bugs me for some reason."That's fine as well! The schedule is there as a guide but you should read at the pace you feel comfortable at. Keep in mind that if you post about something from later in the novel than the group is at, please remember to spoiler tag it and note which chapter you are posting about - that way slower readers can read your comments and discuss them later without being spoiled. :)
Tiffany wrote: "I might start this one a bit early. I already own a copy of it but don't have the current read. I've had it since last year but never got around to reading it. ^ ^; whoops."
It is very tempting to start a book when it's sat on your shelf, isn't it? If you do start early, do feel free to still pop in here and discuss with the rest of us. :) Again, just spoiler tag anything that the group hasn't got to yet.
:) It really is. But, I decided to wait. I put it on my bookshelf along with the Shoujo Club's books. :3 I'll read them when I'm taking a break from writing my novel and gaming. I'm excited to read it though.
Awesome, it's good to have you join us!One thing I've noticed is the book says it is for ages "16 & up" so I'm guessing there may be some content not suitable for younger readers. If anyone has an idea of what this might be, could they post or PM me? No spoilers, just a general content warning such as "violence" or "drugs". For now, I'll put a warning up in the OP - I'm not sure if we have any young readers but its best to be sure. :)
I haven't read it yet so I don't know. It might just be mild cussing though. After I do some planning for my story I'll start on it.
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One thing I've noticed is the book says it is for ages "16 & up" so I'm guessing there may be some content not suitable for younger readers. If anyone has a..."
If it's anything like the anime, there's violence (because video games) and a sexy succubus who's constantly trying to seduce the main character.
I've already read this first volume. I'll refrain from commenting too much so you guys and gals can form your own opinions.On the age rating:
(view spoiler) =/
Well, that makes sense. I'll update the warning to be a bit more specific - thanks guys. :)
Hi guys, it is as Terrence says, it's mainly due to the violence and other 16+ goings-on. Hope you lot enjoy reading it as much as I have!
How is everyone doing? Have you started yet? I've been a bit delayed in starting since I had one of my wisdom teeth out - I'm definitely going to start it today though. :)
I haven't started it yet. Mostly been distracted by gaming. >.< I hope you get feeling better soon.
Tiffany wrote: "I haven't started it yet. Mostly been distracted by gaming. >.< I hope you get feeling better soon."Gaming? Overwatch? ^_^
No, I don't have Overwatch. I mostly play JRPGs and Visual Novels. At the moment, I just beat South Park the Stick of Truth. I started the game on Monday and beat it this morning at 2:30. Now, I'm doing clean up to get 100%. :3 I'll probably start Overlord later. Maybe. XD
Ah, The Stick of Truth is really fun - I played it a couple of years back and did a couple of runs through. :)Regarding the read-through, I finished Chapter 1 today! Based on the prologue, what are everyone's predictions on why Momonga turned up to kill the knight/save the girl? Do you think he is trying to be a hero? Or do you think he is invading the village?
Tiffany wrote: "I haven't started it yet. Mostly been distracted by gaming. >.< I hope you get feeling better soon."I'm playing Splatoon and Rocket League, while I should be playing Utawarerumono and Secret of Mana to continue those playthroughs. xC
I don't think I'll re-read this, but I'll live vicariously through your comments before checking out later volumes.
Has anyone else started reading yet? How are you finding the book? :)I was curious so I watched the first episode of the anime this week and it was actually pretty close to the book! The first episode covers the prologue, chapter 1 and chapter 2 but skips over the (view spoiler) parts. I enjoyed it and loved how Momonga's voice actor played the character - the different tones really worked well. One thing that might cause confusion if you only watch the anime is (view spoiler) - I would have definitely gotten them wrong if I hadn't read the book! XD;
I'll be starting this next week some time. I've got a couple of other books to finish up first.
Just picked it up from the library thru interlibrary loan and read the prologue. Definitely set up the mood.It runs in the same (sub)genre as SAO, right? But SAO predates Overlord. SAO made this (sub)genre--would we call it litRPG?--super-popular, but were there other popular precursors? How about Accel World?
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.hack// kind of started the "trapped in a video game" anime (it's the earliest example I can think of). It dominated the field for years, with video games, anime, novels, card games... everything. By the time that one put out the last game, a lot of people were tired of the sub genre. Also, the Matrix happened, which didn't help lol. That is why it took a long time for it to come back lol.
Oh right, .hack! I got bored of the anime. I read your review of .hack//G.U.+, Volume 1. So I should play the game, then?I think there’s a light novel, no?
I loved .hack I just bought .hack//G.U Last Recode for PS4. :) Oh man I missed it. Btw I still haven't started this book. >.< Is it harem heavy?
No, this book isn't harem heavy.To be a bit more specific without giving much detail: (view spoiler)
Omg, thank you. I'm a bit weary of the harem trope in Light Novels. I actually quit reading SAO because of the second novel. Though I may pick it up again one day I'm not sure.
Tiffany wrote: "I loved .hack I just bought .hack//G.U Last Recode for PS4. :) Oh man I missed it. Btw I still haven't started this book. >.< Is it harem heavy?"So which .hack game should I start with? Which console?
If you have a ps4 you should get .hack G.U Last Recode it has all the games remastered from the PS2 plus vol. 4. You might miss some cameos from what they call R:1 in the game but it won't be confusing for you if you're just starting out. PM me if you want to know more I don't want to detract from the group book too much. ^-^ If you can find them the A.I Buster series is great and Another Birth. Sadly Tokyo Pop published them so they may be hard to find. I remember enjoying them in high school.
Tiffany wrote: "Omg, thank you. I'm a bit weary of the harem trope in Light Novels. I actually quit reading SAO because of the second novel. Though I may pick it up again one day I'm not sure."Yeah, I'm not really a fan of harems or fanservice either. I've still not read SAO at all but I saw people complaining recently about how the female characters are treated in it (and that author's works in general) and it kind of killed any interest I had to try it...
In Overlord's case, based on what I've read I get the feeling that the further series will be relatively muted when it comes to fanservice elements (although I could be totally wrong, haha). In this first novel, (view spoiler).
Tiffany wrote: "If you have a ps4 you should get .hack G.U Last Recode it has all the games remastered from the PS2 plus vol. 4. You might miss some cameos from what they call R:1 in the game but it won't be confu..."(Thanks! I'll ping you for more details.)
I thought the initial scene of Chapter 1 with the shutting down on Yggdrasil's servers characterized Momonga well and set the mood, but was almost too long.
I was going to ask if Yggdrasil is a popular mythological subject these days in manga/anime fantasy, but my well-read daughter just informed me that Norse mythology is in.
This story has a lot of narrative description, but it's integrated into the action and dialogue such that it's not overwhelming or obtrusive. What do you think?
I agree - there are lots of scenes of Momonga trying to gain an understanding about something but they usually felt relevant and well paced. I liked how during the first half of the book, the slower paced parts of Momonga in Nazarick were broken up by scenes from (view spoiler) as they give the reader an intriguing glimpse into where the story is headed and also help to vary the tone and keep things interesting.
Done! Once the action got going, it didn’t let go. Classic in-game fantasy duel.
Rose wrote: "I liked how during the first half of the book, the slower paced parts of Momonga in Nazarick were broken up by scenes from (view spoiler) as they give the reader an intriguing glimpse into where the story is headed and also help to vary the tone and keep things interesting."Excellent points!
I finally started this book! I noticed none of the characters are scantily clad. I'm so happy about that. The succubus is actually wearing clothes! I can't wait to see what kind of personality she has. I'm on page 14 and really liking it so far. I might pick up vol. 2 with Christmas money. :3
I also started this today and it has a an interesting starting tone with the MC reflecting on the past glory of the guild. Interested to see where this goes.
Well, there is that one cringe-worthy scene that Rose mentioned (if you haven’t hit it already), but from then on the story has a firm focus on the MC making sense of the new situation.
Tiffany wrote: "I noticed none of the characters are scantily clad. I'm so happy about that. The succubus is actually wearing clothes!"Yes, the female designs could definitely be worse. The anime also does justice to the designs not illustrated in the novel - I really like (view spoiler). :)
Gord wrote: "I also started this today and it has a an interesting starting tone with the MC reflecting on the past glory of the guild. Interested to see where this goes."
Momonga's nostalgia for his guild members and their creations actually really clicked with me since I went through a lot of similar feelings when Asheron's Call finally closed at the beginning of this year. It feels like Momonga genuinely values the friendships he made in the game and I like that aspect of his character. :)
I'm moving on to chapter two right now and my biggest issu is that it feels like I'm reading two different stories. One story we have all the context and backstory on, Momonga's, and there is the village story line. The village story feels like a second story that was ripped up into little pieces and sprinkled in through out with no context. I'm sure it will all tie together at some point but it's just jarring right now. As for the scene Rose mentioned with Albedo that was definitely cringe worthy and felt out of place to everything else.
Overall though I am really enjoying this novel.
Hmm, I guess I didn't feel like they were contextless since the prologue establishes the moment when the two stories meet before anything else so I knew what was coming. I like that they show the events concurrently leading up to that since you get something of a feel for the timings of both stories, although this might just be the Baccano fan in me coming out!
I know that the two stories will merge at some point but i'm just looking for some sort of relation to the main story. Is it near Momomga's base, 1000's of miles away, a different continent? Is this happening at the same time as the story, in the future, in the past? I think I just need to stop questioning things and keep reading to see what happens.
Rose wrote: "Hmm, I guess I didn't feel like they were contextless since the prologue establishes the moment when the two stories meet before anything else so I knew what was coming. I like that they show the e..."Ah, I’d forgotten about the scene in the prologue by the time I got to that scene wherein the two arcs converged. <:)
I just finished this up and overall I enjoyed this book and definitely plan to read more going forward. I really liked the different approach that this book had versus the isekai that I've dabbled in so far. Everything had a more logical approach to things and while Momomga was OP he had to learn how to use that power. One criticism that I did have was some of the weird tonal shifts. There were moments in this book that legitimately felt like I wasn't reading a light novel. That feeling would be promptly thrown out the window though with odd "fan service" scenes. Scenes like the one that Rose mentioned above. These scenes just feel like they didn't fit into the darker and more serious tone of the book. Minor criticism those.
What is isekai? ^_^
It's the whole trapped in another world or game genre that has exploded the last bit
I did read this book last Summer. It belongs to my 27 year old son. The thing I liked best about it was how the characters diverged from their known behavior within the game. Like robots with special A.I., they stared having minds of their own. No longer could you as a player predict what they would do. Then the universe within the game started to shift. To my understanding, that's why there were suddenly whole pockets of communities where before, none existed.
Japanese Light Novel Book Club
Books mentioned in this topic
.hack//G.U.+ Vol. 1 (other topics)Overlord, Vol. 1: The Undead King (other topics)
Let's read Overlord Volume 1: The Undead King!
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Warning: This book is rated as "16 & up" for violence and sexual situations, and may not be appropriate for younger readers!
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Reading Schedule:
5 Nov - 11 Nov - Prologue, Chapter 1 - pgs. 001 - 04812 Nov - 18 Nov - Chapter 2 - pgs. 049 - 10619 Nov - 25 Nov - Chapter 3 - pgs. 107 - 15826 Nov - 2 Dec - Chapter 4 - pgs. 159 - 2023 Dec - 9 Dec - Chapter 5, Epilogue - pgs. 203 - 237