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Katanagatari, a twelve-book series with monthly releases which also signify a month of progression in the plot. No spoilers.

Story: 7/10
The story starts off with a simple premise: Schemer Togame hires a swordsman to help her collect twelve legendary swords scattered throughout Japan. The rest of the story is full of repetitive lines and is divided into sections too short to find anything intriguing; only a portion of the dialogues and concepts felt memorable. I can appreciate the history that goes alongside the plot, though it is nothing too crazy to talk about.

Art: 8/10
The illustrations are packed with vibrant colors and somewhat creative. The embellishments contribute ... to an overall vague image that does not align with my standards.

Character: 6/10
With small adventures left and right, many characters were short-lived (extreme example in book 4). In regards to the two main characters, there was an inadequate amount of depth for me to relate to them.

Enjoyment: 6/10
I came for a story with a lot of depth but ended up feeling disappointed.

Overall: 6.5/10
I can't recommend this to anyone. Maybe watch the anime instead.

MobuSeka, not an average romance isekai story. Minor spoilers included.

Story 9/10
The series starts with a male protagonist, Leon, who gets reincarnated into an otome game. (a video game for females where they can have relationships with the opposite gender) He soon discovers that the world is messed up and that society functions with a caste system. To secure his safety, he ventures out on a small adventure to obtain an AI companion. (Luxion, a pay to win cheat item)

Conflicts throughout the story are initiated by uncivil nobility who are obsessed with power and wealth. As a matter of fact, many choose to involve themselves in ... the unfair treatment of others; of course, Leon joins forces with the AI for the sake of promoting justice and world peace.

Art 9/10
The illustrations in the first volume might have been a little crude. Otherwise, the visual appeal for this series is fantastic. Leon's intended mob type character works well with his given appearance; likewise, it complements his personality.

Character 8/10
Leon is a very interesting character. He does not care about how outsiders perceive him which gives him the audacity to reprimand those who usually can't be criticized. When it comes to the people he is close with, he is typically compassionate and perhaps sensitive to their opinions of him. He does not actively participate in creating a harem for himself. (respect) He has realistic expectations and tries not to get ahead of himself.
"An overpowered protagonist done right."

The individuals of his harem have their fair share of trouble. They have sweet personalities and most have good development.

Regarding the idiot side characters... maybe a change in perception maybe not
They contribute to the humor and side characters are not to be disregarded.

Enjoyment 10/10
This series is a thrill to read. The otome game setting has its arcs that are well introduced and not too fast-paced. The romantic development is nice, but so are the sweeping crises that arise volume after volume. When situations can not possibly get worse, they do. The attention to detail and events exceeded my expectations.

Overall 9/10
MobuSeka is a must-read for isekai enthusiasts. Don't worry about cliche, there are few. Happy reading!

"IT HURTS IT HURTS IT HURTS IT HURTS IT HURTS IT HURTS IT HURTS IT HURTS IT HURTS IT HURTS IT HURTS IT HURTS"

Jokes aside, the HakoMari series sways toward the psychological side with very dark themes. If you are not comfortable with concepts such as murder, suicide, rape, abuse, and self-hatred, don't bother reading the light novel. When I say murder, I mean extremes like cutting people up with a chainsaw or grouping people in a building and burning them alive.

Initially, I read a few reviews for the series. I can confidently refute that the concept of Boxes is not vague and with no ... logic behind it. Sure, the first one or two volumes made me want to drop the light novel immediately, but just keep reading. Explanations are given that make the book clearer and more understandable. You might need to work your head a little to process what is going on though. Otherwise, you might be inclined to drop a one as the rating.

For the story, protagonist Kazuki lives a normal life with his high school friends. As the plot moves on, he can be called anything but normal. His life is changed with phenomena appearing one after another, with the source originating from "Boxes" that grant people the power to work towards their own wishes. The seven volumes focus on the main characters' roles in the anomalies while introducing their backstories.

The art is very unique, especially the intermission covers. The last few volumes were not able to maintain the luster, but all ends well. In regards to the characters, every one of them is explained in great detail. At least enough to where you can sympathize with them. Still, with all the developments and interactions going on, I can't call favorites on one character over another. I am not fond of any one of them with an intense passion neither.

The enjoyment aspect was a different matter altogether. Without the characters, there was still the plot to enjoy. The series had a unique premise and there was a lot of action. So much that there was little comical relief and pause to the events happening. Retaining so much information in so little time doesn't work out well. The confusing parts discourage readers from consuming the material, leading to disinterest.

With all things being said, this series is worth a read. I don't like stories with vague and unexplained phenomena. Trust me, HakoMari contrasts from Seishun Buta Yarou's quantum physics or Kimi no Na Wa's musubi concept. Give it a try and go break a leg. 8.5/10

Introduction:
The Oregairu light novel series might be a hard read at times, yet I can confidently state that it is a masterpiece. The same goes for the anime adaptations. It does a decent job of capturing the timeline of Oregairu. That is excluding some extra karaoke short stories, the first gaming clubroom encounter, the judo arc, and many other small events. Below is a breakdown of my attempted non-spoiler review.

Story 10/10
We are introduced to a teenage protagonist, Hachiman, who views the world in a pessimistic and cynical manner. After Ms. Hiratsuka ... forces him to join a club, he loses his introvert status to an extent and has more chances to interact with his high school classmates. Throughout many arcs and volumes, Hachiman and even side characters undergo character developments. The additional context provided for sceneries and events not only helps create a richer story but also gives a finer understanding of the sociological and psychological side of things which is unique to Oregairu.

Art 8/10
Light novels usually have cool art on their covers and a few featured pictures here and there. The same is for Oregairu.

Character 10/10
Anyone who has consumed enough of the Oregairu franchise will instantly recognize that each character has their signature look and personality. Forgetting about one or two side characters will inevitably happen via binging or just the passing of time, but not enough to forget all of them. Each of their interactions with each other and Hachiman serve a purpose to the overall plot. Heck, the characters are well matured to where the author can make a joke about them and readers can still understand the reference.

Enjoyment 9/10
As someone who got into the light novel after finishing the first two seasons of Oregairu, I might have felt weary. Nonetheless, the protagonist's thought process, perspectives, and humor on certain topics are quite relatable to some people including me. The events that take place all seem realistic and not too cliched or typical. There is also a little sprinkle of romance here and there. Very captivating!

Overall 10/10
This is without a doubt something that people should invest their time into. I highly recommend it to anyone and even more so to the teenage group.

Kimi no Na Wa wasn’t bad, but the plot felt shallow and unrealistic. The concept of musubi which related to threads and sake were justification for multiple time inconsistencies. Even so, I was left unsatisfied and confused.

During the movie, the time allotted for the two protagonists to interact with the other before the cutoff felt very short. The body-switching phenomenon ended before I knew it. As a result, the passing of time between Mitsuha and Taki was not fully captivated; moreover, having the two realize their affections for each other felt somewhat superficial. This was wasted potential for a relationship that could have been built ... with more depth.

Movies can only cover so much material, but that is no good excuse. The two were literally in each other's bodies, so they must have some sort of mutual understanding. Even so, the movie's approach was not effective. The author strayed from an average concept and had the characters interact through the swapping of bodies; this didn't appeal to me. Having a simple concept and the two experience a meeting in person from the beginning would have worked wonders.

Overall, this was a sentimental story with its unique plot twist. The art and animations were great. In contrast, the characters were mediocre. This was somewhat memorable. I give this a 7/10.