Riri
3.5⭐
This is a decent book, but only if you know what it's actually about. The premise is that our main character, Emma, gets thrown back in time and decides that this time, she's going to go for the childhood dream she had to give up on before: become a lady's maid. For once, it's not a time reset story caused by a tragic event. It is actually due to the power of time travel.
Despite that, the main portion of the story isn't about Emma's training to be a lady's maid. It's about romance and Emma trying to break off the engagement to her cheating fiancé. Also school life, in the sense that the majority of the book takes place in a school because we don't really get to see actual lessons outside of tea reheating. There's a lot of time skips, so all the development felt super rushed. Emma just grew close to Glen, the love interest, after one sentence saying they became close friends. She mastered maid skills after the story skips the majority of the school year. She secured employment after meeting a character for the first time. Her former best friend who had an affair with her fiancé? Redeemed in a single scene. The relevancy of her close friends who are not Glen also fades away really fast, since the story highlights the main couple for the most part. The rest are just glossed over.
That being said, I'm not sure if this would've benefited from more volumes. I feel like it could be better if the author spends more time on... pretty much everything outside of the main couple, but it also feels like it would've been a solid standalone if only it didn't try to tackle all these issues only to easily resolve them, then quickly shove them away and go back to the romance.
I also have the author's other series in my TBR, but now I need to do some research before starting to make sure I know what I'm getting into. This is by no means a terrible book. Just not what I thought it'd be.
This series has been sitting in my backlog for so long, and I picked it up today mainly due to hunger and work research. It's not quite what I expected. The book has twenty chapters and an extra, each titled after a tasty dish and features a character related to said dish. Since the concept is a restaurant linked to another world, the customers are of varying races. Humans, elves, lizardmen, vampires, you name it. It's a great setup for a meaningful, episodic slice-of-life series, but it's... not.
The main problem with this book is the lack of connectivity and how formulaic the chapters are. Once you're done with a chapter, you're really done with the character involved. They might appear again in another character's story to play a minor role, but that's about it. The pattern is the same for every single chapter too. A character's background is explained, they find the restaurant's door, they eat a meal there, fall in love with the food, and they either leave in satisfaction, become a regular, try to replicate the dish in their world, or all of those at once.
For twenty chapters.
It got so repetitive that by half of the book, not even the mouthwatering descriptions of the food was enough to keep me engaged. I guess it is a light read that can be enjoyed mindlessly so I might pick up the next volume when I'm in the mood for that. Just not for the time being.
After two years of following this series, Culinary Chronicles of the Court Flower has finally reached its conclusion. It's by no means perfect, but everything is wrapped up so neatly that I couldn't help but give this book 5⭐ for that reason.
This final volume starts off strong with the civil war between Shohi's and Shusei's armies. I have to say, it was the most engaging part of the entire series. The tension was palpable, especially because Shohi's side seems to be losing at first... until the Quinary Dragon comes back into the picture. Tama's grand return shifts the tide almost instantly, leading to the outcome we all saw coming from maybe several books ago: Shusei getting arrested for high treason. From there, it's all about the major characters struggling to accept the reality that Shusei will have to face execution.
There is also an attempt to flesh out the relationship between Rihan and Keiyu. I think it's poorly timed because it feels like a last minute addition, but it does wrap up the issue between them. The way the book deals with Shusei after that is also rather predictable for the most part. I've been talking to a friend about the possibility of this outcome from like volume 6, but I didn't know how it'd be done exactly and the book did surprise me with a little detail I didn't see coming. It's about the way they execute Shusei, to be specific.
The finale not only ties up the story for Rimi and Shusei, but also gives a pretty nice ending for everyone else. For Shohi. For Jotetsu and Kojin. For the four consorts, as well as Consort Ho and Hakurei. Despite what I said back in volume 9, Shohi did mature a little as a person at the end. Looking back to the first volume, Rimi also grew a lot as a character. She was truly unremarkable at the beginning, and she became a character who can stand on her own through the series. The ending might feel a little bittersweet, but it does wrap up the story on a hopeful and happy note.
Complaints aside, I did enjoy this series a lot. Still not a fan of the romance though LOL.
Despite my rant for the previous two volumes, this one doesn't really have the issue that I fear would drag on until the end. The usage of “the consort”, “the scholar”, and such has decreased by a lot. They are still there, but this time it doesn't really distract me from the story. Or maybe it's because so much is happening that awkward prose is the least of my concerns.
Following what happened in the previous book, Shohi finds himself pressured to make a difficult choice. Either he abdicates and lets Shusei take the throne, or he triggers a civil war to keep his reign. Obviously the first option isn't viable considering what kind of person Shusei has become, and so this book is all about siege and war preparation. At the same time, Hakurei seems to be poisoning Shohi under Mars' command... which is obviously a red herring. It finally leads to the revelation of Mars' identity that I'm sure is meant to be shocking, but I guessed it from several volumes ago when certain characters were talking about a certain suicide attempt. They're not exactly subtle with the hints either, and from there it was just a matter of elimination.
In a way, it's a little disappointing that Mars' objective is literally just to cause chaos. I was expecting a bit more depth than that, but he ends up feeling like a 2014 Rejet otome game character in the end.
Since Shohi is weakening by the day, there's also some talk about siring an heir as soon as possible. By this point it's been made clear plenty of times that Rimi doesn't love Shohi romantically, and neither does he. What he seeks from her is closer to a mother's love, and what she feels for him is familial love for a younger brother figure. Needless to say, Shohi refuses to conceive a child with Rimi and goes for another consort instead. Except in the end he reveals that he never goes through with it anyway, making this whole thing feel like such a cop out just to remove any romantic prospects between Shohi and Rimi. Again, the other option isn't any better either because Rimi now believes that “Lord Ho” has killed the Shusei she loves.
That aside, I really enjoyed this volume because of all the political maneuvers from both parties. Especially seeing both Shusei's and Kojin's thoughts, and the contrast between the way Kojin's and Rimi's views of the current Shusei. Hakurei and Jotetsu especially did a great job, even if the mislead is rather easy to see. I'm so glad I waited for the last volume to come out before picking up this series again, because this book ends on an ominous note right in the middle of a civil war. I really want to see how they're going to deal with Shusei too, cause there's no way he'd get away with a light punishment after all this.
Now, off to the finale!
This should've been titled The Unraveling of Shu Kojin.
There's a lot of things that bothered me walking into this particular volume, so for the entire first half I actually considered rating this 3⭐ due to all these reasons. First of all, it's incredibly slow. Shohi had a moment where he reverts back to the horrendous person he was back in the first volume, and it proves to be fatal because it results in Kojin quitting his position. So now it falls upon Rimi to visit Kojin and convince him to come back. You seriously cannot convince me Shohi has truly grown as a character, especially not when he puts up the mature act only to go back to the exact same personality again at the very end. Nine volumes into the series, I still do not like Shohi and at this point I doubt I ever will. Rimi deserves better.
That being said, Shusei is definitely not a better option either. Despite what happened between them in the previous book, Shusei is back to treating Rimi terribly in this one. Even she admits that she's running out of love for him due to his actions, which he openly encourages. His reason for switching allegiance, one that involves Kojin, is petty at best and twisted at worst. Rimi really does her best to bring everyone together by drawing out Kojin's inner feelings, but even after he finally admits all the emotions he's kept hidden all this time, it barely changes anything when it comes to Shusei.
So... still not a fan of the romance.
The thing I can definitely say is good from this volume is how Kojin is being handled, and I bumped the rating up for him alone. This man is undoubtedly the most complex character in the series so far, and a good example of a grey character who does things for his own beliefs. I really liked how his conflicting feelings towards Seishu and Shusei are portrayed, as well as seeing him from his wife's perspective. It gives him depth as a character, precisely because he is flawed. The second half of the book highlights this sufficiently, sending the plot rolling fast along with all the politics going on.
Also, the issue I mentioned before remains. The book is still referring to characters as “the consort”, “the emperor”, “the teacher”, “the noblewoman”, and so on. Repeatedly. Sometimes multiple times in a single paragraph, and some of them in the middle of normal usage of “he” or “she”. It's so awkward and frankly quite annoying to read. Seriously, is this the original writing or the translation? Seeing that we're so close towards the end of the series though, sadly I doubt this would improve in the next two books.
This is so fluffy and adorable. It contains all the emotions of a good shoujo manga, and I would've binged this in one sitting if only I didn't have work. Eliza is such a relatable main character, which sadly also means I personally felt so called out by the issues she's facing LOL. The romance is cute, but the portrayal of friendship is honestly so well done.
“Romantic breakups are romanticized constantly, talked about everywhere by everyone, but platonic breakups are swept to the side, suffered in secret, as if they're somehow less important.”
“I had always feared Caz Song would break my heart, but this—
This is the kind of heartbreak you never recover from.”
Wow, this was surprisingly good?
I don't usually read contemporaries since I tend to zone out in the middle and lose interest, but this book keeps me hooked until the very end. It's lighthearted and cute, the prose is easy to read. As a Chinese who also went to an international school, this book is full of all the things I grew up with and it feels so nice to bask in that familiarity. It even highlights racism towards Asians, which sadly happens more often that not. I think that deserves a mention among all the reviews praising the romance and love interest.
The romance is cute too, though. Henry Li is attractive in the way that K / C-drama or manga male leads are attractive. He's tall and handsome, young and rich, and is a very supportive partner. So if that's what you're into, this is definitely for you. The book promises academic rivals to lovers, and that is exactly what it's giving us. I know it's not the most original when it comes to tropes and premises, but it's fun and that's all that matters.
Will definitely pick up more Ann Liang books.
Much better than the previous book, mostly due to all the politics going on involving Shusei, Kojin, and a charming new character named Ryo Renka.
First off, Shu Kojin is absolutely unhinged and I love it.
Due to what he did to Rimi at the end of volume 7, Rimi somehow ends up at Renka's estate where she learns more about Kojin's history with Seishu, Shusei's biological father who eloped with a foreign princess. As usual, when the conflict reaches its peak Rimi tries to resolve it with food. This is where the target normally gets enlightened and all is well again, but not this time around. It obviously wouldn't be that easy with Kojin, so she ends up having a lot of frustrations over it.
The romance also kicks back into the plot here, with Rimi admitting that she's still in love with Shusei and outright asks him what she could do to make him change his mind. Shusei, unfortunately, is still being stubborn so I guess I'll be rolling my eyes again as he deals with his internal struggle of choosing between Rimi and politics. We only have three more books left in this series, and sadly I'm still not a fan of the romance... but at least this particular volume is pretty good with Kojin being Kojin and lots of political drama.
One thing that bothers me though, is how the usage of “the consort” to refer to Rimi has increased by a lot. I'm not sure if it's the writing or just the translation, but the term “the consort” just keeps appearing repeatedly, sometimes only one or two sentences apart. It just feels super redundant, and I honestly think a simple “she” or even just “Rimi” would've worked better.
Actually more like 3.5⭐ again this time. Would've rated this four stars if only the beginning isn't so slow, but it is what it is. This volume once again brings a new character into the picture: Princess Aisha from Saisakoku, who is obviously introduced as an empress candidate for Shohi. Let's be real here. We all know Rimi won't end up marrying Shohi, so this entire book feels like it's simply laying the groundwork for his future marriage after Rimi somehow gets out of this whole thing LOL.
Due to the nature of the plot this time around, Rimi ends up feeling like a side character again albeit a little bit better than the previous book. The story mainly revolves around Aisha and her longing for the freedom she doesn't have, and Rimi has to work as her attendant simply because everyone else is putting Konkoku's interests over her well-being. Since the first half of the book acts as a massive introduction for Aisha, it's rather slow and things only become engaging in the latter half due to impulsive actions from multiple parties. Shusei and Rimi are clearly sill yearning for each other, so their attempt to see each other as enemies is never convincing... but maybe that's just me being jaded.
That being said, I still can't warm up to Shohi either. He does have some character development, especially when facing Aisha because she's basically a younger version of him, but his short fuse, tendency to throw a fit, and habit of treating Rimi like a possession are still the same. At this point I honestly feel like he's seeing Rimi more of a mother figure than anything else, so I prefer his dynamics with Aisha because it forces him to act like the more mature person.
Also, both Shohi and Shusei make absolutely terrible decisions in this book. As the result, Rimi quite literally falls into the hand of a character who's been suspicious as hell since the moment they came into the story. Sadly that's also where this book ends, so I'm off to read volume 8 now.
One of my anticipated releases in 2022. I've read the original Japanese version up until volume 11 years ago, but never really finished the whole series. Considering this is a fairly old series, I didn't really have much hope that it'd ever get licensed... until it did. Now I can't be any more excited to go through the story all over again.
It's nice to know that even after all this time, Sugar Apple Fairy Tale hasn't lost its charm. It's a sweet, magical story tinged with just the right amount of sorrow. As a main character, Anne has firm principles and knows how to carry herself in the world, having spent most of her life traveling with her late mother. The story takes place in the Kingdom of Highland, where humans are enslaving fairies after snatching the entire kingdom from the latter's hands. Honestly, the world-building is pretty solid and explores many aspects of the fantasy world without ever resorting to info dumps.
This first volume introduces Anne to Challe, a warrior fairy born from obsidian, and covers her journey to join the Royal Candy Fair in the royal capital, Lewiston. There are also lots of scenes involving sugar candy crafting, which is surprisingly detailed even when you set the beautiful designs aside. There's quite a few side characters that join them or simply cross paths with them along the way, but the majority of the book is spent on Anne's attempt at forging friendship with Challe. A friendship that might just evolve into something else by the time they arrive at their destination. The way emotions are being portrayed in this book is so brilliantly done, and I can't help but get attached to the characters.
One of the things I love about this series is that each volume has a pretty, color-themed subtitle that sums up the plot nicely. The first volume's is the obsidian fairy, referring to Challe. The next one is going to be the blue duke, and the story is just as much fun from what I can remember. The second volume won't come out until January, but I'm already looking forward to it.
This volume is all about tax drama involving a certain prefectural administrator, a charmingly sullen man named Kan Cho'un. Due to what happened at the end of volume 5, things have gone out of control for Shohi and so the majority of this book is spent on politics along with some history. The four consorts get some action this time around, and they 100% deliver. The main conflict wouldn't get resolved as fast if it weren't for them.
Sadly, the same can't be said for Rimi. She really feels like a side character in this book. She does get her own spotlight when she cooks a meal by the end of the book, but until then, her role is rather small. Except maybe when she convinces Cho'un to talk to Shohi. Aside from that, she spends a lot of time lamenting over Shusei's decision... though not as much as Shohi does. The man is so forlorn over Shusei leaving his side that it makes me wonder which relationship is the main romance here.
Speaking of which, I'm really not sure how to feel about the romance at this point. Or rather, about the two love interests. Shusei is being shady as hell right now, and as a reader I feel so left behind when Rimi and Jotetsu are starting to realize his true intentions LOL. It looks like Shusei and Rimi have finally decided to part ways at the end of this book, but due to the number of times they vowed to kill their feelings for each other and doing an absolutely terrible job at it... I'm honestly skeptical. Really wouldn't be surprised if they keep circling around each other in the future. That being said, I still find it hard to warm to Shohi too. He has grown a lot since the beginning, but his fuse is as short as ever and he snaps at everyone and everything.
Maybe Rimi should abandon both ships and go back to her sister in Wakoku, who she still mentions randomly in her mind. I know I said I'm giving up cause she'll never drop it, but it feels as out of place as always. Still, I'm quite fond of this series despite having many complaints about it. Looks like volume 7 has even more political drama, so I'm already excited.
I... feel conflicted about this book LOL.
The thing that bugs me the most about this book is none other than the translation. I know the Japanese language has a lot of expressions that are hard to translate, like “うっ...” or “...っ！” or any variant of that. Still, you could do so much better than converting every single one of those into “Hng!” or “Hnh!” regardless of the situation. It's so awkward. There's this thing called paraphrasing, and sometimes you just have to do it to avoid that kind of outcome.
Anyway, about the book itself... The first half is definitely not my favorite. In her determination to be a good fiancée, Miyo is starting to take etiquette lessons from Kiyoka's older sister, Hazuki. Unfortunately, as hinted in the first book, Miyo does have a Gift and it's been sapping her energy each day through nightmares. Between her lessons and lack of sleep, she quickly withers away while Kiyoka is kept busy at work due to the actions of a certain political figure. All of this eventually comes crumbling down with the one plot device I truly dislike: the misunderstanding.
That being said, I like how Miyo's character is handled. Her long years of trauma won't disappear that easily, and she is making progress at her own pace. It's realistic, and personally I think that part is written well. I just really don't like misunderstandings, especially when it's as bad as the one happening in this book. Is it necessary for Miyo and Kiyoka to grow? Yes. Still doesn't mean I have to like it LOL. After we get past this whole part, however, it's a really engaging read as Miyo finally awakens her Gift and uses it to help Kiyoka. They also open up even more after that, leading to a lot of cute moments. Especially in the epilogue.
There's also quite a lot of new characters introduced here. Hazuki has her own personal arc, which may or may not lead us to discover a surprising connection. I actually like Hazuki a lot. Her presence really brightens up the entire book, and she provides a truly nice contrast to both Miyo and Kiyoka. Aside from her, we also see Miyo's grandfather and cousin from the Usuba family, as well as the emperor's second son, Prince Takaihito. This volume has more politics involved, and it also shows more fantasy elements even if it's still rather light. Seems like the next book will be dealing with Kiyoka's mother's disapproval of Miyo, so I shall prepare myself for family drama as I wait for it to come out.
This is so cute. Heartwarming and comforting, with adorable cats and tasty food. I was expecting this to be a collection of short stories as the coffee shop moves to one location to another, but just as the blurb says, all five characters who received the cats' hospitality share a connection in the past. Their link to each other, as well as to the cats, is actually a lot deeper than I thought it'd be. It's really nice to see everyone heading towards a better life after learning more about themselves, and the ending does a marvelous job at soothing my withered crone soul.
The astrology part is surprisingly thorough, so that's one thing to keep in mind for those who aren't interested. The star reading sessions provide a lot of in-depth analysis based on natal charts, with extensive explanation about what each terminology means. It even goes into describing the twelve houses, complete with visualizations of the wheel chart. Personally, I love astrology and learned a lot of new information from this book, but I can see why some people might find it difficult to understand.
Seems like this is only the first volume of a three-book series. I wonder if Penerbit Baca is going to release the next two volumes too? I hope they do.
I'll be honest, the majority of the book is more like a 3.5⭐ read. It's by no means bad. It's just... not quite what the blurb says it is. The blurb makes it sound like it's a story focused on four teenagers living in a remote island, spending their last summer in high school before they have to decide whether they would stay in the island or leave. That makes it sound like it'd be centered around the four main characters, right? But it's not.
The main character of this story is actually the island itself, and the blurb wasn't kidding when it says Akari, Kinuka, Genki, and Arata would observe the decisions of those who come and leave the island. That's seriously all they do until the very end: observing others. The book covers a lot of issues and deals with a lot of characters like a true slice of life story, ranging from the life of single mothers to village politics, which makes the overall tone heavier and less teenage-like. Even their school life receives very little portion compared to their days in the island. Again, it's not bad. It's just not what you think it may be.
That being said, the ending is beautiful and it's the reason why I'm rating this 4⭐. When you're a teenager and have to stay in the island knowing all of your friends are leaving, you'll definitely have a lot of worries about being apart from the people you grew up with. This issue gets resolved in a really nice way in the end, wrapping up the story on a heartwarming note. That alone deserves some extra points.
Sekali-sekali buat review Bahasa Indonesia, karena banyak yang bilang tidak mengerti apa yang terjadi dalam buku ini, terutama di bagian akhir. Siapa tahu ada yang merasa terbantu sama review ini.
Sebenarnya, judul buku ini punya dua arti. Yang pertama, kesunyian mencekam yang dirasakan Miyuki saat dia terjebak di badai salju dan hampir terkubur. Kesunyian yang sepertinya bisa dirasakan di seluruh penjuru pulau yang bersalju. Lalu yang kedua, silence dalam artian diam / bungkam. Makna yang kedua inilah yang berkaitan erat dengan Yuki-no-Shima dan Shimatama-san. Pernah dengar kalau para dewa-dewi hidup melalui orang-orang yang memuja mereka? Itulah yang terjadi di Yuki-no-Shima. Para penduduk pulau ini menyimpan banyak rahasia, terutama yang menyangkut para wanita yang lahir di pulau, meninggalkannya untuk hidup di kota, lalu terjebak dalam hubungan asmara dengan laki-laki yang tidak beres. Termasuk Miyuki. Semua penduduk pulau secara kompak bungkam supaya rahasia-rahasia ini tetap tersimpan.
Apa yang terjadi pada Miyuki, sebelumnya sudah pernah terjadi juga pada Tomoko. Memang susah untuk mengakhiri hubungan toxic kalau korbannya tidak mau putus dan bucinnya kelewatan, tapi saat mereka akhirnya berhasil keluar dari sana, seiring waktu mereka akan sadar kalau mereka lebih bahagia tanpa pasangan seperti itu. Di bab terakhir, sudut pandang tiba-tiba pindah ke Yayoi karena dialah wanita kelahiran Yuki-no-Shima yang menjadi korban hubungan toxic berikutnya... dan apa yang dialami Tomoko dan Miyuki, akan terjadi lagi pada Yayoi. Setelah itu mungkin Fuuka, karena Fuuka juga punya kekaguman pada kehidupan di kota.
Pada akhirnya, siapa yang mengusulkan mengundang pacar Yayoi ke pulau? Iya, Miyuki. Dia juga yang menekankan kalau harus saat musim dingin. Setelah melalui apa yang terjadi di buku ini, Miyuki juga menjadi bagian dari pulau kelahirannya dalam artian itu. It's an endless cycle, and it's extremely creepy. Mungkin tidak ada plot twist yang besar, tapi tidak semua cerita butuh plot twist.
Lalu mengenai apa yang terjadi pada Toshiaki... Tahu kan benda apa yang nggak akan membusuk di suhu rendah? Apalagi kalau beku. Seperti para pendaki kurang beruntung di Mt. Everest yang masih utuh walau sudah puluhan tahun ada disana.
Actual rating: 4.5⭐
A surprisingly refreshing take on time travel.
After a fight with his father, Funami Kanae runs away from home to spend spring break in his hometown which he hasn't visited in two years. On the evening of his very first day, he discovers a shrine at an abandoned park and his consciousness is thrown four days into the future, where he discovers that his childhood hero and the older brother of his best friend, Hoshina Akari, is now dead. Following Akari's wish for him to save her brother, Kanae then leaps through time in reverse order. He would spend one day before getting thrown back two days into the past, learning more about what's been happening to the Hoshina siblings since he's been away.
If you like childhood friends who have had crushes for each other for a long time, never fading with time or distance, then you will like this book. Kanae and Akari didn't talk for two years, and yet their bond remains strong... even if things got a little complicated between them as they grew up. Similarly to The Tunnel to Summer, the Exit of Goodbyes, the author did an amazing job capturing the bittersweet essence of adolescence. The romance also has a natural progression. Since each chapter opens with Akari's thoughts before moving on to Kanae's perspective, it feels like watching puzzle pieces falling into place to form the complete picture.
The issue in this book is quite heavy, especially because it explores the theme of abuse and what it does to the victim's mental state. If you could relate to Akari, even just a little bit, then it might hit hard when her emotions come out to the surface. Due to the heavy focus on reverse time travel, the ending and epilogue do feel a little rushed in comparison, but I still enjoyed it a lot. It's a real page turner that gives off the feeling of welcoming spring after a long, dreary winter.
Again, taking off half a star because the translation is too Americanized for my tastes. Sure, it flows smoothly. Maybe a little too smooth. The story is set in Japan, and no one in Japan talks like this so it comes off as very unnatural instead.
Actual rating: 4.5⭐
In the afterword, the author said they've always wanted to write a good, solid novel, and that's exactly what this book is. It's a good, solid, atmospheric standalone that feels like summer.
Tono Kaoru lost her little sister, Karen, in an accident five years ago. His family fell apart at the seams after her death, and he's been living in guilt ever since. So when he stumbles upon the Urashima Tunnel, rumored to have the ability to grant your wish, he decides to investigate in the hope of bringing Karen back. Soon he is joined by Hanashiro Anzu, a transfer student from Tokyo with a wish of her own, and they spend their summer trying to work around the time-bending nature of the tunnel.
While the story revolves around high school students and deals with problems that would be relatable to teenagers, it also shows tremendous growth for a lot of the characters. Mainly Kaoru and Anzu, but also Koharu who evolves into an entirely different person by the end of the book. It does a really good job delving into their personal issues, as well as working out a way for them to move past their problems. The way Kaoru's emotions are portrayed is especially well done, and the book manages to maintain its focus on him and Anzu as the leads. The romance comes naturally, with a bittersweet undertone to it that doesn't only suit the fleeting and nostalgic season of summer, but also adolescence.
The only thing I didn't quite like about it is the translation, sadly. It's not bad. It just feels a bit too Americanized for my tastes. That's why I have to take off half a star instead of giving full score, but other than that, it's amazing. Can totally see why they adapted this into a movie.